New Zealand Music Month 2017 Profiles
Blue Ruin
By Sarah Kidd
Rainbow hair, studded bras and kick ass boots, Blue Ruin are in your face and here to stay!
Formed in July 2014 the female five piece have quickly climbed the ranks of the Auckland scene with their brand of punk inspired, riot grrrl offerings infused with a decent splash of metal goodness. But these girls aren’t all looks with no substance; their music addresses everything from issues such as the social expectations placed on females, through to relationships and even conditions of the mind such as anxiety. Oh and occasionally girls in outer space, can’t be serious all the time!
The band started officially gigging in September 2015 rapidly acquiring a following after playing popular bars such as Lucha Lounge and Ding Dong. Their first big support slot came in the form of the Halloween themed (what else?) The Misfits show held at Galatos, where one reviewer stated that Blue Ruin nearly stole the show! Their set was that good that even Jerry Only lead singer of The Misfits himself came out in full costume and jumped into the mosh pit. In dedication to the band that every single member cites as an influence, the girls performed a fantastic cover of ‘Witch Hunt’.
In March of 2016 the band hit a small road bump when they lost their lead singer Missi not long before their support slot with another huge international band Buckcherry. By fortuitous circumstances Jessie Booth stepped into the role and within 3 days had learnt the entire set list! Their support slot for Buckcherry kicked ass and Jessie was embraced as the new front woman of the band her signature suspenders and ever colour changing hair making her instantly recognisable.
Behind the drum kit Anna Monteith holds it all together; an absolute powerhouse of the skins this amazing musician was even shortlisted by Jerry Only [The Misfits] himself to travel to LA and audition for his all-female band that he was putting together aptly entitled She Demons – yes ladies and gentlemen, Anna is just that damn good.
Not satisfied with the usual set-up, Blue Ruin like to create a wall of sound, something they easily achieve with the skills of both Simone Genevieve and Charlotte Tybalt on guitar accompanied by the bass wielding Sarah Mercutio. Their debut single ‘Scream Queen’ has already amassed nearly a thousand views on YouTube while their Seen & Heard session Live at Depot Sound has close to three thousand views a testament to the interest generated by this talented band.
May 2016 saw them support one of the original riot girls in the form of the great Cherie Currie of The Runaways, a show that took on particular special meaning for all parties involved. But it was their support slot for the ‘kings of awesome’ Steel Panther that really saw Blue Ruin cement their name into the Auckland live music scene. Finishing what was already an outstanding year for the band, Blue Ruin supported New Zealand Punk royalty ‘The Bleeders’ for their reunion show held at the Kings Arms in November last year, with lead singer Angelo Munro even donning one of their t-shirts for a few promotional shots.
So do yourself a favour and inject some down and dirty bedlam into your music collection – check out new single ‘Green River Thriller’ today!
This profile is a part of our NZ Music Month coverage, celebrating new and upcoming Kiwi artists. For more information on Blue Ruin you can visit their website, or follow them on Soundcloud, Facebook and Instagram. For more information on NZ Music Month you can visit their website.
