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Roadrunner 5(3) April 1982 Donald Robertson Editor

Roadrunner 5(3) April 1982 Donald Robertson Editor

University of Research Online

Roadrunner Historical & Cultural Collections

4-1-1982 Roadrunner 5(3) April 1982 Donald Robertson Editor

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Recommended Citation Robertson, Donald, (1982), Roadrunner 5(3) April 1982, Kent Town, South , 24pp. http://ro.uow.edu.au/roadrunner/45

Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] Roadrunner 5(3) April 1982

Description Contents: 3. The Drum. 4. . 5. Perth. 6. B.E.F. 7. The aP rticles. 8. , New York. 10. . 11. Japan. 12. The umH an League. 14. Fay Weldon. 16. Film Reviews. 18. Live Reviews—The Dagoes/ Government Drums/ Brenton Roberts/ The crS eaming Believers. 19. Live Reviews—The eD ad Travel Fast/ Laughing Clowns/ Lunatic Fringe/ Pel Mel/ The aS me/ Sardine v/ Splendid Mess/ The Tablewaiters/ The wS ingers/ Ya Ya Choral. 21. Reviews. 22. Single Reviews/ Tape Reviews.

Publisher Kent Town, , 24pp

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Phillip = f = F R l A New Film directed by Scott Hicks The Original Soundtrack Album Produced by Matt Carroll and Starring by Jon B lak e with Billy Rogers, , Peter Walker, with Candy Raymond, Jad Capelja, Mark Collins, Liz Watters, , Charles 'Bud’ Tingwell, Max Cullen, Dave Blight, , Chris Haywood, Reg Lye & John Clayton and of INXS. ALBUM 600119 Music Composed and Produced Give the gift by Don Walker ujea CASSETTE M5600119 Marketed by WEA Record & Tape Distributors Pty. Limited. A Warner Communications Company of music.

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2 Roadrunfi^ The Angels left Australia late Hunters and Collectors final March for an American tour performance at ’s Tivoli without bass guitarist Chris early this month was enlivened by Bailey who is convalescing after the appearance of a stripper for an eye operation. the last number and first encore. XL Capris have broken up. While most of the crowd seemed Their drummer, Michael Farmer, to find the diversion quite enter­ is the new drummer for Tactics, taining some of who have also added a female members, in the dressing-room singer. Tactics are about to afterwards, were in two minds release a 17 track live album, about the wisdom and propriety recorded ‘all over the country’. of the action. Argument and On Saturday 17th and Sunday discussion raged into the wee 18th April and a host small hours. of top circus acts wil participate in Tourists approaching: Bow ‘An Evening With The Circus Wow Wow, Orchestral Manoeuv­ Animals’. The event will be staged res in the Dark, The Cure, The in ’s Wentworth Park Jam and Elvis Costeilo. under a four pole big top (the Reeis back as a band? same one used recently in After years of service to the to house The Sesame cause Richard Cant (A.K.A. Dick 1 St. Show). Appearing with Chisel Dago) has vacated the will be The Trampoline Act, The microphone in front of The Liberty Horses, Descent Ropes, D ag o e s. He is presently The Camels, The Flying Trapeze, considering offers from a number Clowns, Elephants and the Death of top Eastern States and Defying High Wire Motorbike. overseas bands. Both shows commence at 6.00pm Jo Jo Zep and the Faicons and finish at 9.00pm, with doors return to the studio in late April. opening at 5.00pm. Tickets are Pete Solley will again produce. available at Mitchell’s Bass at New Ciash album to be called $10.80 and $11.80 inclusive. ‘Combat Rockers’ rather than the No Fixed Address have signed previously rumoured ‘Rat Patrol a world-wide deal with Rough From Fort Bragg’? Diamond Records and have XTC cancelled their British tour commenced work on their debut this month after singer/guitarist LP for the label. A single and mini Andy Partridge collapsed album are expected in May, onstage in during a Recording will take place at David European tour. Briggs’ 24 track production Want to know Donovan (tour­ workshop in Melbourne, with ing down under next month) ’s Briggs himself producing. The personal ambition? ‘To live until I recordings will feature No Fixed die and fill in the space in Address’s new six piece line up. between’. Well that’s what he said Additions to the basic four piece in 1965 anyway. are Jo Geia on vocals, percussion Grieve, grieve, all ye true lovers and didgeridoo and Billy Inda on of Science Fiction. One of the true percussion. giants of the genre, Philip K. Dick Comsat Angels to tour with died in California last month. INXS in September? Joe Strummer “If you’re going will soon be releasing a to stay in , at least build little navel gazer of a book called your body up, be serious or ‘Made B y_^‘t “ ^ , which traces emigrate. There’s plenty of room the history of the group over the in New Zealand. They’ve only got past five years. As an added a few million people there, and incentive to prospective buyers, the country is empty.’’ Mmmm. A there will be a free flexidisc of boatland of Clash fans to land in music by-V^“^ and critics New Zealand after they’ve given comments about the band. the Argentinians a good going Sounds wild! over? And on Australia, Joe had World’s Hottest Producer, this to say: “To me Australia was (Human League, some baked desert with a few tin , Buzzcocks, shacks and a few drunks Stranglers, ) to glugging tubes of Fosters and produce second Iceh o u se beating up anything that doesn’t album? look exactly like them. Midnight Oii jo in e d by I’m not ready for this I Pretenders guitarist James sophisticated metropolis. Sydney Honeyman-Scott and drummer is like Beverley Hills.” Martin Chalmbers onstage at Boomtown Rats caused a riot Adelaide’s Stagedoor last month. in Athens, Greece last month The augmented lineup did a when 8,000 Greeks tried to cram version of the Animals’ ‘We Gotta into a 3,000 capacity venue to see Get Out Of This Place.’ And that’s the Pride of Erin. Hundreds of exactly what baton wielding police rushed to seemed to feel the following night the scene as rioters overturned at Adelaide’s festival Theatre as cars, lit bonfires and smashed she hurled abuse at photograph­ windows. The Rats agreed to do ers down the front of the seated two further shows. Their new audience. album, called ‘V Deep’ has just The Numbers have reformed been released in the U.K. again (can’t fault their and the persistence) with ex-Reels John Attractions have released a Bliss and Polly Newman joining version of I’m Your Toy’ recorded Chris and Annie Morrow. with the Royal Philharmonic The Church spotted driving Orchestra at ’s Albert around Melbourne in a Hall. mushroom coloured vintage James Brown has signed to Bentley. made a Island Records and will record his flying visit to immediately next album in the Caribbean with afterwards to do some PR on ‘Of ace rhythm stars Sly Dunbar and ----- Robbie Shakespeare. m Skins And Heart’. Paul Kelly has sacked drummer New single is Huk Treloar. ‘Manila’ is still being called ‘Promised You A Miracle.’ remixed. Derek and the Dominoes While Steve Cummings is ‘Layla’ entered the U.K. singles about to release a solo single on charts at No. 10 last month. What is happening? JEO Phantom Records fellow ex- Sport Martin Armiger had an in Hawaii saiion article on busking published in recording the follow up to MANUFACTURED AND DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE EMI GROUP OF COMPANIES, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. LIB 5009 the National Times recently. ‘Sirocco’ with producing.

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0 \ rvfl/K y*-npKou(t ’ /A WHftT Rb^di'i/rinei’ 3 wouldn’t tour at all. “I feel like I’m grieving for the “Over the last couple of months world all the ,” says Eddie I feel like I’m returning to Rayner, keyboardist of Split normality. Just through getting to Enz. “I think that if our band bed earlier and eating home cooked food — getting a grip on ever becomes as successful as what it’s like to be a human being ONE STEP we’d like to be then we’ll use again, it makes you feel . . . it our influence in a more makes you realise how bad meaningful way than we have you’ve been feeling, health wise. I done. I can see us getting far wouldn’t say the word insane, but more involved in speaking out it’s a really unusual existance about things. We’d like to do being a musician in a band. With FORWARD charity concerts and concerts all the travelling and things you for the causes, like Green­ tend to get very disoriented. “In fact, thinking about it, peace. there’s not many aspects of being Split Enz develop a social conscience in a band that I do enjoy. Playing — playing live sometimes, “Sometimes I feel it’s a little playing in the studio and Eiddie Ra3ner bsures his soul futile what I’m doing. I guess as rehearsing. I think rehearsing you start getting older you start would be my biggest joy. thinking, well, why am I doing “ But everything else, the this? I’m making money, OK, and touring, the travelling, mixing I’m becoming a bit famous, but with American rock industry you know, I don’t feel any happier people, is a pain in the arse for it. The world’s not getting any really.” better for it and 1 should be The obvious question. Why do doing something to help.” you still do it? Talking with Eddie Raynor “Those certain times . . . when gave me a whole new perspective the magic happens. When we- on Split Enz. The two Finn’s, Tim spark, at rehearsal mainly. They and Neil, as singers and main make up for it all. That’s why I’m writers have in the past (and are still doing it. even now) been the public face of “And if I think about it, and I the band. But Eddie Raynor is have, what else could I be doing? very much his own man, and I get There’s nothing really. There’s no the impression that other band I’d like to play with. I and are hardly get along with the rest of the guys wallflowers in the band either. — we’re almost like a family. I Raynor is very much happier could go out and be an ad. man, with the new Enz album, ‘Time writing music and scripts for , and Tide’ than he was with but oh god! that would be terrible! ‘Corroboree’. ‘I feel it’s much “I get a lot of my music out in more of a band album. The band Split Enz. Everything I play, I has had far more to do with the write. That’s really satisfying. way the songs have turned out. That’s why I do it.” (producer of ‘True Rayner thinks that maybe its Colours’ and ‘Corroboree’) was age creeping up, but he doesn’t very much a singles man. He feel there’s anything important wanted that were full of going on in — nothing singles. On this one we didn’t important enough to really mean think of singles too much.’ anything to the world as a whole. Lyrically too ‘Time and Tide’ is Probably most musicians and a departure from the two previous people tied up in the rock industry albums, something Raynor is would agree — but I wonder to very pleased about. how many it would really matter? “The lyrics are a lot more from Talking with Rayner it is obvious the heart. I think over the past that he is worried about the world. year Tim has become far more Reagan spending 3 trillion dollars aware of his responsibility to the on a ‘defence’ budget, radioactive people who buy our records and waste leaking into the oceans, he’s started to write about media that keeps you in the dark subjects that he feels are about what’s really going on, important. It’s a very big step for rampant right wing capitalism etc the band because most our lyrics etc etc. have been, not shallow, but lyrics “It just seems like a logical step for lyrics sake.” for our band to start speaking out Split Enz were very quiet in the about certain things. On the new last half of 1981. After completing album we’ve started. We haven’t a world tour (Europe, UK, USA gone all the way — you’ve got to and Canada, as well as Australia do things in the time that feels and NZ) the band had a full three comfortable to you. For once I’ve months off (‘writing, rehearsing, started paying attention to lyrics holidaying and getting divorces’ . . . maybe I’m jsut becoming says Eddie, cryptically) except for more serious about my children’s Rayner who went into the studio future. Not that I’ve got any to produce the NZ Pop album (as children, but I might one day.” yet unreleased). Split Enz are probably more Recording for ‘Time and Tide’ cohesive than they’ve ever been started in early December, with says Rayner. “One of the most (XTC’s ‘English important things we’re trying to Settlement’ among others) do when we play live is to play as producing. we do at rehearsal, when we feel ‘Hugh’s a brilliant engineer’ relaxed, with no pressures. Just to states Rayner. ‘He gets a very try to capture that essence of warm, open sound, and he’s the playing together.” sort of guy who inspires The concert at Thebarton confidence in you. He says the Concert Hall last month had biggest trick to engineering is not flashes of that special chemistry, having any tricks. It’s all in your as the Enz presented selected ears. highlights of ‘True Colours’ and ‘We are quite blissed out with ‘Corroboree’ as well as a hefty the way the sound has turned out. slice of the new album. It was a And the songs,” he adds. superb show and some of the new ‘Although there aren’t any material displayed a fascinating obvious singles (the American change of style for the Enz. One record company A&M is re­ song in particular, ’s ported as saying ‘I can’t hear an ‘Haul Away’ sounded like vintage ‘I Got You’) that’s neither here nor English folk. A quick listen to the there really. I’d much prefer it to album after the show confirmed be an album that sold steadily that ‘Time and Tide’ is another over six months than a flash in step ahead for the Enz. flash out thing.’ I suppose that willingness to After their current Australian press forward is one of the tour, the Enz will be heading factors, perhaps even the main overseas again, but it probably one, in Split Enz staying together won’t be anywhere near as so long. In fact 1982 marks the extensive a tour as last year. tenth birthday of the band. Plans “All we know for sure is that are in hand for a ‘Reunion we’re doing a couple of gigs in the Concert’ sometime later this year States and an extensive tour of in New Zealand, featuring Canada (where the new album everyone who has ever been in has gone gold on advance the band (about 13 people). It will orders). Europe is still 50/50. It be structured chronologically depends how the record goes.” and as Noel has got all of the old The extended break from costumes it should be possible to ■ touring has enabled Rayner to ‘revisit all the old times’ according step back and get an objective to Rayner. perspective on what he has been One step ahead. As usual. doing. He says that if he was the influencing voice in the band, he Donald Robertson

Eddie takes the plunge! 4 Roadrunner Rockets vocalist, Al Stewart pic Ken Abrahams. PERTH Perth: gateway to the East & Tapes is subdued , and home for Australia’s wealthiest their return to the public stage has has musically imploded more injected life into a stagnant music times than I care to remember. scene. Stray Tapes have shifted Now, however, with the trade from the minor role of a support band to the centre stage of Perth winds soon to blow, it appears nightlife. They have played the that a number of bands could support for Split Enz and are confidently attract recording desirous of doing the same for the interest along with popular Church. Their practical attitude acclaim. Situation Z, Q-Decah, toward their progress is Archetypes, Rockets and heartwarming In a time when Stray Tapes are all winning bands pretend to be what they audiences. Some obviously for clearly are not i.e., The Boys, wrong reasons, but then, Frames. (These two bands are the darlings of Perth’s rock agencies, that’s what a band like And An and as such nothing is wasted on A are all about. Perth, you see, securing them and is musically approaching its gimmicks to attract an audience.) zenith. Pretty soon though all For a band like the Stray Tapes to wilt be melted down and blown from the inner city Perth away. As it stands, here are 3 area to the larger suburban bands who are winning friends hotels will require nothing short and influencing people. of hard work from the band and faith on the part of promoters and The Rockets take their music hotel owners. The fact that such seriously. They’re entertainers in an industry where consumption people are tasteless and obtuse of product is the law. But rock ‘n’ allows little room for unfounded roll is as much a life-style as it is a hope. Nevertheless, the battle goes on and Stray Tapes business, and the Rockets play continue to write excellent songs: the game with control and feeling. Their ballads caress and their If you stroll around my room rockers drive. In the morning or the afternoon An Eastern States interest in You would see my point of view the band will make the move to Or maybe only who I got it either Sydney or Melbourne a real through event later this year. Already they have lived and played in Sydney The jagged corners of my at a time when it wasn’t impatience fashionable for Perth bands to The time I spent on my migrate eastward. The many selections months the Rockets spent in I even left the captions on to Sydney, playing the Regency, encourage conversation served to clarify their own plans I just wanted to tell you and cement the strong friendship something of how I feei that now exists between the When I woke up I was quiet group. But my eloquence was real Live on stage the Rockets are I just wanted to tell you of an explosive act. Vocalist Al where Td like to be Stewart captures in his And maybe you couid join me /movements and voice the with something urgency of Peter Johnson’s You could see tensile and the beat of John Cole’s drumming. On stage there (Such Pictures) is also a real desire to play it right, so the band gets involved in each Apart from being the Stray song and it’s this concentration Tapes singer/, Nigel that moves the punters onto the Harford also plays with And An A, dance floor. With a single out and an elusive collection of Perth sold, plus a 6 song tape and a 12 players, who although meet song tape on the way, the weekly (for the last 18 months) Rockets are searching out a have played publicly only three bigger audience. times. At present they’re making a The music of And An A is living out of writing and perfor­ amusing and interesting, not ming their own material, which is unlike the feeling one gets from quite something in a state where listening to certain Pere Ubu cover bands hold court. tracks. But apart from their tonal At the Broadway Tavern in qualities, And An A are an Nedlands, a suburb noted for its exemplary reference for bands cultivated lawns and Liberalism, who find it tedious to perform the Rockets are the resident regularly for the hype and money. Wednesday night band. They Yet And An A are definitely play loud and straight ahead, appreciative of bands who do just offering up their version of a that. Their ‘rare’ performances music which is power punch rock hold up a mirror severely n roll. No one’s ears are bleeding, fractured. For And An A, rock n and the dance floor is packed. roll isn’t dead: it’s simply just not Like the Rockets, the Stray real enough. Their treatment of Tapes have achieved a kind of rock cliches is handled with unqualified success, and like the reverence and humour. Some­ Rockets they wish to extend their thing quite foreign to the Perth popularity. The music of the Stray music and critical environ.

