South Auckland post-punk/new wave band Danse Macabre are to reunite for a one-off Auckland reunion gig to support the release of Between The Lines – the CD reissue of the band’s two vinyl releases.
Danse Macabre emerged during the prolific post-punk era of the early 80’s. They brought a new dark synth sound to the Auckland music scene, which drew similarities with the likes of Joy Division and The Cure.
Guitarist and songwriter Wes Prince and drummer Roddy Carlson had been key members of early South Auckland punks The Sloth Creatures, singer/synthesizer player Nigel Russell was formerly in pop-punk band The Spelling Mistakes, while bass player Ralph Crump came from West Auckland band Buster Keys.
Danse Macabre signed to Reaction Records, and released the 12-inch EP Between The Lines in December 1981, which enjoyed six weeks in the charts peaking at Number Fifteen, with the track Conditioner picked up for airplay by legendary BBC Radio One radio DJ John Peel. The EP was also released in Britain and Australia.
The band became a favourite of daily paper The Auckland Star who tipped them as contenders for bigger things. During their two years in existence they performed with many of the other Australasian name acts of the time – Screaming Mee Mees, The Swingers, The Chills, Pop Mechanix, Midnight Oil and the Penknife Glides.
Sadly, recording sessions for their 1982 mini-album Last Request were fraught with rising tensions within the group and they split two months before its release - the last major group of Auckland’s post-punk golden era to call it a day.
Their track E.C.G. from Between The Lines was later released on the 1988 compilation It’s Bigger Than The Both Of Us.
Between The Lines will be released July 15 and the band will play a one-off reunion show -
Friday 22 July @ Kings Arms Tavern, Auckland
Tickets: On sale now at Ticketek and Real Groovy.
