Head Like a Hole

Biography

HLAH (Head Like a Hole) are an influential rock band, from Wellington, New Zealand. They started off playing small gigs at the Empire warehouse and soon started touring the university circuit. The band made a name for themselves with outrageous gigs, performing naked and caked with mud, or with complete face and body paint. With a strong and dedicated following, HLAH got signed to Wildside Records, who at around the same time signed another Wellington act, Shihad. In 1992, they recorded their...

HLAH (Head Like a Hole) are an influential rock band, from Wellington, New Zealand.

They started off playing small gigs at the Empire warehouse and soon started touring the university circuit. The band made a name for themselves with outrageous gigs, performing naked and caked with mud, or with complete face and body paint. With a strong and dedicated following, HLAH got signed to Wildside Records, who at around the same time signed another Wellington act, Shihad.

In 1992, they recorded their first album, '13', at Writhe Studio. The band produced it themselves with the assistance of Brent McLaughlin. One of the singles off the album, 'Fish Across Face' made the New Zealand Top 10, however the video was pulled off air because of a scene where Nigel vomited some orange liquid into Booga's mouth (there happened to be a meningitis outbreak at the time).

HLAH continued touring the university orientation circuit and in 1993 returned to the studio to record material for a new album. The new album was recorded and given the title, 'Flik Y'Self Off Y'Self'. It was released in 1994 with two singles. 'Faster Hooves' was released, along with a video which featured Mark and Booga having a western style shoot out with finger guns. The other single was 'Spanish Goat Dancer'.

HLAH continued touring the country (including playing at the Big Day Out festival) and tragically in early 1996 their manager, Gerald Barry Dwyer (who also managed Shihad) died suddenly. They returned to the studio later in the year, this time at Sing Sing Studios in Australia to record their third album, 'Double Your Strength, Improve Your Health, & Lengthen Your Life'.

The first single off the album, 'Cornbag' was released in November 1996, and received some limited chart success. This was followed by the release of the album and more singles including 'A Crying Shame', 'Keith' and 'Hootnanny'. HLAH performed at the 1997 Big Day Out as the final act after the headliners Soundgarden, and had a huge crowd in The Supertop. HLAH also released around this time a video for their cover of 'I'm on Fire', a Bruce Springsteen song.

In November 1998, the band released it's final real album, 'HLAH:IV - Are You Gonna Kiss It Or Shoot It?', along with accompanying singles, 'Wet Rubber' and 'Juicy Lucy'.

Sometime in 2000, the band disbanded. A 'Best of' album was released in November, entitled 'Blood On the Honky Tonk Floor'. 'Blood On the Honkey Tonk Floor' featured two discs, the first covering the band's best and most recognised songs, while the second included all of the cover songs the band had recorded over their career.

In 2009 Head Like a Hole made a return, performing live and releasing another best of, 'The Devil Makes Work for Idle Hands'. In 2011 they followed this up with their 5th studio album, 'Blood Will Out'. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.