Chapter One
1: The Formation ('97)
It all started at Linwood High School (now Linwood College) in Christchurch, New Zealand, around the months of August & September. Future band manager, Rasjad Addison, would add a message to the school's daily notices advertising an upcoming programme called the Linwood Community Rock School. Those interested were instructed to meet at the school hall at lunch time that same day.
A decent number of individuals showed up that day. Somewhere close to 10 people, roughly. Among these were 2 drummers, 1 bass player, 3 guitarists and a few singers. Not just males either. Each would then give Rasjad their contact details about where and when the Rock School would start.
Finally, the day would come. Most of those who showed up at the hall would actually attend (the female singers must've changed their minds). But those who were present would include Jared Rowbotham (guitar), Jonathan Hearn (guitar), Luke Connor (drums/vocals), Taniela Qalivutu (bass), Dean Isherwood (guitar) and Daniel Wills (drums). After a few sessions, a late arrival would be added to the Rock School - Stephen Armstrong (vocals).
Little did everyone else know, Jared wasn't there to just learn more about rock music. He was actually scouting for talented musos to form a band with. After a small number of sessions, he felt confident enough to suggest to the others that they should write an original song. This would eventually lead to what is now known as "Rock Me". This all took place roughly around October.
During this time, Rasjad used an old cassette player (which had a microphone plug) to record the group playing their newborn track. Unfortunately, only a pair of headphones were available to use as a microphone, so the quality was never that great. But it was a start, at least. This would give birth to a set of recordings known as the "1997 Rehearsals".
In the final months of the year, the band would end up writing 2 new songs. One was a cross between reggae and blues. Most of the band members would refer to it as "The Blues", but because of its reggae flavour, Jared would dub it "Reggae Blue". This song was never played to an audience. The second song would eventually become the band's most played at their gigs, as it would be performed at each one. It started off as a collection of different riffs, which would be pieced together like Frankenstein's monster. That song was "I Know".
As the year was coming to a close, Rasjad had to make a decision regarding the Rock School's next move in 1998. It was decided that a second band would be formed out of the current line-up, based on each member's skill level. In the end, the 'beginner' band would be made up of Dean (guitar) and Daniel (drums), plus 2 new members who would join in the new year, Eli Cavanagh (bass) and Lance [surname unknown] (guitar/vocals). This group would eventually go by the names Pus and Grimace (they would change their name often).
Therefore, the line-up that was of 'intermediate' skill level would include Jared (guitar), Taniela (bass), Luke (drums/vocals), Stephen (vocals) and Jonathan (guitar). The year that followed would be a very interesting one.
A decent number of individuals showed up that day. Somewhere close to 10 people, roughly. Among these were 2 drummers, 1 bass player, 3 guitarists and a few singers. Not just males either. Each would then give Rasjad their contact details about where and when the Rock School would start.
Finally, the day would come. Most of those who showed up at the hall would actually attend (the female singers must've changed their minds). But those who were present would include Jared Rowbotham (guitar), Jonathan Hearn (guitar), Luke Connor (drums/vocals), Taniela Qalivutu (bass), Dean Isherwood (guitar) and Daniel Wills (drums). After a few sessions, a late arrival would be added to the Rock School - Stephen Armstrong (vocals).
Little did everyone else know, Jared wasn't there to just learn more about rock music. He was actually scouting for talented musos to form a band with. After a small number of sessions, he felt confident enough to suggest to the others that they should write an original song. This would eventually lead to what is now known as "Rock Me". This all took place roughly around October.
During this time, Rasjad used an old cassette player (which had a microphone plug) to record the group playing their newborn track. Unfortunately, only a pair of headphones were available to use as a microphone, so the quality was never that great. But it was a start, at least. This would give birth to a set of recordings known as the "1997 Rehearsals".
In the final months of the year, the band would end up writing 2 new songs. One was a cross between reggae and blues. Most of the band members would refer to it as "The Blues", but because of its reggae flavour, Jared would dub it "Reggae Blue". This song was never played to an audience. The second song would eventually become the band's most played at their gigs, as it would be performed at each one. It started off as a collection of different riffs, which would be pieced together like Frankenstein's monster. That song was "I Know".
