1979

One of the earliest groups, The Normals, reformed in March after members returned from overseas. With a new drummer, Karl Scutt, the band briefly revived the first wave of Wellington punk before later recording at Broadcasting House in September. Their attempt to relocate to Auckland to break into a larger market ultimately led to the band’s dissolution, but they remained an important catalyst for the local scene.

March also saw the formation of Wallsockets, closely associated with what participants later called the “Terrace scene” – a loose network of musicians and flatmates centred around the inner-city student neighbourhoods. Wallsockets quickly became one of the most active bands of the year and recorded a four-song demo at Sausage Studios on Molesworth Street, one of the few affordable recording options available to underground bands.

Another development was the appearance of The Amps, featuring Kevin Hawkins and Brett Hayward. The group played the Wellington Town Hall in March before evolving later in the year into Shoes This High, one of the most influential post-punk bands to emerge from Wellington. The transition came after the group briefly adopted the name The Jellyfish and recruited bassist Jessica Walker. By September they had settled on the Shoes This High lineup and sound.

New bands continued to appear throughout the year. The Steroids formed in May after members met by chance at a dole office, initially performing under the tongue-in-cheek name Johnny Mono and the Steroids. The emergence of groups like the Steroids and Wallsockets signalled a shift from isolated acts toward a broader network of musicians forming bands spontaneously out of shared interests and circumstances.

Touring bands also helped energise the scene. Dunedin group Toy Love made their first Wellington appearance in May at Last Resort, an all-ages venue on Courtenay Place that became a crucial meeting point for young punks. Toy Love returned several times during the year, strengthening connections between the developing scenes in Wellington and Dunedin. Overseas acts also reached the city; the New York new wave band Talking Heads performed at Wellington Town Hall on 5 June, offering local audiences a glimpse of the broader international post-punk movement.

By late 1979, regular venues and events were beginning to anchor the scene. One of the earliest dedicated punk shows at Thistle Hall took place on 29 September, featuring Wallsockets, Ambitious Vegetables, and Industrial House Plans and Specifications. Around the same time, Sunday afternoon concerts began to appear in Cuba Mall. These informal gatherings gave local and visiting bands a regular stage and helped knit together a small but committed audience.

The year ended with a New Year’s Eve show at Thistle Hall featuring Wallsockets, Shoes This High, The Spies, and Domestic Blitz – a lineup that reflected how quickly the scene had grown over twelve months.

By the close of 1979, Wellington’s punk movement had moved beyond its tentative beginnings. A cluster of bands, DIY recording attempts, regular gigs, and visiting acts had created the foundations of a local underground that would soon develop into the city’s influential post-punk scene of the early 1980s.