Formed in Wellington in mid-1979, The Spies emerged from the ashes of The Amps/Jellyfish after that group split in July. Guitarist, organist and vocalist George Henderson teamed up with drummer Chris Plummer, Susan Ellis, Richard Sedger, and Mark Thomas to create a new kind of psychedelic post-punk, far removed from the nihilism of their punk peers.
Henderson, originally from Invercargill, brought a deep love of early Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, Kevin Ayers and the dub-heavy sounds of Lee Perry to the group. The result was what Uncut magazine later described as “perfectly deformed DIY psychedelia”, drug-laced, eccentric and defiantly experimental.
Their first show took place on September 30, 1979, at a free Sunday session in Cuba Mall, part of a grassroots series of public gigs organized by local musicians including Mark Thomas and the Wallsockets. Later that year, The Spies held a short residency at Willy’s Wine Bar and played Thistle Hall on New Year’s Eve 1979 alongside Domestic Blitz, Wall Sockets, and Shoes This High (which featured former Amps members Kevin and Jessica).
By early 1980, The Spies were opening for Toy Love at The Last Resort and living communally in a Mount Victoria squat on Bosworth Terrace, which became a hub for disaffected punks, artists, and musicians chasing freedom through drugs and music.
The band’s notoriety peaked after they stole a Revox reel-to-reel recorder and microphones from a local music store to make home recordings. They were quickly caught, but the tapes survived and decades later became The Battle of Bosworth Terrace, released by US label Siltbreeze in 2014.
When Plummer left to join Shoes This High, Henderson, Ellis, Sedger, and Thomas relocated to Christchurch, where they evolved into The And Band, continuing their path of lo-fi psychedelic exploration.
| Origin | Wellington |
| Genre | psychedelic post-punk |
| Years Active | 1979 – 1980 |
| Labels | Siltbreeze |
| Associated Acts | Shoes This High, The Amps |
| Past Members | George Henderson (guitar, organ, vocals) Chris Plummer (drums) Richard Sedger (bass, clarinet) Mark Thomas (drums, guitar) Susan Ellis (organ, piano, vocals, guitar) |
Links
- Memoirs of a Metamusician: The Story of the Spies
- George D. Henderson (The Puddle) Interview, Part One
- The Spies ‘The Battle of Bosworth Terrace’ LP on Siltbreeze
- RNZ Music: The Spies
Releases
| Title | Date | Label | Type | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Battle Of Bosworth Terrace | 2014, April 1 | Siltbreeze | album | 12″ |
Timeline
1979, September 30, Cuba Mall
1979, December 17-20, Willy’s Wine Bar
1979, December 31, Thistle Hall
1980
1980, February 8, Last Resort