As the year was coming to a close, Rasjad had to make a decision regarding the Rock School's next move in 1998. It was decided that a second band would be formed out of the current line-up, based on each member's skill level. In the end, the 'beginner' band would be made up of Dean (guitar) and Daniel (drums), plus 2 new members who would join in the new year, Eli Cavanagh (bass) and Lance [surname unknown] (guitar/vocals). This group would eventually go by the names Pus and Grimace (they would change their name often).
Therefore, the line-up that was of 'intermediate' skill level would include Jared (guitar), Taniela (bass), Luke (drums/vocals), Stephen (vocals) and Jonathan (guitar). The year that followed would be a very interesting one.
2: The First Gigs
(March/April '98)
(March/April '98)
The first few months of 1998 would be productive. Most of the time it would be rehearsals of the 3 songs written by the end of 1997. But by the time March would come along, things would start to change. At first though, Jared would be away for 2 weeks in Melbourne, Australia. During this holiday period, he would write lyrics for 3 new songs - "Wherever You Go" (which would be presented to the band, and even rehearsed as a duo with Luke at his house once), "Hard to Stay" (presented to the band before it was properly worked on) and "As Time Goes By..." (a song Jared wrote for another project pre-dating Supertrip by a couple years, but with new lyrics - it was never presented in the end). Sadly, neither of the 3 tracks would be used by the band in the end. However, during Jared's holiday the rest of the group would compose 2 new songs - "Got to Get Away" and "Pete".
As Jared returned from Australia and learned of the 2 new tracks, he also learned that the band had their first gig lined up...the following Sunday morning! It was planned that the band would appear near the end of the Sunday morning service at the church they rehearsed in on a weekly basis (Linwood Avenue Union Church). Due to the time restriction, Jared had to learn the new songs fast. He got most of them under control, except for the guitar parts on "Pete". It was then decided that he and Taniela would swap places. This would be the only song at the time where Jared played bass. By this time also, the band hadn't come up with a name yet. They needed one before the day so Rasjad could introduce them. In the end, Rasjad had to name them himself and dubbed them The Rascals (a name that would soon change as it was one that had already been used in the 60's & 70's).
On the morning of the gig, the band was very nervous. Partly because the congregation at this church was mostly made up of members who were middle aged or older. Their music style didn't exactly cater for the audience as a target. However, the end response was largely positive towards the performance. This would boost the group's morale. The songs played that morning (in order of appearance) were "Pete" and "I Know".
Soon after the success that was their first church gig, Rasjad has setup the next challenge - a live performance at a bar in Christchurch's central city known as the Southern Blues Bar. There was a Battle of the Bands competition coming up, and Rasjad signed them up to give it a go. Still buzzing from the first gig, the quintet was rearing to go! On the week building up to the night (17 April), the band would rehearse every night after school. During this time, the band ended up writing a new song - "A Little Bit Naughty". Though not properly arranged yet, it found its way onto the gig's setlist. The night would finally arrive. Due to the band members' age range, they had some trouble getting in the door at first, but after Rasjad had a chat with security and the man in charge, they were let in to prepare for their slot. The time had arrived to go on stage at approximately 11:30pm. Prior to this, bands that had been playing seemed to play a lot of gloomy songs. So the band would stand out more with their happier-toned tracks, and not just because they were high schoolers. The songs played were "I Know", "Rock Me", "Pete", "A Little Bit Naughty" and "Got to Get Away".
In the end, the band was well received and had many positive comments from audience members afterwards. Not long after this, it was mentioned by Rasjad that he had placed a microphone at the foot of the stage and recorded the entire performance. Jared would eventually grab himself a copy of this recording and release it years later.
The sudden burst of gigs weren't over yet, however. On April 25, the band were scheduled to be a part of an event at City New Life Church (now Majestic Church) called Expressions Talent Scan. They were to appear in the morning/afternoon and perform in front of judges. If they (along with many other acts) were successful, they would get to perform in front of a live audience later that evening. As always, they chose to play "I Know" but with different lyrics, for obvious reasons. The evening live show would be filmed and made available (to order) on VHS. Sadly, some errors were present in the master copy of the video, which would have a negative effect on some of the instruments (e.g. Jonathan's guitar being too quiet, Jared's too loud, and Stephen's vocals being even quieter). Thankfully, this was not the case in the performance itself and the audience loved it.
