The Checks

What The Press Say…

«Ed lays claim to having hips made out of elastic and kecks so tight he’s happy to sacrifice his fertility in the name of rock’n’roll.»
NME May 2005

«… I watched local band The Checks erupt like a volcano at Resonate, an industry showcase gig in Auckland. I was transfixed. Adrenalin flooded my system so fast my hands started shaking. Other bands shambled; the Checks scorched. Other performers rode oh-so-fashionable bandwagons; The Checks poured petrol over predictable hipster clichés and tossed a match. Other bands scowled and stomped like crabby nippers; The Checks fuelled their performance on pure joy.»
Grant Smithies, Sunday Star Times

«The Antipodean revolution blows up again as these five Auckland kids show Aussie cousins Jet a thing or ten about retro R&B.»
NME Magazine,»Whats on the NME Stereo»

«… and virtually the entire music industry in New Zealand was in attendance. Later on, when the musos get home, it will hit them – that despondent feeling you get when someone half your age is twice as good as you are at something you thought you were good at – but for now, they are just delighted that the torch has been passed to the next generation. Rock lives.»
The Listener

The Checks - The story so far

Jan 2003: five schoolmates from Devonport, Auckland New Zealand play at a friends birthday party. The set consists of an eclectic mix of cover songs.

March 2003: Buoyed by the enthusiastic response to their first ever performance, the lads decide to enter the school music competition, and proceed to rock the house. Despite having the crowd on their side, they come second to the only band that played an original song; a lesson that may eventually benefit all lovers of guitar driven rock music, as the lads go home and write their first ever self written song «The Creek».

June 2003: Student Radio Breakfast DJ Hugh Sundae visits school to listen to the winners of the music competition. The Checks also put in an appearance - thankfully Hugh is still there. He is so impressed he asks them to perform live to air on the BFM Breakfast Bus. The BFM newsreaders announce that the future of rock’n’roll is aged 16 and wears yeti-like leg warmers - in reaction to The Checks front man Ed Knowles’ unusual taste in stage wear.

September 2003: Camped in the school music practice room at lunchtimes, the lads write 4 original songs in 2 weeks and enter a national secondary schools band competition. They win the regional finals.

September - December 2003: The Checks play a series of sweaty gigs in the fringe bars of Auckland’s K-Road. They are invited to play at local indie label Lil Chief’s Xmas party, where they impress Sub Pop founder Jonathan Poneman - the man who discovered Nirvana. Jonathan joins the now fast growing list of excited fans.

June 2004: The Checks are hand picked by ex APRA boss, Mike Chunn, to open a live 24-hour TV broadcast of all New Zealand musical talent.

July - December 2004 : More gigs to standing room only crowds cement their reputation as the live band to see in Auckland. They win the Most Promising band at the 2004 Bnet Radio Network Awards, appear in a variety of local and international music and fashion magazines and newspapers, and appear on local music TV.

January – March 2005 : The Checks impress a large crowd at the Big Day out and are invited to support REM on the NZ leg of their world tour after they discover The Checks on an NZ music compilation. Michael Stipe introduces the band both nights and REM play the opening bars for ‘Tired From Sleeping’ during their set.

April – May 2005 : Are invited to join the NME New Music tour of England by editor Conor McNicholas. The band suppport Maximo Park, The Towers of London and The Cribs for 6 exciting nights. Whilst away they win «Most Bnet Play» awards at the 2005 Bnet’s.