Bio

Born out of The Whizz Kids, Blam Blam Blam had their roots at Westlake Boys High on Auckland's North Shore. Tim Mahon and Mark Bell migrated across the bridge during the punk heyday in 1978 to join the avant-punk-theatre act The Plague, whose major claim to fame came with their naked live performance (albeit covered in paint) at the 1979 Nambassa Rock Festival in front of 30,000 confused hippies. Mark, Tim and Ian Giroy were the "band" in the Plague and soon spun off as The Whizz Kids, releasing a single 'Occupational Hazard' for Ripper in 1980.

Fame called and Ian Gilroy left to join The Swingers in Melbourne, leaving Tim and Mark to find a drummer. As luck would have it the guys stumbled (literally) across multi-talented musician Don McGlashan in late 1980 and played their first gig in October that year on a harbour cruise party. An invitation to record for Propeller followed shortly after and the first release was the track 'Motivation' on that labels seminal 'Class of 81' compilation of new bands in March 1981.

The first official Blam Blam Blam record, a self-titled four track EP, was released soon after and charted immediately. It then sat in the Top 40 for several months. In July 1981, The Blams released the single 'There Is No Depression In New Zealand' next during the turbulent period of protest and social disharmony surrounding the '81 Springbok Tour. The song became an unofficial national anthem, the theme of the protests and was sung up and down the length of the country.

Blam Blam Blam then toured as one-third of the now legendary Screaming Blamatic Roadshow and, in the same year, released another massive hit 'Don't Fight It Marsha (It's Bigger Than Both Of Us)'.

In 1982, The Blams tour van was involved in a serious accident and Tim Mahon almost lost his life, effectively finishing the band. However, Blam Blam Blam did briefly reform for a series of benefit gigs in 1984, and for Music Month celebrations in May 2003 - their first gig together in almost 20 years.

Blam Blam Blam is one of the quintessential early 80s New Zealand bands, The Blams' influence and legacy is spread throughout our musical landscape.

Band Members:
Tim Mahon
Mark Bell
Don McGlashan

Links

• Amplifier Profile