Robert Scott's Top Five

Top 5 records
1. Velvets 2nd
2. Suicide 1st
3. Bill Callahan, Sometimes I Wish..
4. Stranglers 1st
5. Kate Bush, The Kick Inside

Top 5 underrated NZ bands, past or present
1. The Puddle
2. The Subliminals
3. The Rip
4. Haunted Love
5. Psychic Maps

Top 5 NZ venues, past or present
1. Empire Tavern. Dunedin
2. Leigh Sawmill. Leigh
3. Chicks Hotel. Port Chalmers
4. Mighty Mighty. Wellington
5. The Burgundy Bar. Dunedin

Favorite Flying Nun singles, EPs or LPs
1. Subliminals, Crystal Chain
2. Sausage Records 4 Star, Wellington compilation
3. Nocturnal Projections, Understanding Another Year in Darkness
4. Scorched Earth Policy, Going Thru a Hole in the Back of Your Head
5. Bailter Space, Tanker

The Bats Photos

The Bats play the Sugerloaf Shakedown in Auckland's Kings Arms Tavern, May 22nd, 2011. The show was a fundraiser for the Christchurch music community. It took place only months after a catastrophic earthquake hit Christchurch, killing 181 people.

Photos by Ryan Leach.

The Bats - By Night (Album Review)

Review by Ryan Leach

By Night (1984) was the Bats’ debut EP. It was an auspicious beginning for the group: six great songs and not a dud among them. 

The Bats “sound” more or less coalesced on By Night: Robert Scott’s straightforward songwriting and rhythm guitar; Kaye Woodard’s tasteful lead guitar work; Marshall Grant’s steady backbeat; and Paul Kean’s melodic and active bass lines are all present. 

It’s hard to pick a favorite among these tracks—Woodward’s 12-string guitar work on “Jewellers Heart” is distinctive; the mismatch of Scott’s reserved vocals with the unstrained subject matter of “I Go Wild” is compelling. The Fall-like, honky-tonk stomp of “United Airways” certainly ranks high. But it’s “Man in the Moon” that comes out slightly ahead of the rest. 

Robert Scott’s best work typically comes out in the Bats’ mid-tempo songs, where he adopts an early ‘70s singer-songwriter feel, particularly influenced by John Cale’s early solo work. “Man in the Moon” comes closest to that hallmark. 

By Night is highly recommended. Somewhat hard to fine, Compiletely Bats is more accessible, and contains almost all of the tracks off of the Bats’ first three EPs.