Shayne Carter
Encyclopedia
Shayne Carter is best-known for being the Straitjacket Fits
' principal singer/songwriting/guitarist in the late 80s/early 90s, and later on a founding member of Dimmer
.
Carter comes from a musical family. He was born to a Caucasian
mother and a Māori father who was adopted by a Pakeha
family.
. While at Kaikorai, he had initially formed the rock group Bored Games as a vocalist along with Wayne Elsey and Fraser Batts on guitars, Jonathan Moore on Bass and Jeff Harford on drums. The group debuted at Kaikorai's talent quest in 1979, then went on to play a gig supporting Toy Love
. Elsey was tired of being in the band and went on to form The Stones
. He was replaced by Terry Moore
. In 1981, the Bored Games eventually broke up. The group recorded an ep Who Killed Colonel Mustard, which was released by Flying Nun Records
in 1982. Terry Moore would later join The Chills
.
After finishing high school, Carter worked at Radio 4XO
as a journalist for 2½ years, and later worked for fledgling campus radio
station Radio One .
, along with a temperamental drum machine called "Herbie Fuckface". Carter and Elsey eventually recruited their high school friend John Collie to replace the machine. The band toured New Zealand with other Flying Nun
bands in 1984. The same year they recorded the "Double B-Side" 7" single. In 1985, the group released the "Cut It Out" Ep. While on tour later that year, Wayne Elsey was killed in a freak accident on a train.
Carter and Collie continued on with band after Elsey's death, but they decided to change the name to Straitjacket Fits
. David Wood joined on bass in 1986 and Andrew Brough
joined on guitar and vocals in 1987. The band then recorded their first ep, Life in One Chord. The Straitjacket Fits were considered the best of the bands to emerge from Dunedin at that time, although they had built more of a solid following overseas than in New Zealand. Brough, who also contributed songwriting, had a style that contrasted Carter's. Brough's songs concentrated on melodies and pop-hooks while Carter's songs were more guitar-driven and edgy.
The band moved then moved briefly to Christchurch
before settling in Auckland
. They released their first album Hail
in 1988. They recorded Melt
in 1990. Due to musical difference with Carter, Brough left the band and was replaced by Mark Petersen. By the time they put out Blow
in 1993, the band signed to Arista records to a potentially lucrative worldwide deal. However, by 1994, they had broken up. Straitjacket Fits reformed for a reunion tour during April and May 2005 without Andrew Brough.
:
, Carter formed his current group Dimmer
in 1995.
in his New Zealand supergroup, 'The Adults'. He performed on & co-wrote some of the songs on their debut album, and is also part of the touring ensemble.
Straitjacket Fits
Straitjacket Fits formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1986 and were a prominent band in the Flying Nun label's second wave of the Dunedin Sound.-Biography:...
' principal singer/songwriting/guitarist in the late 80s/early 90s, and later on a founding member of Dimmer
Dimmer (band)
Dimmer is a musical group from New Zealand. The driving force behind the band is Shayne Carter, a prominent New Zealand musician and member of such bands as Straitjacket Fits and Double Happys. The band have released four full length albums, "I Believe You Are A Star" , "You've Got To Hear The...
.
Carter comes from a musical family. He was born to a Caucasian
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
mother and a Māori father who was adopted by a Pakeha
Pakeha
Pākehā is a Māori language word for New Zealanders who are "of European descent". They are mostly descended from British and to a lesser extent Irish settlers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although some Pākehā have Dutch, Scandinavian, German, Yugoslav or other ancestry...
family.
Early career
Carter attended school at Kaikorai Valley High SchoolKaikorai Valley College
Kaikorai Valley College is a large co-educational secondary school in Dunedin, New Zealand. Initially starting as Kaikorai Valley High School in 1958, the school combined with Kenmure Intermediate School in 1996 to become Kaikorai Valley College, and in 2008 celebrated its 50th jubileeThe college...
. While at Kaikorai, he had initially formed the rock group Bored Games as a vocalist along with Wayne Elsey and Fraser Batts on guitars, Jonathan Moore on Bass and Jeff Harford on drums. The group debuted at Kaikorai's talent quest in 1979, then went on to play a gig supporting Toy Love
Toy Love
Toy Love was a New Zealand New Wave/punk rock band fronted by Chris Knox. Other members were guitarist Alec Bathgate, bass player Paul Kean, drummer Mike Dooley, and keyboard player Jane Walker...
. Elsey was tired of being in the band and went on to form The Stones
The Stones (New Zealand band)
The Stones were a New Zealand band from Dunedin named after The Rolling Stones. One of the earliest bands to record on the Flying Nun label, they helped form the style of music known as the Dunedin Sound, along with label mates such as The Chills, The Verlaines and Sneaky Feelings, all of whom...
. He was replaced by Terry Moore
Terry Moore (musician)
Terry Moore or Terence Moore is a New Zealand musician, best known as a former member of the band The Chills, for whom he played bass from 1981–83, 1985–86 and again from 1991-93...
