In 1965, while other British groups set their sights on America, the Pretty Things invaded New Zealand, a culturally sheltered colonial outpost 12,000 miles from their home. A disparate bunch of art student malcontents, brought together in one unholy collision of no holds barred ‘60s rhythm ‘n’ blues and self-expression, the Pretty Things were the most extreme band of their day. Fueled by a baiting, sensationalist tabloid press, their loud, anarchic music and outrageous antics on and off stage – particularly those of drummer Viv Prince – ignited a national scandal and a public outcry that would spread from the newspaper headlines to the Houses of Parliament. Today, so-called bad boy ‘rock star’ behaviour has gone beyond passé to being almost expected. But in the Swinging Sixties, in not-so-Swinging New Zealand, for a bunch of longhaired musicians who looked as though they’d beamed down as emissaries from Mars, garnering inflammatory column inches in a remote Colonial outpost for being nothing but themselves was absolutely the real deal. No parachutes. No safety nets. No bodyguards. No lawyers. No PR people providing 24-hour spin control. "It really was about five young guys on the road," remembers singer Phil May, "with the rest of the country, apart from the kids, completely against you. It was like being a platoon behind enemy lines." Or as guitarist Dick Taylor puts it: "The whole trip for me was like waking up in a Dali painting with no exit to reality." More than ten years in the making, DON’T BRING ME DOWN…UNDER documents the Pretty Things’ surreal, outlandish and frequently hilarious exploits in New Zealand through interviews with most of the major participants, press clippings and more than 180 rare photographs, including 8 pages in full-colour. DON’T BRING ME DOWN… UNDER is a must read, not just for Pretty Things fans, but for anyone fascinated by an era when rock ‘n’ roll was not only outrageously FUN but also a force of subversion and ultimately liberation for an entire generation of young people around the world.

Don't Bring Me Down... Under: The Pretty Things in New Zealand, 1965

Arts & Photography

Mike Stax

john-baker

Andy Neill

Music

UT Publishing

A gripping and humorous autobiographical novel about the early life of Rick Brown, detailing the story of his 1960s era group, the Misunderstood, and their evolution from local garage band heroes to trailblazing psychedelic icons living in the heart of Swinging London. Read how the band's heart was ripped out on the eve of their success when Rick was drafted into the US Army, about his daring desertion from boot camp, his escape to a new life in a primitive ashram in North India, and his subsequent adventures as a hunted fugitive. Befriended by India's elite but forced from sanctuary as US authorities close in, he climbs the Himalayas, taking shelter in a secret ruby mine guarded by 115 year-old Kali Baba. Torn between the love of two competing gurus, as well as Kali Baba and beautiful Tanny, he is driven over the edge into the mysterious Asian underworld. Bummer!

Like, Misunderstood - a Band, a Journey, a Dream, a Disaster

Rick Brown

UT Publications

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Books by Mike Stax