Skeptics were a
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
industrial
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...
band from 1979 to 1990. They became notorious in 1987 for an unusually
graphic
Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of data, as in design and manufacture, ...
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
entitled "AFFCO".
Early recordings
Skeptics' first recording appeared in 1982 on ''The Furtive Four Three Piece Pack'' a 12" compilation EP which also featured
The Bongos
The Bongos were a power pop band from Hoboken, New Jersey that emerged from the New York City arts scene, primarily active in the 1980s, led by Richard Barone. With their unique musical style, they were major progenitors of the Hoboken indie-pop ...
,
The Dabs and
The Prime Movers.
They toured New Zealand on the
Furtive Records "Three Piece Pack" tour. The tour was to be followed by a five track EP, ''Pyronnists Selections'' which was to be released on
Propeller Records
Propeller Records was an independent record label formed in Auckland, New Zealand, by Simon Grigg in 1980.
1980-81
In the years prior to 1980 the New Zealand contemporary recording industry was largely moribund. The major record labels were eith ...
, Furtive's parent label, but the master tape was stolen from the Propeller office and the EP was never released.
In 1983, Skeptics released the EP ''Chowder Over Wisconsin'' on
Flying Nun Records
Flying Nun Records is a New Zealand independent record label formed in Christchurch in 1981 by music store manager Roger Shepherd. Described by ''The Guardian'' as "one of the world's great independent labels", Flying Nun is notable for bringin ...
.
From 1983 to 1984 they ran their own club, thanks to support from the City Council arts centre, in a former electrical warehouse in Palmerston North. They named the club Snailclamps after a chalk inscription they found in the warehouse, "C164 Snail Clamps". Initially the venue ran as an underage hangout but became a fully licensed venue not long after, until the band decided to pack up and relocate to
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
.
A cassette named ''Skeptics Said'' was released on the now defunct Industrial Tapes label in 1984.
In 1985, the band released an LP, ''Ponds''.
Membership changes
By the time of the ''Ponds'' release, Robin Gauld had left the band. John Halvorsen, formerly of
The Gordons (and later of
Bailter Space
Bailter Space (a.k.a. Bailterspace) is a New Zealand shoegaze and noise rock band that formed in Christchurch, in 1987 as Nelsh Bailter Space; they had previously recorded as The Gordons. Its members are Alister Parker (guitar, bass), John Halvo ...
), joined in his stead.
AFFCO video controversy
In August 1987 Skeptics made a video for the ''Skeptics III'' track "AFFCO", named after the New Zealand meat processing company
AFFCO. Directed by
Stuart Page, the video was filmed in the Westfield Freezing Company and Kellax meat packers in Auckland and included graphic footage of lambs being slaughtered and cut up, contrasted with footage of lambs in a field. Singer David d'Ath also appeared wrapped in plastic cling film and fake blood.
Due to its graphic content, the video has rarely been broadcast on New Zealand television, but has been screened at various art exhibitions in New Zealand and at
Film Archive
An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located.
Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or ...
screenings and is now freely available to watch online.
Breakup
While working on yet another release,"Amalgam" in 1989, David D'Ath learned that he had
leukaemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...
.
David D'Ath died on Tuesday, 4 September 1990. The band ceased immediately after.
"Amalgam" was finally released in November 1990. In the following years to come, unreleased Skeptics material began to surface as documents of their existence. The 10" single, "Sensible" which featured studio tracks created back in 1985, was launched in 1991. A full album version soon followed which featured further recordings from 1985 to 1990.
In 1992, a boxed-set of Skeptics recordings was produced which contained 'Skeptics III', 'Amalgam', 'Sensible' and a live three song recording EP 'If I Will I Can' taken from the last Skeptics gig in 1990 at the Gluepot in Auckland. Also accompanying the boxset was a 12-page booklet of lyrics and artwork by, and in memory of David D'Ath.
In 2013 the documentary film ''Sheen of Gold'', directed by Simon Ogston, was released to critical acclaim. Reissues and previously unreleased recordings were released to coincide with the film.
Discography
Various Artists
External links
Official Skeptics Flying Nun artist page
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skeptics
New Zealand post-punk music groups
Flying Nun Records artists