To celebrate 25 years since the completion of their unreleased album PR Nightmare, The Pet Rocks are releasing a remastered album package on CD, an admittedly wildly out of favour medium.
The band have worked with original producer and collaborator Dean Godward a.k.a Cuba – credited with recording albums by King Kapisi, Del Rey System, Cuba & Gizmo, Nesian Mystik, Lusburger, Figure 60, StraitJacket Fits and Drill – to prepare a fully remastered CD package featuring exciting Saul Bass-inspired artwork and 10 original tracks blending Jimmy Page-styled riffery and Raymond Chandler via Lou Reed lyrical storytelling.
You might find yourself asking... who are the Pet Rocks? Well non-Gen.X’r…
The Pet Rocks sprung-up during a peach-period for music in Aotearoa. Student radio was riding high on the back of a guitar-driven ‘alternative’ sound becoming mainstream and events like the Big Day Out were showcasing the ‘it’ bands of the day to sold-out stadiums on an annual basis. Rip It Up was the free monthly music paper everyone read, and television was King. Local product Max TV offered our own take on MTV and even the mainstream channels dabbled with youth programming featuring local bands.
Formed in Tāmaki Makaurau’s inner suburbs by Taranaki natives Nick Kreisler and Simon Sampson, The Pet Rocks first hit the 95bFM airwaves in late-1994 and were active until early-2000. Highlights during this time included an eventful 1996 Big Day Out 'pants optional' performance, a lecture on postmodern rock delivered live on Max TV and a live performance on a short-lived TVNZ youth show hosted by a very young Bic Runga. In 1996 the band swelled to a 5-piece, and it was this line-up who recorded their debut yet till now unreleased album PR Nightmare.
THE PLAYERS
Nick Kreisler: lead vocals, rhythm guitar, bass, backing vocals
Simon Sampson: lead guitars, backing vocals
Steven Shaw: bass, backing vocals
Dominic Blaazer: electric piano, Moog synthesiser, backing vocals
Kim Martinengo: drums
Kurt Ensor: drums
Mark Pollard: drums
Tracklist
- Don't Get Cute
- Going Places
- Shroud Of Turin
- Blunter Classics
- Keep On Trackin'
- Cocktails For Daddy
- Fade In / Fade Out
- Dog Of A Nation
- Hair Trigger
- Pet Rock Summer
