Garry Mullholland

ROCKHAPPENZ Public Collection

Garry Mullholland  —  rhythm guitarist with The Torments .....

Garry's first serious attempt at being part of a band, was as rhythm guitarist with what was then known as The Torments - a group that was formed during late 1962/early 1963, featuring female vocalist - Judith Turtill, and Garry was her then boyfriend on rhythm guitar, Garry's brother Peter was on piano, Bob Barrett on drums, John Campbell on guitar and Michael Robinson on bass.  Sunday nights would see The Torments playing at Friendship House, a coffee club on Cambridge Terrace, Christchurch.  This group was not however a long-term project, and Garry soon decided to leave.  He was best mates with Judith's brother Tyrell Turtill and together they had a passion for engineering and for fast cars.

Friendship House on Cambridge Terrace, Christchurch

Tyrell and Garry designed and built a revolutionary racing car which was known as The Continental Special — so called because it was designed around a massively powerful 7.7-litre Continental aero engine - original equipment in a Cessna 180.  They raced the car extensively from 1968 up until they were both tragically killed in a spectacular crash in February 1971.  Garry's sister, Christchurch playwright Wendy Steeds, has recently immortalised the boys' story in her musical tribute The Continental Special : The Car That Flew, and a TVNZ Close Up documentary on the subject has been broadcast.  Judith Turtill (now Judy Glen) who has achieved international success as a comedienne, actress and operatic soprano was heavily involved in the production.  Back in the day, Bob Barrett and Mike Robinson continued on to be part of the group which would eventually become known as The Detours.  The group's new name was taken from Detour the title of the second track of The Ventures self-titled LP of the day.  At that point, Johnny (who had come up with The Detours as a name), was unaware that there were at least two groups operating in Europe under the same name - the most famous of which went on to become The Who.