The Battle of the Sounds was a three night competition organised by Radio Windy and held at the Electric Ballroom on Victoria Street. Held over Labour Weekend in October, 1980, the event pitted acts from the new wave (The Mockers, Protons, Syko Surbs) and punk scene (Condemned Sector, Domestic Blitz, The Red, The Reply, Wallsockets) against more conventional rock ( Backstreet, Hot Spoons, Taste Of Bounty) and heavy metal (Argosy).
Wellington Big event of the last month was heats for the Radio Windy Battle of the Sounds. First heat saw Mockers beat Backstreet, Protons and Argosy. In the second, Subjects beat Syko Subs, Condemned Sector and Hot Spoons. In the third The Red bested Wallsockets, Innocent and Saboteurs. In the last Taste of Bounty were too much for Domestic Blitz, Raw Deal, The Reply and Scanners. After Heat Three, posters appeared claiming the contest was fixed in favour of Subjects, and naming Phil O’Brien as villain. There were also anonymous telephone threats of violence. All-in-all a disgusting spectacle.
Rip It Up, Issue 40, 1 November 1980, Page 4
Claims by fans of the Wallsockets that the competition was fixed led to a letter campaign in local music paper In Touch against the event’s judges DJ Phil O’Brien and Mike Aston, who for his part appeared to have taken an open dislike to the new punk bands. Following the competition, which was won by Taste Of Bounty, Life In The Fridge Exists and Condemned Sector both threw shade on Phil O’Brien with some spicy dis-tracks.
