If I Had A Gun was a punk band from Wellington, New Zealand, formed in 2003 by Gwilym and Nick Oakes, who began jamming as a two-piece after playing together in the Onslow College school band. Blair Jones, previously with Deaf Terrorists and Padded Cell, joined on vocals, alongside bassist Adam Cohn, who had roots in an early version of the Carnys. The lineup expanded in May with vocalist Kathy Gott, of ska-punk band Hung Jury, who Nick also drummed in.

The band debuted at the Alternative Routes street festival on March 15, 2003, organised by Blair to protest a proposed inner-city bypass in Wellington’s Te Aro community. They became a staple in the Wellington punk scene, playing alongside bands like Carnys, Hell Fucken Rumble, Dead Vicious, and The Deadline. In 2003, they performed at Punkfest and Unityfest in Auckland and contributed their song “Kill/Love” to the Stop The Bypass compilation, supporting anti-motorway activism with a CD release show at Thistle Hall.

In July 2004, If I Had A Gun released their EP, Tony’s World Fork Tour 2004, tied to a tumultuous South Island tour marked by a chaotic, drunken performance in Dunedin that ended in fights, thrown chairs, and a 15-minute set. Tensions peaked at the Meatwaters 04 festival in September 2004, and the band split soon after. Their brief but intense run left a skidmark on Wellington’s underground music scene with their raw energy and chaotic spirit.

Origin	Wellington
Genre	anarcho-punk
Years Active	2003-2004
Associated Acts	Padded Cell, Hung Jury, Deaf Terrorists
Past Members	Blair Jones (vocals) Kathy Gott (vocals) Gwilym Evans (guitar, b-vocals) Adam Cohn (bass, b-vocals) Nick Oakes (drums)