The Terrorways - live and on record

The Terrorways - Never Been To Borstal/ She’s A Mod – AK’79 – Ripper Records LP – January 1980. Recorded by Simon Alexander at Harlequin Studios in Auckland in 1979.

The Terrorways – Short Haired Rock n Roll – Ripper Records 7” – May 1980. Recorded by group and Bryan Staff at Mascot Studios in Auckland in 1979.

Bovver boy rock for the second Kiwi punk generation from Chris Orange (bass), Pete Mesmer (guitar), Gary Hunt (drums), John Hunter (vocals), and Dean Martelli (guitar).

Dates (Terrorways play all shows): December ’78 – Aliens. Zwines. 22. February ’79 – Toy Love. Tigers. Zwines. 17. HQ Rock Cafe. 20. 21. March ’79 – Toy Love. Zwines. 23. Gary Havoc and the Hurricanes. Zwines. 24. 30. Fire Engine. Zwines. 31. April ’79 – Windsor Castle. 21. May ’79 – Windsor Castle. aft. 3. Proud Scum. Fire Engine. Zwines. 18. 19. Windsor Castle. 19. 21. 22. 23. Electrabeat. Island of Real. 23. Globe. 25. 26. 29. June ’79 - Toy Love. Windsor Castle. 4. Zwines. 15. Electrabeat. Windsor Castle. aft. 16. St Thomas Hall. St Heliers. 22. Electrabeat. State Theatre Dance. 30. July ’79 - Windsor Castle. 2. 3. 4. Gluepot. 10. 11. Toy Love. The Primmers. State Theatre Dance. 21. Basement. 25. 26. 27. 28. Spelling Mistakes. Windsor Castle. aft. 28. August ’79 – Basement. 3. 4. Windsor Castle. 23. 24. 25. The Spelling Mistakes. Windsor Castle. aft. 28. September ’79 – Windsor Castle. 6. 7. 8. Last Resort. 20. 21. 22. October ’79 - Windsor Castle. 11. 12. 13. Squeeze. 15. November ’79 – Toy Love. Rock Theatre. 1. 2. Toy Love. Mainstreet. 28. 29. 30. December ’79 – Toy Love. Squeeze. 8. January ’80 – Toy Love. Island of Real. 20. October ’80 – Fan Club Farewell Show. Cafe XS. 16.

Timeline
July ’78
Rooter – Jonathan Griffiths (Jamrag) (b), John No-one (Hunter) (v), Eddie Clanger (Kerry Buchanan) (d), Pete Mesmer (Hoffman) (g) on bus to Wellington New Wave Spectacular. Formed ten weeks previously. Raucous Fans who became band and debuted at Zwines. Set encompassed 1960s (Who – Kids Are Alright)/Honeycombs – Have I The Right?/She’s A Mod/ I Knew The Bride When She Used To Rock n Roll, as well as ATV, Saints, and some originals. Jamrag left in July for Atrocities. Would get rough with No One and audience - great heckler. Played on without set bassist. Dean Martelli (Justin Sane) joined in September followed by Chris Orange, the new bassist.

November ‘78
Rooter play Scavengers farewell party at Zwines. “Rooter are fun. There’s five of them (John No One, vocals, Peter Hoffman, guitar, Justin Sane, rhythm guitar, and Chris Orange, bass) and John No-one’s so huge they fill up the stage.” Rooter play Occidental, Windsor Castle and The Globe, but underage punters meant cops never far away.

December ‘78
Rooter become Terrorways. In 1978 we cropped our hair, rolled up our jeans, and started wearing boots in a conscious attempt to forge a bootboy image – Kerry Buchanan. Name also putting off bookers.

April ’79
Eddie Clanger left Terrorways replaced by Gary Hunt from Gary Havoc and The Hurricanes. Good dance band. This lineup records Borstal and She’s A Mod at Harlequin with engineer Simon Alexander. Hamstrung by bootboy following preventing full pub potential coming through.

September ‘79
Terrorways. 20. 21. 22. The Last Resort. Wellington. Bootboys follow them down and wreck toilets and punters. Play Cuba Mall.

December ’79
Terrorways farewell show at Mainstreet. 1. Four piece (minus Martelli), some new originals, a few sung by Hunt. Toy Love. The Stoogoid Frank Xerox and the Duplicators. Terrorways. Squeeze. 8. Short Haired Rock n Roll recorded after breakup by Martelli-less band. Afterward No One went to Oz. Mesmer and Hunt formed Sobs with Michael Lawry and Hamish Kilgour. Orange in Features.

February ’80
Second pressing of AK ’79.

May ’80
Split single out.

Rip It Up profile – October ’79
Management – Sunset Promotions

Gary Hunt (drums)
Born on 22/11/57. Played in Purple Hearts then went to UK played in Droner (Scotland) then Gary Havoc and the Hurricanes. Formal tutoring (Frank Gibson jnr) etc. Albums: ATV – The Image Has Cracked. Pink Flag – Wire. Transformer – Lou Reed. Highly Inflammable. Conversations – Buddy Rich, Kenny Clare and Louie Bellson. Singles: Hong Kong Garden – Souxsie and the Banshees. Clash City Rockers – The Clash. Allison Durbin. Small Faces.

Dean Martelli (Burns Flyte guitar)
Born on 29/4/61. Played in other bands including Rooter. The Ramones – S/T. The Clash – S/T. Tell Us The Truth – Sham 69. Singles: Anarchy In The UK. White Man In Hammersmith Palais. Guitarist: Nick Cash (999). Ronnie Recent (Marching Girls). Singer: Joe Strummer. Mark Perry.

Peter Mesmer (guitar)
Born on 18/12/56 in NY, NY. Selwyn College. Groups: Shaft Phallus and Oedipuis Complex. Rooter. Albums: With The Beatles. Rolled Gold – Rolling Stones. Station To Station – Bowie. Singles: I Call Your Name – Beatles. Jailhouse Rock. Everybody’s Girl – Larry Morris. Singer: Johnny Rotten. Guitarist: Frank Zappa. Julian Bream. Gibson Marauder. Burns Splitsonic.

John No-One (vocals)
Born on 27/2/59. Rosmini College. Albums: Cycledelic – Johnny Moped. Single: White man…. Singers: Joe Strummer. Gary Hunt singing Punk Blues. Musician: Peter Mesmer. Band: Terrorways.

Chris Orange (Fender Precision Bass)
Born on 1/11/59. Taught by Dean. Saw Clash, Damned, and Ramones in London. Played in Rooter. Terrorways. Albums: Front Line11 – various reggae artists. Inflammable Material. The Clash. Sladest. Bassists: Glen Matlock. Mick Dawson. John Entwistle. Debbie (Idol Idols/ Clean). Singers: John Lydon. Jake Burns. Johnny Moped.