Shihad - Give It A Whirl Interview

Interview – 2023

In this extended interview, recorded for 2003 TV series Give It A Whirl, Shihad's vocalist Jon Toogood and drummer Tom Larkin discuss their Kiwi musical influences, breaking into the Australian scene, and their early determination to forge a global career.

They also discuss:

The lack of metal bands in "kooky" late 1980s Wellington
Their deep admiration for Straitjacket Fits and "harder" Flying Nun bands like Skeptics and Bailterspace (9 minutes in)
The importance of Polynesian culture and music in forging a New Zealand sound (14 minutes)
Breaking into the Australian music market, by basing themselves there and touring relentlessly (19 minutes)
Being in the United States on 9/11 — and the band's decision to change their name to Pacifier after the attack (30 minutes)

Read more about Shihad, on AudioCulture (NZ On Screen's sister website)

This interview was recorded for the 2003 season of TV series Give it a Whirl. All audiovisual content is copyright to Visionary Film & TV, and may not be reproduced.

There was also a huge cultural cringe back then, you know — for the New Zealand public at any rate. When we were growing up....that whole Split Enz thing had died off a little bit, and it was just the Flying Nun scene. And there was this 'anti' thing from a lot of people about New Zealand music, because it was perceived as being totally indie....
– Tom Larkin on local reaction to mainstream Kiwi rock groups in the late 1980s and early 1990s