Roadhinner 5 to clarify these matters, he is about one fifth of the interview. now doing all Heaven 17 made them sound interviews while Marsh and like an avalanche of abuse Ware take care of the BEF end when in fact they were of things. Gregory’s place in the scattered over the course of a BEF scheme of things, as a lunch and then dinner, and then partner of Heaven 17 and an in a club afterwards and then employee of BEF is most the hotel even after that. He put complex and it is, Gregory them down as though they admits, only a public came within a half of hour of arrangement. There’s no need each other. We were very upset to make appointments with his about that.” employers: in fact he’s been as To go with BEF’s corporate involved in the BEF album as operation is the image. Film . clips and record sleeves have Still, as an employee of BEF, portrayed the threesome in who are in turn signed to Virgin business suits with attache Records, the uncontracted cases, wheeling and dealing in Gregory can walk into the Dallas style penthouses. record company anytime and Contrived or real? seat himself behind a desk. “It’s hard to work that one Meeting Virgin on their own out,”, says Gregory whose attire terms, as a company today consists of a neat pin negotiating with a company has striped suit and a pair of obvious advantages. It’s what glasses perched on a well Gregory calls ‘fighting fire with scrubbed nose. His hair is fire’. newly shorn and slicked back, neat and several inches above “The record business can be the collar. awesome”, he explains. “There’s so many deals — recording deals, “ Ian’s always been into setting publishing deals, so many up companies. Before the contracts to sign. People must Human League he had one have grabbed at anyone in the called Aurora Astrological early days to manage them and Analysis and made quite a lot o f take some of off money. He placed these letters their shoulders. in, I don’t know — Palmist “ as a production Weekly, ‘Send Ten Pounds and company makes a lot of Get a Chart’. He used to print difference. Our deal’s quite up all these charts and send good with Virgin. If we record them out. Just twelve months something and they don’t want ago he got a letter asking for to release it, after a month we one from Africa.” can take it elsewhere. There’s Ian’s still wearing the same very few deals you can do that pin striped suit that he’s had with. Usually, if a record since the early days of the company doesn’t like something Human League. they won’t put it out or they’ll “As long as I can remember put it out but not push it. he’s always had a briefcase and “We don’t have a manager. . five watches on.” Ian does all the paperwork and As for Gregory, he claims not we co-ordinate it all ourselves. to have changed at all. It’s good fun although I must “I’ve always worn suits — admit with no central point of second hand ones, and I still information we do make quite a don’t carry a briefcase. I can few mistakes.” never think what to put in It was a breeze for Marsh and them.” Ware to find a willing record One can imagine BEF’s most company to comply with their ardent fans walking round town scheme, having already made wearing suits and carrying IVare, Marsh and Gregory their names in the Human black umbrellas (even tho’ League. Would it be as easy for they’re on the dole!) newcomers in the business? “We actually got a letter “Definitely. Anyone can do it, asking where Ian bought the tie but you do need to be a certain he’s wearing on the cover of type of person. A lot of people Penthouse And Pavements. This really enjoy being in a band, so young couple had got the suits it wouldn’t suit them just like and everything but they couldn’t B.E.F. Leading the being in a band doesn’t suit find one of those ties. The Martin and Ian, but I’m sure funny thing was the artist had more and more people will be painted it on. Ian wasn’t working like this in the future.” wearing a tie that day.” Already the group ABC have It’s been a busy year for I.C. Export Drive with followed suit, forming a record Marsh, M. Ware and their company called Neutron, employee, . signing themselves to it and Hardly a day out of the studio then signing the company (not what with three singles, the the band) to Phonogram, just as Heaven 17 album, plus a BEF (not Heaven 17) is signed sampler cassette called Music Music of Quality to Virgin. For Stowaways, the putting Subsidiaries, mottos, directors together of an album of pre- and employees. Working as a Human League material called company certainly has its The Future Tapes (it hasn’t advantages, but does it also been released ’cos they’re and Distinction. entail the problems that plague arguing with Phil Oakey about big businesses? Can decisions who owns the rights), the become bogged down within production of an album by Hot Glenn Gregory discusses market trends with the corporate structure? Gossip in two weeks after it was Certainly not yet, not until taken out of the hands of Miranda Brown. BEF has become much much Spandau producer Richard more commercially successful, Burgess, and working on the far more than the current much heralded, finally Human League, until it has completed Music Of Quality become as big as a And Distinction (sorting out the conglomerate as Virgin itself. contracts took longer than the Let’s mention the Human recordings!) It seemed such a lark sales wise. performing various League and set matters straight. Not just a lark, BEF is now Next up is the recording of when and others. And it’s cleverly stamped After Ware and Marsh had the second Heaven 17 album. viewed as the innovative and Vol. I. - Adrian Ware announced made their exit in late 1980, Pheew! What is it that keeps upon leaving the Human logical extension of the ’80s Judging from a sampling. former partners Phil Oakey and computerised approach to pop, them all going? League that they wouldn’t be Music Of Quality And Adrian Wright wasted no time “For me personally”, says and of the hard nosed business Distinction is destined to be a forming another band, but sulking, but auditioned, Gregory, “it’s something that I sense many bands have learnt monster seller, an album full of setting up a production recruited and duly fell in love enjoy. I guess it’s hard to say since labels singles a record company could (just line in the movies) with what the goals are. When you company called British provided alternatives to the never have got together. Too two dancing girls, and go into something like this you Electric Foundation. standard recording contract. A much energy, imagination and subsequently made it to the top don’t begin by thinking. What production company such as enthusiasm would be required of the charts (with a little help am I going to get out of this? No one took it seriously but BEF allows musicians to escape to organise and entice all those from producer Martin Rushent It’s only afterwards when you’ve surprises were in store. The first from the stringent parameters of people, arrange all those was a highly danceable, and fellow band members Joe achieved success you start image and style into realms contracts. Those qualities Ian Callis and ). infectious, socially conscious, wondering about that, and restricted only by talent and Craig Marsh, and , Ware and Marsh had also intelligent but undidactic single actually I don’t think I’ve imagination. plus their trusty sidekick, Glenn wasted no time proclaiming called (We Don’t Need) This reached that point yet. I’m still The best example to date is Gregory possess in abundance. themselves as the brains of the Fascist Groove Thang\ the the upcoming BEF album. As Gregory points out, enthusiastic about everything second was Heaven 17 — the former operation and the girls we’re doing and really enjoying Music Of Quality And “With a band there’s always first ‘band’ on the BEF as no talent. . . window myself I’m writing some good Distinction. It’s of an image you’ve got to stick to dressing. It must have been like production line comprising pop classics sung by pop stars, and songs you’ve got to write. If songs at the moment and can’t Ware, Marsh, vocalist Glenn salt in an open wound, seeing culled from 20 years of modern you start doing cover versions wait to get into the studios and Gregory and bassist John the album Dare all of those record them. Then we’ll be music. Amongst them? Glenn and completely different types weeks at Number one. Gregory Wilson, its name inspired by the doing some live shows. It won’t Gregory singing Perfect Day of music, people think it’s silly. denies it all. futuristic Clockwork Orange. and Wichita Lineman, Billy necessarily be Martin and Ian With the debut albuth, They wonder what you’re trying “Martin, Ian nor myself never McKenzie of The Associates to achieve. With BEF we’re free but ifll be me and a band Penthouse And Pavements, said all the talent lay with the probably. A band “I’ll have a doing Secret Life Of Arabia, to do whatever we want.” BEF half. That impression was Heaven 17 proved themselves (sans soeurs) band! I can take over the as witty as their title. The record The unique set-up and based on the first interview we singing The Supreme’s You arrangement between BEF and world”. topped most music critics’ 1981 ever did with Paul Morley from He throws his blond head Keep Me Hanging On, plus Heaven 17 is, the singer admits, NME. The comments we made lists and is following through back and laughs. , and quite confusing. In an attempt were all light hearted and only 6 Roadrunner I r

Tinkle, tinkle, light and fast

I can vaguely remember Scott Matheson finds ’71 survivors The reading about the Particles in a long forgotten punk fanzine, “The Rat”. Now intelligence and melody. It was Particles still ploughing their oum waveform. I’ve dug it out of the dust in criminally neglected by almost my bottom drawer and I find every gig goer in Sydney one Peter Williams is quoted about 30. Something mus as saying Simon and done about this sad state of it in a different way. Sort of affairs. Sydney’s probably gentle. More feminine if you get Garfunkel were his earliest wasted 4 years of the Particles’ what I mean. For a start we’re influence. A funny thing for a time. all really short, so we could young punk to say back It’s very difficult to write in a never dive up on stage and go then. Funny thing was he magazine the way something is grunge grunge. That said exactly the same to me said. This piece probably won’t would have looked like a remain loyal to it. It’s kind of the other day at his house, come close to conveying the comedy act.” like the opposite. We talk things only 4 years later. Back to Particles’ dry humour and sense They say the history of the out and if anybody wants to “The Rat” and something of the understatement. I can but band really started when Astrid leave or is unhappy with else he said: try. Peter introduced himself joined a couple of years ago. anything, we discuss it.” with an expose on the lack of Before that it was all messing “We use the Particles as a telephone directories in Russia, around. Nevertheless, there had vehicle to learn.” One move they both agree Astrid deemed politics too always been one common Astrid: “When we go to “What really disgusts nrie is dangerous a subject for this element, Peter Williams, the was not a mitake was seeing 100’s of idiotic sheep early in the morning. It was Particles’ guitarist and song Melbourne for instance, people incorporating a . seem to think we’re a big band. going ‘Yeh hup, yey hup’ at 1.30pm on a humid Surry Hills I’m amazed how danceable the writer. The band had always But that’s only because they Birdman concerts because it Saturday afternoon. Particles’ have been able to played Peter’s songs, albeit with haven’t seen us floundering proves how easily people can Back to the beginning. Where make it sound. an assortment of members. around. We treat Sydney like be manipulated without any did the Particles fit into Sydney Infact it was Bob Farrell, one Astrid: “Well now that the thought whatsoever.” And that punk 4 years ago? the place where we make all rhythm machine is totally into time Laughing Clowns sax our mistakes.” in 1977 when Radio Birdman Peter “We played a different playfer, who came up with the the band . . .” Are you thinking of heading It’s got involved now has it? were everything to the sort of music. It was more avant name in the first place. Joe to Melbourne for good then? “Oh yeah. Ifs fantastic. A Darlinghurst set! Which all goes garde than punk.” Barkowski, another founding “We’re thinking of heading to most incredible thing. We were to prove the Particles were as Astrid: “And folk. You were member and later^bass player determinedly individual and Melbourne for a few months.” really unsure about it. Peter had playing songs like ‘Richard with that magnificent but since It would be pity to lose them idealistic then as they are now. Corey’”. been saying for years, let’s get a passed Brisbane'band the but maybe Melbourne would drum machine. See we can’t It’s quite extraordinary that a Peter: “And Donovan songs. Poles, suggested the Krauts as band could maintain their ideals make them feel a little more work with dummers. We always Sort of sped up. They were a name. Bob had suggested the welcome than Sydney. seem to end up with really for so long a time. definitely punked up but it still Particles and Peter had the Peter: “But there are still macho drummers. And we say Their current single “Truth wasn’t . Punk doesn’t deciding vote. Was it a thousands of mistakes we still About You’’ is their most perfect necessarily mean fast. More conscious effort to have a fluid moment so far. Somehow the hard and heavy, whereas we line up and play with different have to make. So there’s not much point moving to a place innocence has become more were light and fast. Sort of people? that might be better for us. We intense with age. Under a tinkle, tinkle.” Peter: “As far as I’m may as well make all our hundred coloured fairy lights at Astrid: “The Particles used to concerned, it’s a vehicle for me mistakes in the one place.” the Sussex Hotel, the Particles play down the Grand, and and anyone else who want to play “ Truth About You" three everyone thought they were real join with me. It’s good to be times, they could have played it wimps. The punks used to able to stay togther and play four or ten, I wouldn’t have stand up the front with buckets the same sound until you get it minded. of water and after the Particles right. But at the same time there This is weird. If a band plays had played, there’d be this mess has never been any pressure to their single once then play it y of water everywhere.” again as an enchore. I’m usually So is there a bottom line of running for the door. Tonight humour in everything the I’m captivated. Astrid Spiel man Particles do? sings with the most crystal clear Astrid: “No, more of voices, occasionally she lightheartedness. Amid all this tinkles on , the guitar seriousness, we were attacking scratches, the bass dances and the drum machine keeps it all clicking along merrily. It was a delightful evening of wit and

Peter/'lfs really disheartening can’t deny that. But as a when Mencies tell you they one thing you can point your formula, it’s past, because it’s to can’t give you any work stripping it back all the time to finger at.” do with ancient ways of looking because there are already too the point where eventually “We’re not a message band. at things. Ifs to do with men to them, now all we want you to many bands around with there’s not going to be anything Our music is going to be and a very masculine sort of women as lead singers. Who do is go tap tap tap. And they there except the entertainment, whatever you want it to be. If philosophy.” say, oh shit. I’m not fucking cares. Whafs that got to do with just pure.” you want to look at things So do you feel strongly then, going to do that. And then they it. The Dugites aren’t the He laughs then sayd he pessimistically, there’s plenty about an emerging role for Particles right. They’re looking put in something really exotic.” doesn’t know how they’re going there to be worried about. If women in bands? To see the Particles with a at bands with women as lead to do it. you look at things optimistically, Asstrid: “There was this singers as being a novelty drum machine, you can tell it It’s an interesting exercise there’s plenty there to make you poster in this rehearsal room we was a logical step. They’re which is going to pass. They however. Peter continues, “See feel alright.” used at Hurstville. It was this don’t see it as a manifestation constantly putting their music a lot of it is aleady implied. A Aatrid: “But we’re certainly woman holding this guitar, with through a whittling down of a new sensibility.” lot of what you hear in our not glossing over things to try her legs apart and just a pair of And ifs not only the agencies process, paring it back, pulling music is not really there.” and make people happy in the underpants. And our bass things out. who are missing the point. In “Like when I write my lyrics, I midst of all this shit. We’re not player, who comes from the the process, so is almost Peter “I think if we could get write something which probably creating more lies. In a sense suburbs, couldn’t understand the same effect as we get now, everyone else in Sydney. Well ifs makes a lot of sense. Then I we’re really thratening people why I took such offence to that about time we all caught up without instruments say, using start taking lines and words out by being delicate and gentle.” poster. And that’s what ifs all bits of wood or something, we’d with the Particles. Oh, and as a of it, so that it ends up not “ is dead as far about, the fact that people don’t postscript, the Particles are now do it. That’s the direction of the making any sense at all, but as I’m concerned. And there’s understand what is so band. Not just minimalist, but minus their bass player, on you still get the feel of what the something else starting to take offensive about a woman with stage at least, and all the bass song is about. But there’s no it’s place. It’s good for a her legs spread, advertising a lines are on tape. The quest for nostalgia trip, it’s great stuff, I guitar which is only played by the holy grail of minimalism men.” goes on.

