Shoes This High were a post-punk band from Wellington, New Zealand, formed in late 1979 initially featuring Kevin Hawkins (guitar), Jessica Walker (bass), Don Campbell (drums) and Andrew Strang on vocals. Emerging from the first wave of the Wellington punk scene, the band established its lineup in early 1980 with the substitution of Chris Plummer on drums and Brent Hayward as vocalist.
Known for their angular rhythms, venomous lyrics, and uncompromising attitude the group evolved from an earlier outfit, The Amps/ Jellyfish, and quickly made their mark with fierce live performances, debuting at a Cuba Mall Sunday Session in November 1979. They were soon playing with the likes of Wallsockets, Life In The Fridge Exists, Toy Love, The Gordons and Spelling Mistakes.
By August they had moved to Auckland where they had a string of gigs at XS Cafe alongside the Newmatics and Features, and recorded at Harlequin Studio. Returning to Wellington at the end of 1980 for a bunch of shows Shoes This High imploded in the new year, leaving behind a self-titled EP released in March and a compilation of live recordings that surfaced on US label Siltbreeze in 2014.
After the breakup, Brent Hayward continued performing as Smelly Feet and later in The Kiwi Animal and as Fats White, while the other members reunited briefly in 1982 as Fishschool.
Links
- Audioculture: Shoes This High
- Witchdoctor: Shoes This High Step Back Home
- Witchdoctor: Stayers Shoes This High Shine
| Origin | Wellington |
| Genre | punk, post-punk |
| Years Active | 1979 – 1980 |
| Labels | Siltbreeze |
| Associated Acts | The Amps The Kiwi Animal Smelly Feet Fish School |
| Past Members | Kevin Hawkins (guitar) Jessica Walker (bass) Andrew Strang (vocals 1979) Brent Hayward (vocals 1979-80) Don Cambell (drums 1979) Chris Plummer (drums 1980) |
Releases
| Title | Date | Label | Type | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoes This High | 1981 | EP | 7″ | |
| Shoes This High | 2002 | Raw Power | EP | 7″ |
| Shoes This High | 2014 | Siltbreeze | EP | 7″ |
| Straight To Hell | 2014, Feb 4 | Siltbreeze | live album | 12″ |
Timeline
1979, September
Shoes This High form out of The Amps/ Jellyfish
1979, November 18, Cuba Mall
Shoes This High play at Cuba Mall’s Sunday Session.
1979, December 9, Cuba Mall
1979, December 31, Thistle Hall
1980
1980, February 9, Last Resort
1980, March 14-16, Rock Theatre
Whizz Kids, Shoes This High
1980, May 14, Billy The Club
The Newz, Shoes This High
1980, May 22-25, Last Resort
The Spelling Mistakes, Shoes This High
1980, May 31-June 2, Billy The Club
1980, June 7, Billy The Club
1980, June 21-22, Billy The Club
June 22 performance recorded and released as Straight To Hell in 2014.
1980, June 27-29, Billy The Club
1980, July 4, Billy The Club
1980, July 27, XS Cafe
1980, August 2, XS Cafe, AKL
1980, August 15-16, XS Cafe, AKL
1980, September 5, Cheetah Bar (AK)
1980, October 31-November 2, XS Cafe, AKL
1980, November 13, The Club (WGTN)
Shoes This High, Wallsockets, The Preservatives
1980, November 14, Brooklyn Community Hall
The Gordons, Shoes This High
1980, November 23, Last Resort
Naked Spots Dance, Wallsockets, Shoes This High
1980, December 4, Last Resort
The Screaming Meemees, Shoes This High
1980, December 5, St. John’s Hall, Vivian Street
Shoes This High, Naked Spots Dance, Condemned Sector
1980, December 6-7, Last Resort
w/ The Screaming Meemees, The Mockers
Shoes’ approach is total non-compromise, which is heroic and admirable, as well as being perverse to the point of masochism. But is anyone else really doing that much better? Everyone should see them at least once; all musicians should see them regularly.
Rip It Up, Issue 42, 1 January 1981, Page 19
1980, December 21, Harlequin Studio (AK)
Shoes This High record their self-titled EP
