Long time LP readers would be aware I’m a fan of Andrew Stafford’s excellent book on the history of music and politics in Brisvegas, Pig City. People around town may have also heard about the concert of the same name taking place on Saturday, which Andrew Bartlett blogged about:
Most of the pre-publicity has been focused on the reunion of the original lineup of The Saints who recorded the seminal song “(I’m) Stranded� in 1976. (it will actually only be 3 of the 4 original members, but the two key ones – Chris Bailey and Ed Kuepper – will be performing together under that name for the first time in Brisbane since the 1980s.)
As Andrew says, there’s a lot more to the gig. But, anyway, I wanted to plug a symposium organised by Critical and Cultural Studies at UQ on Friday, which I’m really looking forward to attending. It’s free to go (unlike the 68 bucks the concert costs!) but you have to rsvp. For details and speakers and topics, go round to Home Cooked Theory.
It was on the tv doco about Pig City that I first saw some references to the Vic Brazil affair at UQ. Does anyone have plans to write a bit of a history of that? I understand you were there Mark? And I recall Birmo pressing badges outside of the UQ refec. I think someone should really write up the episode. I was there (peripherally, I wrote a wordy and ineffectual poster and had a mild panic attack when the rugby lads came to break up the occupation). But I would love to see something from some of the central players.
Wish I could’ve stuck around in Brisbane for this symposium, not to mention the concert. I hope everyone appreciates that what is at stake is some of the very best independent rock music ever made. Personally, I’m a big fan of The Go-Betweens and I enjoy most of The Saints various permutations, not to mention a whole bunch of Kuepper stuff, especially The Aints from the early ’90s. Bloody grate stuff!
Moderated? Was it because I wrote bl**dy grate?
Yep, I was, su. I agree it should be written up. I wonder whatever happened to that series that was in production on SBS about the history of ZZZ. I might make some enquiries! I had a mind to do it myself once, but I should have done it a decade ago. Memory’s a bit cloudy now - it’s a very long time ago now. I still have a lot of the old Sempers in a box in the garage though I think!
Mine too. For all my talk of central figures- I’m not actually sure who they were. Maybe Howard Stringer(?) from Semper, the women who did heaps of organising and printing of posters, a red headed lad (ex-med student and later state election candidate) called Russell who was part of Resistance, an anarchist who I occasionally saw down at the Beat in the Valley. Another guy called Mark who often dropped the word “Sartre” into the conversation in rich english vowels. To be truthful I spent a fair bit of time checking out the totty. Is there a chance you and Mr Birmingham could cook something up between you? It would be great. Maybe a classified ad could bring some of the players out of the woodwork with some reminiscences.
Looks interesting. Sadly being an interstater I won’t be able to attend though I should read Pig City (and in general more about the underground Australian music scene in the late 70s and 80s).
I recall reading in one of the music mags about how Brisbane was one of the hottest cities for music. Though then again they seem to churn out a new place. One day it’s Auckland, another day its Vancouver, now Brisbane, who knows in the next edition.
It’s Brisbane again! Just sayin…
Ahh the occupation. Were you there too Su ?
My fresher intro to University! I didn;t really know any of the main players at the time (i did snog a rather infamous one at a toga party a few years later though
) but it all seemed so exciting and rebellious i went along for the ride.
Ironically, I scored a job for a few weeks as an uq union elections officer/counter thingy in sept? 89, or 90 ( memory fails) specifically because i was at the Brazil occupation in the Feb 89 as Tim Singh thought employing me would exempt him from claims of bias from ‘teh left’ as i ‘was there’.
You were probably one of the hacks scrutineering my vote counting mark!
I’m intending to go to the symposium too~!
I’m gonna want the goss on that one, sg! I think I’ve already given you the not for publication Vicky Brazil goss so you owe me!
Hell! Snogging! Any way you could convey the co-snogger in code? I was in med with MsBrazil so I had some scurrilous goss of my own which I was quite rightly told to keep to myself as it would have landed me with a defamation suit.
i wont kiss n tell online
tell ya friday.
(think tall and blonde).
Oz, make sure you do some listening while you read. The classic Go-Betweens records are music for the ages putting all scene-based, media generated, or cyclical accounts aside. ‘Spring Hill Fair’ is best of the bunch, and I would recommend it as a great way to introduce yourself to 80s Aus indie. It’s right up there with ‘Born Sandy Devotional’ by The Triffids in being better than just about any canonical ’80s indie records you might read about in British or American magazines. All the Go-Betweens stuff has been reissued domestically after years of being import only.
…and despite what one might think, a completely honourable gentleman toward a very silly gal who had far far far too much to drink.
Oh sorry, su, I missed the second comment. Howard had gone to New York by then, I think. I’d be interested in hearing any news of him - he was a very talented writer - and he owes me a hundred bucks! The Russell you’re thinking of is Russell Norman, who I believe is now a Greens MP in New Zealand (there is life after Resistance!)… The Semper Eds that year were Jeff Cheverton (whose 40th my flatmate recently went to) and a woman whose name I can’t recall for the moment. Anyway, it’s a good idea. I’ve run into John a few times since he moved back to Brissie but haven’t had a chance for a proper chat, but I’ll get in touch with him.
Jeff and I did some some advocacy work together a while back around the mental health crisis, which oddly enough ended up with a 60 minutes crew in West End.
He works in Mental Health Advocacy and I was really impressed with him and his work. I only knew of him ( and GLOC!) but didnt know him at uni, so it was nice to meet him sans megaphone.
Yep, plenty of top goss from that little period in UQ history!
Memory also hazed with years, but I was on the Union Council that year.
Postgrad VP, or Rep, I believe. I remember a piano being wheeled in to one meeting, festooned with fellow leftoids singing “shamocracy!” Cole Porter style. We were there nost of the time
No wonder my honours year went for 18 months.
Here’s a great memory:
6am, 14 December 1988, Indooroopilly, phone rings
LE “Huh, fugh, wha?”
ZZZ “LE LE LE, we’ve been invaded, occupied by cops, eviction notice, shit! What do we do? ”
LE “Huh, wha, who’s this?”
ZZZ “4zzz. Dont you study law? Stefan says you study law”
LE “Huh. Uh, shit. No, I just dropped out. What time is it?”
ZZZ ” 6am”
LE ” Fuck. They probably need an eviction notice. I nearly failed land law, so dont ask me. Call a solicitor. ”
Its only in retrospect that I worked out I must have one of the first to know. Fat use I was.
The other ed was Julie S, Mark. A good old friend, I havent seen in many years now.
Stefan’s an sbs journo now!
I knew at 6am too, Lefty E, I was sleeping over at the Union Flat when Bree (remembered the name of Jeff’s Semper colleague!) knocked on the door… I think they remembered that the station manager (what was his name - lovely lad… his partner ended up as a Griffith academic) had a father who was a Law lecturer after a while…
sg, Jeff is a very nice boy too!
Were there three eds, Lefty E? I’m sure Bree was one of them - shaved head.
Speaking of Julies, Julie H had her brief rise to political (in)fame out of the Brazil stuff, didn’t she?
Shit, youre right, Julie S tried the following year; unsuccessfully I think. Nick et al won, no?
Told you it was a bit hazy!
Ive seen Bree down here a few times - she moved to Melbington shortly afterwards.
Ahh, the Union Flat. We all woke up there a few times - in even earlier days, Mr Bahnisch!
Yep, that’s right, Lefty E.
I practically moved to the couch in 88! I don’t know if we all had the experience of having an argument with Ms P and having our clothes tossed from the roof in the general direction of the lake, though!
Yeah, Im getting confused, cos Jeff and Julie S were housemates (incidentally, the same house Birmingham used to hang out in in case there was a special squad raid, presumbaly so he could gonzo!). But Jeff and Bree were indeed Semper Extraordinaire (SEX).
The Sex for Semper campaign was always going to be a winner. But those college boys couldnt have known what was about to hit em!
THat, of course, followed on from the
borderline corruptauthentically Quinceland tenure of a certain old mate!Ah, yes, but I’m sure he repented, Lefty E.
So I gather, Mark. He had a lot of fun enroute to Damascus, though.
That’s for sure. If only he’d stayed a Cattletick it could have all been sorted with a few decades of the rosary!
Ah yes, he jumped over the wall, didnt he?
Incidentally, I understand Russell is in fact ‘co-leader’ of the NZ Greens!)
(they have one male/ one female co-leader positions)
Just like the Queer Collective at UQ!
I remember telling a priest I knew about our friend’s apostasy, when he was briefly flirting with Presbyterianism. Father Mick (not his real name) exclaimed in shock “I can understand becoming an Anglican? But a bloody Presbyterian? Jesus, Joseph and Mary, how could you?”…
I see Howard Stringer has been mentioned.
Interesting stories about what Howard did next available at very reasonable prices. Negatives too.
I hear his sharehouse had a good line in bat mobiles. (That’s not a typo).
Rockism is boring.