As Jared returned from Australia and learned of the 2 new tracks, he also learned that the band had their first gig lined up...the following Sunday morning! It was planned that the band would appear near the end of the Sunday morning service at the church they rehearsed in on a weekly basis (Linwood Avenue Union Church). Due to the time restriction, Jared had to learn the new songs fast. He got most of them under control, except for the guitar parts on "Pete". It was then decided that he and Taniela would swap places. This would be the only song at the time where Jared played bass. By this time also, the band hadn't come up with a name yet. They needed one before the day so Rasjad could introduce them. In the end, Rasjad had to name them himself and dubbed them The Rascals (a name that would soon change as it was one that had already been used in the 60's & 70's).
On the morning of the gig, the band was very nervous. Partly because the congregation at this church was mostly made up of members who were middle aged or older. Their music style didn't exactly cater for the audience as a target. However, the end response was largely positive towards the performance. This would boost the group's morale. The songs played that morning (in order of appearance) were "Pete" and "I Know".
Soon after the success that was their first church gig, Rasjad has setup the next challenge - a live performance at a bar in Christchurch's central city known as the Southern Blues Bar. There was a Battle of the Bands competition coming up, and Rasjad signed them up to give it a go. Still buzzing from the first gig, the quintet was rearing to go! On the week building up to the night (17 April), the band would rehearse every night after school. During this time, the band ended up writing a new song - "A Little Bit Naughty". Though not properly arranged yet, it found its way onto the gig's setlist. The night would finally arrive. Due to the band members' age range, they had some trouble getting in the door at first, but after Rasjad had a chat with security and the man in charge, they were let in to prepare for their slot. The time had arrived to go on stage at approximately 11:30pm. Prior to this, bands that had been playing seemed to play a lot of gloomy songs. So the band would stand out more with their happier-toned tracks, and not just because they were high schoolers. The songs played were "I Know", "Rock Me", "Pete", "A Little Bit Naughty" and "Got to Get Away".
In the end, the band was well received and had many positive comments from audience members afterwards. Not long after this, it was mentioned by Rasjad that he had placed a microphone at the foot of the stage and recorded the entire performance. Jared would eventually grab himself a copy of this recording and release it years later.
The sudden burst of gigs weren't over yet, however. On April 25, the band were scheduled to be a part of an event at City New Life Church (now Majestic Church) called Expressions Talent Scan. They were to appear in the morning/afternoon and perform in front of judges. If they (along with many other acts) were successful, they would get to perform in front of a live audience later that evening. As always, they chose to play "I Know" but with different lyrics, for obvious reasons. The evening live show would be filmed and made available (to order) on VHS. Sadly, some errors were present in the master copy of the video, which would have a negative effect on some of the instruments (e.g. Jonathan's guitar being too quiet, Jared's too loud, and Stephen's vocals being even quieter). Thankfully, this was not the case in the performance itself and the audience loved it.
3: The Demo Tape
(May '98)
(May '98)
Not long after the Blues Bar gig, Rasjad setup a session at a local recording studio (not far from the Blues Bar's location, in fact). The studio was an academic facility run by Te Runanga O Nga Maata Waka, who at this time provided a course in Audio Engineering (which Jared and Luke would later attend at different times).
The band was scheduled to record on the evening of May 15. They were followed by the Rock School's second band, Pus afterwards.
The songs chosen for recording were "I Know" and "Got to Get Away". Luke was able to stay for a limited time, however. He was able to record all of his drums and the vocal track for "Got to Get Away", but unfortunately he had to leave before "I Know". To fill in for him, Pus' drummer Daniel would perform Luke's backing vocals, to much criticism afterwards.
Eventually, this demo tape would be given the name of "Brotown Sessions" in 2002. While Jared attended the Audio Engineering course in 1999, his tutor (Brian) named the facility Brotown Studios, and the rest is history.
