{"id":511,"date":"2026-08-17T21:49:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T09:49:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/?p=511"},"modified":"2026-08-17T21:55:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T09:55:07","slug":"the-amps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/bands\/2026\/08\/the-amps","title":{"rendered":"The Amps\/ Jellyfish"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:17px\">Formed in late 1978 by Mike Lawry (drums), Chris Plummer (bass), Kevin Hawkins (guitar), and Brent Hayward (vocals), The Amps were part of Wellington\u2019s first wave of punk and served as a short-lived stepping-stone for one of Wellington\u2019s defining bands of this era, the volatile and infectious <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/2025\/10\/shoes-this-high\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"449\">Shoes This High<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div data-wp-context=\"{ &quot;autoclose&quot;: false, &quot;accordionItems&quot;: [] }\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/accordion\" role=\"group\" class=\"wp-block-accordion is-layout-flow wp-block-accordion-is-layout-flow\">\n<div data-wp-class--is-open=\"state.isOpen\" data-wp-context=\"{ &quot;id&quot;: &quot;accordion-item-1&quot;, &quot;openByDefault&quot;: false }\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initAccordionItems\" data-wp-on-window--hashchange=\"callbacks.hashChange\" class=\"wp-block-accordion-item is-layout-flow wp-block-accordion-item-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-accordion-heading\"><button aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-item-1-panel\" data-wp-bind--aria-expanded=\"state.isOpen\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.toggle\" id=\"accordion-item-1\" type=\"button\" class=\"wp-block-accordion-heading__toggle\"><span class=\"wp-block-accordion-heading__toggle-title\">Read more<\/span><span class=\"wp-block-accordion-heading__toggle-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">+<\/span><\/button><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div aria-labelledby=\"accordion-item-1\" data-wp-bind--hidden=\"state.isHidden\" data-wp-on--beforematch=\"actions.handleBeforeMatch\" id=\"accordion-item-1-panel\" role=\"region\" class=\"wp-block-accordion-panel is-layout-flow wp-block-accordion-panel-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:17px\">Going back a few months Lawry had started playing drums in Wellington punk vanguards,\u00a0 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/2025\/06\/the-normals\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"540\">The Normals<\/a><\/strong>, shacking up at <strong>The Mind Shaft <\/strong>cafe out the back of The Embassy theatre in central Wellington for a residency. When The Normals went into a brief recess The Amps took over playing a mix of Iggy Pop and Lou Reed covers alongside their own material before the Shaft shut for good at the end of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:17px\">Kevin Hawkins had moved to Wellington from Masterton and was recognized early on as a prodigious guitar talent able to create an endless supply of catchy hooks which Brent Hayward latched a volatile level of drug induced hallucinations onto as vocalist. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:17px\">In early 1979, Lawry left to rejoin The Normals, and the lineup evolved to include George Henderson (<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/2025\/11\/the-spies\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"559\">The Spies<\/a><\/strong>, <strong>The Puddle<\/strong>) on keyboards and Andy Drey (<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/2022\/06\/steroids\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"485\">Steroids<\/a><\/strong>) on bass. Henderson\u2019s experimental leanings shifted The Amps\u2019 sound in a freer, more exploratory direction, which led to creative tensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:17px\">On May 5 1979, The Amps supported Dunedin punk pioneers <strong>Toy Love<\/strong> at Wellington\u2019s<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/2022\/06\/last-resort\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1049\"> Last Resort<\/a><\/strong>. Shortly after this they recruited Jessica Walker (sister of Toy Love bassist Jane Walker)\u00a0 and rebranded as <strong>Jellyfish<\/strong> with Chris Plummer now sitting behind the cans. Jellyfish played their last show on July 3 1979. Having cut their teeth during The Amps brief spell Kevin, Chris, Brent and\u00a0 Jessica would soon go on to form one of Wellington\u2019s most outstanding bands of the first punk wave, the mighty <strong>Shoes This High<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Add To This Post<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:15px\">To contribute info, photos, corrections contact mail@upthepunks.co.nz<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Links<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:16px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.audioculture.co.nz\/articles\/the-amps-jellyfish-story-amping-up-the-mind-shaft\">Audioculture: The Amps\/ Jellyfish Story<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\" style=\"font-size:16px\"><table><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Origin<\/strong><\/td><td>Wellington<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Genre<\/strong><\/td><td>punk<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Years Active<\/strong><\/td><td>1978 &#8211; 1979<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Associated Acts<\/strong><\/td><td>52<br>The Normals<br>Steroids <br>The Spies<br>Shoes This High<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Past Members<\/strong><\/td><td>Brent Hayward (vocals 1978-79)<br>George Henderson (keyboards, bass 1979)<br>Jessica Walker (bass)<br>Kevin Hawkins (lead guitar 1978-79)<br>Michael Lawry (rhythm guitar 1978)<br>Chris Plummer (bass, drums 1978-79)<br>Andy Drey (bass 1979)<br>Robbie Holmes (drums 1979)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-x-large-font-size\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Timeline<\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1978, December 13 &#8211; 16, Mind Shaft<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:17px\">The Amps played their first gigs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1978, December 20 &#8211; 23, Mind Shaft<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">1979<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1979, March ?, Victoria University<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1979, March 25, Wellington Town Hall<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"641\" height=\"900\" src=\"http:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1979_03_25_theamps.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-514\" style=\"object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1979_03_25_theamps.jpg 641w, https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1979_03_25_theamps-214x300.jpg 214w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 641px) 100vw, 641px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1979, May 5, Last Resort<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:17px\">Toy Love, The Plague, The Amps<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1979, June 23, Brooklyn Community Centre<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:17px\">The Amps renamed as Jellyfish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1979, July 3, Wellington Artists&#8217; Co-Op<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:17px\">Jellyfish played their last gig.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Formed in late 1978 by Mike Lawry (drums), Chris Plummer (bass), Kevin Hawkins (guitar), and Brent Hayward (vocals), The Amps were part of Wellington\u2019s first<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[220,214,219,215,216,217,218,221],"class_list":["post-511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bands","tag-andy-drey","tag-brent-hayward","tag-chris-plummer","tag-george-henderson","tag-jessica-walker","tag-kevin-hawkins","tag-mike-lawry","tag-robbie-holmes","two-columns"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pe2JUk-8f","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1979_03_25_theamps.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/bands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/bands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/bands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/bands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/bands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=511"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/bands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24646,"href":"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/bands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/511\/revisions\/24646"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/bands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/bands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/bands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upthepunks.co.nz\/bands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}