Roadrunner 7 No matter how irritating you might find Nick Lowe’s stage persona — a stupid jerk-off constantly giving you the sappy grin, the stage wink and the thumbs up — you have to feel a bit sorry for him starting yet again with this, his third band, to conquer America — this time as support act for the Cars on their big stadium tour. The first time he came here it was with a large contingent of English rock press, who had been hyped to the eyeballs over ‘hot’ new band way back in 1970. However, what had been conceived of as the ultimate in duchessing the media ended up being a nightmare. The trans-Atlantic crossing, because of bad weather, took more than twice the normal seven hours and involved flying to Scotland for some reason. The journos arrived hardly capable of standing, let alone anything else. The band, as strung out as the writers, didn’t even get a soundcheck for this most vital of shows. The fact that you most probably have no idea what Brinsley Schwarz sounded like is a testament to the pitfalls of ultra-hype. What they did play was a pleasant kind of common in London in those days, infused with the country Third Time Lucky overtones favoured by vocalist Nick Lowe. The band also contained Brinsley Schwarz, later to become one half of the dynamic guitar duo that powered ’s Rumour, Bob Andrews, ’s keyboards player, and , a charming singer and song-writer with an For ? under-rated, and as yet unsuccessful, feel for pop. When Nick Lowe came around the second time he was in pretty impressive company — , sixties Nick Lowe supports the Cars. Welsh guitar ace, whom he had coaxed out of retirement. Edmunds brought along fellow-countryman, drummer , without whom he refused to tour and another guitarist, the rotund . This quartet toured the world as and, in spite of some confusion of direction evident on stage as Edmunds and Lowe took it in turns to provide the songs and the focus, did enjoy some popularity here in the States. As Rockpile they released only one LP, shortly after which they disbanded in a flurry of acrimony and rumour. The problems of the band were evident in that one album and further amplified to me later in an interview with Brinsley Schwarz. He said tension had often arisen through Edmund’s refusal to go beyond the bounds of sixties sounds and songs — the things he liked and did best. Nick Lowe, a tremendous song-writer, found himself stifled by his partner’s inflexibility. Whether this directly caused the split is hard to say, because other elements such as , handler of both Lowe and Costello and all-round thoroughly likeable lad, had fingers in the Rockpile pie. In spite of the mediocrity of the Rockpile album, the quartet put together several superb records under the names of Lowe and Edmunds, as separate projects (especially wonderful are Dave Edmunds’ Get It and ). Since the demise of Rockpile, Lowe has been working on both his wife, ’s LP, and also putting together one of his own. It’s titled Nick The Knife — cheeky (and allows for some pretty good puns). The story was that Lowe had about one side’s worth of material and Riviera came up with some half-baked idea of combining it with a similar amount of material from (another Riviera protege, who bas been at work on various Global productions since Riviera wooed him away from Squeeze, where Carrack had been since the departure of . This move, you might remember caused some bitterness in the Squeeze camp where the managerial maestro had been supposedly looking after their affairs). Fortunately this plan did not see fruition and Lowe cobbled together enough songs to release a whole LP. Nick The Knife marks no great departure from the sound and style of his last one. Labour Of Lust, (although it is mercifully free from the juvenile sexual puns and anything resembling the excruciatingly woeful You Make Me that marred Labour Of Lust). And, like Labour, the songs do not measure up in wit or humour to earlier numbers on or the EP’s and singles that preceded the release of his first long player {Marie Provost, for example, the song about the actress who died and wasted on by her captive dachshund before the body was discovered. Tasty!). It features the playing of some old alumni including Terry Williams, Billy Bremner and Carlene Carter, as well as Paul Carrack and , keyboard player for , ft is a good solid album of pub-rock style rock (as opposed to heavy metal rock or U.S. mainstream rock — Foreigner or REO Yawnwagon), which means it’s strong on rhythm, with fifties guitar riffs and hummable melodies. Nothing to be ashamed of, but it won’t change the world — that type of album. Nick’s band, called variously Nick Lowe and the Chaps or Nick Lowe and His Noise To Go (“to go” means “take away” here), sounds quite different from Rockpile. For a start, it’s got Paul Carrack (he’s everywhere) on keyboards, which gives the music a warmer, mellower tone. And this band has only one guitar ace — , the other half of the Rumour’s guitar arsenal, who, with his short modern haircut and enormous tweedily-dressed frame looks like an architecture professor who has absent- mindedly strayed on stage. (In case you’re wondering what has happened to Brinsley Schwarz, he is working with fellow-guitarist in Graham Parker’s new touring outfit). Nick himself handles the other guitar here, having relinquished his bass, and wisely confines himself to basic rh^hm playing. The bassist is James Eller, a slight, youthful figure with a long spikey haircut (tres London 1980). And a rather pedestrian drumming is provided by Bobby Irwin, who, although adequate, While obviously not rehearsed to the point of ridigidy, perfectly illustrating the difference between him and a lot certainly doesn’t have Terry Williams’ flash. Lowe’s new outfit plays together solidly and tightly, of other song-writers around at the moment. Lowe, like Touring with the Cars must have its drawbacks I guess, allowing him to concentrate on his singing, which he many others, pillages past songs and styles of music for and one of them is that the support band must be seems to be doing better than ever. In good voice, he his own, and he freely admits it. Unlike many others, prevented as far as possible from giving a good account of tackled a wide range of songs from his LP’s, including / though, he has taste when it comes to the pilfering, and he themselves lest they upstage the Main Event. Some unkind Love The Sound of Breaking Glass, , chooses and creates songs that have (god help us) a reviewers here have been suggesting that Nick and his Shake and Pop and Crackin’ Up, as well as a selection from certain sort of integrity — a humanness and affection and, gang were better than the Cars (Billboard: “Nick Lowe his latest effort — My Heart Aches, Burning and Stick It when he’s hot, a delightful sense of humour. These are knew the bride when she used to rock and roll. The Cars Where Don’t Shine. probably not the things that will endear him to an weren’t even invited to the wedding.”) Perhaps this is why American audience — they will probably like him for all the they are squashed into a tiny rectangle at the front of the Paul Carrack gets to do a couple of numbers (including, wrong reasons, as they did Rockpile — but I guess I stage and allowed the most cursory of lights — only two most cheekily, I thought, the Squeeze single Tempted, on shouldn’t get too picky. I do sometimes wonder whether colours per song, and confined to pulsating un­ which Carrack sang and which was a minor hit here last imaginatively in time to the drum beats. The Noise manage year). He apparently has an LP coming out in the middle of he is one of those people who will be “discovered” years to transcend these minor irritations, of course, and get a the year. The one song from it with which he favoured us after they have abandoned music in disgust and become warm reception from the crowd. In fact, they almost did not excite. Near the end Nick Lowe reclaimed, as he insurance clerks (Graham Parker is one such). Sometime earned themselves an encore. The interval tape soon put a described it, “a song I wrote that Elvis Costello recorded”. in the future, people will be saying “Gee, Nick Lowe was a What’s So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding— pretty good pop writer” .

8 Roadrunner Now, as for the Cars . . . Well, as with every group you first get to see as a fully fledged ACT, it’s hard to imagine them ever playing a small club along with hundreds of other young hopefuls up there in Boston. The Cars are a four platinum album phenomenon and what they play is Rock and Roll, not rock and roll. They operate on a totally different level from, say, Nick the Knife and it’s hard to imagine that the Jesus of Cool could ever fancy himself doing what the Cars do nightly on the stadium stages of the United States. Let me say here and now that I’ve liked some of the songs on each of the Cars albums, and, as a veteran of two of their shows, I confess to having been surprisingly impressed by each. I suppose, like many, I am always suspicious of anything ff7af successful (there must be something wrong with it), and assume it must be bad, crass or at the very least contrived. And contrived the Cars certainly are, from the artful lighting to the huge painted screens, inspired by German Expressionist movies from between the wars, which roll up and down, providing a moody backdrop for each of the songs. But it’s hard not to like , the Cars’ six and a half foot tall singer, guitarist, song-writer and de facto leader. For one thing, he looks so damnably like Joey Ramone. And for another, he is a genuine fanatic, a workaholic whose production credits indicate a passion for music a little more adventurous than that which his own band purveys. He’s produced Suicide, the New York electronic duo Marty Rev and Alan Vega, Romeo Void, a west coast “new wave’’ group, and Geo Bartlett, a transvestite singer-songwriter. In a way, I see Ocasek as a sort of Tom Petty figure, someone who works successfully within the U.S. rock mainstream, but with taste and, I guess, some street credibility. None of which I would instantly associate with, say, Styx or Loverboy. Part of the reason the Cars sound so good lies in what the rest of the band provide. , who handles synths and keyboards, gives them their distinctive sound and even adds some PCraftwerk-ish flourishes at times. The drummer gets some really unusual sounds out of his kit and it’s not just through electronics — he just plays them differently. Ben Orr, bassist and Pretty Boy of the band, has always left me cold and on this outing shows signs of having come over all — but, having failed to grasp its essential elements, ends up looking like an extra from Star Trek. While on the subject of attire, Ocasek must have the world’s best collection of coats (perhaps he and August Darnell — Kid Creole — should get together. The Kid has the best collection of ties), and perhaps a patent on some new kind of spray-on leather. Ocasek’s scrawny chook-like legs were encased in the thinnest, tightest The Cars: Rick Ocasek, , , Greg Hawkes, Ben Orr leather pants ever seen on stage. He must have them sewn on him before the performance. If you want to hear a performer working a crowd of girls, You can look for new James Brown stuff on Island Anyway, they did all their big hits — You’re All I’ve Got check out James (Soul Brother Number One, Godfather of Records, where he has just signed a contract after a long Tonight, She’s A Lot Like You, Let’s Go, My Best Friend’s funk, ancient and modern, and the baaadest man ever to time label-less and unwanted (Brown credits the late John Girl, Just What I Needed, and their latest single. Shake It strut his stuff) Brown’s 1962 LP recorded live at the famous Belushi and co. with reviving his career through the Blues Up, which has spent eighteen weeks in the charts here, Apollo Theatre here in Harlem, New York. Apart from Brothers movie). There is currently talk of Brown making it to number four. The young girls in the audience being the best live album ever recorded (it says so on the recording with Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, THE went ape, and this again is something on the plus side for cover and you better believe it), it will show you where all reggae (Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Grace the Cars. In many of these big arena shows, the girls seem those frantic British beat group singers of the sixties, from Jones et. al.), which should bean interesting cross-cultural to be there on sufferance, tagging along with their Mick Jagger to Steve Winwood, got their chops. I don’t experiment, if nothing else. Also watch for an LP from boyfriends. Gangs of girls here showed plenty of evidence know how readily available it is in Australia, but it was re- Adrian Belew, guitarist for D. Bowie and T. Heads, lately of finding much to relate to in the Cars’ songbook. released over here last year through Polydor. Twenty working (and singing) with King Crimson. Should be out in years old and it can still send a frisson down the old spine. a month or two and promises to be weird.

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• Roadninner 9 RIk and Abe (20th Century Coyote) THE COMIC STRIP - COMEDY FOR MODERNS

When something is billed as ‘new mellowed down ‘Punk’s Greatest Hits’ and Planer and Richardson are a bit upset that the tale of ex-heavy and metal guitarist Festival director Jim Sharman vetoed the wave comedy’, as the Comic Strip were Lenny Flowers, who tries to reform his band Nlgal Planer (Outer Limits) fifth part of the show, 45 year old in the pre publicity for this year’s Severed Head and the Neck Fuckers to Scottish/Jewish accountant/standup Adelaide Festival of Arts, my interest and in on the new wave of HM. But as Planer , Arnold Brown. Having heard suspicions are immediately aroused. takes pains to point out they’re not trying to Brown on the Comic Strip L.P. (which ‘New wave’ ceased to mean anything at relive a rock dream like out and out rock Festival Records will not release because of all to me a long time ago, in a musical parody outfits Albertos Y Los Trios ‘bad language’) I can only heartily agree. sense anyway, and , well Paranoias or the Tubes of a few years ago.. Brown’s wry wit and string of unassuming it’s just successive waves of Oxford and And the movie and television sitcom but piercingly accurate quips (Barbara Cambridge University revues these sketches they do, (the first two scenes of a Cartland: ‘Cruelty without beauty.’) would hijack/disaster/blood and gore movie (seat have given the show a whole extra days, isn’t it? Warm up a bit of Monty wettingly funny) and an extract about two dimension. Python, chuck in a few jokes about East London gang leaders having problems ‘He doesn’t fit the image through’ moans Thatcher and the Royals, drop a few disposing of bodies without alarming the Planer mockingly. ‘The marketing that’s intellectual asides and hey presto! Ha wife or messing up the carpet), have no roots been done on us here . . . we feel like bloody ha. in rock at all. depraved animals or, something in a wildlife I was wrong. But they do feel an empathy with the park. But Sharman was wrong about The Comic Strip are the funniest mob I’ve attitudes of punk rock. Planer explains. ‘Just Arnold.’ seen in ten years, and they’re REAL. A raw that ‘get out and do it as quick as possible’ Planer is also a bit worried about being and often savage slice of London life that and entertain the people who really want to part of the Adelaide Festival at all. I point out puts fresh meaning into the term ‘side hear it attitude. Me and Peter came from how dreary it would have been if the Comic splitting’. theatre and from rock — we ditched the Strip hadn’t . I saw two of the Comic Strip’s per­ band, we ditched the scenery, we ditched ‘Hmm, yes. But it’s just that we’ve been so formances during their Festival season — the costumes, we ended up with just the independent up til now. We’ve always the first time I was laughing so hard that I microphone. So yeah, it’s a similar thing. But managed to get money out of some backer, missed half the lines. The Comic Strip \sfast, that doesn’t mean to say we’re all punks.” do deals with the evil piranha of London you see. The sort of comedy that clubs you The Outer Limits are probably the most erotic nightlife, Paul Raymond. I mean rather than be in a fringe theatre out in the suburbs around the head and leaves you dazed and accessible part of the show admits Planer. , a fat Albanian/Liverpudlian we’d gone into the Festival of Erotica with a spluttering for breath. non-sexist show. Like a germ in the heart of The Comic Strip is three separate acts, with a mouth like a steamroller, MC and star of the show in the U.K., hadn’t really got into it. The Outer Limits, 20th Century Coyote and ‘We’ve been sitting up after the show , plus a three piece his stride on the evidence of the two performances I saw. discussing the rightness of being associated band and a huffing puffing linkman cum with all this civic pride and being part of an compere, Alexei Sayle. “It’s hardest for him really,” says Planer, “because so much of what he does is ‘arts’ festival. It should be better in Sydney Nigel Planner, one half of the Outer Limits and Melbourne — we’re just doing the show Compere Alexei Sayle explained how the Comic Strip originated. improvisational — and based on English types and attitudes and places. He’s still there. “We were playing in a club called the Whether ‘New Variety’, a term Richardson Comedy Store, which was like a gong show, finding out which bits work and which don’t. By the time we leave he’ll be putting in about coined during the interview, could ever take a hundred bad acts a night. Alexei was the off in anti-intellectual/tv dominated Australia compere and it was like, if you were no good, 20 more minutes a night.” 20th Century Coyote, and Abe is open to question. It certainly has had an the audience jeered you off. The Comic Strip impressive impact in London though. Edmondson, get my vote for the most were the survivors from that." “It just died in the sixties and seventies” The other half of the Outer Limits, Peter excruciatingly humourous section of the says Richardson. “Rock killed it. But in Richardson, found a theatre (‘another strip show. There’s is hard edged humour, direct London you’ve got rock bands getting club’) got the financial backing, ‘murdered a confrontation with the audience. Rik Mayall as support acts, and all these few people’ and the Comic Strip was born. dares the audience to laugh, gets upset fringe theatres are running cabaret nights. “We did a year there” says Planer. “When when they do, as he tries to read a poem There’s lots of people trying to incorporate we started it was like a big cabaret show with about his friend Adrian who was killed that some stand-up confrontational comedy into guests and hundreds of acts and The afternoon. He’s the epitome of ‘tense and their shows. I think a lot of people are bored Alternative Cabaret (an overtly political nervous and can’t relax’. A real psychokiller with rock shows and a lot are bored with cabaret group), all sorts of different things. of a performer in fact. Partner Ade straight theatre. We’re sort of an alternative And gradually, gradually, it was sort of Edmondson, a punk look-alike, bears the to both.” demanded by the audience in a way, it got brunt, of Mayall’s repressed frustrations On their return to the UK the Comic Strip narrowed down to the show we’ve brought when on stage, getting his nuts crunched a will be making a TV series for Britain’s new to Australia.” number of times for his spanners in the TV channel. After that, who knows? All the Planer and Richardson originally got works. 20th Century Coyote evoke the sort acts are independent entities with their own together to write a rock show which they of response that can very quickly get out of projects and shows to do. As with all called, ‘Rank’. ‘We wanted to do something control and into hysteria. collaborations of talent, the grouping is not that sounded like Frank Zappa’s ‘Live at The French and Saunders, the two females of indefinite. So see it if you can. ’ and looked as good as the the show are on a different track again with a The Comic Strip are appearing at the Tubes.’ details Planer. We ended up with quite defined brand of situational satire. Everard Theatre, Seymour Centre University nothing like that at all.’ They tackle female country singers, two of Sydney, Cleveland St. until April 17th. True. The Outer Limits still display a rock New York trendies (middle aged variety) and influence, notably with their ‘Anarchy In children’s TV. They come over as amusing Donald Robertson Dreamland’ skit, a TV commercial for a rather than inspired. All fotos: Eric Algra 10 Roadrunner as a faint Spring mist or a petty Eau de Cologne. Japan ‘ is the record which David marks as the are in harmony with nothing but their own images, their JAPAN . . . are darlings . . . of the top one which will last a long time, even longer than ‘Tin own beauty, and their own imagination. 40. Of the present press climate. Of young lovers. Drum’, which is something I’m sure not many people Of narcissists admiring their reflections in the would agree with. ‘Tin Drum’ is a loosening of Japan’s BY PHONE TO LONDON, a past with their present, a summation of their travels, of 1 momentarily still waters. Of a fashion conscious city not renowned for its sexual stimulants, I asked the drugs they’ve inhaled and the food they’ve eaten. It clique . . . of a fashion despising, but musically David Sylvain, a doll of a man who happens to be this (so they say) appreciative and brutally twee gaggle has been influenced by more traditional forms of music band’s lead singer, creator and chief sex symbol, than their other albums, specifically utilising Chinese that harp on sounds that appear to be doing the whether or not Japan’s music is as slyly sexual as their right thing on the correct stage at precisely the and Eastern ethnic musics — picking them up from image. The answer was simple because as far as the their ancient acoustic histories and translating them via opportune and fateful moment. darling was concerned the question didn’t count. modern technology into culture of a contemporary “I don’t think our image is like that”. note. JAPAN are . . . or have been, much more Okay. Fine. (Load of cowshit, but fine, fine). David David agrees with me that there’s no point in than their music could ever accomplish. From the did suggest, though, that the image, like the music, is regurgitating past periods of music or repeating what beginning, from some , from their high where the character of a person comes across. It seems your last album has achieved. He sees the worth in school days, from the glossy glamour of pin up boys the band is a tactile lot, moving to talk with and humble developing old genres of music if you’re going to be in the face of angst. emulating everything camp and cool they could lay influenced by them. The recent resurgence in funk and their eyes and hearts on — from all those days and all So what about the endless comparisons you’ve soul has been a trifle like that, too concerned with the those scenes Japan seemed to say an awful lot that suffered to over the years. Have they been structure and fashion to understand the essence. didn’t mean very much. justified? Japan could never be accused of following the Until the new release, this ‘Tin D rum ’ that’s been “No I don’t think so, personally”. fashion, cashing in on the fads. It has never worried getting a rare media breast beating and fanfare for its But David also thinks if that’s what the band’s music David, and he in fact, has preferred it that their music troubles, this band Japan has been accused of being reminded people of and they wrote that in their stories, has never settled into the general scheme of things. far too derivative and decorative — taking basic Roxy a well, its fine by him as long as it isn’t taken too far. At David rarely listens to the radio so he isn’t terribly la Ferry formats, splashing them liberally with Bowie’s the inception of the band the boys were all glitter and aware of what happens, but tends to ignore the trends scent and adding accessories like monogrammed silk gall, with music that matched, but they were only anyway as they always seem to die out fairly quickly. handkerchiefs and specially blended kohl (to highlight young, 18 or 19 says Dave, and tacky at that he their glares from the pretty boy pages of some murmurs. So with their maturing both the boys, their FOR A FEW YEARS NOW Japans flamboyant magazines) so as to add some faint image and the music grew up, and little by little began biggest success has been in the country of the same authenticity to the moaning floating walls of their soft digesting influences more thoroughly before merely name, where they’ve experienced true pop hysteria — a shimmering songs. trying to emulate the inspiration. phenomenon which is now subsiding due to the fact And rightly so. Until now, Japan has been a Travelling and people, especially over the past few that the audience has grown up with the band. Live, the throwback to nothing in particular, nothing really years, are the forces which have charged the band with band is reported to be quite similarly sounding to their important, and even now I’m not about to say the new the will to create, the desire to be heard, the records, seeing as how they use tape sequencers quite release ‘Tin D rum ’ is a masterpiece of musical and topography behind the maps. And even though the frequently to reproduce various effects and brass literaiy excursion. This album does carouse, and it songs are often dreams of melancholy and heavy accompaniments. definitely does arouse — but I’ve yet to discover the breaths on a window pane they are generally about The actual name, Japan, was never meant to take on absolute truth of this one. concrete things, concrete situations et al. It’s just that the significance it has since achieved on the band. Both It’s not a dance record; they’re not a dance band. the way of developing the songs is done by the creatively and financially the country has had a lot to do Japan intimidate . . . possibly that word is too strong conjuring up of images, the manners of the with Japan. The image is in fact more in tune now with . . Japan hestiate . . . stimulate . . . infatuate . . . are unconscious, the fertilization of otherwise fallow fields Japan the country than it was when the band first a culmination of forces that drives one not to a dance in the mind. began — adorning tradition and culture with modern floor and not to a revolution, but to a down feathered Five albums have been released by the band to date. apparatus, clothing and technology. bed where your secret lover awaits. Sipping Don The first three ‘Adolescent Sex’, ‘Obscure Aiternatives’ Impetus and ambition for David merely stems from Perignon so slowly it evaporates by the time it hits the and ‘Quiet Life’ — are on Ariola. The latest two — the desire to satisfy himself; so he can simply hear it throat, and reading Shelley so passively the book is ‘Gentiemen Take Poiaroids’ and ‘Tin Drum’ — are on and be happy, if he touches people on the way to almost afloat. . . but then your lover sees you and Virgin (through CBS in Australia). Of these albums doing that then all well and fine. He freely admits that discards those things, pulls down the sheets and you David thinks ‘Quiet Life’ and ‘Tin Drum’ are the ones he has been indulgent in craving his own satisfaction into a world of silently consummated lust and passion, which will last, although he also says ‘Quiet Life’ (as but finds it hard to see an alternative. The albums are a aching orgasms and torrid thrusts. Japan are quite well as ‘Gentlemen’) is meant to be a diposable record. gathering and tying together of the previous six obscene. . . . in the nicest possible way. Both were made to be a touch muzaky and fairly month’s, influences. Though whatever he does, that Japan aren’t dark, but are, in fact, as light as the air. disposable, and ‘Gentlemen’ isn’t meant to last at all. voice of his still sounds too close to ’s sickening cloying smugness for me not to twitch in my skin on occasions. Maybe its better that we accept his voice as his own — after five albums he at least deserves some sort of recognition for his stamina. Still, that doubt lingers . . . and these deathly comparisons will inevitably persist, probably until the final recording David makes — which could be a fair while away as he will continue recording as long as he feels the need to do so. Music in itself is important in David’s mind (as a personal pleasure) but the mainstream of pop is disposable as very few people make albums for artistic purposes. They’re trapped by the wisdom erasing wheel of the pop industry — a bothersome treadmill that Japan have managed to overcome, realizing its traditions early on and since sorting them out for their own benefit. I put to David a comment he made in The Face’ last year, saying that art is just going through life and coping with certain situations, saying that shouldn’t art be more than just a ‘coping’? Shouldn’t it transform and transcend the everyday experience into sometNng more significant, more marked in its influence, importance and symbolism? Shouldn’t it push people around, cajole them into some action of their own? “Art is a personal statement. Yes, you do exploit the situations but it is mostly an overcoming of those things, such as the Eastern influence on ‘Tin Drum’ — but other things which aren’t as important are still there”. Can’t be too sure about all this. It’s obviously an attitude mirrored in the music. I’d much rather dream than discover with Japan but, I suppose, dreams can enlighten one just as much as an>i:hing else. And, of course, the doubt lingers on . . . the line is most definitely a fine one . . . the darlings will remain the loved loving ones . . . Apart from David the other Japanese are , , and . At the moment the band is off on individual escapades though another album and an October tour of Japan are in the pipeline — putting paid to the rumoured break-up of a month ago. At the moment Steve and Mick are recording their own singles whilst David is possibly doing a single with Japanese band and an instrumental album with Richard. As for Australia, the record sales aren’t big enough for a and David doesn’t think a club tour such as Simple Minds or The Bunneymen have done would be suitable for the band. JAPAN IS NO sinister working of the pop field’s machinations. Its horror is non-existent, its complacency occasionally annoying. But Japan could never aggravate, their music is too wrapped in a desire to simulate . . . images, emotions, reactions and romances. Dealt with patience, transformed into 1980’s trance music — not a million miles away from Siouxsie. Sioux’s more recent pop offerings. More lucid and graceful than staunchly resentful of its situation, Japan is now a stumbling block of matured and maturing honesty and humble conviction. Convicted, but still not quite convincing — an air has been established and an album resulting. ‘Tin Drum’ is full of fleeting feelings, but offers no lasting conclusions. A momentary pleasure that aims for nothing more and nothing less. David is a darling and so is the record. I was shocked by its simplicity and resourcefulness. Japan are smarter than we think and for a ten dollar dream, you could do a lot worse than invest in David’s attractive tin drum.

