Drink till you drop!

The Manson Family was a short-lived but memorable psycho-thrash band from the Wellington region of New Zealand, active in the mid-to-late 1980s underground punk and hardcore scene.

Formed in 1986 in the quiet seaside suburb of Plimmerton (north of Wellington), the band took its provocative name from the infamous 1960s California cult. The original lineup consisted of:Adrian Beauchamp on drums, Tom Leadbitter on vocals, Scott Renner on bass andNigel Royal on guitar. Adrian had been drumming since childhood, including time in the Porirua Municipal Band, while Scott Renner had only picked up the bass a few months earlier in February 1986.

The group quickly developed a raw, aggressive sound they described as “shock treatment”. Their lyrics tackled heavy social issues of the era, including alcoholism, drugs, religion, the limited opportunities facing young people, and the lingering threat of nuclear war. This confrontational approach, paired with fast, chaotic thrash-punk energy, earned them a reputation for intense live performances.

The Manson Family played their debut gig on Friday the 13th of June 1986 at the Cricketers Arms in Wellington, opening for local horror-punk legends Flesh D-Vice. Throughout their brief career, they shared bills with other Wellington acts such as: Wazzo Ghoti, One Less Customer, The Sub-Dominants and T.A.B. The Manson Family played their final show on 11 December 1988 at the Cricketers Arms. Though their active period was short (roughly 2.5 years), they left a mark on Wellington’s punk scene with their unhinged energy and socially charged songs.

Origin	Plimmerton, Porirua
Genre	punk, psycho-thrash
Years Active	1986 – 1988
Associated Acts	Flesh D-Vice, Sub-Dominants, Toxic Avengers, Casualty
Past Members	Adrian Beauchamp (drums) Tom Leadbitter (vocals) Scott Renner (bass) Nigel Royal (guitar)