Palmerston North group Skeptics produced some of the most thrilling and singular music to spring from anywhere let alone conservative, provincial 1980s New Zealand. Known for their inventive approaches to sound, volume and texture, Skeptics was also infamous for the humorous yet sensational music video for their song ‘AFFCO’, which TVNZ refused to screen due to graphic abattoir footage.
The group was cut short in 1990 by the death of vocalist David D’Ath at the age of 26 from luekemia. Filmmaker Simon Ogston’s documentary Sheen of Gold celebrates the music of Skeptics and the people who made it. The documentary co-incides with the re-issue by Flying Nun Records of two classic Skeptics albums III and Amalgam.
Kiran Dass spoke to filmmaker Simon Ogston and Skeptics guitarists and soundmakers Robin Gauld (a founding member of the group) and John Halvorsen.
Producer/ interviewer: Kiran Dass, Sound engineer: John Butterworth
Music Details:
Artist: Skeptics
Song: ‘Men ‘o’ War’
Composer: D’Ath, White, Halvorsen
Album: Skeptics Collection
Label: Flying Nun Records
Artist: Skeptics
Song: ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’
Composer: D’Ath, Gauld, White, Roughan
Album: Chowder Over Wisconsin
Label: Flying Nun Records
Artist: Skeptics
Song: ‘Boo Chang’
Composer: D’Ath, Gauld, White, Roughan
Album: Chowder Over Wisconsin
Label: Flying Nun
Artist: Skeptics
Song: ‘Dodunski’
Composer: D’Ath, White, Halvorsen, McLachlan, Roughan
Album: Skeptics Collection
Label: Flying Nun Records
Artist: Skeptics
Song: ‘For Silos’
Composer: D’Ath, White, Gauld
Album: Ponds
Label: ULP
Artist: Skeptics
Song: ‘Never Tire of Looking at the Stars’
Composer: D’Ath, White, Halvorsen, Roughan, McLachlan
Album: Amalgam
Label: Flying Nun Records
Artist: Skeptics Song: ‘Blue’
Composer: D’Ath, White, Halvorsen, McLachlan, Roughan
Album: Skeptics Collection
Label: Flying Nun Records
Artist: Skeptics
Song: ‘Mamouth’
Composer: D’Ath, White, Halvorsen, McLachlan, Roughan
Album: Skeptics Collection
Label: Flying Nun Records
Artist: Skeptics
Song: ‘Rain’
Composer: D’Ath, White, Halvorsen, McLachlan, Roughan
Album: III
Label: Flying Nun Records
