Avant-noise outsider-punk, an anarchic cacophony of politics and fun
Mr Sterile Assembly (MSA), formed in 2001 by percussionist Kieran Monaghan and bassist Chrissie Butler in Wellington, New Zealand, emerged from the ashes of Kieran’s previous band, Loosehead. What began as Kieran’s solo recording project, mr sterile, evolved into a dynamic punk outfit known for its “avant-noise outsider-punk” sound, an anarchic blend of politics, fun, and theatricality. Described as a “cacophony” that stretches generic boundaries, MSA fused punk’s raw energy with avant-garde free noise jazz and unconventional rhythms, creating sophisticated yet foot-stompingly seductive performances that blurred the line between music and theatre.
The band’s early years saw a fluctuating lineup, sometimes featuring up to seven musicians, with Kieran on guitar and vocals alongside Chrissie and a rotating ensemble. Their debut gig on September 13, 2001, at Valve featured Aaron Lloydd on trombone (also formerly of Loosehead) and Vlada Plackic on drums. By 2004, their first album, “Hulagu”, showcased a larger lineup and tackled the post-9/11 War on Terror, critiquing the Iraq invasion. This album set the stage for their first European tour in 2005, including a residency at CESTA in the Czech Republic, forging connections with bands like Uz Jsme Doma and Sabot, whose resilience against state repression resonated with MSA’s socially conscious ethos.
Known for outlandish costumes and garish facepaint resembling a futurist punk kabuki performer, MSA incorporated absurdist theatrical elements, evolving their visual aesthetic with each album to reflect its thematic content. Their music critiqued colonialism, class struggle, wealth inequality, and state power abuses, maintaining a punk ethos of challenging complacency and conformity. Albums like “15 Minute Crib” (2006), recorded as a stripped-down four-piece, and “Whyte” (2008), a performance exhibition for the Dunedin Fringe Festival, showcased their ability to reinvent their sound and stagecraft. “Bug My Ride” (2009) reflected on post-9/11 surveillance, while “Transit” (2011), recorded in a former NZ Security Intelligence Service building, featured duelling basses and guest artists, amplifying themes of militarism and consumerism.
MSA’s relentless touring took them across South East Asia (2006, 2011), China, Europe, Japan, and South Korea (2016-2019). Their fifth album, “It’s All Over” (2015), delivered thought-provoking outsider punk with odd time signatures and audacious creativity, described as “damn good rocking fun” with a mission to change the world. Their final album, “HELLo” (2023), featured collaborators like Hannah Salmon and tackled conspiracy theories, classism, and climate change, ending with a defiant call for hope in the track “Didn’t”. MSA played their farewell show in 2024 at Barrel Brothers in Newtown.
Over their 18-year career, MSA remained cohesive, challenging, and hardboiled yet accessible, evolving with electronic elements and collaborations while staying true to their punk roots. Kieran Monaghan has since launched a new project, vegetable.machine.animal, marking the next chapter of his creative journey.