. In 1981, the Bored Games eventually broke up. The group recorded an ep Who Killed Colonel Mustard, which was released by Flying Nun Records
Flying Nun Records
Flying Nun Records is an independent record label formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1981 by music-store proprietor Roger Shepherd.-History:The label was formed in the flurry of new punk rock-inspired labels forming in the early 1980s...
in 1982. Terry Moore would later join The Chills
The Chills
The Chills are a guitar and keyboard-based rock band from Dunedin, New Zealand. In the 1980s and 1990s, they were one of the proponents of the Dunedin Sound.- History :...
.
After finishing high school, Carter worked at Radio 4XO
4XO
Radio 4XO was a local radio station in Dunedin, New Zealand which began in October 1971 as one of the first privately-owned commercial radio stations in the country. The callsign/station identity 4XO was assigned because 4 meant the area south of Canterbury, the X meant private and O stood for the...
as a journalist for 2½ years, and later worked for fledgling campus radio
Campus radio
Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
station Radio One .
The DoubleHappys & The Straitjacket Fits
In 1983, Carter reunited with Wayne Elsey after the demise of The Stones to form DoubleHappysThe DoubleHappys
The DoubleHappys were a short-lived but influential rock band based in Dunedin, New Zealand, and part of the Dunedin Sound music wave of the 1980s...
, along with a temperamental drum machine called "Herbie Fuckface". Carter and Elsey eventually recruited their high school friend John Collie to replace the machine. The band toured New Zealand with other Flying Nun
Flying Nun Records
Flying Nun Records is an independent record label formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1981 by music-store proprietor Roger Shepherd.-History:The label was formed in the flurry of new punk rock-inspired labels forming in the early 1980s...
bands in 1984. The same year they recorded the "Double B-Side" 7" single. In 1985, the group released the "Cut It Out" Ep. While on tour later that year, Wayne Elsey was killed in a freak accident on a train.
Carter and Collie continued on with band after Elsey's death, but they decided to change the name to Straitjacket Fits
Straitjacket Fits
Straitjacket Fits formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1986 and were a prominent band in the Flying Nun label's second wave of the Dunedin Sound.-Biography:...
. David Wood joined on bass in 1986 and Andrew Brough
Andrew Brough
Andrew Brough is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Dunedin, New Zealand, who is best known for his work with the New Zealand Music Hall of fame inductees, Straitjacket Fits.- Early career :...
joined on guitar and vocals in 1987. The band then recorded their first ep, Life in One Chord. The Straitjacket Fits were considered the best of the bands to emerge from Dunedin at that time, although they had built more of a solid following overseas than in New Zealand. Brough, who also contributed songwriting, had a style that contrasted Carter's. Brough's songs concentrated on melodies and pop-hooks while Carter's songs were more guitar-driven and edgy.
The band moved then moved briefly to Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
before settling in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. They released their first album Hail
Hail (album)
Hail is the debut album released in 1988 by New Zealand band, Straitjacket Fits. There were three releases of the album, a New Zealand release in 1988, a United Kingdom and United States release also in 1988 and an extended album in 1989...
in 1988. They recorded Melt
Melt (Straitjacket Fits album)
Melt was the second album from Dunedin, New Zealand band Straitjacket Fits, and the last to feature the original line-up of Shayne Carter, Andrew Brough, John Collie and David Wood; Brough was to leave before the third album, Blow. The album reached no. 13 on the New Zealand music charts...
in 1990. Due to musical difference with Carter, Brough left the band and was replaced by Mark Petersen. By the time they put out Blow
Blow (Straitjacket Fits album)
"Blow" is the third album released in 1993 by New Zealand band, Straitjacket Fits. The album has a harder, less melodic sound than the band's previous albums. This reflects the change of line-up, with Andrew Brough having left the band prior to this album's recording, to be replaced by Mark Petersen...
in 1993, the band signed to Arista records to a potentially lucrative worldwide deal. However, by 1994, they had broken up. Straitjacket Fits reformed for a reunion tour during April and May 2005 without Andrew Brough.
Shayne Carter & Peter Jefferies
Shayne has released 2 singles with Peter JefferiesPeter Jefferies
Peter Jefferies is a musician from New Zealand.In 1981 Peter and his brother Graeme Jefferies formed the post-punk band Nocturnal Projections. The band released a few records, and played around their hometown of New Plymouth, as well as Auckland....
:
- "Randolph's Going Home/Hooked, Lined And Sunken", 1986, Flying Nun Records FNCJ001
- "Knocked Out Or Thereabouts/Spark Off A Wire", 1992, Flying Nun Records FN236
Dimmer
Following the demise of Straitjacket FitsStraitjacket Fits
Straitjacket Fits formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1986 and were a prominent band in the Flying Nun label's second wave of the Dunedin Sound.-Biography:...
, Carter formed his current group Dimmer
Dimmer (band)
Dimmer is a musical group from New Zealand. The driving force behind the band is Shayne Carter, a prominent New Zealand musician and member of such bands as Straitjacket Fits and Double Happys. The band have released four full length albums, "I Believe You Are A Star" , "You've Got To Hear The...
in 1995.
The Adults
In 2011, Carter joined with Jon Toogood of the band ShihadShihad
Shihad is a New Zealand hard/alternative rock band, currently based in Melbourne, Australia. During Shihad's recording career, they have produced four number-one studio albums and three top-ten singles in their home country of New Zealand....
in his New Zealand supergroup, 'The Adults'. He performed on & co-wrote some of the songs on their debut album, and is also part of the touring ensemble.