Look Blue Go Purple


There is something unique about New Zealand women’s voices in unison. You can hear it in The Chicks, Cassandra’s Ears, and on Look Blue Go Purple’s three groundbreaking 1980s EPs for Flying Nun Records.

It's an airy, almost Celtic chorus, where no one voice dominates – a sound that Look Blue Go Purple presented over upbeat and folky guitar, organ and flute-driven ballads, occasionally contrasting that with tom tom powered alt-rock.

Live at Sounds Cafe, Dunedin. The date is uncertain, possibly March 1985
Photo credit: Poster by Bruce Blucher
A poster for the second EP LBGP2
Look Blue Go Purple with a misspelled Straitjacket Fits, February 1987
Extended Play on 95bFM - LGBPEP2
The 2017 compilation, Still Bewitched
Cactus Cat
Look Blue Go Purple, Dunedin, 1985 - Denise Roughan, Kathy Bull, Lesley Paris, Norma O'Malley, Kath Webster.
Photo credit: Jeremy Freeman
Circumspect Penelope
Zippy's Last Tour, February 1985
Look Blue Go Purple, L to R: Kathy Bull, Denise Roughan, Kathryn Webster, Lesley Paris, Norma O'Malley
Photo credit: Photo by Terry Moore
The poster for the 1985 Bewitched EP
Look Blue Go Purple with Wreck Small Speakers on Expensive Stereos at the Oriental Hotel, Dunedin, February 1985
Look Blue Go Purple and Straitjacket Fits at Auckland's Gluepot
I Don't Want You Anyway (live at the Settlers Museum, Dunedin, New Zealand in March 1996) Bob Sutton Collection
Kathy Bull steps up to the mic in Look Blue Go Purple.
Look Blue Go Purple with Delawares, the Burgundy Bar, Dunedin Oct/Nov 1986
Kath Webster, Captain Cook, Dunedin 1985
Photo credit: Photo by Kat Spears
Look Blue Go Purple poster from 1987, at the Burgundy Bar, April 1987
Photo credit: Andrew Schmidt Collection
Look Blue Go Purple at The Empire, Dunedin, July 1985
Look Blue Go Purple
Photo credit: Photo by Kat Spears
Look Blue Go Purple: Denise Roughan, Lesley Paris, Kath Webster, Kathy Bull, Norma O'Malley.
Photo credit: Photo by Terry Moore
Look Blue Go Purple: Kathy Bull, Norma O'Malley, Lesley Paris, Denise Roughan, Kath Webster.
Look Blue Go Purple at Wellington's Electric Ballroom, 1986
The cover of 1991's self-titled compilation album
Trivia:

Kath Webster is now editor of AA Directions magazine.

Lesley Paris went on to become the manager of Flying Nun Records in the 1990s. She is now station manager for Otago Access Radio.

Kathy Bull changed her name to Francisca Griffin in 1995 and is still playing under that name.

For one weekend – in Gore – the band became Tunnel Wives before reverting.

Members:

Kath Webster - guitar, vocals

Norma O’Malley - keyboards, vocals

Denise Roughan - guitar, vocals

Lesley Paris - drums

Francisca Griffin - bass

Labels:

Flying Nun

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