Suburban Reptiles

The Suburban Reptiles
Origin	Auckland, New Zealand
Genres	Punk
Years active	1976–1978
Labels	Vertigo
Past members	Simon Grigg Brett "Jimmy Joy/ Jimmy Vinyl/ Lino Clone" Salter William "Billy Planet" Pendergrast Clare "Sally Slag/ Zero" Elliot Trish "Sissy Spunk" Scott Bryan "Shaun Anfrayd" Nicholls Kim Smith Des Edwards Mark "Buster Stiggs" Hough Johnny Volume Wayne "Bones Hillman" Stevens Tony Baldock Roland Killeen Phil Judd

The Suburban Reptiles were, with The Scavengers, one of the first two punk bands to form in New Zealand.

The Suburban Reptiles were first conceptualised by Auckland students Simon Grigg and Brett Salter in late 1976, with some encouragement from filmmaker David Blyth. Grigg and Salter had originally planned to form a jazz band but Grigg was redirected by Blyth after he saw a live review of The Sex Pistols in the New Musical Express.

Grigg, seeing himself as the manager, explained the concept to Salter, who played the saxophone, and other students, William Pendergrast, bass guitar; Clare Elliot, (Salter's partner), vocals; Trish Scott, guitar; Brian Nicholls, guitar; and Kim Smith, backing vocals, were invited to join. Grigg found a drummer, an apprentice butcher and part-time juggler, Des Edwards and the original lineup was complete. This group only lasted the first few practices in a basement in Auckland's inner suburb, Ponsonby, before both Smith and Edwards departed. The first practices however produced a nucleus of a live set with a mix of covers (including songs from Roxy Music, The Damned and The Modern Lovers) and a number of originals.

The only live performance from this lineup was an aborted late night set in Auckland University's Student Quadrangle, with the power being pulled by University custodians after one song to a bemused crowd fresh from a concert by Th' Dudes.

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Wikipedia