1989

By this point, the scene had lost much of its earlier momentum. Zine production had largely dried up, with Anti-System remaining the primary (though sporadic) publication, releasing only two issues that year. The broader cultural zeitgeist in Wellington had shifted toward heavy metal’s growing influence (Guns and Roses played Mt Smart in December), leaving punk somewhat sidelined and less central to the city’s youth and alternative energy compared to the preceding years.

Live venues remained limited. The Clarendon served as the main regular pub option for punk and underground bands. Other spots like the Tramway Hotel (also known as The Adelaide) and Paisley Park in lower Taranaki Street occasionally hosted gigs, such as a Number Nine show in June.

Flesh D-Vice undertook a nationwide “Savage Truth” tour in April. They hit major centers as well as smaller provincial towns like Blackball on the West Coast, Timaru, and Nelson. Skapa, billed as Wellington’s first ska band, made their debut gig at the Londoners Club in January. Featuring Chas Mannel (formerly of early punk act Ambitious Vegetables from a decade earlier), they quickly carved out a niche in a scene craving fresh input amid waning energy from younger bands. T.A.B. stood out as one of the few other regularly gigging punk bands that year. Wazzo Ghoti released their debut album “Gone Ghoting!” in October on Skank Records, with a launch show at the James Cabaret in Hania Street. Number Nine played their final shows at The Clarendon on December 8 and 9 before disbanding.

Signs of experimentation hinted at future directions, with bands like Sperm Bank 5 (an evolution from the psychedelic pranksters in ?Fog, incorporating more sample-heavy and surreal elements) beginning to emerge, reflecting a move away from straight punk toward noise, avant-garde, or hybrid underground sounds. 

Overall, 1989 felt like a quieter, consolidating year for Wellington punk – marked by persistence from veterans like Flesh D-Vice, a few new sparks (e.g., Skapa), album releases, and commemorations like Neil Roberts Day in Wanganui – but without the explosive growth of prior years.