“The garage punk version of the yass queen emoji.”
Ayn Randy was a punk band from Te Whanganui-a-Tara/ Wellington, formed in 2016 with Liz Gibson on guitar/ lead vocals, Tanya Jeffries on bass/ BVs, Bonnie Tonkin on guitar/BVs and Kitt Verhoff on drums. Emerging from the ashes of Liz’s recent band Awkward Death, Ayn Randy played hard-edged punk rock with catchy hooks and lyrics that took aim at the neo-liberal capitalism championed by their name sake and her followers.
Ayn Randy debuted at Valhalla, Wellington, on April 8, 2016, mixing it up with Auckland’s Master Blaster and locals Raw Panic, and Rogernomix, the latter of which had featured Tanya as vocalist since 2009. Throughout 2017, they played regularly in the local scene, including the second Neil Roberts Day held in Whanganui.
Mid-year, they recorded their self-titled debut album at Scumbag College with engineer Vanya Vitali, releasing it on August 5 with a raucous show at Newtown Bowls Club alongside Unsanitary Napkin, Corpse Rat, and Bangers and Trash. The touring and album release paid unexpected dividends with a slot at Mount Smart Stadium on February 3, 2018, opening for dad-rock heavy weights Foo Fighters and Weezer. From the bowls club to the stadium, Ayn Randy was on a roll.
During the band’s lifespan they also supported other international acts: The Hardons, Propagandhi, Fucked Up, and Lagwagon. In April 2019, they toured Australia, hitting Brisbane, Ipswich, and Melbourne, and releasing the EP Talk, Talk, Talk to accompany the trip. Later that year, they returned to Oz to play at Tasmania’s epic Dark Days festival along with Rogernomix and Unsanitary Napkin.
“Dark days” did in fact arrive in 2020; with Covid-19 looming on the horizon Ayn Randy squeezed in a Wellington show with Lagwagon four days before pandemic restrictions began. Lockdown’s and levels limited opportunities for shows over the next year though Ayn Randy was able to play Otautahi Nevermind The Punkfest in October. The Randy’s final show came in August, 2021, playing alongside D.A.H.T.M (of which Bonnie was also a member), Bordger and Marrowspawn.
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| Origin | Wellington |
| Genre | punk |
| Years Active | 2016 – 2021 |
| Associated Acts | Rogernomix, Pop OD DAHTM Shock Futuro |
| Past Members | Bonnie (guitar, vocals) Liz (guitar, vocals) Tanya (bass, vocals) Kitt (drums) |
Releases
| Title | Date | Label | Type | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayn Randy | 2017, August 4 | album | tape/ DL | |
| Talk Talk Talk | 2019, May 1 | EP | tape/ DL | |
| Rungus Among Us: Wellington Hardcore Punk 2019 | 2019, Aug 19 | Razored Raw | compilation | tape/ DL |
Timeline
2016, April 8, Valhalla
2016, August 26, Onslaught
2017
2017, January 6-7, NOW festival
2017, February 25, Whammy
2017, May 12-13, Whammy Bar
2017, April 28, Moon Bar
2017, August 4, Ayn Randy: Ayn Randy
2017, August 5, Newtown Bowls Club
2017, November 25, Neil Roberts Day
2017, December 29, Scumbag College
2018
2018, February 3, Mt Smart Stadium
2018, March 17, Wrights Hill
2018, May 17, Valhalla
2018, June 22, The Yot Club
2018, June 23, True Freaky, AKL
2018, June 30, Newtown Community Centre
2018, October 26-27, Whammy
2019
2019, February 16, Hataitai
2019, March 2, Snails
2019, March 29, Wellington High School
2019, April, Ayn Randy: Talk Talk Talk (Australian tour) EP
2018, April 18, The Haunt, Brisbane
2019, April 19, Goleby’s Basement, Ipswich
2019, April 20, Melbourne
2019, April 21, The Tote
2019, May 3, The Brisbane Hotel
2019, May 9, Meow
2019, August 19, Rungus Among Us (Wellington Hardcore Punk 2019)
2019, September 21, Pyramid Club
2019, October 4-6, Dark Days
2019, October 16, SFBH
2019, November 30, Aro Hall
2020
2020, February 29, Newtown Sports Bar
2020, March 22, SFBH
2020, June 27, Newtown Sports Bar
2020, October 21, Third Eye
2020, October 24, Otautahi Punkfest