Roadrunner 11 TOP OF THE LEAGUE!

An interview with Phillip Oakey. By Jenny Eather.

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12 Roadrunner “I could live without that” groans Oakey, "i ii make some money out of it, which I suppose, no, it won’t do I n 1977 our now famous plastic theatre porter me any good, will it? I’ll just turn completely soft and I began singing, “only because I couldn’t play won’t do anything if 1 make a lot of money^l shouldn’t synthesiser.” like that at all. No, I don’t like those old records. I “I don’t think of myself as much of a singer. I think consider them failures . . . (it’s) just like everyone it’s quite handy that I’m not all that good a singer. I under the age of ten buys every record and think that one of the things that can destroy a very 1 ’m just a normal young man these days. Tm it doesn’t matter what it sounds like. A lot of people good song is a very good singer who has to put a lot going to settle down soon, get a house, a car and go now buy old Human League records which I don’t want into it and make it more complicated than it needs to and wash it on Sundays.” them to do. I want them to buy the records for the be.” Being “dead emotional” or a cavorting frontman is records and not for the people who make them.” not Mr Oakey’s style. “I wouldn’t be very convincing if I Normal young mam Philio Oakey have transcended the knobbly- did that because I know it’s just a song. I’m the singer Normal occupation: Pop Star kneed, secondhand kilted romanticists whose flash in a of a song. I’m not an actor.” Current location London dash succumbed to quixotic drone. The strength is the “My favourite singers are people like Brian Ferry and music, rather than image (though Max Factor does . . . I love the girls in Abba, Evelyn King, Usual residence: have a lot to answer for). Roberta Flack, Dusty Springfield and . Diana Usual appearance: fairly unusual “First and foremost it’s good songs,” relays the Ross is the best singer in the world . . . ’s the Unfulfilled desire: to write novels flippant one, “and the people who sing them must be a best male singer though he’s probably finished — I bit interesting. Discipline is important. The hardest think he’s had all the fight knocked out of him. His Greatest worry: unhappiness of fellow thing in music is to write the chorus for a pop song, I records with were the peak of his employees think. Very, very difficult.” And as far as the achievement and incidentally, I think that they were the Recent pastimes at point of contact Rehearsing, goes it’s ex-Rezillis leader and recruited best records David Bowie ever made. I went into the reggae-inspired guitarist, Ian Burden “who turned the studios when he was recording his last album (Party) viewing Dr Who re-runs and receiving awards. song-writing from something amateurish and trying to and it could have been a album, you know, “THEY Keep giving us awards for best LP.” do something, into something somewhere near there were just session musicians doing a guitary sort perfection” and by the way, “they’re both very, very of backing then Iggy just went and sang over the top of clever musicians.” it. I thought it was really sad.” The days of all white, all middle class, all boy bands “When it comes to it, the Bee Gees are very good are over and this policy took on seemingly fairytale singers. 1 admire people who’ve got something very proportions with the “discovery” of two, then 17 year distinctive about their voice. You turn on the radio and old school girls, doing their stuff in a sleazy Sheffield you hear a new song by them and you know . Well rehearsed in armflapping routines, mode de INSTANTLY who it is.” la Vinnies and 479 ways of applying eye-liner, Joanne finds it difficult to sing other people’s Laife IS difficult for most. Imagine how Catherall and Susanne Sulley, lured by the glamour of lyrics “if I’ve not got a lot of empathy with them. If that complicated it becomes being number one it all, rallied to the cause and joined Oakey, Wright and ever happened again I think I’ve got the confidence Burden on that first League Mark 11 European tour. with the people involved now, I think I could say to everywhere, projected as the face of the second The girls earn less than the others, they don’t write the them, I don’t like your lyrics, or, not even that, I can’t and calmly answering silly little questions from songs — yet. sing your lyrics because they don’t mean that to me”. anonymous little journalists around the world. “It’s “I think Dare’s probably a reflection of what’s going It’s fine for others to do the League’s material, to a business, that’s ail.” The commitment continues. on in a lot of people’s heads, yeah. I don’t think it point. “We went to this function the other night and There’s the colour coding of records, the film necessarily rejects world events in any way. But if you there was a cover group and they did a version of projects, the feverish denials of an engagement, take any one individual I’ll think you’ll find that their ‘Don’t You Want Me?’ — an autrocious version of ‘Don’t the possibility of seeing kangaroos and of course, interest in world events is second to their personal You Want Me?’ with this really fat guy with a beard and romances and things like that, you know, who’s on this horrible woman clutching each other. It was quite the next LP. All this and more when all you are offensive. We were all drunk otherwise I think we would trying to do is “write a few tunes people will like”. Coronation Street and things like that”, says Oakey. “I think people can read too much into records, have bottled them.” Such fuss!, “I’m pretty uninterested really.” especially if they go for the lyrics. I certainly count the “I always thought that the one time great love affair “It’s been all the wrong people giving the awards lyrics second, I think that people don’t listen to lyrics a was Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller who everyone . . . they’re incredibly middle of the road and it’s lot. But most people like music a lot more than they knows, or should know a lot better than to fall in love just the sort of thing I don’t want to win. Oh, I think. They’re looking out for the great tunes and we’re with someone like that. But he couldn’t help it. That’s think we’re the best — but they normally like really trying to write tunes and put lyrics to them.” what ‘Love Action’ is about, about that sort of state of things like and Shakin’ Stevens so The “tunes” owe a lot to producer Martin Rushent as affairs — when you go for someone that you know is a do , Buzzcocks, Pete Shelley, 999 and very, very bad move but you just can’t get out of it.” we’re a bit disturbed to find we’re classed with In screaming Sunday paper style, the British press them.” Leisure Process (to mention but few of the obvious). The League have programmed at Rushent’s Genetic has announced Phil’s engagement to Suzanne. “It’s an Seems a little strange coming from the man with Studios since the recording of ‘Sound of the Crowcf absolute lie from start to finish. I was really surprised.” the vision of the electronic Abba and a desire to and its subsequent commercial acceptance. But being a pop star means being unable to escape do things even more people will like. But Mr On their most recent European tour. The Human the public eye or, the touring commitments. People go Oakey and indeed The Human League are riding League utilized the talents of a keyboardist known to to see bands “because they want to see the people who high on contradictions. Contradictions apparent the world as Mike. With their history of trial then make the records, they want to see what they look since the foundation of the band in 1977. induction, one wonders how many people will be like.” “I think bands are on stage no matter how While most Brits pinned their noses, spiked green swallowed in the band’s evolutional surge. But even with the kamakazi-styled conscription techniques good they are . . . I used to be very embarrassed at hair, pledged allegiance to anarchy and news of Sid having to use backing tapes which I thought were and Nancy took the daily’s front pages now reserved employed by Oakey to create Mark 11, he believes that the credits wouic icinain the same even if he had a cheating the public. Now we have a drum computer for Charles and Di, three young men were playing (read as A LINN) that we play live . . . I’m happy now creative electronic geniuses in a Sheffield front room year to get ‘the perfect band’ together. “I’d have exactly the same line-up, I love them. 1 think to be in a band that can have a good night or a bad with a Sony 2-track. According to one of them, Martyn night depending on whether people are playing Ware, “We had far less sophisticated equipment than they’re wonderful. I’m really surprised myself! We go on tour with just us and I think Great! If I wanted to have together well or not.” the average pub band.” All electronically yours, but it Adrian’s slide shows are an integral part of The was acts like , Orchestral Manouvres in the six friends in the world, here they are, which is amazing to me . . . I’m not a very sociable person. I’m a bit shy Human League’s stage presence. “He thinks it’s his job Dark and who charted during The Human to talk about the songs in the slides . . . Just him and League Mark 1’s comparatively unsuccessful career. and I don’t get along especially with groups of people — I’m really bad.” me own the name of The Human League anyway and “That wasn’t wonderful”. Ware told me during an Adrian there with his slides just adds a finishing touch. interview last year, “It’s hard to say why it was like that It’s all very spectacular.” because we struck on the idea before they did and “The reason I went with Adrian when the split came carried it through the idea in a more purist fashion than was because if he said he’d do something I knew he would do it. He never proved he could write a song or they did. Perhaps it was because we were too purist n the eve of tour, Oakey about it because we weren’t willing to compromise design a cover or anything . . . and now I’m in a band with six people who are just like that which I’m just almost breathes a sigh of relief. “I know we are finally towards public taste. We were more headstrong in coming, PROPERLY, which we’ve been trying .to do for those days I think — or more paranoid.” amazed at. There aren’t very many people you can depend on these days.” years and years now.” Any expectations of seeing In October 1980, on the eve of a contracted kangaroos hopping down the main streets? “Are there European tour, the original League short circuited. Ian “I would be loathe to upset the balance as it is now, my biggest worry in life is that the people in the group any?” No! “Oh dear, that’s a pity!” Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware colluded, employed “You don’t really have expectations. I just want to go vocalist Glenn Gregory and bassist John Wilson and might not be happy and might leave. I don’t know how I’d cope with that at all.” to as many places as possible and see what is there. I Heaven 17 became the first project of the British think it’s really interesting. It’s a pity I have to do Electric Foundation. Philip Oakey and Philip Adrian Trust within the corporation. But there’s reports of the bitchier side of League life. “We’ve all got a bit of a concerts at the same time but I’m stuck with that.” Wright remained partners and with do or die vengeance Other schemes for world supremacy include, of not only got, but kept, the show on the road. sense of humour at times, yes. We tend to be a bit evil with each other.” course, the follow up to ‘Dare’ and filmaking, an area in “I thought we were finished. I didn’t think we’d do which The Human League are already involved “to a anything ever again because Martyn and Ian wrote all very, very limited extent. For the last record we made a the music, well, almost all the music . . . We’d pick up w.hile Ian Burden “is much more to arty side”, Jo film video, despite the fact that the papers and they’d say ‘here are the talented Callis and Adrian Wright enjoy all things kitsch, comics, screamed their heads off and said, ‘god, you can’t geniuses who left The Human League, Phil and Adrian Jerry Anderson and Dr Who toys, bubble gum cards spend more than £10,000 on a video, it doesn’t make will disappear entirely, they’re useless — while Heaven and revel in the wonders of ’60’s sci-fi. sense’, we were determined to make it on 35mm film 17 will do fantastic, wonderful records and be which we ended up doing and" paying a lot of the everyone’s darlings’. And they’re still the presses If Philip Oakey couldn’t appeal to the masses through music he’d vvrite books. “My favourite writer is money ourselves. And it shows — it’s quality rather darlings . . . mind you, so are we . . . The critics in than cheap, horrible TV effects!” Britain like us a lot which is something which still Phillip K. Dick. He’s classed as a science fiction writer but he’s certainly not very much to do with science.” One experiment was colour coding of records. Red baffles me.” for the posers, for the Abba fans. “They could buy Barbed comments like Ware’s belief that the More speculative than scientific? “Yeah, it’s more really about the way people are and the way people sort of a new Human League record without even listening to difference between Heaven 17 and The Human League it. They’d know it would be of THAT quality and in line-up was talent, catalyzed ill feelings. “You’ve got to accept the world, or don’t. I’d quite like to write novels in that area but 1 don’t suppose I’d be anywhere near as THAT direction. I don’t think the message ever quite bear in mind I was very drunk at the time” giggled got across though . . . I don’t think anyone really takes Ware. But it’s much harder to remove a knife once the good as him though.” Pierced nipples are remants of a fleeting passion for any notice of it apart from me but it was MY idea AND blade’s right in. tribal jewellery. “I used to get books about Africans and I LIKE IT.” “I think they felt a bit embarrassed about having said “We were quite surprised to see records called ‘Red’ that when suddenly they realised they liked our I used to start piercing myself all over the place. I was going to have a set of scars but I don’t do that on the charts, yeah. The one after is The Human records” now reasons Oakey. anymore. I’m just a normal young man these days.” League 100 which baffles people a bit further. . . I Admitting that lip plates would make life difficult, “one think people like a bit of a mystery. I don’t think they little fantasy that the old Human League used to have want EVERYTHING on a plate. They want to think it I hey like it, the public loves it. , about it themselves and work out their own and there’s probably scores more vying was that we wanted rings around our necks, you know, like those African women do — six inches longer than interpretations of things. I think that’s the only way for top position. But don’t be fooled. What we have is everyone else. It would really surprise people when you people can accept things because obviously not not a new era of or the public en walked out on stage with necks like giraffe’s.” everyone’s the same but you can make different things masse coming to grips with its long existence. These Adrian Wright acknowledges his good times in for each person out of the one item.” bands aren’t “new” and their tools aren’t either. The ‘Things Dreams Are Made O f and accordingly Mr “Most people really want to have things presented to “purists” still collaborate to aurally elude the majority Oakey acknowledges Mr Wright as a TOTAL Ramones them. It’s like Devo said, freedom from choice is what but here we are dealing with the time honoured freak. “Since the split he’s been a bit more critical to you want, and it’s sort of true. I think people would like formulas of Pop. Pure, perfect pop music. the group and he’s had to stick around. We used to there to be only one TV channel so they didn’t have to “There’s this terrible thing in Britain that they have to lose him for weeks and then we’d look in the paper and think about turning it over.” have pop stars. It gets communicated to very young find the Ramones were on to u r. . . despite the fact he And finally. Dare. Dare to . . . kids that the people behind the records are more was a member of the group he’d be in Scotland selling “Well that was it really. Dare to admit you’re a pop important than the records.” As the new League’s third T-shirts for the Ramones. It’s a bit ridiculous really.” group rather than pretend you’re something clever and UK single, ‘Love Action/Hard Times' notched the No 3 Suzanne is “very, very fond of Japan”, Phil likes esoteric and arty.” position and earnt the band its first silver disc, one everyone. What a nice person! “Oh no, I like music. I Some people see that as a sell-out. week later the 1980 album, ‘Travelogue', followed suit. don’t necessarily like the people but I’m very, very fond “Some people do.” The 78 version of ‘ scaled the singles’ of music. So what am I doing to it you might ask — How does it feel to sell-out? charts and ‘Reproduction' picked up sales. well, I don’t know.” “It’s alright really. I quite like it.” Roadrunner 13 FAY WELDON: Pic WIIIYoung

