First Lineup Announced For Whammyfest 2018

Auckland underground music hub Whammy Bar have unveiled the first lineup of artists for Whammyfest 2018, to be held over two spooky nights leading up to Halloween in late October. The carefully curated annual event will once again host a diverse array of electrifying talent from throughout Aotearoa, notable names from the all-killer lineup include Tāmaki Makaurau teenage rap duo Church & AP, Christchurch power-pop trio Nervous Jerk, rockin' big band Magic Factory, Wellington anarcho-punks Unsanitary Napkin, in-house party band Bozo, rising dance producer K2K, and that's just for starters. The long-running venue celebrates it's eleventh anniversary of supporting subterranean local and international sounds of all stripes this year. We recommend you snap up your festival pass for both nights quick (limited door sales will be available) and start seriously working on your Halloween outfit - here's the details revealed so far...

Whammyfest 2018
Friday 26th October and Saturday 27th October - Whammy Bar and Whammy Backroom

Featuring... Ayn Randy, Bloodbags, Bozo, Church & AP, Cindy, Hard Target, Ha The Unclear, Imugi 이무기, K2K, London Distance Runner, Magic Factory, Matthew Crawley, Nervous Jerk, Randa, Skilaa, Unsanitary Napkin, Zhukov + more to be announced

Festival passes available HERE via UTR

Here's Church & AP's recent radio hit 'Alladat'...

Check out Unsanitary Napkin's intense track 'Peter Thiel (Literal Fucking Vampire)'...

Vibe out to Imugi 이무기's breakthrough single 'I Am'...

Sing along to Magic Factory's fist-pumping radio hit 'Mother Nature'...

Wrap your ears around Ayn Randy's punchy track 'Paranoid'...

Press release:

On the last weekend of October we'll be celebrating another year of Whammy! Thanks to everyone who's worked, booked, played, partied or supported Whammy in any way for the last 11 years. Here's to another one!

Held across the weekend of October 26/27 2018 is our annual Whammyfest - we have carefully curated two nights of bands and DJs ranging from punk-rock, rock'n'roll, dream-pop, drone, rap, boogie and house. Whammyfest celebrates the diversity of artists that perform at Whammy each and every week.

Tickets on sale now from undertheradar.co.nz & Flying Out. Festival passes are just $35 for the weekend! Limited nightly passes will be available on the door.

THE FIRST ARTIST ANNOUNCE FOR 2018 IS...

AYN RANDY are a four piece punx babe band from Wellington! Who play some damn fine garage-poppy punk and enjoy memes, hugging their pets, coffee, out gif-ing each other and sometimes they try be cool and co-ordinate sweet stage outfits!

BLOODBAGS - Noise Rock'n'Roll Rumble, Gutbucket Scuzz, Heap of Howling, Clang & Clatter. What this temperamental 6 year old local groop of ne'er-do-well towers of power peddle. Six years existing, two trips thru tha 'Muricas, four seven inch slabs of plastic, and it ain't worn them out yet. Plenty more anti-social rollin' noise to come...

BOZO: Shake Appeal. The jangle feast with lateral beats.

CHURCH & AP are are two teenagers from Tāmaki Makaurau that are making waves in the rap game.

CINDY - is a 4 piece group from Auckland that was started by mistake after wanting to sound like the Beach Boys. We had some fun and don't sound like the Beach Boys.

HARD TARGET ARE FROM AUCKLAND. DON'T HUNT WHAT YOU CAN'T KILL.

HA THE UNCLEAR, Alt-Pop/New Wave/Indie from South Dunedin based in Auckland.

IMUGI 이무기 are the silky electronic duo that released their first EP titled ‘Vacasian’, a trip through the diasporic-Asian-girl-psyche and the healing it takes to go from self-consciousness to self-awareness. With roots in South Korea and Aotearoa, the EP explores the multi-faceted, wholesome identities and complex issues that migrant women of colour face, through a mix of styles ranging from R&B, synth-pop, funk and spoken word. The goal is to embrace multiculturalism and challenge Eurocentric structures within our culture.

K2K AKA Katherine Anderson is an artist on the cusp of a fresh wave of New Zealand House and Techno talent. K2K has also established herself as a DJ to watch, secured recent international support sets for Gerd Janson and Kevin Saunderson, and featured at Low Hum NYE and Laneway festival in Auckland over recent summers.

LONG DISTANCE RUNNER an experimental Post-Hardcore band from Auckland New Zealand featuring members of Parents, Sere, How Get and Human Resource. Long Distance Runner bring a unique distinctive and frantic energy, their sound blends melody and discordance into an unpredictable, cathartic haze.

MAGIC FACTORY: If you're a fan of Creedence, the Stones or ZZ Top, you'll like MAGIC FACTORY. Even if you hate those bands, you might still find something to enjoy though admittedly it's unlikely. Magic Factory took a short hiatus after having a fine time at Gonerfest in Memphis and on the Golden Dawn stage at Auckland City Limits, but are back and pretty much the same as before, albeit with a slight reshuffle of the pack. They couldn't be happier to be playing Whammy!fest and look forward to a good times set of tunes that include the only song you're likely to have heard already (Mother Nature) and some new songs from their upcoming second album.

MATTHEW CRAWLEY just likes to make people dance!

NERVOUS JERK: Hailing from the working class back streets of Christchurch and practicing in a storage unit in the Woolston badlands is Nervous Jerk. A power pop trio settling into their fourth year as a band.

RANDA AKA Mainard Larkin is a rapper, and oddball based in Auckland, New Zealand. Upon graduating high school and realising he had no friends, Larkin began making bedroom projects under the name Randa. Whether rapping about Neopets, home cooked dishes or navigating life as non-binary trans masc individual, Randa will melt your heart quicker than an ice cream sandwich.

SKILAA is the brainchild of Chelsea Prastiti and Michael Howell - good beats with a healthy dose of neo soul, hip-hop, alternative folk and improvisation, in addition to some thick vocal harmonies that draw inspiration from both African and Balkan singing traditions. The group recently released their first single 'Bluffin' off their upcoming EP.

UNSANITARY NAPKIN are a staunchly political anarchopunk from Poneke Wellington, in Aotearoa New Zealand (members of Rogernomix, Downer Buzz and The All Seeing Hand), vomiting political rage like a sped-up Rudimentary Peni with the joyful energy of Devo and the anti-patriarchal vitriol of Emma Goldman. Unsanitary Napkin released a new 7”, “Orgasmic Capitalism”, which follows up their 12" Patriotic Grooves.

ZHUKOV: Christchurch guillotine punks (members of Nervous Jerk, Arm and Hammer and Master Blaster) play short, fast songs inspired by dialectical and historical materialism.

Expect another line up announce in the coming weeks, and start preparing your costumes - it's Halloween!

See you at the bar(s)

Whammy! Bar & Backroom! Two underground bars right in the heart of Auckland City - made with love by tour promoters, sound engineers, musicians and seasoned drinkers!