Citizen Band (music band)
Citizen Band were a New Zealand band formed by the brothers Geoff and Mike Chunn, both of whom had previously been members of Split Enz.[1]
Citizen Band | |
---|---|
Citizen Band performing live, 1978 | |
Background information | |
Origin | New Zealand |
Years active | 1978–1982, 2016 |
Associated acts | Split Enz |
Past members | Geoff Chunn Mike Chunn Greg Clark Brent Eccles Roland Killeen |
Band members
Geoff Chunn played guitar, sang, and wrote most of the songs. Mike Chunn played bass guitar. Other members were guitarist Greg Clark and drummer Brent Eccles, both previously in New Zealand glam rock band Space Waltz.[2] Formed in 1977 after Mike Chunn left Split Enz[3] due to his struggles with agoraphobia,[4] the band played concerts around Auckland including a free concert in Albert Park and a one-day rock festival. The band recorded their first album Citizen Band at Mandrill studios, produced by the band and Glyn Tucker Jnr.
Their second album Just Drove Thru Town was recorded at Mandrill Studios in June 18–30, 1979. It was produced by Jay Lewis and engineered by Glyn Tucker Jnr. Two singles were released from the album, "Rust In My Car"/"Dig That Tex" and "No Stereo"/"SOS".
After the band moved to Australia, Mike Chunn left the band, and was replaced by Roland Killeen. The band broke up in 1982.
Citizen Band's original lineup could be regarded as a New Zealand supergroup, as both Chunn brothers were previously in Split Enz,[3] and Clark and Eccles were in glam rock band Space Waltz.
Discography
Date | Title | Label | Charted | Certification | Catalog Number |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1978 | Citizen Band | Mandrill | 27[2] | - | |
1979 | Just Drove Thru Town | CBS Records New Zealand | 18 | - | SBP237349 |
1980 | CB Bootleg (Live) | - | - | ||
1993 | Rust in my Car | - | - | ||
Concerts
In 2012, Citizen Band, along with other NZ bands who played at The Gluepot in the1970s: Dragon, Hello Sailor, and Street Talk, reunited for a 'Gluepot Reunion' concert.[5]
On 27 May 2016, Citizen Band reformed for a one-off concert at the inaugural Sounds Session[6] organised by The Sound radio station at the Tuning Fork in Auckland. Tickets could only be obtained by winning them from the radio station via a TXT message sent when an earlier named New Zealand song was played (May is New Zealand Music Month).
The play list was:
- Good Morning Citizen
- The Man's A Wonder
- Dig That Tex
- Julia
- Rust In My Car
- I Feel Good
and then an encore of "Hold Tight" a cover of a Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich song.
References
- Cammick, Murray (8 January 2015). "Citizen Band - AudioCulture". www.audioculture.co.nz. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- "Citizen Band". www.oldnewzealand.info. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- "A team player right to the enz". NZ Herald. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- "Twelve Questions: Mike Chunn". NZ Herald. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- "Tour news: Gluepot Reunion, Laneway Festival, Evermore". The New Zealand Herald. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- http://www.thesound.co.nz/Events/SoundSessions.aspx