At A Certain Bar – the new romantic dance club on Victoria Street, run by Peter Urlich and Mark Phillips – I was approached and asked if I would like to join a new band. This surprised me, as I couldn’t play any instruments but, evidently, they envisioned keyboards in my future.

At my first practice, there was a monophonic Elka keyboard with the names of the notes taped to the keys. We practised weekly at Terry King’s Progressive Studios and built a setlist of original songs, mostly written by Paul Cairns.

Sons In Jeopardy played its first gig alongside Silent Decree in a church hall in Howick and went on to play in every pub and club we could find in Auckland. We were regulars at the Dole Day Afternoons and at an underage venue (The Venue), managed by a young Russell Crowe.

Thanks to the drive and financial acumen of our manager, Don Tennet, we recorded a single, ‘Ritual’ b/w ‘Worlds Apart’, at Harlequin Studios on Albert Street in mid-1983. In hindsight, the recording did not quite capture the sound we truly wanted. Much of this was due to our inexperience and Harlequin’s exceptionally clean recording style. Additionally, using digital reverb was an expense we could not afford.

Shortly thereafter, Adam Holt – with peroxide-blond quiff – joined us to enhance our sound with a second guitar. I invested in new keyboards, and we continued performing live. We even played a set at Sweetwaters.

Adam Holt – with peroxide-blond quiff – joined us to enhance our sound with a second guitar

We recorded a second single, ‘Sign Of Life’ b/w ‘Wax’. Trevor Reekie produced it at Harlequin and then mixed it at Mandrill in Parnell. We also filmed a promo video directed by Andy Shaw, the host and director of the Here’s Andy TV show. It was shot by the talented cinematographer Chas Biggin in collaboration with the National Film Unit over two nights in the Woodhill State Forest. The 35mm film footage was stunning. However, the colour was stripped away to achieve a “film noir” aesthetic, which unfortunately removed all the warmth from the film. Also, the opening edits were misaligned with the drums!

We also filmed a clip as part of the kids’ show Shazam! at the old TVNZ studios on Shortland Street. The show was hosted by the seemingly clean-cut Phillip Schofield, who shared with us his best dirty joke, about a man who fell into a hole filled with poo! We laughed so hard, partly at the pathetic joke but more because we were in total shock to hear it from the über-wholesome Schofield. After we finished filming, the band was inundated with requests for autographs, especially for Adam and the others, but my army jumper, pearl necklace, and heavy makeup were apparently a bit over the top for the children, so not me!

We had several wonderful years of making music, drinking, plastering the city, and hanging out in shitty pubs and backstage at venues with many other Auckland bands. In the end, we reached a point where I found myself listening to early techno such as Cabaret Voltaire and wanted to infuse our sound with a more electronic, danceable style. In contrast, the others were inclined to pursue a more guitar-based direction.

After considerable discussion about band leadership, songwriting, and musical direction, the group decided to call it a day in 1984. I returned to my day job at the new bFM, while Adam went on to achieve fame and fortune in the music industry.