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I often wonder about age and music. As has been mentioned since way before I came to live here, Tauranga has a higher average age than New Zealand in general.
This was often raised in a disparaging way. These days it’s usually in respect to the unceasing proliferation of retirement villages. It must affect the music scene, but exactly how I’m not quite sure.
I have musician friends who play at retirement villages and many lean towards playing easy listening jazz, what I realise is probably music of the 1940 and 1950s.
But let’s consider dates. The Rolling Stones released Satisfaction in 1965, which is 61 years ago. Which means if you were a teenager when it came out you’re well into receiving NZ Super and possibly living in a retirement village. And if you were around for that incredible era of guitarists, Hendrix playing the Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock et al – then you’re in your 70s now.
Nonetheless I don’t think of a band at a retirement village playing the greatest hits from Woodstock – far too wild and heavy!
A veritable monster
This came to mind this week when listening to the blistering attack of local retro-punks Stunt Clown. I call them retro-punks because for me there is the energy and spirit, and sheer gnarliness, of the original late-1970s punk bands as opposed to the 1990s American revivalists.
Stunt Clown’s new album Dreadnought. Photo / Supplied
Of course, if you were listening to the Pistols in 1976 that places you – once again, yes! – in “gold card” territory. Is it a step too far to imagine Stunt Clown playing punk retirement village gigs?
I’m writing about Stunt Clown because, after recent single Be Sensible with its sensational video, the band has released a second album, Dreadnought, and it’s a veritable monster.
Recorded last year by Evan Pope at the Mount’s Studio 11b, Dreadnought is 40 minutes and 13 songs of solid racing power.
The production sound is simply fantastic, the guitars huge, from the short, sharp shock of opener Long Way To The Floor through to more nu-metal-styled Alleyways. It is angry, political, and big and doesn’t let up till the last note of the Peter Gunn-ish closer Mainline.
Around the block
The four members have all been around the block by now and obviously wanted to do things properly, including mastering by Alan Douches at West West Side in New York.
They all have long histories on the scene. I remember singer Shane Duncan from a string of bands in the late 1990s including MK-Ultra and DIC, who released a rather spectacular 2006 album, Kindergarten Crackwhore. Guitarist Bruce Rolands was a mainstay of Brilleaux, who toured Europe twice, and bands with John Michaelz, including Stone Babies and Kosher.
Bass player Ian Clark is an imported Englishman, who now plays with Brain Squash, while drummer Verne Bigwood, a South Island import, was part of Te Puke band Dead Simple as well as The Carradines and Sog. Dreadnought is on vinyl now, available from the band or at Bandcamp, and is streaming everywhere.
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