Neon Picnic, which was planned for late January and early February 1988 at the old Sweetwaters site at Pukekawa. As the name suggested, it was a more modern take on its predecessor. Organisers Heather Worth and Lyndsay Mace mooted a line-up that included The Pogues, Bob Geldof, Nona Hendrix, James Brown, Los Lobos and Roy Orbison. That was part of the problem. Few of these acts had contemporary cachet. The New Zealand bill, in contrast, indicated a local music scene in rude health -- although a closer look would show many bands had limited mass appeal.
With only a thousand advance tickets sold, headline acts started bailing out, forcing a last-minute cancellation of the festival. Despite the modern signage, going back to nature wasn't appealing to an increasingly cosmopolitan urban-based youth population. Fast-paced urban lives demanded entertainment that was in accord.
Some ticket holders would receive a refund two years on, but many didn't. Careful examination of the ticket conditions revealed a startling condition of sale: 'We cannot give you any of your money back even if any of the acts don't turn up or it rains or there's a flood or even a nuclear war or anything like that.' A consolation free concert at Waitemata Stadium, organised by Bob Geldof and Tim Shadbolt, drew 5000 fans.

Martin Phillipps & Justin Harwood are interviewed before a live performance of Wet Blanket.

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