The band was scheduled to record on the evening of May 15. They were followed by the Rock School's second band, Pus afterwards.
The songs chosen for recording were "I Know" and "Got to Get Away". Luke was able to stay for a limited time, however. He was able to record all of his drums and the vocal track for "Got to Get Away", but unfortunately he had to leave before "I Know". To fill in for him, Pus' drummer Daniel would perform Luke's backing vocals, to much criticism afterwards.
Eventually, this demo tape would be given the name of "Brotown Sessions" in 2002. While Jared attended the Audio Engineering course in 1999, his tutor (Brian) named the facility Brotown Studios, and the rest is history.
4: The Rockquest
(August/September '98)
(August/September '98)
After the first gigs and the demo session, there was talk about the band entering the annual Xtra Smokefree Rockquest competition. As they were filling the application form, it was decided to change their name from The Rascals. Very briefly, Stephen suggested Suns of Beaches. In the end, it was Jonathan who came up with Supertrip. A name that could be interpreted in many ways, but was (at the time) most likely a drug reference.
The band would choose to use "I Know" as the song for the Rockquest. Eventually the band would find themselves travelling in a van with their instruments, much like they were on tour, to Hornby High School for what was the Regional Heats. The gig went well in the end, but Supertrip weren't selected to be a part of the Regional Finals. This would be a disappointment, but at least they were able to perform in front of an audience of the same age as them.
Things seemed fine after this, but little did they know, this would be the beginning of a downward spiral for Supertrip.
The band would choose to use "I Know" as the song for the Rockquest. Eventually the band would find themselves travelling in a van with their instruments, much like they were on tour, to Hornby High School for what was the Regional Heats. The gig went well in the end, but Supertrip weren't selected to be a part of the Regional Finals. This would be a disappointment, but at least they were able to perform in front of an audience of the same age as them.
Things seemed fine after this, but little did they know, this would be the beginning of a downward spiral for Supertrip.
5: Cracks & the Final Gigs
(September-December '98)
(September-December '98)
Not long after the Rockquest gig, Supertrip would be greeted with some sad news. Luke was leaving the band. It wouldn't be fully understood for some time, but it was due to Luke and his family moving that he could no longer attend. This hit the band hard as Luke was the only drummer they'd know with skills of his level.
Supertrip would be without a drummer up until around November, but even before then they were welcomed with even more sad news. Founding member and manager, Rasjad was also leaving. In his case, he was to pursue a career opportunity on the west coast at this time. But before his departure, he would help find replacements for both him and Luke. His own replacement was Morris [surname unknown], and Luke's would be Bob de Wilde (an exchange student from Belgium).
The band were introduced to their new members at a gig taking place at the Linwood Avenue Union Church during their "Street Party" event. However, this performance would become the most disorganised. At times, the audience would be waiting inside for them to play, when the band were setup outside waiting for them to come out.
In addition to finding replacements, Rasjad left the band with contact details for an upcoming gig. Giving Jonathan the responsibility of setting it up for Supertrip, he left it in his capable hands.
That gig would be as the opening act for an annual festival (LYFE) that would be launched for the first time that same year. This means Supertrip were the first act ever to perform there. It took place in Linwood Park and they were scheduled to go on stage at about 10am, but due to a delay in the stage being setup on time, Supertrip were actually late. Thankfully for them and the event organisers, the band would only play 3 songs - "I Know", "Untitled" (a new song written with the help of Morris) and "Got to Get Away". The short set would help get the event back on schedule.
This gig would be unique for Jared, Stephen and Taniela as it would be their first performance after completing high school. But little did they know, this was also the last...at least for Jared anyway.
Supertrip would be without a drummer up until around November, but even before then they were welcomed with even more sad news. Founding member and manager, Rasjad was also leaving. In his case, he was to pursue a career opportunity on the west coast at this time. But before his departure, he would help find replacements for both him and Luke. His own replacement was Morris [surname unknown], and Luke's would be Bob de Wilde (an exchange student from Belgium).
