Shaft


Shaft is the name of the band, and Bob Cardy is the main man. They have been rockin’ around New Zealand since 1992, playing gigs both soft and wild and making country-tinged bubblegum and psychedelic garage rock’n’roll records that feature a changing roster of musicians which, while not as populous as other bedsit/garage/basement armies like The Fall or Guided By Voices, is still an honour roll of indie legends who have all contributed to one sweet body of work.

Bob was one third of Christchurch indie-art oddballs the AXEMEN (along with drummer Stuart Page and guitarist Steve McCabe). Steve and Bob were the band’s songwriters, and they were both prolific and competitive by nature.

Shaft at Temple Cafe & Bar, Queen Street, Auckland, 1990s.
Photo credit: Matthew Crawley
Filming the I Just Wanna Have Your Baby music video, 2007.
Photo credit: Lui Rincon
Shaft at Golden Dawn, 2013
Photo credit: Photo by Matthew Crawley
Shaft at the Snake Pit, High St, Auckland, 2012.
Photo credit: Danny Mañetto
John Segovia's guitar. Shaft at Golden Dawn, Auckland, July 2013.
Photo credit: Stuart Page
Shaft, from left: Matt Brown, John Segovia, Rich Mixture, Tony Rush, Bob Cardy.
Photo credit: Dee Taylor
Shaft, pictured at the 2005 Lil' Chief Xmas party. L to R: Brad Walkington, Glen Casey, Stu Kett, Sam Kett, Bob Cardy.
Shaft guitarist John Segovia, Golden Dawn, Auckland, August 2014.
Photo credit: Stuart Page
Shaft, the Cosbys, and Ryan McPhun and the Ruby Suns play the Schooner, 2006. 
Shaft at the Snake Pit, High St, Auckland, 2012.
Photo credit: Danny Mañetto
Shaft performing at the Thirsty Dog, August 2016.
Photo credit: Rodney Fisher
Shaft at the Kings Arms, 2006.
Photo credit: Stuart Page
Shaft - Down At Your Life (live)
Shaft, from left: Bob Cardy, Rich Mixture, Mark Petersen, Matt Brown.
Photo credit: Dee Taylor
Bob Cardy - Shaft at the Kings Arms, Auckland 2006.
Photo credit: Stuart Page
Shaft at Golden Dawn, Auckland, August 2014.
Photo credit: Stuart Page
Shaft, from left: Tony Rush, Rich Mixture, Bob Cardy, John Segovia.
The original four-piece Shaft line-up in a Glen Innes tunnel. From left: Stuart Page, Danny Mañetto, John Segovia, Bob Cardy.
Photo credit: Stuart Page
Shaft performing in the courtyard of the Kings Arms, Auckland. From left: Cameron Rowe, Mark Petersen, Rich Mixture (obscured), Bob Cardy.
Photo credit: Dee Taylor
Bob Cardy, 2013
Photo credit: Photo by Matthew Crawley
Stuart Page and Bob Cardy in a self-portrait. Kings Arms, Auckland, 2004.
Photo credit: Stuart Page
Shaft: Rich Mixture, Bob Cardy, Cam Rowe, Mark Petersen.
Bob Cardy fronting Shaft with Rich Mixture on drums and Bob Frisbee in the background at right.
Photo credit: Dee Taylor
Stuart Page filming the music video for Shaft's classic song I Just Wanna Have Your Baby, 2007.
Photo credit: Lui Rincon
Shaft's Bob Cardy performing at Golden Dawn, Auckland, July 2013.
Photo credit: Stuart Page
Shaft at the Kings Arms, 2006.
Photo credit: Stuart Page
Bob Cardy at Stuart Page's place. Grey Lynn, August 2014.
Photo credit: Stuart Page
Shaft at the Snake Pit, High St, Auckland, 2012.
Photo credit: Danny Mañetto
Shaft, from left: Bob Cardy, Matt Brown, Rich Mixture, Mark Petersen.
Photo credit: Dee Taylor
Shaft at the Kings Arms, Auckland, 2006.
Photo credit: Stuart Page
Shaft, from left: Ben Maitland, Sam Kett, Stu Kett, Bob Cardy.
Bob Cardy fronting Shaft. Golden Dawn, Auckland, August 2014.
Photo credit: Stuart Page
Shaft - I Just Wanna Have Your Baby (2005) Directed by Stuart Page (HQ)
Bob Cardy performing in Shaft, Golden Dawn, Auckland, August 2014.
Photo credit: Stuart Page
Downhill Racer (1996) Directed by Stuart Page
Shaft, from left: John Segovia, Stuart Page, Bob Cardy, Danny Mañetto.
Photo credit: Nick Kreisler
Shaft's Bob Cardy on K' Rd, Auckland, August 2014.
Photo credit: Stuart Page
Filming the Stuart Page-directed music video for Shaft's I Just Wanna Have Your Baby, 2007.
Photo credit: Lui Rincon
Bob Cardy and audience members. Shaft at Golden Dawn, August 2014.
Photo credit: Stuart Page
Shaft, left to right: Cameron Rowe, Bob Cardy, Matt Brown, Rich Mixture, Mark Petersen.
Photo credit: Dee Taylor
Shaft, with keyboardist Cameron Rowe in foreground. Behind him from left to right: Rich Mixture, Mark Petersen, Matt Brown, Bob Cardy.
Photo credit: Dee Taylor
Poster for a Shaft mini-tour, November 2006
Trivia:

The Nudie Suits song 'Lil' Too Loose There' is written about Bob Cardy.

During his years in the AXEMEN Bob Cardy went by the name Bob Brannigan.

Labels:

Lil' Chief Records


Zerophonic


Action!

Members:

Robert Cardy - vocals, guitar

Stuart Page - drums

Danny Mañetto - bass, cello

John Segovia - guitar, bass, vocals

Rich Mixture - drums, bass, guitar, keyboards

Tony Rush - bass

Mark Petersen - guitar, bass, vocals

Matt Brown - guitar

Glen Casey - keyboards

Sam Kett - bass, vocals

Stuart Kett - drums

Ben Maitland - guitar

Brad Walkington - guitar

Cameron Rowe - keyboards, bass

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