First Fifteen was a Wellington punk band formed in April 1982, known for catchy post-punk sound and darkly humorous lyrics that invoked Manchester’s The Fall and seminal local band Shoes This High. First Fifteen’s tight rhythm section of Jeff Miles (drums) and Scott MacFarlane (bass) lay a captivating post-punk base for Blaise Orsman’s chaotically hooky guitar and Tim Scott’s off-kilter vocals.

In the wake of the 1981 Springbok tour and the social upheaval that accompanied it, the fittingly named First Fifteen (a rugby reference if you’re not from these parts) released a stand-out EP in November 1982. Featuring 4 tracks, one a cover of “These Boots Are Made For Walking”, the 7” paints a dark picture of a NZ society that had emerged out of the post-war boom period into a brutish “antipodean gothic” version of itself following seven years of Muldoon government.

First Fifteen were a part of Wellington’s second wave of punk playing alongside bands such as Riot 111, Flesh D-Vice, Aftershock and Unrestful Movements. In 1983 they played at key Wellington punk events Underground Emerges and Golden Showers, both organized by Gerald Dwyer of Flesh D-Vice and John Void of Riot 111. The Golden Showers concert was recorded live with two tracks, “Fascist Tango” and “Do The Jug,” featured on the Capitol Kaos compilation that came out the following year. First Fifteen disbanded in 1983 with guitarist Blaise Orsman later joining the acclaimed Auckland post-punk band ?Fog.

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Origin	Wellington
Genre	post-punk
Years Active	1982 – 1983
Labels	World Ashtray Records
Associated Acts	Riot 111, Flesh D-Vice
Past Members	Scott MacFarlane (bass) Jeff Miles (drums, vocals) Blaise Orsman (guitar) Tim Scott (vocals)