Fay Weldon is an English novelist who was one of the star attractions of this year’s Adelaide Writers Week, held as part of the Adelaide Festival of Arts. Her novels, seven in all, are noteworthy for their exposure of the often sordid emotionai realities facing her characters in their everyday situations and relationships. Unlike a lot of contemporary fiction FAY WELDON there are no heroines, and certainly no heroes, in Fay Weldon’s novels. She lays bare the interaction between the sexes, concerning herself pre­ dominantly with her women’s actions and reactions. Her male characters are often pale shadows on the NOVEUST fringes of the action. The issues that she raises are nonetheless of undoubted importance to everybody, male and female. We interviewed Fay Weldon in her hotel room one Saturday afternoon during the Festival of Arts. She had just come from a (liquid?) lunch with a gentleman by Sally Mdntjve and Dmiald Robertson from The Age, and was definitely in an expansive mood. Reading her novels gave no hint of the warm, humorous and relaxed woman who held forth over the next hour and a half on topics such as literature.

14 Roadrunner not always pleasant. the media, sexual apartheid, the role of women in SM: How hard do you find it? FW: I don’t mind. SM: You’ve described yourself as a separatist rather than a society, the difference between male and female feminist. power, and a whole host of others. SM: Some sacrifice! FW: I mean I don’t. I mean so what? So what do you lose you FW: Oh no, not rather than a feminist. Well you see it varies Sometimes it was hard to equate the message with with which morning I I’m afriad. Living in my garden, know? Really it is, reaily. living in a caravan in my garden in Somerset is a feminist the manner of its delivery as she gleefully declared DR: Nothing to lose but your chains? . war on men with a twinkle in her eye. FW: There is nothing to lose but your chains, and if that man lesbian separatist you see, and this is terrific because you sort doesn’t like you, that man will, and if that child doesn’t care of know where it’s at, and she’s very very lucid about all these things and you begin to understand your position in relation for it, that child will. You win and you lose, but the fear of losing, the fear of risk is so great that most women would put to hers. She really is extreme. So while acknowledging the force of her argument, feeling nevertheless means in the end FW: 1 didn’t even set out to be a writer you see, I just set out up with sweeping the same room forever in case the next room’s worse. you take a rather milder view. Anyway she’s younger than me like anybody else to be a good wife and a good mother. so she should take a stronger view. You have to take shifts SM: What did you do wrong? What happened? SM: Are you interested in the response that men have to your you see, for real, proper, true idealogical living. FW: Where did I go wrong? It was some kind of general SM: And separatist? feeling that it was boring. That everybody sees the man in novels? FW: Separatist? Well you see, over here one feels inclined to their life as looming enormously large but when you look at FW: Not particularly. take a separatist view because everyone is so anxious that other peoples’ husbands they just seem like real people and SM: Do you get much response? everybody should be happy and live happily together and the when you look at your own, you see a kind of a title and you FW: Yes, they didn’t like Puffball. women are so anxious to be fairly strong while not realize that what you think Is absurd. And then you look at DR: I love Puffball. FW: But then you see, you’re OK. But you find that really aggravating men. your own children and you realize that actually what happens SM: Or too many men at one time. is they grow up into more people. There’s a kind of fantasy what you thought or worried about Puffball was that men FW: Or too many men at one time, so that at least there’s one you have and they don’t and you had better do something would not like all those descriptions of female interiors and menstruation and blood and all the . . . I think it fascinating, remaining in their bed, that you feel that there is perhaps a else. So you end up as a stand-up comic. slight lack of courage and that therefore you had better say DR: Where do you go from here? but what most men worry about is the description of their own, the interpretation of their own sexuality as being part of boldly you’re a separatist and that you believe in the separate FW: So where do you go from here? Yes, I don’t know. Why advancement for the two races, that is male or female. Which bother making a decision you see. I never decided to come to the generative process or procreation, or their dislike of seeing their sexual organs described or discussed as is sort of fascist South African view, which is certainly, being Australia, it was just a kind of combination of events. sexual apartheid, certainly going to get you into trouble. That SM: Were you coming to Australia for the writers’ residency? generative organs, or see themselves in the grip of a biological process which they had always allowed women to there is perhaps more dignity in women seeing themselves as FW: Oh no, I was asked to come for the Festival and that enemies of men, than women forever trying to make peace sounded wonderful. And they lure you here with promises, have but had never seen themselves as being part of the evolutionary drive. Women they could see, but themselves with men, when men simply go on as they always have been. like white wine, which they then quite clearly keep. As it’s a That an actual declaration of war might do more good in the long journey for two weeks, somebody suggested that I write they had difficulty in accepting. But I don’t think it matters. I mean I really don’t. / just feel that men have got to look after end. the Literature Board and see if they could give me a writer-in­ SM: Separatist in a political rather than personal sense? residency. Eventually I had a reply saying Tm sorry but your themselves. They have their own culture, they have FW: A separatist movement. IVIovement means that you in fact letter has taken five months to reach me’, (because my everything. They own everything, they run everything, they control everything, they have the media, they have everything. have to. I’m afraid, abandon your heterosexuality and that you secretary has not written airmail on it) and by that time you deal solely with women, that you write for womens’ have caused so much paperwork from protesting to all kinds Let them look after themselves. If they complain I’m unfair — too bad, you see. Let them look after themselves is my view. magazines, you have women accountants, doctors, friends, of people because you’ve had no reply, that you couldn’t everything, and that you live as entirely female as you can, in possibly not do it. And by then the Institute (as I believe it’s SM: In Puffball there were elements of mysticism and power and witchcraft. Are they based on traits that are in women or order to set up for generations to come, another sort of state called in a rather Kafkaesque sense) in Sydney has said come which is equal but separate, to which women living in an all and do it and the whole thing was organised. In the meantime is it just male superstition? FW: Of course they are. The power. . . There’s a peculiar female society can see that they have a dignity and a choice I had started writing a film for Margaret Fink on Christina and a life which means that they’re never second class Stead, “For Love Alone", and all things combined together, so . . . The novel I’ve just written is about male power and female power, and male power is actually weapons, is citizens. that’s why I’m here. But again, not from any actuai act of will SM: How far do you go? or decision or plan. Most of my friends who lead controlled technology, is bugging devices, is guns, is this extraordinary frivolous surface power which is to do with material FW: I mean. I’m just a bad sister you see. I’m afraid that I can lives seem to do a great deal worse than those few who live see all this rationally as something which somebody might uncontrolled lives in fact. technology which is used against women, who have another kind of power.... want. SM: The work that you’ll be doing in NSW, are you looking at SM: Do you see yourself in the transition period? that as a break . . . SM: You think they do? FW: Yes, I think that is true. I think men are really actually FW: Well I just think I’m too old. Thank God! I just ’m FW: Oh yes. hopelessly conditioned and it’s not my fault. SM: . . . or as work? decorative. But they have these weapons which they play around with and put out. And women pretend. You think SM: You’re married, you have four sons as well. Do you have FW: It is work. It is actually quite difficult. to hide them all away? SM: What does a writer-in-residency do exactly? sometimes women pretend to be decorative, when really they know quite well that the real generative human power is theirs FW: Yes I do and I feel very apologetic about them. It’s kind FW: Well I don’t know. I suppose you actually try and explain of an affliction to have sons, to be heterosexual by nature, the process of what the students are doing or trying to do. and males are just sort of fecundating agents to be used and disposed of at wili. which turns you into a bad sister and makes you apologetic Whether you can teach anybody to write I’m not convinced. I to your own sisters. just told the man who runs the Institute today, that anybody SM: What about the actual style you write in. It isn’t flowing, it could write a novel in eight weeks, so that all his students jars. Is that unconscious or do you try and do something would be expected to have a novel finished by the time I left, that’s in keeping with what you’re writing about? publishable or non-publishable, and we’re going to have none FW: You don’t try, but it is in keeping by the time you’ve of this thought or introspection or you know . . . However, “Unless women have that economic settled down into a particular novel, a particular style or got it the personal journalism that passes for novel writing at the independence, nothing can happen.” going, then the style and the substance are much the same. moment, I think anybody should be able to do in eight weeks. SM: What about your new novel? How are you doing that And since they’re publishable, I hope to get at least sixteen one? books or novels out before I leave. FW: What, the one I started yesterday? DR: All dedicated to yourself? SM; That new? FW: Yes of course. SM: Something we’ve touched on already is the disparity FW: Oh, I wrote the first page and second page. No, I’ve got DR: Nice one Fay! Fay Weldon’s series of Australian another one, but that’s a you know, one of these mountain between men and women. Do you believe that men are Literature . . . peaks you have to climb, which is fairly umm . . . it’s becoming more peripheral to women, are more women FW: Why not? It really has so changed, the whole View of probably disastrous actually. people toward literature, toward books, the whole base has coming to see it like that due to financial independence? FW: I think mostly everything is economic. I think everything DR: Have you had a novel knocked back? changed so much. I mean it has to here because the FW: No I haven’t, but I live in the expectation. No, this next in living is. If you support yourself away from home, away television is so rotten, reading has to be an alternative to one I’m trying to write will be so unlike any of the others that from your father’s house, away from your mother’s house, television. Unfortunately in Britain, the television is so good they may well draw back and say we’ll publish it under away from a boyfriend or a husband’s house, then you that people would rather watch television than read books. someone else’s name or something. It’s called ‘Life and Loves choose what you do. Unless you have that economic Here, you’re going to have to produce, very rapidly, a great of a She-devil’. independence nothing, nothing can happen. And once you quantity of novels in order to take the place of television. SM: Oh it’s not. are economically independent you perceive the truth of the FW: Yes it is. matter, which is that men are basically irrelevant to womens’ SM: Horrible. I wouldn’t pick it up. Hope it’s got a good cover. lives and they’re a sort of optional extra, which is the truth FW: You see what I mean. anyway. This must sound terrible to you? DR: What is your opinion of what happened at the banquet DR: Not at all. last Saturday, with the art-rock band. Speedboat? Did you . . most women would put up with FW: Then you joining as equals or by choice rather than by agree with them being taken off the stage? any kind of necessity or social pressure. So you’re not kind of sweeping the same room forever in case the FW: Oh yes totally. As I explained to them, they were too advocating peace or happiness, but merely more trouble . . . good to be accepted by the bourgeoisie. And I really think, next room’s worse.” Strife and discontent. had they gone on gently with Rudolph The Red-Nosed SM: Well it’s more exciting. Reindeer or something like that and then gone into later what FW: Yes, it’s exciting. It’s life. It’s just not a kind of dreary they wanted to do, nobody would have noticed the transition, compromise, a quick wasting away of the female person the bourgeoisie would not have been apartheid, they would which is motherhood and old age with nothing in between. have played what they wanted to play and they would have DR: Over the last, say fifteen years, there’s been quite an SM: Your women are a fairly tatty lot in many ways, a made a few recruits. (This is the kind of typical, soft liberal explosion of female novelists. There’s yourself, Margaret combination of power and affliction. approach that I’m giving you, you see, which is compromise Drabble, Iris Murdoch, Erica Jong etc. Why do you think that FW: Yes, sort of masochistic. Drifting along, walking in order to make your point). They of course, feel the need to explosion has happened? .wounded. But then women are likiS that. go charging, and if you’re going to go charging, they’ll come FW: Because until the last fifteen years, writing was SM: That’s what you see? down and slap you down. I think they were very sensible to dominated by men who wrote into their novels a fantasy of FW: Women do appear to be walking wounded, behaving react as they did. As somebody said ‘Cold hate for four days female existence, and women spent their lives in a kind of extremely valiantly in the face of intolerable sacrifices, making and for four days in South Australia is a real misery, wondering why they weren’t like the people they read little energetic forays out into the world which is going to slap achievement. . .’. I think they’re a very good band, but then about in mens’ books. And in fact the reason was because them down next day. But that’s all right, it’s all good times what is a very good band doing there? Really? So what kind they were male fantasies — nothing to do with women — and reaily. of connection do they think they can possibly have? With when women felt free to write about the actual condition, they SM: You have a lot of crises in your novels. another generation? Really, that’s what it amounts to. And began to identify and so began to read, and the more readers FW: Well bad news is good fiction. that saxophonist — I think he’s brilliant. the more writers and so forth. So it is a real explosion of SM: Do you find that in your own life — crisis after crisis? communication and occasionally literature — not necessarily. FW: Yes The writers you offer — I’d fit them into different categories. SM: I’m beginning to understand why! Margaret Drabble writes out of the male tradition of the novel FW: No, a crisis a day is what I like. although she centres her characters, her novels on women. It DR: Do you feel that with your novels you’re articulating is still a very unrevolutionary view, I mean an actual view, a problems rather than attempting to provide answers? “There is perhaps more dignity in women descriptive view rather than an inventive view of women. Doris FW: Well I would like to think there’s an answer or two. I just Lessing was the first, was the most extraordinary influence, in think it’s not a novelists function to provide answers, I don’t seeing themselves as enemies of m en. . .” that she changed with The Golden Notebook from the earlier think it’s anybody’s function to provide answers really. No, novels which were what was expected of women. Which were you hope to entertain and inform and enlighten to a certain sensitive and responsive and reactive and nice stories and extent incidentally, and if people become conscious of what’s you could agree with them. With The Golden Notebook, from happening in their lives then that seems to me to be a step such a little thing you were suddenly free. If she had written forward, then they can do what they want. Very often they about womens’ menstruation, it was possible for other women have no choice, they go on doing what they’ve always done, SM: Which of what you’ve told us is lies? to write about it. Once it is possible to write about that the but to get some entertainment from it or realize they’re not FW: Well I can’t remember now. No, most of it is true. I mean whole area of female writing suddenly changes and opens up alone or to simply know what is happening to them, then it most of it is a version of the truth, beyond which actually and women are then free to write the truth or invent or seems to me to be better to live like that than living in a kind what can we hope for? And I suppose, the only thing one describe as they wish to. of masochistic stupor really, putting up with things which are wishes to lie about really, is not one’s view on art, literature or SM: Novels such as yours leave one feeling uneasy. They display not definable or feeling alone and that everybody else doesn’t the rest of it, but one’s personal life. When somebody says women as being central and yet as soon as you put the book feel the same thing too. ‘How long have you been married to Ray . . .?’ who is down it’s the same situation again. SM: Do you write from experience? somebody I've never heard of, the answer can only be twenty- FW: 1 know. It is always just an act of will with women you see, FW: No, I make it up. You have to make it up or you have no eight years. And I have these three little girls, Jilly, Hilly and they’re only not central because they’ve decided not to be central. friends. I do think novelists ought to make things up. Milly. And they were triplets! And I had them in 1977 and I You have to be prepared to make a sacrifice of being central, Honestly, I promise you, I make it up. I invent these people don’t say much about them because I actually had to farm which is you have to forego your nice quiet easy life. You have to and I invent their lives you see. I can’t invent feelings because them out and I wished them to be brought up in a feminist forego the good opinion of men, you have to forego a certain area everybody shares them, so you have to have the feelings in commune and that’s where they are now. It’s rather nice, you of your sexual life, you have to being looked after. You order to know what they’re like. You have to keep your own have to give up all these things. life fairly active in order to keep the feelings going, which is become a mother of seven.

