School of Meat was a hardcore punk band from Wellington, New Zealand, formed in 2000 by Nathan Judge (bass), Aidan McDonald (guitar, vocals), Simon Smith (guitar), and Ryan O’Leary (drums). Emerging from the DIY punk scene, the band drew inspiration from the fast, tight, and dynamic sound of bands like Minor Threat, with Nathan and Aidan’s prior experience in Nelson-based band Killtrain shaping their musical synergy. Named after a butchery school in Petone they passed en-route to practice, School of Meat embodied the raw energy of Wellington’s underground.

Active in the local punk community, they were key players in Punkfest, performing at the 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004 events, and supported gigs at venues like Valve Bar, Underground Arts, Thistle Hall, and house parties. Their 2001 EP, Enrol Today, delivered four tracks of blistering hardcore punk. While not overtly political, they backed causes like the Stop The Bypass movement, contributing the song “Gagged” to a 2004 compilation and playing the 2003 Alternative Routes festival to protest Wellington’s inner-city bypass.

The band shared stages with notable acts like Flesh D-Vice, Evil Priest, and Red Shift, and toured with Flesh D-Vice and Carnys in 2003. Aidan and Ryan also played in grindcore outfit Backyard Burial during the band’s early years. School of Meat’s final gig was at Punkfest 2004, after which Aidan’s move to Auckland led to the band’s dissolution.

Origin	Wellington
Genre	hardcore punk
Years Active	2000 – 2004
Labels	Dayjob Records
Associated Acts	Killtrain Backyard Burial
Past Members	Aidan McDonald (guitar, vocals) Nathan Judge (bass) Ryan O’Leary (drums) Simon Smith (guitar)