The band were introduced to their new members at a gig taking place at the Linwood Avenue Union Church during their "Street Party" event. However, this performance would become the most disorganised. At times, the audience would be waiting inside for them to play, when the band were setup outside waiting for them to come out.
In addition to finding replacements, Rasjad left the band with contact details for an upcoming gig. Giving Jonathan the responsibility of setting it up for Supertrip, he left it in his capable hands.
That gig would be as the opening act for an annual festival (LYFE) that would be launched for the first time that same year. This means Supertrip were the first act ever to perform there. It took place in Linwood Park and they were scheduled to go on stage at about 10am, but due to a delay in the stage being setup on time, Supertrip were actually late. Thankfully for them and the event organisers, the band would only play 3 songs - "I Know", "Untitled" (a new song written with the help of Morris) and "Got to Get Away". The short set would help get the event back on schedule.
This gig would be unique for Jared, Stephen and Taniela as it would be their first performance after completing high school. But little did they know, this was also the last...at least for Jared anyway.
6: Beginning of the End
(January-November '99)
(January-November '99)
In the new year, Supertrip returned with hopes that 1999 would be a more eventful year in comparison to the way things were after Luke left. However, this would not be the case. In some cases, some members felt it wasn't as fun without Rasjad and Luke on board and decided not to show up for a number of sessions. It was a rare occasion this year for all 5 members to be under the same roof.
For others - Jared in particular - frustration towards the band's direction (genre mostly) was felt, not to mention being one of a few members to show up each week.
Eventually, around March or April, the band would prepare for the next appearance at the Expressions Talent Scan. During this time, Morris decided to bring Supertrip to rehearse at a new location - South City Christian Centre (now South City C3). The first day there, only Morris and Jared showed up. As a result of this, Jared decided that he would leave the band the following week. He felt confident that Jonathan would be capable as the band's sole guitarist. However, within a week or 2 of leaving, he would then get a phone call from Morris asking him to return as Luke had decided to rejoin. Jared accepted with high hopes of the band returning to its former glory.
The following week they would meet at South City again to prepare for Expressions '99. However, most of the band's instruments would end up being locked in Morris' car the entire time after his girlfriend locked the keys in with them. But it was good to see Luke again after so long. This, however, would be short-lived for Jared.
While returning home on the bus from his audio engineering course during the following week, Jared crossed paths with Jonathan. Here, he was told the next rehearsal was back at the Linwood church. When the day came, Jared showed up only to find he was the only one there. Not even Morris was on site. It was here that Jared left the band permanently.
Very little information about Supertrip after Jared's departure has been learned, but it had been revealed by Jonathan a few years later that Supertrip supposedly had a gig in Wellington, which ended up being a bit of a disaster. Jonathan also revealed that Supertrip would disband around November that same year.
For others - Jared in particular - frustration towards the band's direction (genre mostly) was felt, not to mention being one of a few members to show up each week.
Eventually, around March or April, the band would prepare for the next appearance at the Expressions Talent Scan. During this time, Morris decided to bring Supertrip to rehearse at a new location - South City Christian Centre (now South City C3). The first day there, only Morris and Jared showed up. As a result of this, Jared decided that he would leave the band the following week. He felt confident that Jonathan would be capable as the band's sole guitarist. However, within a week or 2 of leaving, he would then get a phone call from Morris asking him to return as Luke had decided to rejoin. Jared accepted with high hopes of the band returning to its former glory.
The following week they would meet at South City again to prepare for Expressions '99. However, most of the band's instruments would end up being locked in Morris' car the entire time after his girlfriend locked the keys in with them. But it was good to see Luke again after so long. This, however, would be short-lived for Jared.
While returning home on the bus from his audio engineering course during the following week, Jared crossed paths with Jonathan. Here, he was told the next rehearsal was back at the Linwood church. When the day came, Jared showed up only to find he was the only one there. Not even Morris was on site. It was here that Jared left the band permanently.
Very little information about Supertrip after Jared's departure has been learned, but it had been revealed by Jonathan a few years later that Supertrip supposedly had a gig in Wellington, which ended up being a bit of a disaster. Jonathan also revealed that Supertrip would disband around November that same year.