Roaditinner 15 not this but rather a look at what it means to be an individual unable to adhere to the norm in a highly principled society like nineteenth century England and in the modern world. It is concerned with difference. Sarah Woodruff or Tragedy as she is also known cannot conform to the codes of her society and even allows herself to be branded the French Lieutenant’s whore (she is in fact a virgin), to mark herself as different and consequently give herself greater freedom. She is not a prostitute and she is not insane but she is also not a spirit that can be at home in the strictures of Victorian society. She voices her envy of women that can follow the codes of norm set down for them (or perhaps just are ‘normal’ i.e.; have no exceptional The French Lieutenant’s Woman abilities (additional explanation for volatile feminists) I haven’t read the book by John Fowles on both as Sarah in the nineteenth century and as the actress who plays her in modern day England. She is a which the movie is based so my appraisal of the talented artist and an individual in both societies. film does not include comparisons between the This theme naturally has connotations concerning two. Unfortunate, as it may have enlightened my men’s and women’s roles in societies, the relationships Freedom opinion of the film. Briefly, it is about two women between men and women as a result and other (Director. Scott Hicks. Producer Matt Carroii. and two men, the latter mainly because they hang connected notions such as lust, love, wild eyed romance etc. The two stories run fairly parallel and Music by Don Waiker) and squirm palely and incessantly about the main female characters. A play within a play device is serve to compare and contrast all of the A thin film. Thin on plot, thin on aforementioned ideas and more. Though none of these characterization, and despite the starring role of a used with Meryl Streep playing the Victorian heroine ‘Sarah Woodruff (the French Lieutenant’s is played on heavily and what I saw as the main idea is silver Porsche, rather thin on action. perhaps purely personal opinion but it did strike me The topic is promising enough — unemployed youth woman) as well as the actress who plays this (Objectively) as being the main river from which the (Jon Blake) goes through a succession of dead end character and correspondingly Jeremy Irons other ideas acting as tributaries branched. jobs, all the while fantasizing about the good life (Silver playing the Victorian hero ‘Charles Smithson as The script is laced with double meanings. The Porsche with beautiful female passenger). When the well as the character who plays this character. The colouring in some of the scenes is striking. Streep’s red opportunity, rather unbelievably falls into his lap to two stories, set in their respective periods, alternate hair and ivory china complexion are stunning in actually get his hands on the wheel of the S.P., he with carefully timed and placed switchings from themselves but skilfully combined with harmonious heads off down the South Eastern freeway out of one to the other. Not only does it have novelty natural colours such as dark greens and wood coloured Adelaide, picking up young beautiful hitchiker (Jad value (which isn’t saying much for it) but is ^ browns, the effect is amplified. Though it never steps Capeija) en route. illustrative of ideas in the film and adds to ifs outside pleasant and tasteful. The screenplay is by Once the fantasy is realised however there’s nowhere harold Pinter and some of the scenes are pure Pinter for the film to go, except round and round in circles fleeting nature. and are superb. He is after all, in my unhumble opinion, (with some picturesque Adelaide Hills scenery as a The film is a highly structured collection of opaque one of the great playwrights of our time. It is I agree backdrop). There’s no real tension developed as the ideas attired with visual beauty and dramatic artistry. I with Jennings “a slickly turned, superbly produced police net closes in on the two runaways. There’s no use the words opaque and fleeting because the ideas affair”. It is also a commercial venture and the whole development of the two characters or their relationship, are not explored in any great depth and the artistic thing suffers from it slightly, with tiresome lingering and as the film drags on to its conclusion one is left elements are not heavy or over played. The characters, looks between the stars etc. It would be interesting to wondering, what’s the point? With the opportunity to for example, are not portrayed as individuals but as see what would have been produced if commercial tackle the socially important question of youth types. The aristocratic girl who Charles Smithson plans viability was not a consideration. But like everything employment, something that ’s ‘Mouth to to marry, before he runs off agog after his more else in the film, the commercial element is not heavy or Mouth' achieved effectively, ‘Freedom’ had the potential kindred soul Sarah, is quickly painted in her Victorian overbearing and appears as just another piece of the to be a film relevant to today. Alternatively if the car home with it’s small flowered wallpaper, conservatory blasted picture. stunts had been laid on heavier, then it might have and lace, seemingly randomly splayed. Her clothes and The most memorable moment is in a scene set in appealed to a Mad Max fan. As it is, ‘Freedom’ is an her occupations, archery in a tailored garden on a contemporary England where Streep and Irons are uneasy hybrid of the two. sunny afternoon, set her up without character as a rehearsing a part of the period story. Streep in her Jad Capeija brings a degree of warmth and humanity representation of the typical young lady of marriagable modern day clothes and hairstyle has been giggling to the aimless teenage runaway while Jon Blake is age from a rich family in Victorian England. All the after a lighthearted first attempt at the scene when she merely competent in the male role, but both characters characters including the main ones are portrayed in this suggests to her co-star to try it again, the next second are so two dimensional that it would take actors of sketchy way. In the same light that it doesn’t create she turns to look at the camera and she is Sarah quite exceptional capabilities to do anything with them. characters of individual timbre, the ideas about, vyhat Woodruff, the camera moves quickly to Irons who Don Walker’s music is an interesting and often effective generally comes down to social ethics, are only lightly supports the effect with his transformation into Charles adjunct to the action, but as it is mainly instrumental dealt with. And consequently there is x amount of room Smithson. The metamorphosis is overwhelming. and underpinning, doesn’t really add or subtract from left for interpretation and speculation. Streep, her beauty and acting ability and Pinter, his the film’s overall worth. I was absolutely astounded to read Terry Jenning’s intelligence pervading scenes and language provide the A reasonable travelogue for Adelaide and the Hills, (Advertiser 28th) evaluation of the theme of the story as best recommendations to see the film. but a good feature film, ‘Freedom’ is not. more or less “straightforward stories of love lost and found”. The main theme of the story is glaringly C. Kelly Donald Robertson (CLARRY BUTTROSE IS A BRILLIANT WRITER, A SOMETIMES LETHAL THE MEN ARE BACK CRITIC,-AND A POET I ADVISE YOU TO READ.” DONALD ROBERTSON, “Roadrunner,55 a Larry Buttrose is very conscious of conteniporary Australian life, and gifted at the } definition of it . . . undeniably strong poems.55 John GriSin, “The Advertiser55

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16 Roadrunner

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Roadrunner 17 ‘Government Drums’ *— Central Club Hotel, Melbourne

Meeting the beat then setting it The Dagoes straight, smoothing its groove, loosening its hold then collecting all The Screaming Believers three and twining them tight into a Burnside Town Hall, sound: a rhythm; a rhythmic punch with sideways syncopation. Daring. Adelaide. Well held. Not stretching too far but It sounded great. A five keeping the reins taught, the heels band line-up (unfortunately I greased, the attentions tensile and the missed Chequers, Urban diversions naught. Guerillas and the Pins), free Captured live. Tamed shrewdly. Then flexi-disc with every ticket, letting it loose in the vacant confines of a the ‘official’ launch of Greasy pulsing corwd, a wrapt few — looking for Pop Records (previously a injection and revelling in the subjective purely Dagoes Phenome­ protection which a governing drum is non) and a pretty reasonable beginning to encapsulate — more than sort of venue with a bar. just an allusion. Time is getting close: the Unfortunately the Dagoes crunch is dipping its way over the horizon. A veritable old montage of cross roads blew it. and stepping stones is approaching. All But the good news first. This available and suspendable. Could be new. was the first time I’d seen the Listen closely. Screaming Believers really work Past finds, old bases include ‘Remain in a big stage with a big P.A. and Light’ — nevertheless, sounds like its in impressive lighting. Rising to the throes of being discarded. Drums are the occasion, they really fired. too wild; drumming too fragile for that The Believers have been honing pigeon hole. Singing and dancing, a sway their act down at the Union with eyes shut soon becomes a twist with Hotel for over twelve months What a shame it was then drummer Turk Nancarrow was of the songs to aural sludge. eyes squeezed then jiving with mouth now, and they have an enviable when the Dagoes shambled thrashing the skins with gay The only song that really open — no doubt this combo is a dance sense of dynamics coupled with out and out power. They also onstage just after midnight and abandon, but the 3 , bass worked was ‘Frenchette’ where floor favourite, an open invitiation and a started hitting things and mak­ and keyboards settled into a the guitars shut up and let caring stimulation. Art or art: rippling have some damn good songs, the strength of which is only ing buzzing noises. The crowd, monotonous chord thrash that Richard delight us with his loosely. A go-cart\ a motley mixture of thugs, lumbered into the crowd like a never less than superb voice. Speed away with a second guitar hinted at by their recently released live E.P. I found it a bikies, schoolkids, hippies and tipsy steamroller. With Mr. Cant resigning after careering open endedly with drumming shame therefore that their set the Union Hotel crowd (the The choice of material was the gig, and Lucy/Lily Pointless patterns that twinkle like stars: romance continues to hinge on covers. Believers are SUV’s adopted rather bewildering. All the new departing too, the question of and hard light and definitive tremble. A ’s ‘Transmission’ band) reacted with a distinct songs sounded the same — whither Daoges? is a moot one. front man, Willie Zygier, with a voice apart (they really cook up a lack of enthusiasm. Perhaps terrible — and even the old A retreat into the safe haven of becoming its own, like the band’s, but storm with that), the inclusion they sensed the debacle that classics like ‘Blood On My Face’ past tense cult obscurity, or with a dubious mouth — y’know, a rock of hoary old chestnuts like was about to follow . . . and ‘It’s You’* failed to rise above another reshuffle — band aids and roll star by his own proclamation? ‘Shake Some Action’ and With a new bass player even the average. for a battered and bruised Silly, but he does try and wallpaper a ‘Steppin’ Stone’ is unnecessary older and more grizzled looking The Dagoes have their own ideal? Unpalatable options for mood which is fine being grainy — boards and indeed potentially than the rest of the band and internal chemistry and when it the Adelaide rock mafia . . . but stained with and a heart shocking damaging, particularly as they another guitarist (bringing the combines correctly, the results they have bounced back from sheen. Tight? you wait! You listen. You’d are placed at the end of the set. total up to three) they lurched can be magic. They’ve always lower profiles than this. I’m better! Quibbles aside, the Believers into ‘Vatican Stomp'. Vocalist suffered from severe certainly not game to say this is The government has been elected have passion and honesty and Richard Cant, stunningly pretty, unpredictability though, and the last we’ll see of Tony Rome though votes still aren’t incoming. I’m are one of the few bright spots if a little overdressed tonight, hit tonight they were way off beam. and Co. waiting. They’re waiting. This band has in moribund Adelaide. his straps immediately, and The guitar choir levelled most had one heavy head start to a race full of Donald Robertson contestants that have little and do even less with it. This band is out to utilize, out to energize — unashamed of technical ^cting^tTstage^sl

