Straitjacket Fits

Straitjacket Fits
Straitjacket Fits
Background information
Origin	Dunedin, New Zealand
Genres	Rock, Alternative rock, Indie rock
Years active	1986–1994
Labels	Flying Nun Records Rough Trade Records Arista Records
Former members
Shayne Carter John Collie David Wood Andrew Brough Mark Petersen

Straitjacket Fits formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1986 and were a prominent band in the Flying Nun label's second wave of the Dunedin Sound.

Biography

Like many of their stable-mates, the band hailed from the southern city of Dunedin. They formed from the ashes of The DoubleHappys, a band comprising Shayne Carter, Wayne Elsey and John Collie. The tragic accidental death of Elsey saw Carter and Collie join forces with David Wood in 1986 to form Straitjacket Fits. Andrew Brough (from The Orange) signed on the following year, adding a foil in the form of pop sensibility to Carter's more raucous songwriting. From their inception, the sound of the band was marked by the seemingly incongruous but highly effective pairing of Carter's rough abrasive voice and strident guitar and Andrew Brough's saccharine-sweet vocals and pop hooks.

1987 marked the release of their first EP. Life in One Chord defined their sound, spending 10 weeks in the Top 50. All four of the songs are justifiable New Zealand rock classics, none more so than the astonishing "She Speeds", which was to become the band's hallmark song. Its edgy lead vocal (from Carter) was underpinned with a dynamic jagged guitar and stabs of strings which tumbled into a churning melodic chorus on which Brough's voice soared. The exact opposite approach was taken on "Sparkle That Shines", its gentle downbeat melody sung by Brough giving way to a chorus laced with Carter's knife-edge harmonies.

The band left Dunedin, briefly moving to Christchurch, before making the shift to the country's main marketplace, Auckland in 1988. Their first album Hail was produced by Terry Moore (a former member of The Chills) and was released later that year (it would later be re-released on CD accompanied by the four songs from Life in One Chord). The band's first overseas venture, to Australia, came in 1989, followed soon by a tour of Europe.

In 1990 the band started work on their follow-up album Melt (produced by Gavin Mackillop), probably their finest album, and one which was to produce moderate hits with the Brough composition "Down In Splendour" and Carter's "Bad Note For A Heart". The following year the band was back on the road with an extensive tour. The band supported My Bloody Valentine in Australia and the Las's in the US but the strain was beginning to show, with reputed "musical differences" between Carter and Brough. Brough left the band at the end of the tour and was replaced by guitarist Mark Petersen.

1992 saw the band release the EP Done. Done made it to number 11 on the New Zealand Top 40 singles chart. Produced by Tony Cohen in Melbourne and without Brough, Done was an altogether louder and guitar driven record. The band then moved to California to record their third album Blow, with producer Paul Fox. The album was released in 1993, and starts where Done left off, but lacked the carefully balanced dynamic that had always been evident in the interplay between Carter and Brough. It produced the singles, "Cat Inna Can" and "If I Were You", but the writing was largely on the wall for the band and they decided to go into a semi-permanent hiatus, following their appearance at 1994's Big Day Out.

Shayne Carter has since found more success with his band Dimmer, whose music bears surprisingly little similarity to that of Straitjacket Fits. Allowed more complete control of the music's sound, his new band's music is sparser. Gone are the strident guitars, and what remains has a decidedly funky, jazzy edge. The remaining members have taken a lower profile. Andrew Brough released one album with the band Bike before moving back to Dunedin and retreating from the music scene. John Collie became a photographer of some note who has exhibited his work widely.

In 2001, as part of the Australasian Performing Rights Association's 75th anniversary, a poll was conducted to vote on New Zealand's top 100 songs of all time. Straitjacket Fits' song "She Speeds" was named at number nine, and "Down In Splendour" at number 32, and "If I Were You" at number 88 on this list^[1].

In 2005, Straitjacket Fits reformed without Brough for a brief series of concerts around New Zealand.

In 2008, the band received the New Zealand Herald Legacy Award at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards.^[2][3][4][5] In his acceptance speech, Carter said "To all the artists out there who are brave enough to think outside of the square - kia kaha."

Band members

1986

Shayne Carter (guitar/vocal), John Collie (drums), David Wood (bass)

1987 to 1991

Shayne Carter (guitar/vocal), John Collie (drums), David Wood (bass), Andrew Brough (guitar/vocal)

1991 to 1994

Shayne Carter (guitar/vocal), John Collie (drums), David Wood (bass), Mark Petersen (guitar)

Discography

Featured appearances

The group has appeared on many compilations and soundtracks since their inception in both New Zealand. The following is a list of these albums that have featured tracks by the Straitjacket Fits.

• (1988) - In Love With These Times (Flying Nun Records) - She Speeds
• (1991) - Getting Older (Flying Nun Records) - Dialing a Prayer
• (1991) - Pink Flying Saucers Over the Southern Alps (Flying Nun Records) - Bad Note For A Heart
• (1993) - No Alternative (Red Hot Records) - Brittle
• (1997) - Topless Women Talk About Their Lives (Flying Nun Records) - Down In Splendour & She Speeds
• (1999) - Scarfies (Flying Nun Records) - She Speeds
• (2002) - Nature's Best (Sony Music) - She Speeds
• (2002) - Nature's Best 2 (Sony Music) - Down In Splendour
• (2003) - Nature's Best 3 (Sony Music) - If I Were You

Featured DVD appearances

• (2004) - Second Season Flying Nun DVD II (Flying Nun Records) - Down With Splendour
• (2004) - Very Short Films: A Flying Nun DVD (Flying Nun Records) - She Speeds

Singles

External links

• Flying Nun's Historic Site - Straitjacket Fits Biography
• Howlspace article on Straitjacket Fits
• National Radio Music Features - mp3 stream of Straitjacket Fits' Reunion Tour finale, recorded live at Sammy's in Dunedin, May 7, 2005
• NZMusic.com - includes video for Hail
• Scoop NZ Top 40 article on Shayne Carter
• Videos for Straitjacket Fits on NZ On Screen, for Bad Note for a Heart and Down in Splendour

References and further reading

• Davey, T. & Puschmann, H. (1996) Kiwi rock. Dunedin: Kiwi Rock Publications. ISBN 0-473-03718-1
• Dix, J. (1988) Stranded in paradise: New Zealand rock'n'roll 1955-1988. Wellington: Paradise Publications. ISBN 0-473-00638-3
• Eggleton, D. (2003) Ready to fly: The story of New Zealand rock music. Nelson, NZ: Craig Potton Publishing. ISBN 1-877333-06-9