Toy Love


Toy Love was one of the most important groups to have emerged in the immediate aftermath of punk in late 1970s New Zealand. They are also one of the most mythologised.

The Dunedin and Christchurch band, born out of The Enemy and The Basketcases, had catchy and provocative songs to burn. They were also one of the era’s hardest working bands, touring New Zealand multiple times, and setting the busy multi-tiered Auckland live scene alight.

Toy Love at Auckland's New Station Hotel, December 1979
Toy Love at Hamilton's Hillcrest Tavern, June 1979
Photo credit: Design by Terence Hogan
Mike Dooley, Paul Kean and Jane Walker in Sydney, early 1980
Photo credit: Photo by Carol Tippet
Toy Love at Auckland's Selwyn College: Alec Bathgate, Chris Knox, Jane Walker, Paul Kean and Mike Dooley. The lunchtime show at the school was recorded and has been widely bootlegged over the years.
Photo credit: Photo by Anthony Phelps
Pull Down the Shades, live, 1980
Chris Knox at Auckland's Gluepot, September 1980
Photo credit: Photo by Anthony Phelps
Paul Kean, Alec Bathgate and Chris Knox, likely at Auckland's Gluepot
Photo credit: Anthony Phelps
1980 single advert
Toy Love at Willy's Wine Bar, Manners St, Wellington, 27 August 1979. From left: Chris Knox, Alec Bathgate, Mike Dooley, Paul Kean, and Jane Walker.
Photo credit: Chris Bourke
Chris Knox letter from Australia, 1979
Chris Knox, State Theatre, Symonds Street, March 1979
Photo credit: Photo by Anthony Phelps
Bride of Frankenstein (Joe Wylie version)
Toy Love in a boat for some reason: Chris Knox, Alec Bathgate, Mike Dooley, Jane Walker and Paul Kean
Photo credit: Photo by Anthony Phelps
Toy Love - Sheep (1980)
Toy Love and The Furys at Auckland's Liberty Stage
Photo credit: Design by Alec Bathgate
Chris Knox with Toy Love at their second to last show, Mainstreet, Auckland, 19 September, 1980
Photo credit: Photo by David Pinker. Karen Stevens collection
Bride Of Frankenstein (original video)
Toy Love in Christchurch, outside the Gladstone, probably in October 1979: Chris Knox, Jane Walker, Paul Kean, Mike Dooley and Alec Bathgate.
The poster for the 1980 Toy Love album designed by Terence Hogan
Toy Love: Mike Dooley, Paul Kean, Alec Bathgate (rear), Chris Knox (front) and Jane Walker
Photo credit: Photo by Philip Peacocke
Toy Love flyer for The Brevet Club, Christchurch
Photo credit: Michael Higgins Collection
January 1980
Photo credit: Photo by Simon Lynch
Toy Love at The Basement, Fanshawe Street, Auckland, July 1979
Chris Knox, early 1979, either at The State Theatre, Symonds Street, of The Windsor Castle, Parnell
Photo credit: Anthony Phelps
Rebel - Auckland University Orientation, 1980
Bandfile from 1979
Toy Love and The Androidss at Christchurch's Hillsborough, October 1979
Photo credit: Design by Ian Dalziel
Chris Knox with Toy Love, Sydney, June/July 1980
Photo credit: Photo by Michael Green
Chris Knox and Mike Dooley, venue unknown
Toy Love, plus movie, at Auckland's Island of Real, July 1979
Toy Love post signing to WEA: Paul Kean, Mike Dooley, Chris Knox, Alec Bathgate, Jane Walker and Ian Dalziel
Photo credit: Chris Knox collection
Jane Walker and Chris Knox at Auckland's Island of Real, 1979
Toy Love at the Auckland University's Maidment Theatre, July 1979
Rock Theatre, Wellington, Feb 1980
Chris Knox at The Gluepot, September 1980
Photo credit: Anthony Phelps
Swimming Pool (2012 Jeff Smith video)
