New Zealand "New wave"band PEDESTRIANS from lower North Island. 1981-1982.
A punchy blend of "new wave /rock .
Formed in Palmerston North in 1981 they practiced and pollished their act with a 12 month residency at the Club Hotel in Pahiatua.
A tight nit group consisting of Drummer Paul Lea and bass guitarist John Mabey from Pahiatua, Rythem guitarist Tony Burgess from levin, Lead guitarist Forrest Panney from Palmerston North, with Sound man Warrick (the 5th Pedestrian)Greaves also from Pahiatua, Steve(Morrie)Sinclair and Peter(Groges)Grogan as roadies. Word soon got round town that the Club Hotel was the place to be on Friday or Saturday nights and the band always played to packed houses. The Club Hotel had never seen anything like it before oe since.
After that 12 month residency they took their raunchy blend of New wave/rock music to the masses by playing all over the lower North Island of New Zealand .
Playing Pubs .Clubs, universities, outdoor gigs, their growing legion of fans would follow them from gig to gig .
The university gigs proved the most popular with packed houses with often well over 1,000 excited sweaty fans cramming in to the large uni venues.
The bands after gig parties were legendary with, roadies fans and always plenty of hangers on partying on thru the night and often band members would miss out on their hotel room beds because the hangers on, roadies and girlfriends would beat them to the beds.
.Incidents like fire hoses being left on in upstairs hallways after water fights and loud parties where people would enter from bedroom windows, were common place. However these youthful antics never got in the way of their music and this hard working guitar band played constantly in that 2 year period from 81-82.
Not all gigs paid off so well however, on one particular "mini tour" of Wanganui for example the band played a Friday night set then a Saturday afternoon set followed by a Saturday night set at the "Rutland Tavern". The gig was a sucess musically with full houses both nights, but after the band paid for their rental of the large P.A system and impressive lighting riggs,bar tabs and damages they had earned only enough money for each of them to buy a hamburger or pac of fish and chips by Sunday lunchtime. (true story !!)
The lack of a financial windfall didn't deter these plucky young musicians who took it in their stride and went on to bigger ,better and slighty more lucrative gigs before finally calling it a day at the end of 1982.
Each person went on to various musical projects thru the years, with John and Paul teaming up twice, firstly in 1983 to form "Glass Veins" and again in Brisbane Australia forming a band called "Comming Soon" for the "Queensland Accademy of Music" Battle of the bands.
Achieving moderate sucess when out of over 100 bands they got to the final "Top 10" but were knocked out in the semi finals.
Finally in 2008 after nearly 30 years apart the band had a reunion and Jammed over a 2 weekend period revisiting all their favourite cover versions they played in that crazy 2 year period in 81-82.
Since the reunion they have got together to play some private parties and will continue to get together every now and then to Jam and...ROCK ON !!!
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PEDESTRIANS Hey Hey My Myby mrleaplea269 views
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