RIOT 111

RIOT 111 was a New Zealand political punk band active from 1981 to 1984 often associated with anarcho-punk. The group was formed by two political activists, singer "Void" and drummer "Roger Riot", during the South Africa national rugby union team's infamous 1981 tour of New Zealand. The members of Riot 111 were Brown Squad protesters who were involved in running battles with the police's Red Squad outside the apartheid South African rugby union games.

Void and Roger Riot recorded with guitarist Nick Swan and bassist Mark Crawford and their first song "1981" was based on the Haka of the All Blacks. It became an instant hit rising to eighteen in the national charts. This required the band to perform live, something they had not yet done. One of their first performances, in Wellington, caused a riot at Victoria University of Wellington. This caused them to be banned from playing any commercial venues and forced the band to hire small school halls. Void was constantly attacked on stage by girls who would strip him of his clothes and left him to perform semi nude.

International touring acts asked Riot 111 to support them at New Zealand concerts, and through 1982 they played with The Birthday Party , John Cooper Clark and The Dead Kennedys. Jello Biafra wrote extensively about Void in US punk fanzines as an icon of anti-music imperialism. Riot 111 was one of the first bands to express Oceania indigenous culture through alternative post-punk rock 'n' roll rebellion.

Riot 111's EP "Subversive Radicals" was released in 1981. A music clip had been created to go with one of the EP's tracks, "Writing on the Wall", but it was refused airplay by state television on the only music channel. The band publicly protested the decision,as most local bands were refused airplay,outside Television New Zealand's studio in the Hutt Valley. [New Zealand History Online, [http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/riot-111-subversive-radicals "Riot 111 - Subversive Radicals"] , accessed on 18 August 2007.]

"Subversive Radicals" [http://www.punkvinyl.net/NZ_Punk_Archive/Band_Pages/riot111-subversive.htm] was followed by a tour of the South Island with a band called The First XV. This resulted in four of the eight tour members being arrested in Christchurch on the first day of arrival. They were also involved in a street battle with police outside The Star and Garter hotel which caused the closure the hotel for the year and led to more banning of the band.

Void produces two nation wide punk rock concerts as alternates the backward looking hippy music festivals most of the bands are excluded from. Capital Kaos live record is released.Such trouble with the police proved to be one factor that caused the band to fall apart. Other factors included continued violence from skinheads, maori gangs, selfish girlfriends, The replacement of bassist Mark Crawford with Tim Ord, and a close friendship with Neil Roberts, an anarchist who died bombing a police computer database building.

The Attack Music

CAPITAL KAOS "Riot Fever" [http://www.punkvinyl.net/NZ_Punk_Archive/Band_Pages/CapitalKaos.htm]

References

* NZ Music History http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/node/4579
* ['Misterex' Issue 3 K PeakPublications NZ 2003] [http://mysterex.blogspot.com/2008/03/riot-111.html]
* 'Stripped' NZ Truth 1981(Newspaper) http://www.fairfaxnz.co.nz