Robert Scott's Top Five

Top 5 records
1. Velvets 2nd
2. Suicide 1st
3. Bill Callahan, Sometimes I Wish..
4. Stranglers 1st
5. Kate Bush, The Kick Inside

Top 5 underrated NZ bands, past or present
1. The Puddle
2. The Subliminals
3. The Rip
4. Haunted Love
5. Psychic Maps

Top 5 NZ venues, past or present
1. Empire Tavern. Dunedin
2. Leigh Sawmill. Leigh
3. Chicks Hotel. Port Chalmers
4. Mighty Mighty. Wellington
5. The Burgundy Bar. Dunedin

Favorite Flying Nun singles, EPs or LPs
1. Subliminals, Crystal Chain
2. Sausage Records 4 Star, Wellington compilation
3. Nocturnal Projections, Understanding Another Year in Darkness
4. Scorched Earth Policy, Going Thru a Hole in the Back of Your Head
5. Bailter Space, Tanker

The Bats Photos

The Bats play the Sugerloaf Shakedown in Auckland's Kings Arms Tavern, May 22nd, 2011. The show was a fundraiser for the Christchurch music community. It took place only months after a catastrophic earthquake hit Christchurch, killing 181 people.

Photos by Ryan Leach.

The Bats - By Night (Album Review)

Review by Ryan Leach

By Night (1984) was the Bats’ debut EP. It was an auspicious beginning for the group: six great songs and not a dud among them. 

The Bats “sound” more or less coalesced on By Night: Robert Scott’s straightforward songwriting and rhythm guitar; Kaye Woodard’s tasteful lead guitar work; Marshall Grant’s steady backbeat; and Paul Kean’s melodic and active bass lines are all present. 

It’s hard to pick a favorite among these tracks—Woodward’s 12-string guitar work on “Jewellers Heart” is distinctive; the mismatch of Scott’s reserved vocals with the unstrained subject matter of “I Go Wild” is compelling. The Fall-like, honky-tonk stomp of “United Airways” certainly ranks high. But it’s “Man in the Moon” that comes out slightly ahead of the rest. 

Robert Scott’s best work typically comes out in the Bats’ mid-tempo songs, where he adopts an early ‘70s singer-songwriter feel, particularly influenced by John Cale’s early solo work. “Man in the Moon” comes closest to that hallmark. 

By Night is highly recommended. Somewhat hard to fine, Compiletely Bats is more accessible, and contains almost all of the tracks off of the Bats’ first three EPs.  

The Clean - Boodle Boodle Boodle (Album Review)

Review by Ryan Leach

Although recorded quickly and on a miniscule budget,Boodle, Boodle, Boodle remains one of the great records of the early 1980s. 

The album was recorded by The Clean and scene mavens Chris Knox and Doug Hood on Knox's Teac 4-track recorder; it would be Flying Nun's third release (and first EP). Bassist Robert Scott remembers the recording and mixing sessions well: "We just selected a group of songs we wanted to do and recorded them quickly. We were in a small, wooden hall—40 foot by 40 foot. The hall had a really nice and natural sound. We just set our equipment up like we were doing a gig. We recorded and mixed it all in two days (September 7 and 8, 1981)." (Leach, Razorcake #62)

Vocal duties on Boodle, Boodle, Boodle were handled democratically, with all members—guitarist David Kilgour, drummer Hamish Kilgour and Scott—singing lead on at least one track. As with all of The Clean's music, the tunes on Boodle are minimal; Hamish keeps a steady backbeat while Scott pounds out root eighth notes. The songs gain their strength through the group's incredible songwriting and David Kilgour's inventive guitar playing. These elements are taken to the extreme on "Point That Things Somewhere Else". 

At 5:30, the song relentlessly employs Velvets' minimalism: David's guitar caroms out the speakers, coated with reverb and indebted to Lou Reed's playing ("What Goes On") throughout the instrumental break. Hamish's sing-speak vocals simply add to the droning effect of the song, sounding more like an instrument than a voice.

"Anything Could Happen" became a staple for The Clean. And for good reason. The track's lyrics are incredible—poetic yet ambiguous, leaving listeners the opportunity to construct their own interpretations: "Look for an answer in empty doorways/Talk to a dancer, said it's out on the highway".

Boodle, Boodle, Boodle sold in relatively large numbers, hitting number 4 in the New Zealand charts. It enabled Flying Nun to continue releasing records with much-needed capital. Boodle, Boodle, Boodle remains a highwater mark of New Zealand music.