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"The Wharf With No Name" (1989) by AXEMEN
Steve McCabe's salty shanty showcases 1989's nationwide 4-piece AXEMEN line up: Bob at Port Chalmers, Steve in Lyttelton, Dragan S. in Wellington and Stu in Auckland. Guest appearances from Celia, Joe, Dubhead, Cantilena, and others.
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"Three Virgins" (1985) by AXEMEN
AXEMEN are from New Zealand, this clip features four songs from the rare double vinyl gatefold LP "Three Virgins/Three Versions/Three Visions" (1985 Flying Nun Records FN049) recorded by musicologist the late, great Larence N. Shustak (1926-2003). Filmed on 16mm Bolex in Dunedin and Christchurch by AXEMEN and Laurence Lens.
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"Mourning of Youth" (1987) by AXEMEN
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Steve's ageless dirge reveals a prone McCabe at Chippendale Hall, Dunedin 1987, coins on shut eyelids, candles melting into offering hands, unattended cigarette smoking between his lips, 1957 Isle of Man Golden Jubilee TT races flicker across his corpse-like demeanour. "Mourning of Youth" was selected for one of Kurt C's mix-tapes from his very own copy of "Derry Legend" (Flying Nun Records FN049). Features the fabulous Jessica Walker playing viola, alongside Steve, Bob, Stu & Dragan.
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"Carmen on Ice" (1987) by AXEMEN
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Bob's witty ditty invoked a double take whilst visiting München, Brannigan witnessed the Bavarian city wall-papered with posters for a "Carmen On Ice" skating opera !!! Never phased, Bobby B. reclined for a wine or two to soak up the film version of Hemingway's "Death In The Afternoon" at Chippendale House, Dunedin.
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"Rock'n'Roll Legend" (1987) by AXEMEN
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Fueled by the 1984 release of the "Beat St" movie and Grandmaster Flash's theme song, (oh, and a 45 of Cuervo Especial), Stu volunteered to helm the vocals and samples for this McCabe-penned classic tale of the denouement of a Rock'n'Roll cliché. Kowalski materialises within a shimmering Chippendale light beam to spit out the venomous lyrics, momentarily losing his composure, remedied by a hair-gelling experience from the lovely Tina Tither.
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AXEMEN on "Yahoo!" TV3 (1991)
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AXEMEN are seen here in a rare live TV performance on TV3's "Yahoo!" - a Sat morning kids show fronted by Moana. What starts out as a karaoke version of "Hey Alice" performed by the band in drag, later mutates into a shameless promo for their just released "PETER WANG PUD" CD. Along the way some free AXEMEN t-shirts and cassettes are won by the somewhat bewildered young audience.
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"Screen Printing" (1985) by AXEMEN
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The AXEMEN were all screen printers when they banged into each other while in Dunedin 1983. Lawrence Lens shot this Super 8 flick in which Stu Kowalski takes the punters on a journey down Screen Printer's Lane, demonstrating the process of making one (untypically tiny & shiny) poster for a peace gig where the AXEMEN played in Christchurch Cathedral (true) and were interrupted mid-set by the announcement that Nelson Mandela had been freed! (The AXEMEN had previously often included riffs from the "Free! Nelson Mandela!" song into their busking set around Christchurch streets on busy Friday nights).
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AXEMEN "Drink For The Heart..." (c.1985) by Lawrence Lens
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Probably the peak of Lawrence Lens's celluloid involvement with AXEMEN is this quasi-instructional film "Drink For The Heart, Heart For The Road", the soundtrack of which is the McCabe ditty of the same name. The "how to" theme of 1985's "Screen Printing" is carried over and combined with priceless historical reportage, and hallucinatory fantasy scenes at McCabe's pad in Christchurch. His school boy beginnings as a backyard brewer, have by this stage developed into there being a constant supply of 1.5litre (3 pint) "sleek botts" bulging with murky liquid amphetamine (a.k.a. coffee wine). Occasionally due to fancy, budgetary constraints, or experimental urges, frozen free-flow carrots, peas and corn were also utilised. But it was the "Chateau de McCabe" coffee wine which jump-started the boys after a pre-gig snooze on the dance-floor during the previous act, and powered them through many glorious gigs up and down the emerald isles.
