Sneaky Feelings


It isn’t often that a non-mainstream New Zealand group gets to articulate its creative life in print to the degree that Dunedin’s Sneaky Feelings have.

Guitarist, singer and songwriter Matthew Bannister’s introspective memoir and history, Positively George Street: a personal history of Sneaky Feelings and the Dunedin Sound, frayed tempers and dented egos when it was published in 1999.

Sneaky Feelings at the Rumba Bar, May 1983
The Sneaky Feelings, Auckland 1987: David Pine, Matthew Bannister, David Pine and John Kelcher
Sneaky Feelings crossing Grafton Bridge, Auckland 1987
Husband House
Sneaky Feelings in the mid-1980s - Martin Durrant, Matthew Bannister, David Pine, John Kelcher
Sneaky Feelings: Matthew Bannister, David Pine, John Kelcher and Martin Durrant; photo by Jeremy Freeman
Photo credit: Jeremy Freeman
Sneaky Feelings: David Pine, Kat Tyrie, Martin Durrant and Matthew Bannister, circa 1983
The Flying Nun Husband House poster, October 1985
Photo credit: Design by Lesley McLean
From 1982, the multiple hand screened and painted covers of Be My Friend b/w Amnesia were created by Ronnie van Hout
1983's Send You was the debut Sneaky Feelings album, co-produced at Auckland's Mascot Studios by Phil Yule in May that year
Sneaky Feelings - Wouldn't Cry (featuring Red McKelvie)
Margaret O'Neill's artwork for 1988's Hard Love Stories album
The poster for the 1986 single Better Than Before
Live at Uncle Sam's, 1985; poster design by Jeremy Freeman
Photo credit: Jeremy Freeman
Sneaky Feelings in June 1984
Photo credit: Photo by Carol Tippet
The poster for Sentimental Education, the second Sneaky Feelings album, from 1986
Sneaky Feelings at Dunedin's Oriental Hotel, month and year unknown; design by Jeremy Freeman
Sneaky Feelings' 2017 reunion album, Progress Junction
An outtake of The Sneaky Feelings cover shoot for the 1982 Dunedin Double EP. The location is the Roslyn Street overbridge (over Stuart Street).
Husband House was a No.16 hit in October 1985. Cover design by Jeremy Freeman and John Kelcher; photos by Jeremy Freeman
Photo credit: Design by Jeremy Freeman and John Kelcher
Coming True
The Sneaky Feelings in Symonds Street, Auckland, in 1987: Martin Durrant, David Pine, Matthew Bannister, and John Kelcher
Better Than Before
Sneaky Feelings at The Windsor, June 1984
Waiting For Touchdown (Live) Bob Sutton Collection
Sneaky Feelings, circa 1983: David Pine, Kathryn Tyrie, Matthew Bannister and Martin Durrant
Photo credit: Simon Grigg collection
Sneaky Feelings in Grafton Cemetery, Auckland, 1987: Matthew Bannister, David Pine, John Kelcher and Martin Durrant
Sneaky Feelings at Auckland's Windsor Castle, September 1985
1986's Better Than Before 12-inch single
Photo credit: Design: Jeremy Freeman
The 1986 Coming True single, picture sleeve design and photos by Jeremy Freeman
Trivia:

The name Sneaky Feelings was taken from an Elvis Costello song title.

Future Matthew Bannister groups included Dribbling Darts of Love and The Weather. He has recently released his take on The Beatles’ Revolver as Evolver.

Matthew Bannister was co-opted as guitarist for The Mutton Birds, who performed a version of his ‘Not To Take Sides’ live.

David Pine wrote ‘I Love The News’ for Death Ray Café. Pine was also bass player in Dunedin’s The Moas, who released an EP called Spaz Out! With The Moas on Flying Nun Records in 1987.

David Pine is New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Malaysia.

Bic Runga covered Martin Durrant’s ‘Stranger’s Again’ on her Try To Remember Everything compilation in 2008. The song was originally recorded for a Radio New Zealand session.

David Pine and Martin Durrant of Sneaky Feelings were two thirds of The Bleeding Allstars, who contributed a version of Toy Love’s ‘Ain’t It Nice’ to the Chris Knox benefit album Stroke in 2009.

Members:

Matthew Bannister - guitar, vocals, keyboards

David Pine - guitar, vocals

Martin Durrant - drums, vocals, keyboards

John Kelcher - bass, vocals, keyboards

Kathryn Tyrie - bass, keyboards

Ross Burge - drums

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