Poets’ Pub
In researching my recent biography of John Maclean, it became clear to me that the poets of Scotland played a major role in rescuing Scotland’s…
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‘No Fixed Address’ – reviews and reactions
The critics are swooning over ‘No Fixed Address’. Links to print and online articles and reviews are below. ‘The story of this radical group is told in a new book by Donald Robertson. On the back cover Goanna’s Shane Howard describes No Fixed Address as “the tip of the spear” that plunged into the heart of middle Australia. And as a story, it’s got everything – starting with a fiery
Addison Road Writers’ Festival 2023
Ricky Harrison and Sean Moffatt from No Fixed Address travelled from Gippsland to Sydney in mid-May to do some publicity for the ‘No Fixed Address’ book. On Saturday 20 May, Ricky and Sean joined me on a lunchtime panel at the Addison Road Writers’ Festival in Marrickville. It was a brilliant, memorable, session (superbly marshalled by Mark Mordue) capped off by a stunning two-song performance. The duo played Ricky’s songs
‘No Fixed Address’: The Nullarbor crash
It was Easter 1982. No Fixed Address were on the road, driving back east from Perth, heading to Alice Springs. This is the Prologue to No Fixed Address (Hybrid Publishers, 2023). To purchase a copy, click here Although they’d been impressing audiences and slowly building a live following in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney for a couple of years, the release of the film Wrong Side of the Road the previous
‘No Fixed Address’ – the playlist
The core of this playlist is a) songs recorded and released by No Fixed Address and b) songs performed live by No Fixed Address but recorded by others (i.e., Joe Geia, Bart Willoughby and Mixed Relations). It also includes songs by people the band played with, people they met along the way, and other significant songs mentioned in the book ‘No Fixed Address’. ‘The Vision’, No Fixed Address, Wrong Side
Roadrunner singles 1978-83
A playlist of singles reviewed in The Big Beat: rock music in Australia 1978-83, through the pages of Roadrunner magazine. The playlist, first published a year ago on this site—and updated in the past few weeks with new tracks added to Spotify in the past 12 months—contains 583 songs and runs for 35 hours and 17 minutes. The Roadrunner years were a golden age for the single and The Big
1970: Goodbye Beatles. And so long Janis, Jimi and Jim.
1970 saw the end of many things. The sixties of course. But also The Beatles, who announced their split in April. And Jim Morrison of The Doors, who was found dead in his bathtub in Paris, France on 3 July. Although accounts about the precise circumstances vary, it is generally agreed that he suffered a heart attack after taking heroin. And Jimi Hendrix, who was found unresponsive by his girlfriend
1969: Armstrong, Biafra, ‘Hair’, Stonewall, ‘Tommy’ and Woodstock
I’ve been having fun pottering around in 1969 to put together the Spotify playlist below. It’s the fourth in my ‘Back to Schooldays’ series and again a roughly chronological selection of singles that charted on Australian radio stations (in this case, 2UW Sydney, 3UZ Melbourne, 4BC Brisbane, 4IP Ipswich and 6PR Perth) sprinkled with a smattering of significant album tracks. The soundtrack to my fourth year at Whyalla Technical High
1968: From ‘Voodoo Chile’ to ‘Goody Goody Gumdrops’
I think the Spotify playlist below does a pretty good job of capturing the swirling crosscurrents of the Australian airwaves in 1968. From the psychedelic soul blues of ‘Voodoo Chile’ to the frothy bubble of ‘Goody Goody Gumdrops’—via country, Motown, soul, blues, sunshine pop, California harmonies, folk, British invasion groups, the ‘underground’ sound and a myriad of other styles and sub-styles—it was a year in which the musical spectrum really
Andrew ‘Greedy’ Smith: It’s just too sad
Losing Greedy Smith this year was a big shock. A shock that reverberated through the Australian music community. A shock that reminded everyone from the late 70s/early 80s glory years of Australian rock of their own mortality. If Greedy has gone, who’s next? It’s enough to send a shiver down your spine. The massive turnout at the Macquarie Park crematorium on 9 December to celebrate Greedy’s life was testament to