Mi-Sex

Even in the often strange and incestuous history of New Zealand rock, few bands enjoyed a more bizarre career than Mi-Sex; led by onetime cabaret singer <a href="spotify:artist:5dzan26224wiWvyCJXb3kS">Steve Gilpin</a>, the group emerged from art-rock beginnings to later reinvent themselves in the style of the new wave. The Mi-Sex story begins with <a href="spotify:artist:5dzan26224wiWvyCJXb3kS">Gilpin</a>, who rocketed to national fame in 1972 as the winner of the "New Faces" television talent contest; in the years to follow he became a fixture of the provincial hotel circuit, providing cabaret entertainment to lounge patrons. Taking a much different path were the members of Father Thyme, a hippified prog rock band comprised of vocalist Steve Grant, guitarist Don Begdegood, keyboardist Alan Moon, bassist <a href="spotify:artist:5XUjG97WeK2UDtIm9GST9t">Don Martin</a>, and drummer Lindsay Brook; a frustrated rocker himself, <a href="spotify:artist:5dzan26224wiWvyCJXb3kS">Gilpin</a> saw them play in 1976, and befriended Moon and <a href="spotify:artist:5XUjG97WeK2UDtIm9GST9t">Martin</a>, whom he felt had considerable potential.

When Father Thyme split a year later, Moon and <a href="spotify:artist:5XUjG97WeK2UDtIm9GST9t">Martin</a> contacted <a href="spotify:artist:5dzan26224wiWvyCJXb3kS">Gilpin</a>, and the trio decided to form a band. Enlisting guitarist Kevin Stanton and drummer Don Smart, they first christened themselves Fragments of Time, quickly building a fan base thanks in large part to <a href="spotify:artist:5dzan26224wiWvyCJXb3kS">Gilpin</a>'s past TV fame. Moon soon exited, however, and <a href="spotify:artist:16p6zL7YNJxOdTCHSL1nko">Smart</a> was then let go as well; with the addition of keyboardist Murray Burns and drummer Richard Hodgkinson came not only a new name -- Mi-Sex -- but also a new image. Clad in tank tops and leather pants, the group immersed themselves completely in the music and style of the new wave, adding songs by the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:2BGRfQgtzikz1pzAD0kaEn">Elvis Costello</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1Oedz03PvIZQvBJBneRd9S">Mink DeVille</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:6c8INA1EQQe9TkukfEdiCA">Graham Parker</a> to their repertoire; however, with their laser light shows and tight choreography, Mi-Sex seemed to belong to the pre-punk era, missing the point of the post-punk era entirely. Still, when EMI came looking for a local new wave band, Mi-Sex was the group they selected, and in 1978 they issued their debut single, "Straight Laddie."

The record sank without a trace, and although they maintained a strong fan following, Mi-Sex was viewed with derision by their local new wave compatriots; however, a move to Australia proved highly successful, and in 1979 they issued their debut LP, Graffiti Crimes. A single, "Computer Games," topped the Australian charts, and the group made a triumphant return to New Zealand. A second album, 1980's Space Race, was also a hit, but when a planned American tour fell through, Mi-Sex's momentum took a serious blow; even at home, audiences were dwindling, and 1981's Shanghaied made little impact. Hodgkinson soon exited, to be replaced by ex-<a href="spotify:artist:5F9htFt4m7YIj7k36CPVCv">Coup D'Etat</a> drummer Paul Dunningham; a few minor hits followed, including "Castaway" and "Blue Day," but after 1984's Where Do They Go? failed to crack the charts, Mi-Sex disbanded. <a href="spotify:artist:5dzan26224wiWvyCJXb3kS">Steve Gilpin</a> died in 1991. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi