As always, a fair bit of serendipity and/or synchronicity has been operating at LP.
I took my mum tonight to see the theatrical adaptation of Nick Earls’ novel Zig Zag Street at La Boite.
Kim suggested that the 00s just don’t measure up to the 90s. Lefty E and I were reminiscing about the advent of coffee in Brisvegas on another thread.
So there was a certain pleasing resonance in enjoying a massive belly laugh when the ditsy secretary character invites Ric to her birthday party on a floating Island on the Brisbane River and says “hey, we might hit Transformers or Lexington Queen afterwards”. Which is so right, because Earls wrote the book in the 90s. Interestingly, the sold out audience was much younger than you see at more bourgeie and worthy QTC type productions, and it was only folks from my generation who got the key jokes.
And who remembered that our vocabulary changes so fast – I was reminded of the different meaning “trashed” had (at least in Brisvegas-speak) in the 90s from today.
And something that would now have an entirely different connotation – you’re invited to a hippie chick’s West End Queenslander for the first time (could she afford the gentrified 2005 rent?) and she asks “Mind if I put on a tape?”…
It would be very hard to put my finger on what made the play quintessentially Brisbane and quintessentially 90s Australia without studying the script. But take my word for it. And if you’re in, or visiting Vegas, the season (rightly) has been extended to 10 September, so go see it.
And, for the record, I agree that the 90s were a freer and more interesting and open time than the benighted ones we’re travelling through at the moment.
Incidentally, a very UQ play. Or Queensland Uni as we used to say in those days… I’m sure my fellow alumni and alumnae know what I mean.
NB: Shouldn’t need saying, but Zig Zag Street is an actual Brissie street – in Red Hill. In 96, I lived two blocks away. Views to die for. And lots of smack addicts slowly dying regardless. And the vile odours of the XXXX brewery wafting up from Auchenflower Milton when the wind turned the wrong way. And the noise from the State of Origins at Lang Park. And Indian takeaways from Natarajas, and the languid Sunday all you can eat there. The reference Ric made to being an “inner city boy” also reminded me how verdant and different Brisvegan inner city streets are from Syd. and Melb. You gotta love this city…
What else can someone who was never a hippie chick but is a BA (UQ) 1993 do but go see it?
And hey – Mexicans – how is it that Sydney and Melbourne have no variant terms of affection? We have Brisbane, Brissie, Brisvegas, ‘Vegas, etc. Do tell!
I thought it was quintessentially Aussie to give things you like or love diminutive nicknames!
Not to mention, Kim, Vague As, which sums up the joint for a lot of us!
And indeed, the affectionate paraphrase for my ‘burb – “Down on the Farm”…
Kim – the reason we don’t fetishise and carry on about home town is that her stately charms resist such callow appropriations. We treat her with respect. The carefully planted boulevards, the imposing edifices of the financial and legal district at the heart of this great and worldly city.
We would not fuss over something we love in a deeper and more self-assured manner.
Ah, Melbourne. (Lavendar free.)
Yeah, Kim, Sydney is the Emerald City.And in typical Aussie style there is Darlo, The ‘Loo, Paddo, Chippo, The Junction, The ‘Bra, etc. West side posse nicknames I have no idea about, I tried to avoid Newtown as much as possible – no sea breeze. I have heard ‘Sidders’ on occasion, but really, why does one require a diminutive for something as magnificent as Port Jackson?
For the record, and with my tongue embedded somewhat firmly in my cheek, I don’t the 90s were anything spectacular. Now the 80s, there was a decade of decadence.
PS. XXXX brewery in Milton not Auchenflower. Can’t smell it here in leafy suburbia.
Always been hard to pick the border between Milton and Auchenflower.
And Emerald City? No Syddo or Melbie?
I did see someone in a past post call it Melboring, but I don’t agree with that!
The name Canberra is misused by everyone outside the city so much (“and Canberra says…”) that I think we need nice pet names for it.
Melbourne is sometimes known as Bleak City in the SMH. But I’ve never heard Sydders or Syddo. Have heard Sy-der-nee though!
T.Rex…. Newtown doesn’t really qualify as west in Sydney. Just sayin’. I mean, in comparison to say, Kellyville or Parramatta or Penrith…
Perth has “Cott” and “Freo” and that’s it.
I employ Melbington, but it hasn’t caught on.
After 4 years down here, as a ex-pat Brisbanyo, here are my thoughts. There are things I miss about living in Brisbane, and things I kinda dont. Here’s a few loose thoughts.
On the positive, there really is something about Brisbane other eastern capitals dont have. Its partly the vernacular style – Brisbane is alone is not reproducing some antipodean version of UK architecture. I used to share a flat in London with an East German – trained architect,and she spent a whole subject studying QLDers – in the Honecker era in Leipzig! Blew me away. Otherwise, Au doesnt interest international architects much.
I also really notice, as Mark says, the verdant, subtropical streets when I visit. I travel a lot, and I still reckon the view from the story bridge to the city is possibly the worlds best cityscape. Mark should have got the LP pic going in the other direction! There’s also a DIY entertainment culture of house parties that stems from the 80s when there was nothing else to do. And proximity to the bay islands is brilliant. Vietnamese restauraunts are better than Melbourne ones (though Im afraid thats where the culinary victories end for Vegas). Good band scene too.
On the negative: public transport is lousy. The Dept of Transport and BCC bus motto seems to be “what’s wrong with yer car?”. Then there’s the cargo-cult development mentality that means your personal heritage is constantly being trashed. Developers rule Brisbane, like no other city. The pub culture is blokey and crap, always has been. The licencing laws are still Joh-era (which is why you dont get low key comfy couch bars like you do elsewhere – cos the licence costs are prohibitive, try $50k!) Also, I find Jan & Feb heat pretty unbearable there, always have.
But the rest of the year…. ahh…. lovely.
AS for early 90s – it was a great time to be there, to see Brisbane finally embrace the concept of civil and political rights, the emergence of a mature local music, political and literature culture from its underground bunkers (mind you, some of that was fun!) etc.
Melbourne is home to me now, but Brisbane is fave place to visit! And as any Brisvegan knows, the fact anyone like visiting (as opposed to living there) speaks volumes about how far its come.
Seems we were neigbours in 96. Probably bumped into you without knowing at the Kebab shop after a Valley spree, at St Brigid’s for prayers and 1950s Catholicism, or at Naharatja’s for the loveliest narn and butter chicken around at that time.
Smelbourne enjouyed currency in the ’80′s. (1880′s)
Wrote a post about nicknames once in response to a US site claiming Melb was the “City of Chromatic Dissolution” (after the film), which was news to Melburnians I dare say.
Right; that would the part of the XXXX brewery in Auchenflower that’s on Milton Rd opposite the Milton Train Station wouldn’t it?
And Milton State School is another half a km up Baroona Road. At the bottom of Given Tce.
Emerald City I think was bequeathed by David Williamson. Part of the whole Oz reference. It is used sometimes but not really widely. I think people more abbreviate specific placenames rather than “Sydney” per se. Of Melbourne I cannot speak.
And Kate, Newtown is definitely inner-west (south-west to be geographically exact but inner-west culturally and architecturally).
Indeed, but (and I’m saying this from the westest bit of Australia) not that west.
And true, very few sea breezes. Though to be honest, the sea breezes we get in Perth (see: gales and tornados) make me a little nostalgic for the non-breezy inner-west streets…
Enough already, Rex! I apologise for my late night confusion of your leafy suburb with the concrete beer-making suburb next door!
C.L. – yep, I was to be found at all those Red Hill landmarks.
The other thing Lefty E would no doubt agree with me about is that Brisvegas is the town of half a degree of separation. Coincidences abound. And since we’re all driven mad up here by the summer heat and humidity, we tend to attribute meaning and mysticism to them!
Sin City, I believe, is the appropriate appellation for my home town. Leave your scruples and your undertakings to sin no more at the door, folks. There are cloakrooms provided for your consciences at Campbelltown, Penrith, Hornsby, the Bell’s Line of Road and the airport for your convenience. You may pick them back up when you fuck off back home to wherever you come from.
($50 conscience retrieval fee applies, with interest on the fee payable at 25% p.a. calculated hourly. Management reserves the right to deny entry. If you have to ask about rent, you probably can’t afford it.)
So next time I go to Sin City, Liam, will I see hardboiled dicks and sexy dames in spectacular black and white on the streets of New Town?
Ah, Mark, if you want to see hardboiled dicks and sexy dames there’s an extra fee.
Yes, half a degree tops Mark. Then when you’d get down to subcultures, like the Brisbane left, it could get like a housemates sitcom, with everyone competing to impress new characters on set just to try dating outside the gene pool.
Soooweeeeeeeee!
you’re not coming in here dressed in that beret, mate.
Oh my God! “the 90s were a freer and more interesting and open time than the benighted ones weÄôre travelling through at the moment”
90s nostalgia! Is it that time already?
And the 90s were more interesting than now? We must be living on different planets.
Hardboiled dicks, softboiled dicks – it all sounds painful.
I spent the 90s having nostalgia for the 80s, so for me 90s nostalgia is the same as 80s nostalgia anyway, just one step removed.
The public transport is just as crap as it was back then, and the developers have about as much hold – although pretty much all of coastal Qld suffers more than Bris itself (although no developer bastardry can outstrip the midnight destruction of Cloudland) (from the 80s again).
Despite all the changes since the 80s, Nataraja’s at Red Hill has been a constant over all that time – and they still serve the same mushroom pea curry like nothing I’ve ever tasted at any other Indian restaurant anywhere (although it tasted better back in the 80s of course).
