The Trons
The Trons are an all robot band, comprising Ham (lead guitar, vocals), Wiggy (guitar), Swamp (drums) and Fifi (keyboards). Each member has meccano fingers, run by computer. They were created, and are managed and programmed, by Greg Locke. Live performances have included the 2008 Hamilton "Ignition Fringe Festival", and a gig in Auckland at the Dogs Bollix in mid-August 2008.
The band achieved rapid local and international attention. By 18 June Locke had appeared on Campbell Live about the project, and made the front page of the Waikato Times on 24 June. Within one week of the Sister Robot video being posted on YouTube (11 June 2008) it had achieved >50000 views, and exceeded 100000 by 20 June, being one of the most popular New Zealand videos in that time. Between 25 June and 1 July, Sister Robot was a YouTube "featured video", being linked from the YouTube front page; during this time it achieved c. 100000 views per day, exceeding 800000 by the time the link was removed on 1 July. The hit rate of the video slowed after this time, but reached the one million mark on 12 September 2008. On 1 July the bands second video was released on YouTube, Trons Theme.
Published Articles
- The Trons, Mammoth 8, June 2-June 15 2008
- Robots Rock the World, Waikato Times, 24 June 2008, P1
- Half Man, Half Machines by Jeff Neems, Waikato Times, 28 June 2008, pD1
- I, Robot by David Farrier, Rip it Up 324 (August/September 2008), p20
