NAUGHTY PUSSY by KATHRYN VAN BEEK

Because of their temporary nature and purpose, band and music posters are often an ignored art form.

Not all such posters are artistic however, most are just fit-for-purpose: name, date, venue and hopefully some eye-catching image or typography.

After the event they are advertising, most are simply redundant except for the fact that . . .

When looked at from some distance many can evoke an era, genre or even just a wonderful moment in time.

The poster art of American rhythm and blues artists in the Fifties, the psychedelic era, early British punk years and so on can take the mind back to those times.

And so it was with the recent exhibition of punk and post-punk posters in Auckland by collector Terence Hogan, and now again with the modestly presented but highly evocative, self published paperback Naughty Pussy by Auckland artist, musician and writer Kathryn Van Beek.

Subtitled “A selection of obscure Auckland rock'n'roll posters”, Naughty Pussy reproduces more than 30 street posters for gigs around Auckland in the early 2000s.

The art speaks for itself but it is the band names which will bring back memories: the Demi Whores, Slavetrader, Teenwolf, Rock and Roll Machine, Heart Attack Alley . . .

And the venues: The Odeon, Schooner Tavern, Edens Bar, Ambassador . . .

As Van Beek says in her modest (and uncredited) introduction: “Here at last is the collection of posters from that era that you didn't even know you were waiting for”.

Good one, available from here (and see below for more on Kathryn Van Beek)

Naughty Pussy recently won Best of the Fest at the Auckland Zinefest.

(We reproduce below a couple of image with permission, and so you don't have to type "naughty pussy" into a web search)

Kathryn Van Beek completed a writing degree at UNITEC’s School of Performing and Screen Arts and a Master’s degree at Victoria University’s Institute of Modern Letters before enjoying a belated misspent youth as a bass guitar player in a clutch of obscure Auckland bands. Lately she has been writing short stories, which have appeared in Headland, Hue and Cry, Pot Roast and Aerodrome. She has a secret zine project called Frisson, and hopes to publish a collection of short stories one day. 

She has written for the Herald on Sunday, and contributed reviews to The 13th Floor and Theatreview.

She previously contributed to Elsewhere here.