Various - Capital Kaos (1984)

Capitol Kaos is a live recording of the infamous Golden Showers one day punk festival held at the Newtown Community Hall on Easter weekend of 1983. Released in 1984 on local label Jayrem Records the compilation captures 12 bands from New Zealand's second wave of punk rock playing in the grim, nihilistic atmosphere of the Muldoon governments 8th year in power. With LP artwork that features a collage of punks fighting a street battle against police in front of the New Zealand government's Beehive the imagery draws on the still very raw memory of the 1981 Springbok Tour and the widespread civil disorder that accompanied it. The 'Capitol' scene at this time seems both ripped apart and re-energised by the violent boot boy gangs that had sprung up in the working class suburbs of Wellington. From the Terrace Terrorways, to the Wainui and Newlands Skins, drugs and a love of violence had wiped the floor clean of the first generation of punk's playful anarchy. In their place bands like First Fifteen, Flesh D-Vice, Aftershock had emerged dripping with a hate for mainstream society and the New Zealand police force that took pleasure in cracking heads to maintain conformity, whether it be at a protest or a punk gig. This connection between the context and the live recordings on Capitol Kaos is what makes it such a great 'time capsule' of New Zealand at such a traumatic period in its modern history. Recorded by John Void, lead singer of 'anti-tour' band RIOT 111, Capitol Kaos presents the grey depressive psychopathic New Zealand of 1983 we are encouraged to forget in favour of nostalgia spiked beer adverts and TV soaps.

vck