| Origin | Happy Valley, Wellington |
| Genre | outsider-punk, avant-noise |
| Years Active | 2001 – 2024 |
| Labels | Skirted Records |
| Associated Acts | mr sterile, DSLB, Ditzy Squall |
| Core Members | Chrissie Butler (bass, clarinet, melodica, vocals) Kieran Monaghan (guitar, drums, vocals) |
| Collaborators | Vlada Plackic (drums 2001-2002) Miles Climo (drums 2003-2004) Elsa Kersley (bass 2002-2005) Chris O’Connor (drums) Jana Te Nahu Owen (drums 2004-2005) Aaron Lloydd (guitar, trombone, vocals 2001-2005, 2011) Jeff Henderson (saxophone, vocals 2006-2008) Dave Mike (guitar 2006-2008) Francesca Mountfort (cello, vocals 2002-2005) Dan Beban (guitar 2008) Sarsha Leigh-Douglas (bass 2009-2010) |
| Websites | mr sterile Assembly Bandcamp |
Links
Releases
| Title | Date | Label | Type | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulagu | 2004, Dec 10 | Skirted Records | album | CD/ DL |
| 15 Minute Crib | 2006, Sept 7 | Skirted Records | album | CD/ DL |
| Bug My Ride | 2009, Sept 5 | Skirted Records | album | CD/ DL |
| Transit | 2011, Feb 25 | Skirted Records | album | CD/ DL |
| It’s All Over | 2015, Dec 5 | Skirted Records | album | CD/ DL |
| Run Peter Run | 2022, Oct 3 | Skirted Records | single | tape/ DL |
| HELLo | 2023, Nov 7 | Skirted Records 28 | album | CD/ DL |
| Goodbye | 2023, Dec 17 | Skirted Records | compilation | tape/ DL |
Timeline
2001, September 13, Valve
2001, December 1, The Frying Pan
2002
- 2002, April 12, The Space
- 2002, May 25, The Cross
2002, July 19, Valve
- 2002, August 3, Bar Bodega
- 2002, September 5, The Space
- 2002, December 7, Misfit Theatre
2003
- 2003, March 4, The Space
- 2003, June 13, The Cross Bar
2003, August 30, New Era
2003, October 4, The Space
2003, October 24-26, Punkfest
2003, November 7, 128 Abel Smith St
2003, November 30, Paramount
Jello Biafra spoken word
2004
- 2004, February 1, Happy
- 2004, February 21, Valve
2004, April 24, 158 Cuba Street
2004, May 1, Civic Square
2004, August 28, 128 Abel Smith St
2004, October 2, Valve
2004, November 27, Red Eye Cafe
2004, December 4, The Cross
2004, December 10, Hulagu
2004, December 10, The Cross
2005
- 2005, February 25, The Royal (P-Nth): Sabot D.I.O tour
- 2005, February 26, The Red Eye (Whanganui): Sabot D.I.O tour
- 2005, February 27, Happy: Sabot D.I.O tour
2005, March 18, Valve
2005, April 8 – 23, European Tour
- April 9, VRAH, Roznov pod Radhostem, Czech
- April 11, GES Klun, Presov, Slovakia
- April 12, Wave Klub, Kosice, Slovakia
- April 13, Skansen Mine, Zabrza, Poland
- April 14, Yazz Klub, Poland
- April 16, MC Orion, Tabor, Czech
- April 22, Mozg, Bydgoszcz, Poland
- April 23, Gryfinski Dom Kultury, Poland
2005, October 21, The Red Eye Cafe
2006
- 2006, July 1, Happy
- 2006, July 14, Bar Bodega
2006, August 12, Valve
Zombie Prom Queen, Beware the POODLE, Wing Of Vengeance, mr sterile Assembly.
2006, September 7: 15 Minute Crib
2006, September 7, The Odeon (AKL)
2006, September 9-23, SE Asia Tour
- September 9, Tunestone Studio, Klang, Malaysia
- September 10, KL Jam Asia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- September 11, The Eastern Promise, Jarkata, Indonesia
- September 14, Ultimus Bookstore, Bandung, Java
- September 15, Fisipol UGM, Yagyakarta, Java
- September 16, Food Tunnel, Surabaya, Java
- September 17, PKM, Jember, Java
- September 19, Ours Cafe, Semarang, Java
- September 20, Biltar, Java
- September 21, Jakarta Arts Institute, Java
- September 22, KL, Malaysia
- September 23, Glashaus, Singapore
2006, October 20, Punkfest
2007
2007, January 26-27, Sabot tour
- January 26, Bandstand Rotunda, Hamilton
- January 26, Wine Cellar, AKL
- January 27, Barbarella, Rotorua
2007, March 15, The Adelaide
2007, May 19, Valve
2007, October 27, Happy
2007, November 3, Happy
2007, November 16, Happy
2008
2008, February 15, Valve
2008, March 21, The Whammy Bar
2008, March 27-29, Bodega
2008, April 5-6, None Gallery (DUN), WHYT
2008, April 11-13, Vialka tour
- April 11, Happy
- April 12, The Eye of Night
- April 13, Whammy Bar
- 2008, May 2, Happy
- 2008, August 1, Happy
- 2008, August 29, Happy
2008, September 5 – 13, Australia tour
- September 5, Brisbane, w/ Taste of Teeth
- September 6, Louie’s (SYD) w/ Chaos Theory
- September 12, Loophole (Melb) w/ Ultra-Violent MC, Pig & Machine,
- September 13, Public Bar (Melb) w/ Satanic Soccer Mums
2008, November 2, Happy
2008, December 8, Bodega
Adam Smith Assassination, Heavy Turkey, Cherry’s Gemstones, mr sterile Assembly.
