The Children's Hour - Flesh (1983)

Whilst Chris Matthews was struggling within the pop-confines of the Prime Movers, Johnny Pierce (bass), Grant Fell (guitar) and Bevan Sweeney (drums) were forming their own sound as Children's Hour. More intense and experimental than what the Headless Chickens eventually became (Children's Hour were essentially the chooks in their original incarnation), they fused electronic and analog instrumentation, and wrote thoroughly brooding rock music that actually went rather unnoticed. Matthews (vocals / guitar) eventually joined the trio in 1983, and it was this line-up that released two eps on Flying Nun - and went on to tour New Zealand. Fell left for Australia, but after a short-absence, the group eventually reformed as the International Headless Chickens, and with Fell back in line (and the 'international' dropped), the Headless Chickens went on to become one of New Zealands' most successful bands.