And Lefty E, the Story Bridge view may be better the other way, but I like the picture the way it is, cos I spend half my work time just about right at the very left hand edge of the photo – makes the whole blog feel more welcoming.
Speaking of which, I should report to all readers that I had a real life sighting of the blog author today – and he was NOT sitting at a computer writing comments on this blog, but sitting outside drinking coffee and reading the Fin Review. His coffee wasn’t a latte and it wasn’t in the inner city either – it was out at the very nice eucalypt-encased Nathan campus of Griffith University (although it was nicer in the 80s of course)
The drugs were better in the 80s too Andrew.
The squats were easier to get into, the warehouse parties more debauched, more of your friends occupied warehouses with views of the city, the rock gigs far more raucous, the experimental ones far more amusing, the back streets deserted late at night, and driving around the back streets on acid on your way back from an Art Unit gig heaps more invigorating.
mmm crystal methamphetamine.
But we know you never inhaled, you politician you.
A few months ago I was almost crying over The Cocteau Twins “Blue Bell Knoll” and all that it nearly promised.
On the other hand I knew at the time that the Vibe Tribe and all that 90s hedonistic anarchism of the ravers was always heading nowhere. I’m must be a nihlist at heart. I enthused about SPKs ‘Leichenschrei’ the other day.
Hey, I discovered your blog after seeing your comments around the place (I think it was “Road to Surfdom”). Anyway, after recently moving to Europe from Vegas it was very cool to see this article and read the comments from all of these Brisneylanders.
In the early 90s I was still in high school so I can’t comment too much about the nightclub or share-housing scene. However, in the late 90s it was all about either going to “Superdelux” if you were in a Valleyish mood (you could tell someone was a valley person by the docs or skate shoes and the lack of a collared shirt) or alternatively going to “Alices” or “Fridays” if you were in a cityish mood (and you could tell the city blokes by their RMs, Polo shirts or checked shirts).
There is something unique about the style of Brisbane. I think Lefty-Elitist hit it on the head, Brisbane has a very “Strayan” style of architecture that isn’t so dominated by the Europeanish stuff that you see in Sydney and Melbourne. It could also have something to do with all the trees, bendy roads, and stinking hot summer days though…
Oh, and at the moment
Good to see you today, Andrew!
Mick, I don’t think there’s anything like the Valley in any other Australian city I’ve visited. Poor buggers.
Dunno about that, Mark – there’s something LIKE the Valley in every city I’ve been in. Not identical, but similar feel, y’know? But then again, I’ve only ever lurked around the Valley briefly – never lived there or been a frequent visitor, so I’m probably lacking nuance.
Ah Tony, I’ve had 22 years’ history of the Valley. I can assure you it’s pretty special.
In what way? The ‘Cross has a hundred years of history. Razor Gangs, sly grog, american servicemen, mary gilmour …
Read this, Rex. Or even this. Or this.
Brisneyland. I like that.
Andrew B., as Im a few merlots to the wind, I’ll remind you that we met a few times at ASIET meetings round 95/6. That was just as you were leaving your Goth phase (though, lets be honest, your still the most Brisgoth pollie around).
In case bloggers dont know, AB was a bass player round the Brisbane scene before being a Dem Sen.
erm, the Valley. lets face it Marky Mark, its is great, but it aint what it was in the late 80s. Now THAT was something else. Anxiety gripped you as you trod the streets. I remember seeing the Huxton Creepers at the Roxyu when I was 18, back in 86, and out of the hidden doors under the balcony came Gerry Bellino, a fully fledged illegal gambling casino behind him, hidden away there in the pre-Fitzgerald fug of corruption.
Pure Queensland.
Lefty E, of course, Andrew B might have known you by another name in 95/96.
Now that’s certainly true.
Ah, Merlot, such sweet stupification….
I forgot Brisneyland. I’m rather fond of that.
Pig City, what was the band that did that song? I knew some of those guys.
But bands, underworlds and ethnics; I am not really seeing anything that sets it apart from St Kilda or Kings Cross (or east sydney, or darlinghurst, or surry hills, or chippo).
Have you by any chance, read Larry Writer’s book “Razor”, heard of Tilly Devine, or watched Blue Murder? This is the sort of criminal underworld that infiltrates all the way to the top of Australian society.
Read the books, Rex.
I just did a search on my name, (Kate) and the suburb I live in (Auchenflower (Brisbane)) and I found an arguement on a suburb I used to live in (Newtown (sydney)) its weird ehh, yeah, like, maybe, noone cares, but someone email me, ask me questions, I’m lonely and bored, Brisbane is lame.
Auchenflower is lame Kate. Move to west end, or new farm!
Shhh, don’t tell Rex!
Word LE. Kate, move to west end. Give the whole north side of the river a miss…
Southside rulz!!!
Wow, I was channeling me in the 90s then…