2009
2009, February 28, Spacething
2009, March 19, Hole In The Wall
with mr sterile Assembly, Big Flip The Massive, Ladieswear Landscaping
2009, May 16, Watusi
2009, Sept 5, Bug My Ride
2009, Dec 3-5, Uz Jsme Doma tour
2010
2010, March 7, Mangaweka
2010, July 29, Happy
2010, November, Space Monster, Whanganui
2011
2011, February 25, Transit
2011, March 25, Russian Frost Farmers
2011, April 1, The Factory
w/Neckstretchers, Project: Blood, & Crackpot Theory.
2011, April 2, The Arc Theatre
w/Rolling Hills + Double Ya D
2011, April 8, Freds
w/ Bad Statistics
2011, April 15 – 23, Australia
2011, May 21, Meow
2011, June 18, Bar Bodega
Steve Ignorant presents The Last Supper, w/ mr sterile Assembly. Read A Life More Crass.
2011, July 15 – 30, South East Asia
2011, July 23, Stela
2011, August 27, Mighty Mighty
2011, October 1, Hamilton
2011, October 14, Happy
2011, November 4, Newtown Community Centre
2012
2012, February 12, Freds
2012, March 23/ 24 Dunedin
2012, March 24, Players
2012, November 10, No Wave Spacktackular
2012, December 7, SFBH
Dec 7, SFBH, Kia Ora Gaza fundraiser: Rogernomix, Mongo Skato, Mr Sterile Assembly, Johnsonville City Nights, Fantails, Big Rick, and Aura
2013
2013, February 9, Transit (music video)
2013, August 16, Whammy Bar
2013, September 13, Darkroom
2013, September 14, Timaru
2013, October 25-27, Fangfest
2013, November 8, Mighty Mighty
2014
2014, February 6-9, Waitangi Wastefest
2014, March 8, Mighty Mighty
2014, April-May, Czech Republic, London
- April 23, Prague, Czech Republic, Venue – Akropolis, w/Už Jsme Doma & Zuby Nehty
- April 24, České Budějovice, Czech Republic, Proti Rosismu, w/Už Jsme Doma
- April 25, Domažlice, Czech Republic, Moskyto w/Už Jsme Doma
- May 3, London, UK, The Grosvenor SW9 w/ 100% Beefcock and the Titburster, Gobuzli and DJ Howard Jacques
2014, November 8, Great Job
2014, December 4, Valhalla
2015
2015, April 3, Space Monster
2015, May 1, Valhalla
2015, June 5, Snails
2015, June 14, Black Wire Records
2015, July 2, Munki Studios
2015, August 29, Onslaught
2015, November 21, Neil Roberts Day
2015, December 5, It’s All Over
2015, December 5, Moon Bar
2016
2016, February 26, Moon Bar
w/ Ted Danson with Wolves, Carb On Carb, Tuff Wizard
2016, March 6, Newtown Festival
Living Wage stage, Constable Street
2016, March 26, Tora Tora Festival
2016, April 30, Pyramid Club
2016, October 14-23, China
2017
2017, January 6, NOW festival
2018
2018, October 13-20, HELLo Tour
2019
2019, January 26, Waitarere
2019, April 5, Valhalla
2019, June 19, Orange Time
2019, June 25, Postmusic (Liverpool)
2019, November 16, Snails
2020
2020, August 7, Audio Foundation
2020, August 8, UFO, Auckland
2020, October 15, Darkroom, Christchurch
2020, October 16, The Crown, Dunedin
2020, October 17, Tuatara Bar, Invercargill
2020, November 14, Moon Bar
2022
2022, October 3, Run Peter Run
2023
2023, November 7, HELLo
2024
2024, March 8, Radio Active
2024, March 15, Barrel Brothers, Newtown