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have certain footfooling beginning their set. Oh inflections that would yes the word ‘set’ is totally Pel Mel never deny a connection with the sort of music you inappropriate in this Lunatic Fringe dance to, I dance to, context. If I didn’t tell you heck, they dance to. Use they probably would have. it. Oh dear. Having moved Trade Union Club, So the night picked up away from the silken musak stylings that their Sydney . Pel Mel’s uplifting spiral had set the early performances Surprise. A weekend scene for that precious highlighted. The Dead bill with potential at gang of hitsters, the ailing Travel Fast have begun to The Trade Union Club, failing Swingers, complete founder in a pool of that ramshackle ppkie with their new boy in the dissonant, raucous and partisan late night limelight, whose timely nervousness. They hope desertion from the to confront, confound and watering hole. Despite contradict, but their effect all the guff you’ve heard wretched NZPop-ship deserves applause. Not is far less. Their tedious about the place, you knowing whether I’d be rattlings and moanings know — the only assaulted by crisp, young seem to merely push an decent inner city venue and fresh faced pop or audience into a coma or a left for these click ageing hackneyed playlist conversation, or both. On clacks to call home (I rock'n’old, I stuck around. the night The Dead Travel do live around the A few more rums, a little Fast were furious and corner, let it not be idle chit chat organizing a faulty: their transmission crackled and creaked, but forgotten), etc etc, the later dash “as soon as we see a few it just led nowhere. The acts they have been songs” from The noises never connected booking lately have Swingers. But Jesus, I hit together, the overall been staid and that nightclub not a scheme of things seemd strangely static; a run second too soon! pointless. Pucker up Dead of bores and boo hoos, The Swingers swung Travellers, scraps of just those parading from a beam on the sound aren’t THAT mainstream toffs. So, as ceiling, a rancid corpse of interesting. I say, it was a surprise power-plop parading as The night beat on. Yah peepshow poop. Yes, Yah Choral (the only to see two nights of folks, this charade is on reason I was really here, apparent interest at the its last legs (knees). Pity standing on one leg, joint. too. They write catchy getting tired) have grown Friday’s bill seems songs, construct from the ashes of The Tablewaiters, Sardine, Ldughing sounds with words. Ladeez & Gentlemen: curious: the unknown admirably dynamic Systematics, that mutant the Laughing Clowns! quantity of Lunatic Fringe, choruses, dress oh so pop trio whose brief flurry Clowns This is what I suggest. Everybody who the surefire bottom end sharp, even had a neat of infamy has only Paddington Town Hall, Sydney shares this broad opinion should censor pop of Pel Mel and the light show. AND I couldn’t recently ended. The main the following blurb by omitting all -knows what rock have cared less. Lead the appeal of The Systematics naty, cheap, farcical adjectives and nouns. inversion of The way, dear friends. lay in the stage bonhomie Alright, alright. So the time has Then maybe it might be that much clearer Swingers. From down­ of mainman Patrick come when bands no longer aspire to stairs I could tell that this Gibson whose all round play a certain type of music — let no The night was a celebration of the bill could well turn , good guy scamp man (woman or journo) dare to so release of the album: “Mr Uddich could quite easily Splendid Mess presence contrasted much; as delicately hint at a particular Schmuddich Goes to Town”, and a means nosedive. But somewhat The Dead Travel Fast starkly with the snide distinction of style, for fear of creating of achieving the money to support the charged up my forways Yah Yah Choral viruosity of guitar-lick- monstrous complications in the mind Birthday Party in England. into the world of Lunatic pedant Micheal Filewood. Responding happily to an entranced Fringe were foreboding. The Same Yah Yah Choral now of that petulant child named egomania audience, they literally blew into a set of Not having seen this consist of Patrick, Fiona (nee paranoia). searingly emotive sounds. Sax and bunch before, but already (bass synth player in This is a serious situation! Reputations dominated with a magnificent suspecting the worst after Systematics, now synth are at stake! It all makes sense, really. brittleness: pushed, pulled and driven up, exposure to their woeful And on into the second twirler and vocalist) and Think of it. “New Order to share equal over, the blistering minefield of crackling demo on 2JJJ, I was night. Another night in Micheal Tee on guitar and billing with !” If it’s all the same, guitar, bottomless trenches of the interested to see just what this place, eeek. Well this synth. The Yah Yahs anything’s possible. relentless power spilling pulse of drums, it was I had missed, and time the bill seemed more played breezy, sneezy Obviously the music business is trying and electric stupor of a soaking double just what it was that Mr predictable, if the snap-crackle-and pop, the awfully hard to emulate the delightful bass. And yet, the shades are subtle, Overalls George Wayne products of the M^ label kind that tingles and conformity that the rest of the world rising, falling, negative and positive had uncovered. can be called that. At twitches. Patrick yodells, wallows in . . . meeting, clashing, spurning the intricacy Well, the truth is, they’re least it seemed a Fiona trills, their tunes In keeping with this state of affairs, I’m of the spontaneous. not much chop. At best consistent bill: no held together with fishing not going to say that the Tablewaiters Ed Kueppers’ vocals have improved they play rabid heavy kneejerks between bands, line and chewing gum. A played an irresistably simple combination slightly from when I last saw the Clowns, metal (at best did I say — no ideological issues at wondrous slightness. Yah of strong, interlaced melodies, haunted by but the slurred sloppiness remains. urgh!) which pulses, stake. But that’s just how Yah Choral pull their a resonant whip of drumming and the Flatness that induces visions of the screams, convulses and it SEEMED from the punches superbly. A moody mannerisms of their lead vocalist. Nullabor Plain . . . grinds etc. At worst they outside. Once the show restrained muddle of a And there’s no way I’d be tempted to But to be fair, Kuepper did manage to strangle themselves with was on the road it show, these three offer the opinion that they sounded like an sound respectable on “Come one, come motifs, and dawned on me how scarecorws scuttled entirely believable combination of Joy all”, a song daringly close to the epitome dingey Studdert-soul- different these bands are through a fine floorshow Division meets MEO 245 — without the of a steamy blues ballad: that is, before it bludgeoning. It isn’t very from each other, how of pap, pip and pop. Pity pressures of imminent self-destruction. swirled off in a sudden fusion of white hot convincing, there are even their only connection lies about the audience, They just played music, O.K? /rock. better things to do in in comradship, pride and though. Backslapping ran Next on (line up for more MUSIC, ladies We all realise that Laughing Clowns are other parts of the club. invention, on being on riot. and gentlemen) Sardine. No problems not caught up in the average sobriety- Still doing two Joy that side of the street, And finally The Same. here. No style to even think of safety-security triangle that forces most Division covers, boys? together. The bill. A misnomer in this bill, catergorizing. Life’s far too short to be bands to keep within already covered What discrimination! Splendid Mess, The Dead they certainly didn’t show wasting on garbage like this. Emotionless territory. They’re calling (and blowing) a Much later, as the Travel Fast, Yah Yah more of the kind of charm untreated sewage. Just bad music, ya tune of their own, but all the same, the T.U.C. ceremony Choral and The Same of the Yah Yahs. Oh No! know? music is not beyond description. unfolded, a spirited Pel represent the core of the Theirs is a torturous form Now to the group with the But if the fine distinctions — Mel flew into view. M^ stable, a combination of exoticism. A aforementioned attitude towards propaganda of thought — aren’t needed, Despite some of the flak of the personnel whose roughshod, noisy, hard irresponsible writers who seem to need thankyou very much. Laughing Clowns this ensemble have energies have driven the rockin’, lip bitin’, when imaginative metaphors — a reasonable just play good music . . . collected of late, those label out of the cupboard men were men and amount of imagery — to try and create influence-obsessed and into the public view. guitars sounded like Linda Campbell critiques, they played a Not that all the above guiutars bunch of sods. magnificent set of mentioned bands actually The Same made The sprightly songs. Their deserve the scrutiny. I Dead Travel Fast sound appeal lies in their sense, missed Splendid Mess (or exquisite. The Same N.S.W. Tours: and their dancefloor was it Scattered Order, no squeeze so precariously integrity: their audience one could tell me) due to into the M^ box, that their ferretting around in other beerguts hang over the Troggs - March/April hummed, and cheered and and fell over. establishments and ho­ lid. A fitting end to a It was informal, it was dadding with alcohol weekend of T.U.C. effective. A scramble over elsewhere. I wasn’t too difficultness, diffidence FLYERS bumbling feet. Phew. disappointed: their brand and indiscretion. I took HARDCASE New songs crept up of improvisational the hint. Oh yes. I’ve got a JEFF ST. JOHN’S ASYLUM and sneaked away. mayhem often turns into a badge now. Tantalising. Old songs melee of conflicting NEON SPYS seemed faster, tighter and indulgences. But tonight Tim McGee PECULIAR CLERK more alive: witness the my spies gave me good RADIO ON encore of Water, a rapid reports. As I arrived The RAMS streak of pleasure. Pel Mel Dead Travel Fast were cordon bleu SPEED LIMIT 5th Floor, 140 Arthur St., STRAIGHT AHEAD North Sydney, 2060 SWEET POISON P.O. Box 1626, Nth Sydney. TH E M EDIA T.M.G. TOTAL FIRE BAND 4361688 VIGNETTE

Roadninner 19 t a 4 * i 4 9 4 a f . f f f p 4 20 Roadrunner New Order formed this opinion because of the Movement undeniable Springsteen sound on Gary’s 1981 Dedication LP, the (Factory 50) enclosed album — a compilation of singles recorded in the late sixties and Don’t envy New Order. They carry, early seventies — will prove that Gary through no fault of their own, the lead- U.S. Bonds Anderson is one of the weight of the Joy Division myth most creative, dynamic, and soulful around their necks. Thanks to the singers ever recorded.” press Joy Division have become a As you can see from this excerpt, the legend. In years to come albums will cover notes that adorn the rear end of this be compared to ‘Closer’ in the same recently released import album don’t way ‘Closer’ was being compared and exactly suffer a speech impediment when it comes to praise for the recently re­ hailed along side such classics as activated Gary Bonds. Indeed, in the ‘Strange Days’ and ‘The Velvet grand tradition of committed souls, they Underground And Nico’. New Order get right down there and testify for the have to contend with their past — defence with a remarkably persuasive their much applauded, never forgotten, argument. legendary past. For people like me who were both It’s hard to review this album without astonished and delighted by the forceful referring to Joy Division. It’s a Factory coherence of last year’s Springsteen and the sinister Half Past One are all with a handshake”). Or “ The Landing", record (just look at the cover), Martin induced comeback album, the sudden drawn from Flow’s predecessor. Landed, which has the same jungle beat slowed Hannett is producing, Peter Seville appearance of Certified Soul, and the arguably the last powerful album of the down for its space odyssey into some designing and Garrod and Lofthouse exceptional calibre of the material old Can school which they released. “thin grey haze of chemical fumes”. This Limited printing — just like the old days. contained within, insists upon a similar Call Me is a slightly spaced out song one turns out to be much more than However, to review this objectively and to outburst of enthusiasm. from . standard SF. It has a way of carrying you give New Order a fair go. I’ll try not to Even though it’s so obvious that Bonds All other tracks are drawn from the all the way along to the traveller’s bitter refer to you know who. should have pursued an active recording double album Unlimited Edition, never self-realisation as it builds from its quiet After the myth had been created the career during the late 60’s soul boom, released here, a compilation of unreleased eerie opening to a glorious quavering remaining members of Joy Division most of us had no way of knowing that he cuts from 1975 back to Can’s primaeval finale. disappeared. Would they split or actually did. origins in the swamps of 1969. More everyday in its regrets is (Dearest continue? They resurfaced with the name Until, that is. Rhino Records chose to Gomorrah is possibly the most Friend) “Have a Heart", but this one is still New Order and with the name came much assemble this collection of independently interesting of these cuts, a ratchety sidle unsettling because of its peculiar mixture debate over the fascist nature of it. When produced rarities which (to again pay through timeworn labyrinths, no end in of jittery percussion, flowing percussion, it quietened down they released, from the homage to the zealous album cover sight and the journey’s beginning and spectral keyboards/synths. Joy Division repertoire ‘Ceremony’. An publicist) “compare very favourably to the forgotten. Mother Upduff is a Zappaesque To accompany these strange songs are ethereal song with a lilting instrumental , , Sam and fable about an Italian outing undertaken a few left-field instrumentals, “ The Gate", intro and Albrecht’s soft, fragile vocals Dave, Atlantic/Stax sound of the same by a bourgeois Dusseldorf family, while “Instincticide", and “Disenchanted". above the melodic rhythm provided by era.” The Empress and the Ukraine King With all of these, you get the impression Hook and Morris — it was an excellent All the songs here were co-written and remains as obscure as its title and the they got stuck on the name (or the joke) introduction to New Order. produced by the legendary r & b dial band itself. E.F.S. No 36, closing the first and invented the music second. ‘Everything’s Gone Green’ was released twiddler Swampdogg (a.k.a. Jerry Williams album, is a sort of slowly jogging blues. Indeed, “Disenchanted” is so minimalist it to mixed reactions — some said it was the Jr.) and were released on his labels in an If you haven’t heard Can, this album is a doesn’t get much past its name. But most positive sounding record they’d done attempt to overcome the mainstream good taste. I would prefer to hope that it “Instincticide" is more to the point with its while others said it was boring and business assumption that because Bonds means Can’s two interim albums — not to rubbery percussive beat, frog-voice lead unoriginal. I believe it was the former. This had faded out after his initial 60’s success mention the solos by and guitar, and furtive running interludes. And was a dance song, you can move to it. he was, therefore, commercially and — are likely to see “The Gate" even manages to paint lovely Australian release before long. Or failing Then in December 1981 ‘Movement’ was musically redundant. pictures, of stumbling on some ancient that, if not even better, a new album. released. It’s not a great album — there Given the verve and soulfullness that gate or temple with its long brass are some good songs and some poor Bonds displays here, it’s impossible to serenades and distant animal calls. — Span ones — but it can’t be dismissed as conceive how anyone in an industry The most vivid pictures of all are those mediocre or spiritless. which was ostensibly inclined toward of “No Hiding" and “Blow a Kiss", which Some of the good songs could’ve been black soul could ever formulate such a may be the best ones lyricist Richard in the same league as ‘Ceremony’ and foolish opinion. Conning has written in this half-whimsy various Joy Division singles but they As it is, this collection provides an half-fantasy style. “No Hiding” sounds aren’t, simply because the production essential companion to all those justly oddly like Byrds “Draft Morning", a soft stifles their development. Instead of being famous early hits like and The Lines nighttime beat and half-dreams of imaging a classic song they remain good or A Quarter To Three (which have just been Therapy “all the windows smashing inwards, ordinary. The production just drowns out resurrected and compiled under the (Red Records through Fresh nobody left to lament”. “Blow a Kiss” is monnicker of Greatest Hits by the English just a treat as it moves languidly through the good ideas. In ‘The Him’ a dull tension Records) is created through the collison of drums, label, Ensign Records) and contributes on its running bass line and pretty guitars and keyboards. Initially the sound toward a more informed critical approach chiming interludes, from the hot flush of is harsh, forceful and ominous but it ends to the Dedication album. This item was released in UK “blow me a kiss, tie it to my wrist” to the up being rather ponderous and dreary. And it’s the latter achievement in November 1981 to follow up 4-5 escape “ in a helium balloon, into the Also it’s hard to hear Albrecht’s vocals particular about which the distributors of evening singing “Ciair de Lune” . this record appear particularly insistent. singles over 1979-81. It’s probably good “therapy” to write above the mix. This isn’t the only song You don’t read a lot about this London where the vocals are virtually My copy features a large silver sticker on down these pictures, and better therapy to the shrink wrap which proclaims with band. Their reliance on an unusually , listen. This is a sly and pretty album, with indistinguishable. In ‘Senses’ and ‘Chosen insidious style and vidid but undermixed Time’ the vocals are hard to pick up gleeful abandon that “this record was not an irresistible pulse and an unsettling produced by ”, while lyrics may account for the few lines about streak to stop it getting too pretty — in its because they are too soft/vague/mixed Lines. Their songs are often like spidery down to compete against the music. the cover artwork deliberately mimics that own quiet way it may be one of the nicer of its predecessor. nighttime laments, insistent drums and English albums for the year. Maybe a new producer is called for. rhythm/keyboards over the top of tiny ‘Senses’, despite the dirge like beginning Even for those of us who happen to be more than a little obsessed with the creeping lead guitar fills and low wistful Stephen Saunders and the aforementioned vocals, is one of vocals. my favourites. Prominent bass with sparse aforementioned man from New Jersey, it’s impossible_not to be impressed by the sort A prime example would be the guitar mix to form a harsh foreboding infectious cobra beat and glittery guitar sound which culminates with a throbbing of bold assertions that typify the presentation of this record and moved by touches of side-one track-one “Come crescendo. A physical song. Home’’ — the mystery of the “eyes The two best tracks are ‘Dreams Never the spirit of soul celebration that resides on the inside. appearing through the shutters” for the End’ and ‘Doubts Even Here’. The former horseman’s heroic return (“hold the saddle opens the album and it is the most John Magowan positive, uplifting song on the entire album. It has a brilliant riff and the sound is built around the riff. This song moves, grooves and bounces along. Great. On CAN RECORD FACTORY ‘Closer’ keyboards were used with great Incandescence success. This success is transferred to ‘Doubts Even Here’. The keyboards are in (Virgin) the background but they set the pace. F sr M usk Everything revolves around keyboards and Can have seen only limited release they merge together to produce a in Australia, and none whatever since monolithic sound. The creeping power of the keyboards surrounds the vocals and their 1977 album Saw Delight. This Albrecht sounds as though he’s wailing. longrunning German band have not BUCK O FF Background vocals are supplied by Steve been inactive during the last 5 years, Morris’ girlfriend Gillian. This song is a but the bulk of their early work — sign of better things to come. frenetic and bordering on the New Order are being watched. They, psychotic — possibly dissuaded many all local records & cassettes unfortunately, have to live up to the critics record buyers from investigating the expectations. In ^Doubts Even Here’ they reggae-based albums sum up their feelings; and Saw Delight, thus as far as THE MOST COMPREHEKSm Those steps Australia is concerned they have RANGE OF AUSTRAUAH&ENGUSH Which seem to take a life time ceased to exist. When eyes just turn and stare . . .’ INOEPENOENTLPsANO SINGLES They’re forging ahead. Give them time. Perhaps Incandescence is an indication INSOIfTHAUSTRAUA There are some good signs for the future. of an attempted return to commercial activity. It is not an album of new material, All they need is to be free of the legend including but a sampler which — like the 1976 and free of the legend’s producer. Opener LP — culls the more accessible S. Milnes Regular, Postcard, GAP, Deluxe, Rough Diamond, material from their later period output. Green, Larrikin, Au Go Go, Sprint, Powderworks, / Want More, a bright disco tune which was Can’s first single (as far as I know), is Stunn, Rough Trade, 4AD, Factory, Ralph, a safe number taken from Flow Motion. Giant, Crass. Gary U.S. Bonds — The politely menacing Full Moon on the Highway, broody Hunters and Collectors, Certified Soul (Rhino RNLP 805 — U.S. Import) “It is commonly believed that Gary U.S. Bonds is an artist of questionable talent who was brought back from obscurity only through the kind heart and songwirting/producing talents of Bruce Springsteen. While many people Roadrunner 21 LETHAL LARRY’S PICNIC BASKET

