THIS LITTLE BADGE

Dave Pope – vocals, guitar
Dave Ritchie Smith – guitar
Adam Colless – drums

The Pope-led joyously blistering, stripped-down, on-your-feet and in-your-face rocking unit This Little Badge raised roofs and shook halls in the unsuspecting pubs and clubs of New Zealand’s sleepy New Plymouth. Even far-away Britain’s Idler magazine sat up and took notice: “Musically, New Zealand has nothing to commend it. Oh, there’s This Little Badge, of course – imagine Ian Dury writing the lyrics for a 1970s synths-and-concept-album-free version of The Who. Perfection improved!” (Idler, #55, July/August 2017.)
With Hamish Cameron filling out the back-to-basics no-frills sound on bass, TLB recorded the acclaimed multi-media USB album Pass It On, hit the road from 2016 to 2018 and then hit the hay. Cameron, Smith and Colless twanged and banged with other bands while Pope paused to consider the group’s future style and direction. A signifier of TLB’s change of course was revealed in the 2019 label collection The Green Book and a further departure from their original template of guitar-bass-drums was made evident with the January 2021 single-song release, Marwar Junction. Whether this radical move away from their incendiary rip-roaring debut dilutes or deepens their live attitude remains to be seen…

Discography:
Marwar Junction [d/l song] (2021)
The Green Book [1 song on d/l Various Artists E.P.] (2019)
Pass It On [6-song d/l mini-album and USB] (2016)