The Glass were a short-lived but striking post-punk trio from Upper Hutt, active in the mid-1980s. Made up of Dave Morris (guitar), Kevin Kermack (bass/vocals) and Gary Steele (drums), the band earned a reputation as something of an enigma, largely due to their habit of retreating into their Upper Hutt flat for long stretches to obsessively refine their sound. As a result, many people first encountered The Glass live with little idea of who they were or where they’d come from.
Kermack had previously played in Aftershock, part of the new wave of Wellington punk bands and participants in the infamous Golden Showers show in April 1983. After Aftershock’s final gig in October 1983, The Glass formed in July 1984, making their live debut that September at Victoria University’s student union bar. Over the next year they became regulars on the Wellington circuit, sharing bills with bands such as Skank Attack, Flesh D-Vice, Crying Out Loud and Tradaviks.
Live, The Glass were a powerful three-piece, built on a heavy, driving rhythm section offset by chiming, angular guitar. Reviewers noted Kermack’s confrontational vocal style and the band’s intense stage presence, with songs like “Pretty”, “I’m Laughing Now” and the fan-favourite “When the Wind Blows” standing out. A June 1985 show at Wellington’s Pulse club was recorded and later released as a rare split live tape with Skank Attack, engineered by Brent McLaughlin of The Gordons, the most substantial document of the band’s sound.
In October 1985 The Glass entered Frontier Studio, and their track “When the Wind Blows” was later selected as the title track for the 1987 When the Wind Blows compilation, a key snapshot of Wellington’s independent music scene in the mid-1980s. By late 1985, however, Steele was preparing to move to the UK. Rather than replace him, Morris and Kermack chose to call it a day. The Glass played their final show at Café Pacifique on 1 February 1986, a performance remembered for its raw intensity and total lack of image beyond the music itself.
By the time The Glass bowed out, Kermack was already moving on, forming Number Nine, which debuted in April 1986.
| Origin | Upper Hutt |
| Genre | post-punk |
| Years Active | 1984 – 1986 |
| Labels | Cascade Records Skank Records |
| Associated Acts | Aftershock Skank Attack Number Nine |
| Past Members | Dave Morris (guitar) Kevin Kermack (bass, vocals) Gary Steele (drums) |
Releases
| Title | Date | Label | Type | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Glass and Skank Attack LIVE! | 1986 | Cascade Records | live split | tape |
| When The Wind Blows | 1987 | Skank Records | compilation | 12″ |
Timeline
1984, September, Victoria Uni
The Glass first gig
1985
1985, February 2, The Pulse/ Clyde Quay Tavern
The Glass, Crying Out Loud, Tradaviks
1985, May 26, Broadcasting House
1985, June 12, The Pulse/ Clyde Quay Tavern
live recording released on “The Glass and Skank Attack LIVE!”
1985, September 20, Majestic Cabaret
1985, October 11, Frontier Studio
The Glass record “When The Wind Blows” for the When The Wind Blows compilation
1985, October 31, The Terminus
Flesh D-Vice, The Glass
1986
1986, February 1, Cafe Pacifique
The Glass play their last gig
