City Lights in conjunction with Rock and Roll Book Club of SF and Third Man Books present

Matt Goody with Tony Green and Richard Langston

celebrating the publication of

NEEDLES AND PLASTIC: FLYING NUN RECORDS, 1981–1988

by Matt Goody

Published by Third Man

Purchase the book here:
https://citylights.com/needles-plastic/

In this remarkable tale of creativity and chaos, do-it-yourself innovation and extraordinary attempts at world domination, Needles and Plastic tells the inside story of one of New Zealand – and the world’s – great independent music labels. Hundreds of full color & black and white photos illustrate the story!

Founded in 1981 by Roger Shepherd in Christchurch, New Zealand, Flying Nun Records unleashed an extraordinary wave of music that had an impact around the world. Needles and Plastic is the first comprehensive history of the early years of the label and its bands covering the critical period from 1981–1988 when many of the most influential and critically acclaimed artists emerged on Flying Nun, bands like – from The Clean, The Chills, The Verlaines, Straitjacket Fits and Bailter Space. The influence of the obscure label became apparent in the 1990s, when big-time indie acts like Pavement, Cat Power or Yo La Tengo started covering Flying Nun bands.

In entries on over 140 records from The Clean’s ‘Tally Ho!’ 7″ in 1981 to The Verlaines Bird-Dog LP in 1988, Matthew Goody tells the story through the records themselves. His book draws on years of in-depth research to reveal the stories of the bands, the recordings, the songs, and the audience, with a host of significant characters contributing along the way – Shepherd, Chris Knox, Doug Hood, Hamish Kilgour and many more. In this remarkable tale of creativity and chaos, do-it-yourself innovation and extraordinary attempts at world domination, Needles and Plastic tells the inside story of one the world’s great independent music labels.

Matthew Goody is a Canadian editor and publisher who has worked in the book industry for over a decade. A fanatical record collector and researcher, he has spent years combing through the archives and records stacks to compile this comprehensive discographic history of Flying Nun’s early years. He currently lives in Vancouver, Canada.

Tony Green is a former music journalist and currently manages Ameoba Records San Francisco.

Richard Langston is a journalist and the founder and editor of GARAGE a music fanzine based in Dunedin, New Zealand published during the 1980s. He is thew author of author of PULL DOWN THE SHADES: Garage NZ fanzine compendium 1984-86.

This event was originally broadcast on Sunday, October 30, 2022 and was hosted by Peter Maravelis of City Lights.

Made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation. To learn more visit: https://citylights.com/foundation/