Mi-Sex – “Graffitti Crimes”, “Computer Games” and “But You Don’t Care”

Mi-Sex was a top New Zealand band that went to Australia in the late Seventies and had a lot of success there, culminating in their first album “Graffitti Crimes”, featuring the title track as well as songs like the Australian No. 1 single “Computer Games” and their recent other single from 1979, “But You Don’t Care”.

I remember their predecessor band Father Thyme playing at dances in the “Old Woolroom” at Massey University in about 1977 or 1978.

I distinctly remember they played “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” by Pink Floyd – or maybe it was “Welcome To The Machine” from the same album (not so distinct after all…), and I also remember chatting to the bass player, Don Martin, in the breaks.

Mi-Sex, however, played quite a different style, quite New Wave, and when I was planning the 1980 Massey University Student Orientation (two weeks in February-March when term started in New Zealand after the summer vacation), I tried to hire them for a festival we were running – for NZ$10,000, a lot more than Father Thyme had commanded.

Unfortunately they were already booked for that time, so it didn’t happen, and I had to be content with buying their album, which I think I bought in Germany, having gone there a couple of weeks after Orientation ended to write my M.A. thesis.

As I said, the album, released in July 1979, was called “Graffitti Crimes”, here’s the title track:

One of my favourites is the 1979 single “But You Don’t Care”:

And finally the hit “Computer Games”, which wasn’t on all versions of the album:

Mi-Sex disbanded in 1984, and unfortunately lead singer Steve Gilpin died after a car accident on his way home from a gig in 1991.

But their music and the memory live on.

Paul

Tags: Bass Player, But You Don't Care, Car Accident, Computer Games, Crazy Diamond, Dances, Different Style, Don Martin, Father Thyme, Graffitti, Graffitti Crimes, Massey University, Mi-Sex, Music of the Seventies, New Wave, Palmerston North, Pink Floyd, Predecessor, Seventies, Seventies Rock Bands, Sex Crimes, Sex Games, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Single Computer, Steve Gilpin, Student Orientation, Summer Vacation, Welcome To The Machine

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