Richard Clapton Hazel O’Connor “Cover Plus”, (Liberation) The Very Best of ”, (Festival) She delivers. At last one of these industrially designed street bred English chanteusses has acted out of It must only be bad luck that character. A good record, even worth prevented Richard Clapton from buying. making it in America. This is because “Cover Plus”, the title track, is almost his shows that worn out already on my copy. The voice there was no compromise, no sacrifice is well produced, and the effect sought of style, content or integrity that the after, Edith Piaf, is certainly achieved. artist as a young man was not Gutsy stuff. It should be the single to prepared to make in order to be follow up “Hanging Around”, her quite The recognised by record buying members passable version of the Strangers’ classic. “Lipstick killers — The Mercer M SQUARED" of the world’s most dangerous and There are several other good tracks, Street Sessions” psychotic society. notably “Dawn Chorus” that starts side CATALOGUE two, and “Animal Farm”. The music is (Reachout International Like Australian rock and rollers of the standard, and fairly uninteresting, but Records) fifties, Clapton in the seventies was O’Connor’s voice is excellent. Production prepared to do more than just take on the by . Room 214, 611 Broadway, NYC, The makers of the dead travel fast/why accent. He of course mastered that, and NY, 10012 wont we wake? turned it into an art form. A listening to ROIR, New York’s cassette only Klang-klang, Hugo Ball walks the any of his tracks will demonstrate this. But company have managed to bring us Spiegelgasse once again. M Squared in “Hearts on the Nightline” he took his Record’s house the retrospective (Oh for Americanisation to a level where it was Donovan yet another gem, of which the too sophisticated even for Americans. He chances of hearing via the usual vinyl Eulrope we are bound) cabaret this time “Love Is Only Feeling” (Festival) around, for the sole purpose of consoling probably failed simply because he process are as near to nil as none. As those poor wretches hung-up on spiral blended in too well; and they thought he Sometimes when you read the lyric with The Dictators’ “Fuck ’em If They poems and tooth combs. Outside the was just another schmuck from Santa sheets of records, the person you feel Can’t Take A Joke’’, and others Pearly Gates they have their barker Monica or Sacramento. most for is the typesetter; the poor including James Chance, 8 Eyed Spy extraordinary, Craig N. Pearce, frothing at West Coast is the style he developed person who had to transcribe the crap (with ), this recording is the mouth with his seal of approval and most, and if you can’t hear the Eagles or from manuscript to type, and who not of the slick, legit record company aiming his battered but endless game of Boz Scaggs on this album, then you’re would eventually see the words that sound, yet is as valuable a collectors noughts and crosses assumptions at all just poorly acquainted with their work. But other American influences are recognized transgress all taste and sensibility item as many people could find a use and sundjry. What a laugh, such gibberish, enshrined on a record cover or inside such slapstick, such pointed meaning. All by Clapton. I could detect late Dylan, and for. totally and safely inferred of course, my even a smidging of early Springsteen — one. Hearing this record, and reading This 1972 recording is a time capsule ears are against the speakers and still no “Asbury Park” . . . ‘The Angel”, in fact. the words to the songs, I thought of and an education. It was recorded in one punchline is forthcoming. So what’s the But above all, what this album shows is the typesetter. My “only feeling” was night about four and a half months after descriptive constant going to be? A sound that the American market is a fluky thing. for the typesetter. the New York Dolls’ inception. It covers tapestry, something aural? Good God! You can be a nice Australian boy, just Now let’s think about Donovan. Acid material from both the first, self titled . . . my jargon meant a soundscape. wanting to give the crowd everything in parties in swinging London, Mellow album, and the second “Too Much Too Welcome to Purgatory. The Makers Of terms they understand — American ones Yellow, Sunshine Superman, West Coast Soon” (recorded in 73 and ’74 The Dead Travel Fast sound like two old — and still the U.S. dollars won’t flow. voyager, a folkie propelled into the Age of respectively). It also contains a previously whores on a squeaky bed making good You can croon about nightlines and bright Enlightenment by the force of unavailable cover of “Don’t Mess With for the cameras, plenty of bong but no lights and freeways and all the things they hallucinogens and a booming record Cupid”, a song popularized by Otis pepper. It’s more like let’s make records relate to so intimately, and still you can market. Now, after a few further worlds Redding, and dealt with in rough and for film rather than the record player. miss out. What Richard Clapton shows is have passed in the West he peeks back ready New York Dolls style. Other covers Somebody mentioned syphilis and that you can sell your soul, sell it from a out into the music arena with this limp, on this tape are Bo Diddley’s “Pills” and somebody said be a man. A kaleidoscope stall by the side of the highway, hawk it timid offering. Nothing new. Music the Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Don’t Start Me of odd familiar sounds and drool, they’re with radio ads and tv ads, take out full same, words the same, same chord Talking”. telling us the bloody Titanic is going page things in the national press, sell and progressions, message the same (none): The New York Dolls’ early seventies down. Or is this a premonition? sell and sell — and still you might not get But some words really embarrassing to assault on the mundane world of radio Toby, Toby, no 1940’s s u it. . . you a buyer. The market for souls, like all the read. Imagine being the goddess, or dominated watery sludge pop was philistine. You’ve completely missed the other markets, gets depressed sometimes. girlfriend, who is the subject of these characterized by outlandish glam-glitz point, our humour, our warmth, you must words in “Hills of Tuscany” . . . “My voice outfits with platform shoes and so on, all remember the humour? What better way Cold chisel I raise and sing her praise/To the flowers with mild transvestite overtones, a for me to embalm this damning record and birdies of the air/When to the clouds I reputation as decadent as it was “”, (WEA) review than to allow the record company set my gaze/l often see her smile up confrontational, and a raw, overpowering a few words . . . “Their best work to date, By contrast. Cold Chisel are there.” Hecate would make breakfast of vareity of rock and roll that left the Rolling it combines an excellent sensitivity to unmistakably Australian. They revel in the perpetrator of that tripe. She demands Stones seeming, for the most part, dead alliteration and rhyme with the prelude to their Australian-ness, and seem to a lot more of her poets, Don, especially and buried since their earliest recordings. an inquriy into the vyjll to heaven and capture a lot of the hard edge of this those who write in her name, or would do. But the music is most like the Stones if (simultaneously) the hope of power.” country without pretending, or Donovan should give it away. We all anything, only with such a sharp and BUNK! thought he had anyway. Why embarrass bizarre edge, and a natural volatility, that overdoing it. comparisons beyond the timbre of the two “Wild Colonial Boy” is Don Walker’s Nmself, us, and the poor typesetter. He bands’ respective attitudes are mostly version of the bushranger original. Now, was better when he was writing about irrelevant. rather than shooting, the boy is sneering. drugs, and taking them. His only worthy “I am young monument will be his version of “The Suffice to say RnB come crashing rock The Same/The Same and roll with distinction, and a very Baby they’re so old Song of the Wandering Angus” by Yeats, The Same have a jump and jive Gothic, religious and tame.” on H.M.S. Donovan. All else crumbles in conscious American (read New York) feel. vibrancy about them flexed and firmly This particular tape will appeal directly, The target of the sneer is, of course, the time. pivoted to one’s senses by some wailing rulers, the European foreign controllers of and only, to those already familiar with the saxophone. A very loquacious sound Australia. Larry Buttrose Dolls albums from that time. The band indeed, from swing to simmer from tack to “I am a wild colonial boy line-up is the original, comprising David trim, and the bellows of a dumb vocal My name you’ll never see Johansen (vocals), Arthur “Killer” Kane style (quite fetching actually). In one My land Is ruled by Anglophiles (bass), (gtr.), Sylvain stitch, danceable and image provoking. Sylvain (gtr.), and the late And forces foreign to me.” (drums), later replaced (posthumously) by Don Walker wrote another fine song for . The tracks featured are Bad this album, ‘Talpan”, with a swampy Girl, Looking For A Kiss, Human Being, bluesy arrangement for an elegy to North Personality Crisis, , and the Systematics/My life in the field of cows Queensland days. My other two favourites shattering, although in this case a little Unfortunately the Systematics have from the album are “Bow River”, which for thin, Frankenstein. disbanded, Patrick Gibson and Fiona me is a revisitation of the tough realism of The recording is, of course, not as Graham are now working on the musical their classic “Khe Sanh”, and “Forever powerful as the albums, and the band are project known as YA YA CHORAL. If the Now”, the single with a gospel edge and recognizably in the evolutionary stages. songs on this EP are any indication, the the wonderful low budget video. A tenth PRINTING & The sound is raw and hard, but thin, and Systematics were a band blessed with of the cost of a or Toyah — quite clear in a trebly kind of way. You attack, passion, and a sense of fun that’s so much better — and imagine all that BACKDROPS can hear the words! Nothing is buried in rarely evident in rock bands. So strong is cellophane and vaseline the producer has the noise, except that Sylvain’s rhythm their urgency that many of the songs saved on. I believe I believe what Cold BANDS! musings sometimes fall victim to the sheer sound clipped, that too much wanted to Chisel tell me to. volume of Thunders’ maniacal get in but so much had to be left out. Get your gig across to the lead/rhythm mayhem. Don’t get me Though the Systematics display some public. Posters printed any or Toyah wrong. Thunders is no slob. There is metallic influences, particularly on many coloured. Perfect for the probably little difference between this and ‘International Voltage’, they still up-hold “Sheep Farming In Barnet” / the album recordings except for the the experimental flag of the label. “” great AUSSIE LAMPPOST”, or opportunity afforded by a longer period in Systematics if you want to spend guffaws Billboard. And to complete the studio. and blow away cobwebs. (Safari) An insulting offering from a record your advertising ask for a Giles Barrow Toby Cluechaz company. Two for the price of one, a price on our CANVAS QUALITY bargain you’d think . . . but this lot BACKDROPS. P ra Job on the do you want low cost should be ploughshared into frisbees. I feel sorry for Toyah . . . probably cheap. Phone (02)8076989. professional quality cassettes a nice individual, but sadly misled by Details and samples, ask for handlers and profiteers who’ve JIM. direct from your masters? convinced her that she has something. In fact, she can’t sing, she has nothing Phone: 212 7053 to say, and her “meaningful looks” with those tight compressed lips induce revulsion readily. This lot must have been scraped from the paddocks of Barnet (outer London suburb): and Adelaide Tape Duplicators farming is what Toyah should take up — something useful. 22Roadrunner.

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Shame about your mass appeal Dear Roadrunner I’ll not touch on the heavy now though. Yes, it’s a real pity Times runnin out for most handed cynicism you handed out you get interested audiences persons, those that age anyway. to some deserving-of-better coming to see you now. The If you’re a male, or female, most bands while putting on your nerve of some people! Imagine of us are. If you like music, see cover a dewey photograph of Kim getting interested in a band bands, most of us do, then you Wilde (presumably to attract because they read about you in know the sindrome of the masturbators), and voice instead some tacky Australian rock passing out or falling asleep my chagrin at your letter’s page magazine. Poor misguided between brackets boredom ness. (should I say wank page). fools! I bet some people I like going to indulge in the Now, I didn’t read your story honestly enjoyed your complete experience of the live about Little Heroes, but did 6/7th performances too. But lets face act. To watch one for four of the letters you received really it boys, what right has any hours, no matter who how and crawl up you about what a person got to like a band, to good they are, four hours is a wonderful piece of work it was? support a band, to write about a long time. Sooner or again, later And it ran to TWC PAGES did it? band if they didn’t do these everyone begins to feel their Big Deal. I really loved the smug things right from the start. I age and limitations, that is as way you printed two letters know I don’t do any of these the time when all good pumkins putting down RAM when things. I’m just waiting, hoping, should fall into slumber, dred. 1. You are a straight out copy of praying to see any bands debut We all do get tired drowsy worn that magazine and not half so gig. Then I really can become out, midnight is the traditional good. self-actualised. time of night for that, but stay 2. You publish less pages and Shame you shit me! The on a little longer because given yet cost more. worst shame though is, you’ll the variables, say the fact that I don’t for one minute believe love that. That’s the big sham. the band you be looking at you will print this letter, but if you would be working the four do you needn’t bother to reply. Release the Critics hours your there plus the four • Yours sincerely, S. Kerr hours before hand to get the James Eggines. Kensington, NSW gear set up, the four hours after P.S. Why don’t you number Dear Roadrunner, warped account of their to pack it up. For a band that your issues in some half decent I’ve been buying you since Newcastle gig, written by kind of thing tends to prey way as an aid to irate letter the beginning of 1979, over the ‘Anna’. inside their own, by then tiny writers? years I’ve had some rather Her opinion is, I feel, quite Dear Roadrunner, minds. The stardom doesn’t Ah! A true fan at last! Thanks, enjoyable reading, but lately the justified if one approaches rock Lower regional desitions really come into it at three James. The Little Heroes quality of the writing has been music from the viewpoint of usually are attributed to money o’clock in the morning, it’s more correspondence is now closed. shithouse, sure you’ve put out amateur psychology, but I feel problems, sort of shorting out like a dull semi vegetating coma some really good copy, but she is missing the whole point while you’re sorting out. Take at that hour. EDITOR & PUBLISHER you’re certainly not at your of the “spiteful, malevolent as a for instance and or if, an You may ask, why bother Donald Robertson peak. Wether or not you have cries” from the audience. example, someone trotting hanging around then if reached it remains to be seen. The people at Newcastle were down the opposite side of the everything stinks at pumkin ADVERTISING Roadrunner has improved it’s neither performing “seals” nor road that you yourself happen time. When a band gets tired Lyn Saunders (02) 331 6622 to be trotting down. Pretend, if presentation by 500%:— great “trendstoppers”. We were and irritable near the end of a SYDNEY EDITOR: photos, snappy layouts, throw merely music fans who hoped they aren’t, that that person is gig they either make mistakes, in the music and what have you to see a great band in action. or are of the opposite stitch. get shitty with one another, play Giles Barrow got? A damn good music paper. We did not go beserk after one Say this person is heading slack, break strings, blow up MELBOURNE EDITOR: A few comments on vol. 5. chord like the ‘Pavlov’s dogs’ in toward you, away would work things or in a combination of all Adrian Ryan (03) 347 3991 no. 2. March ’82, the letters Sydney, we waited — since we the same. of these things, turn out the page was written by bunch of had paid a rather hefty $6.00 to Bumps for girls, lumps for best and most rewarding kind BRISBANE: groupies and band moles for get in surely the onus was on boys. A trotter will naturally of contemporary music anyone, David Pestorius the band, not us. bounce either up or down. The Little Heroes. Just imagine no matter which band, can PERTH: all the tree§ you could have When we, the audience, did Depend on it. At the split hope to see. My guess is it’s saved if you didn’t print that not go traditionally wild the moment you first see said because, at that instant in the Michael Mullane page. Finally DeVo, what a band resorted to insulting us personage, he or she will be at night they loose what pressures LONDON: bunch of turd burglars, a quote merely because we weren’t the upward end of the motion were on them earlier and play. Chris Salewicz from last months issue, JERRY: behaving like mindless pogo- or at the bottom end. It’s pretty The real stuff can only be “Were tired of the old traditions sticks. plain the bottom end produces played when nothing else NEW YORK and the people who promote Now then, surely we were more rattles. When you are the exists. That has to happen after Keri Phillips =entitled to defend our action (or watcher the more of those the them.” “They’re promoting the sore fingers get numb, CONTRIBUTORS: nostalgia and reverence for the lack of it) by replying to the better. nerves disappear and the past in way that it never even band’s low, derogatory The watchee however, takes ridiculousness of standing in Stuart Coupe, Toby existed. They’re peddling old comments. Naturally we offence. That is if the watchee front of grown human beings Cluechaz, Jenny Eather, Earl traditions and nostalgia to fool became spiteful. finds the watcher’s watching who’ve lost control wears off. Grey, Tyrone Flex, Span people and keep them down. As for it being such a good offensive. To my own You get pissed off at the sound, Hanna, David Langsam, What we’re doing is saying let’s gig, Anna, I can only say that I observation this only happens pissed off at the lousy size of Adrian Miller, Ruthven throw them away.” Then to say, thought it was one of the most when the chemical ingredients the crowd, pissed off at feeling Martinus, Craig N. Pearce, after being asked who were lazy, sloppy performances I don’t gelly. tired, you end up being so Brecon Walsh your musical influences, Jerry have ever had the misfortune to I always wanted a remedy. jacked off at the whole thing, answers JERRY: “all the jingles, witness. Blind people already have one that the only thing left to do is DESIGN & LAYOUT: all the Top 40 hits, all the old Yes Anna, it was I who yelled but I didn’t want to go quite that play. It’s funny peculiar but it And Productions — movie soundtracks”. out “you didn’t pay to see us”. far. What about wearing a paper seems to work. Often I go home Richard Turner To DeVo,„you can fool some bag over one’s head? What say too early then I invariably miss of the people some of the time, Mark Holdsworth, the politicians passed a bill to out, next day I guarantee I’ll HEAD OFFICE: but you can’t fool all of the Co-editor make all of us normal people, hate myself for missing the 92 Rundle Street people all of the time, and to The Voice when coming on a strange gems, magic no risk. KENT TOWN S.A. 5067. those fools, HI Spuds, put your Mayfield, NSW oppositely shaped being, about Ph.: (08) 42 3040. plastic hair on, pot plant hats face, drop what ever orgiastic Regards and swimming goggles go to gear we have attached to the AL WOOD, DISTRIBUTION: your mirror and look at lower regional area, take the toe HILLS, NSW Gordon & Gotch yourself, don’t you feel like a touching position while waving a paper bill from the You again, Al? for Australia and New fool? Dear Road Runner, See ya later, masticators. The other person Dear Roadrunner, Zealand Just a short note to the of course would be doing the Paul Johnson Birthday Party. I would like to I purchased Vol. 2, No. 5 of your PRINTER: same. This could only be done magazine to read the interview convey my appreciation to you to those persons with that Bridge Press, Seventh St., as a band. I thought your with Don Walker and your review Murray Bridge, S.A. 5253 hatefully opposite chemistry. of the Clash — live. While the Prayers On Fire L.P. was very Well, it’s just a suggestion. Ph: (085) 32 1744. good. What a shame that I interview with Walker and the Dear Roadrunner, bought it before hearing it and Regards, pictures of the Clash were ROADRUNNER is registered I hate to up the subject only after reading the Road Al Wood, probably worth a dollar in them­ for posting as of The Birthday Party (may they Runner review of it though. Surry Hills, NSW selves, the frustration and anger Pubiication No. SBF 1813 rest in peace), but in last Shame about N.M.E. liking it you caused me reading the rest of month’s issue of your magazine Hey, YEAH! Al, hm, sure, the issue makes me figure you Recommended retail price too. Shame about learning to huh? there was a very hysterical. shoplift in England eh! Tracey. probably owe me. SI. TOWN CALLED MALICE!

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