Take me home country road.

TAB was a punk rock band from Wellington, New Zealand, formed in 1987, known for their eclectic mix of punk rock, metal, reggae, and a John Denver cover, drawing influences from Black Sabbath to Agnostic Front. The lineup featured Simon Gotlieb (guitar), J.P. de Raad (drums), Rob Stewart (bass), and Aaron Watson (vocals), with Hamish Laing briefly on rhythm guitar in an early iteration. Gotlieb and de Raad brought prior experience from Aftershock, with de Raad also filling in for Flesh D-Vice, while Gotlieb had played in Compos Mentis.

In July 1989, TAB recorded their debut EP, The Argumentative Bastards, at Writhe Studios in Wellington, produced by Brent McLauchlan of Gordons and Bailterspace fame. Financed by earnings from their residency at the Clarendon tavern – a hub for hard rock bands like Shihad – the seven-song, 12” vinyl EP was released through Ima Hitt on June 21, 1990, at The New Carpark, a key music venue off Willis Street. TAB shared stages with local acts like Manson Family, Wazzo Ghoti, The Sub-Dominants, and Flesh D-Vice, as well as out-of-town bands like Bygone Era and Das UnterMensch.

The band recorded a second EP but disbanded before its release. After TAB’s split, Simon Gotlieb continued his musical career with Vas Deferens and The Flash Harrys.

Origin	Wellington
Genre	punk, rock
Years Active	1988 – 1990
AKA	TAB
Labels	Ima-Hitt
Associated Acts	Aftershock, Compos Mentis, Vas Deferens, Shihad, The Flash Harrys
Past Members	Simon Gotlieb (guitar, backing vocals) J.P. de Raad (drums) Rob Stewart (bass) Aaron Watson (vocals)