Toy Love and Johnny & The Hookers at Parnell's Windosr Castle in 1979. The Saturday afternoons at the Windsor were often only annnounced by poster a few days before but were always filled to capacity when Toy Love or other punk acts played. Whilst not punk, The Hookers were widely accepted by the Auckland punks.
Toy Love at Auckland's Windsor Castle, September 1979
An Australian Toy Love poster 
Photo credit: Simon Grigg collection
1979 tour flyer
Photo credit: Design by Colin Wilson
Toy Love signing with WEA Records (NZ) and DeLuxe (Australia), 1979: Alec Bathgate, Jane Walker, WEA's Tim Murdoch, DeLuxe's Michael Browning, Paul Kean, Mike Dooley, WEA's Terence Hogan and Chris Knox
Photo credit: Chris Knox collection
Toy Love at Auckland's Gluepot, November 1979
Photo credit: Design by Joe Wylie
Chris Knox at The Gluepot, September 1980
Photo credit: Anthony Phelps
A Toy Love promo shot, likely 1979: Paul Kean, Chris Knox, Alec Bathgate, Mike Dooley and Jane Walker
Photo credit: Photo by Anthony Phelps
Chris Knox and Mike Dooley, State Theatre, Symonds St, Auckland, March 1979
Photo credit: Anthony Phelps
Toy Love at Sweetwaters '80
Chris Knox, Paul Kean and Jane Walker at Auckland's Gluepot, likely September 1980
Photo credit: Anthony Phelps
Chris Knox (behind the foil), Alec Bathgate, Paul Kean, Sydney, early 1980
Photo credit: Photo by Carol Tippet
Toy Love at Auckland's Windsor Castle, June 1979
Photo credit: Design by Chris Knox
Toy Love - Squeeze (1979)
The invite only Toy Love album preview at Auckland's XS Cafe, August 1980
Toy Love at Chequers in Sydney, July 1980
Johnny & The Hookers with Toy Love, a classic Saturday afternoon at Auckland's Windsor Castle, March 1979
Photo credit: Design by Chris Knox
Chris Knox at Auckland's Gluepot in one of their last shows in September 1980
Photo credit: Photo by Anthony Phelps
Sydney booking contract
Chris Knox, 1979, probably at The Windsor Castle, Parnell, Auckland
Photo credit: Photo by Anthony Phelps
Jane Walker with The Basket Cases, The Gresham, Christchurch
Photo credit: Ian Dalziel
Toy Love at the The Island Of Real, 1979
Photo credit: Design by Terence Hogan
Toy Love describe the Sydney venues
Jane Walker, Paul Kean and Alister Parker in The Basket Cases at The Gresham, circa 1978, pre-Toy Love and The Gordons
Photo credit: Ian Dalziel
Toy Love, recording their debut single at Mandrill Studios, 1979
Photo credit: Photo by Murray Cammick
Toy Love at Auckland's Windsor Castle, July 1979
Toy Love interview, The South Tonight, 1980
Toy Love: Paul Kean, Mike Dooley (rear), Jane Walker (front), Chris Knox and Alec Bathgate
Toy Love, 1980: Alec Bathgate, Chris Knox, Mike Dooley, Paul Kean and Jane Walker
Toy Love at Auckland's Island Of Real, March 1979
Photo credit: Design by Alec Bathgate
Interview in Australia in 1980 and a performance of 'Sheep'
Toy Love late 1979. Soundman Doug Hood is repairing something. Mike Dooley, Chris Knox, Doug Hood and Alec Bathgate
Toy Love was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame in 2012. The Hall of Fame is an initiative of Recorded Music NZ and the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), whose support of AudioCulture enables the site to stream music content.
No Matter What (Live at The Island of Real)
Members:

Chris Knox - vocals

Paul Kean - bass

Mike Dooley - drums

Jane Walker - keyboards

Alec Bathgate - guitar

Labels:

WEA


Flying Nun


DeLuxe

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