Shoes This High


Arguably the most memorable of all the early Wellington post-punk bands, Shoes This High came into being in November 1979, though their evolution can be traced back to the first Amps line-up in late 1978. Over the course of the following year band members and name changes came and went, the one constant being guitarist Kevin Hawkins, until Shoes This High finally emerged from the ashes of the short-lived Lunks.

The initial line-up comprised Hawkins (guitar), Jessica Walker (bass), Andrew Strang (vocals) and a drummer named Wayne. The band’s new name came from Walker, just returned from Auckland and a stint with an early line-up of The Clean, as she recalled in an interview with this writer published in the July 1980 issue of Wellington’s In Touch magazine:

Shoes This High in Cuba Mall
Brent Hayward
The original Shoes This High EP, reissued in 2002 by Raw Power and US label Siltbreeze in 2014
Jessica Walker
Photo credit: Andrew Schmidt Collection
Kevin Hawkins and Mark Thomas, Cuba Mall, October 1979
Photo credit: Andrew Schmidt Collection
Kevin Hawkins and Brent Hayward, Shoes This High
The Clean in Auckland Star, 20 Sept 1979.
Kevin Hawkins
Kevin Hawkins changes a string at Billy The Club
Photo credit: Gary Steel Collection
Shoes This High: Brent Hayward, Chris Plummer, Kevin Hawkins, Jessica Walker
Photo credit: Photo By Peter Avery
The February 2014 US release of a 1980 Shoes This High gig at Wellington's Billy The Club, as captured by Andy Drey
Shoes This High, Billy the Club, June 1980
The Nose One
Trivia:

Shoes This High EP was reissued in 2002 by Auckland's Raw Power Records with sleeve notes by Gary Steel.

Chris Plummer is now a film editor, with credits on Boy and In My Father’s Den.

Brent Hayward repeatedly reinvented himself over the years as Smelly Feet, Kiwi Animal, and, currently Fats White, splitting his time between New Zealand and Germany.

Kevin Hawkins died on December 17, 1987 in Masterton.

Jessica Walker is sister to Toy Love's Jane Walker.

Labels:

Siltbreeze

Members:

Don Campbell - drums

Kevin Hawkins - guitar

Brent Hayward - vocals

Chris Plummer - drums

Jessica Walker - bass

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