Approximate
time period - 1981 - 1982.
Legendary Christchurch 3 piece playing dark guitar pop.
The band featured the vocals and guitar of the now legendary
Roy Montgomery who went on to further musical outings with
The Shallows, Da Da Mah, Dissolve, and a successful career
as a solo artist.
The bands line-up was:
Roy Montgomery - Vocals and Guitar
Ross Humphries - Bass (Bailter Space, Great Unwashed, Trillionaires)
Peter (Buck) Stapleton (Da Da Mah, Terminals).
The band were nicknamed Roy Division for their like of
dark moody music a la Joy Division. Singer Roy worked in
Christchurch's main record store EMI, and the shop was
notoriously vandalised overnight with the words Roy Division
spray painted across the shop front, apparently not the
work of the band and greatly embarrassing Montgomery.
The band presented a pretty gloomy image live with the
members dressing predominantly in black, Montgomery playing
guitar in black gloves with the fingers cut off. For all
that most of their songs are far from gloom laden, being
mostly melodic riff based music.
The band have the distinction of having the first release
on Flying Nun Records, a 7" single with black labels,
and a matte black on gloss black cover, no track listings,
no band name.
Another 7" followed, then an EP and later on a regroup
and another recording.
Low Rider was taken from a live recording of one of only
about 8 performances, this one at the Gladstone.
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