The Playthings "Live" 1981

The Christchurch singer, guitarist and songwriter first came to notice in The Playthings. Old-guard rockers inspired – but not wholly convinced – by punk, they released independent singles in 1981 and 1982, and a posthumous live album on Flying Nun Records in 1986. With a young son to consider, Jay Clarkson was reluctant at first to join, but settled in on bass and vocals then guitar in the busy group, who were regular faces at Christchurch’s post-punk friendly DB Gladstone and Star & Garter…...The Playthings – Clarkson (bass, vocals), Dave Toland (drums), Nicky Carter (guitar, sax, vocals), Janine Saundercock (guitar, vocals) – played Gladstone one-offs in October and December 1980 with two more double-night runs there with The Yo Yo’s then The Gordons in January 1981. In early February 1981 The Playthings shifted across town to the larger Hillsborough with The Androidss. A pattern soon developed where they would regularly headline three nights at The Gladstone, as they did in March and May 1981, sprinkled with nights elsewhere as opportunity arose. Luckily the third of the May Gladstone dates was captured on tape by manager and soundman Paul Kean (Toy Love, The Bats) and would eventually appear as a raw live album on Flying Nun Records in 1986. Clarkson’s songs ‘Coloured,’ ‘Reception’ and ‘Justified’ stood out in the mix. In July 1981 ‘Coloured’ was plucked from the live tape with Saundercock’s ‘Sit Down (Stand Up)’ for a promising independent single that edged into the NZ Singles Chart for one week at No.41. A copy found its way to English DJ John Peel, who spun it on his influential Radio One show. “Coloured’ and ‘Stand Up’ were typically hard and strident pop, in a similar vein to mid period Toy Love, and included a brash bass sound a la Paul Kean (which was understandable, given Jay Clarkson was using his distinctive homemade bass by this time),” Wade Churton wrote in the comprehensive Have You Checked The Children? – Punk and Post Punk Music In New Zealand 1977-1981 (2001). “There was also a Droppa Kulcha video made for ‘Coloured’ featuring the band’s recently-acquired stage props; giant toy blocks which spelled out their name.” The Playthings stepped onstage at the Sunday’s Kool concert at Christchurch Town Hall in early August with a new bass player, Paul Kean. Janine Saundercock had departed prompting Jay Clarkson’s shift to guitar. There would now be fewer covers and more Clarkson originals in the set. The new Playthings line-up headed to The Gladstone for three more nights in August and another three in September. There were yet more shows with The Androidss and The Newtones at The Gladstone in late October followed by three mid-November shows at new Christchurch indie hangout the Star & Garter. Two shows with The Stones in Dunedin’s Empire on November 27 and 28 rounded out the month. Firmly established as a Garden City live draw, The Playthings saw 1981 out and 1982 in at The Gladstone before shifting to the Star & Garter in mid-February with The Volkswagens.
In early March 1982 they joined Mainly Spaniards, The Clients and Desperate Measures for Speed All Night at University of Canterbury. But by the time The Playthings second single ‘Bird’s Eye View’ b/w ‘ Pure Frost’ (both Clarkson originals) and Paul Kean’s ‘Dumb’ dropped in mid-May 1982, the band had split.trax:

01 Feeling OK 02 Waiting 03 Trivio Bodio 04 Sit Down - Stand Up 05 Coloured 06 Amnesia 07 Personality Squares 08 Had Enough 09 Love of Crime 10 Reception 11 Silly Song 12 Give Us This Day Our Daily Chocolates 13 Justified

ripped from wax in glorious monoloudarama!

…served by montysmusic...