“Being in a band in Brisbane is a political statement on its own,” a Brisbane musician once wisely noted.
I asked Robert Forster a few years ago about the role The Go-Betweens, from Brisbane, had played in the traditionally masculine world of Australian music and whether, given the increase of Australian artistes escaping the confines of rock and expressing themselves by playing more melodic music, often with an effeminate undertone, was The Go-Betweens’ legacy.
“Yes!” he agreed animatedly . “I don’t like to take credit for our influence, or boast about it, but if there’s one thing we have done, it’s definitely that and it’s very important.” (disclaimer: slight paraphrase, as this is from memory)
Let’s Go Naked formed in Brisbane in 1984 (“The band consists of a student, workers and a layabout, me,” – Murray Power, singer and guitarist), in a city at a time when the bands that did make it, left the place. In a musical climate that favoured covers bands, LGN did not always go down a storm:
“One night a group stood down the back in the dark and yelled out, ‘Boring!’ So I went down to them and said, ‘Shut up or leave!’ It was a shock for me and shock for them, but it worked.” (They left.)
The band released a mini-album in 1986, Everything, on Waterfront, followed by a single, 3 Limbs, on Trust a year later. Egg Records have done something recently and are planning on doing something in the future.
Jim, I know you’ve visited here before, so if you’re reading this: I have some interviews and features from Australian local newspapers that was the press pack for Everything. Do you want copies?
I asked Robert Forster a few years ago about the role The Go-Betweens, from Brisbane, had played in the traditionally masculine world of Australian music and whether, given the increase of Australian artistes escaping the confines of rock and expressing themselves by playing more melodic music, often with an effeminate undertone, was The Go-Betweens’ legacy.
“Yes!” he agreed animatedly . “I don’t like to take credit for our influence, or boast about it, but if there’s one thing we have done, it’s definitely that and it’s very important.” (disclaimer: slight paraphrase, as this is from memory)
Let’s Go Naked formed in Brisbane in 1984 (“The band consists of a student, workers and a layabout, me,” – Murray Power, singer and guitarist), in a city at a time when the bands that did make it, left the place. In a musical climate that favoured covers bands, LGN did not always go down a storm:
“One night a group stood down the back in the dark and yelled out, ‘Boring!’ So I went down to them and said, ‘Shut up or leave!’ It was a shock for me and shock for them, but it worked.” (They left.)
The band released a mini-album in 1986, Everything, on Waterfront, followed by a single, 3 Limbs, on Trust a year later. Egg Records have done something recently and are planning on doing something in the future.
Jim, I know you’ve visited here before, so if you’re reading this: I have some interviews and features from Australian local newspapers that was the press pack for Everything. Do you want copies?
NB This song is only up for a week. Hey, I don't make the rules.
3 comments:
this is a great song! it's on the recent egg records comp, if you didn't know. which also has one of my favourite songs "take me away" by the submarines. i think that was previously unreleased as the only had one 7" - on head. have you heard it?
No, I didn't know it was on the Egg compilation. I've got the Submarines 7" and the CD compilation on Egg, so I think I probably have heard Take Me Away.
nice tune - i'd never heard of them, so thankyou
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