I was asked by Grant Smithies, a journalist in New Zealand, to write my life as a soundtrack a few months back. He published a very much shortened version of this.
I had been brought up by my family on a steady diet of The Beatles, Frank Zappa and Donovan. My older brother was obsessed with The Beatles and drove me insane with his records, but I certainly took a shining to the White Album. I had even gone to the extent of using my dad’s reel to reel tape player to record the words “Number 9” and with a fair bit of mucking around finally managed to figure out back masking to hear the words “Turn me on dead man” (mainly through the power of suggestion) as rumoured by conspiracy theories of the time. Unwittingly (as I would have been very young teen at the time) I had taken my first venture into the world of avant-garde and musique concrete. Until the White Album I didn’t like The Beatles much at all and I didn’t know what to make of this crazy woman named Yoko Ono, but she fascinated me. This little venture into experimental music didn’t last long when I discovered David Bowie. Prior to punk hitting the big time I pretty much holed up in my bedroom as a teenager listening to The man who sold the world and Hunky Dory. I was a full on tom boy who even as an older teenager was often mistaken for a boy, and the androgyny of Bowie was extremely attractive.
Those two Bowie albums are still my favourites even now. I hate to admit that I can sing along to every single track. These were “real” albums in the old sense of the word.... important to listen from start to finish.. not for the individual tracks.
Then.. wham... along came punk, I became a young adult immediately after and I consider myself extremely lucky to have been there when it happened. In Perth the Scientists and their various offshoots were playing. I don’t actually own any of these records because I was way too busy going out and pogoing. I don’t particularly like pure punk, but what I did discover was a whole world of really exciting music. Rip Rig and Panic, The Slits, 23 Skidoo. These I did buy. Along with my favourite compilation album, Rough Trade’s Wanna Buy a Bridge, which is a compilation of singles. Listening to it now it has mostly aged well. This was the album that introduced me to the concept of social change through music... think The Pop Group’s We are all prostitutes and Delta 5’s Mind your own business, Spizz Energi’s Soldier Soldier. This album also includes Caberet Voltaire’s Nag Nag Nag with the drum machine which I think was the Roland 808. The drum machine now sounds dated but it was classic.
I moved to New Zealand in 1987 and by this time I had sunk myself into being a rather serious music listener and live gig goer. I started playing in bands in New Zealand and my best known would have to be Claire’s UnNatural Twin. I didn’t know much about New Zealand music before I moved there, but soon discovered a whole new world. Acts like Dead C, Snapper (Buddy!), Alastair Galbraith, Sandra Bell, King Loser, Trash (not Gate!), Gate (the real one) and a plethora of other truly amazing bands and individuals crossed my path. I used to run a ton of gigs at The Stomach in the early to mid 90s in the swamp of Palmerston North, and there are truly too many amazing albums to name them all. A terrific compilation that really captures some fabulous moments in New Zealand music around that time that I loved would be the Next Best Way compilation put together by Alastair Galbraith featuring tracks by Matt Middleton, Demarnia Lloyd, Sandoz Lab Technicians, Chris Heazlewood, and so many more.
In Palmerston North there were some interesting things starting to happen, such as Meat Market and Jack Black, but then I bailed to New York, met Gerard Cosloy and joined him playing drums in Air Traffic Controllers. Where does one start here? So many amazing things were going on. Its really important that I acknowledge Tom Greenwood who I met there. He had a project called Jackie O Motherfucker who were truly inspiring (and still going strong), with 12 inch albums (Imp Records) with spray painted cover art, all of them true gems of improvisation. I love the DIY ethic of this improv music which is pretty not dischordant. I also met the lovely people that are now Gang Gang Dance who’s early album Revival of the Shittest I adore.
What am I listening to lately?
Liars Drum’s not dead has been on high rotate for quite some time on my stereo (since 1996!). I love its rhythmic repetitiveness which I find extremely hypnotic and relaxing. I am not one to learn the names of tracks these days, or the names of people involved. I really cant be bothered.
Deerhoof’s Offend Maggie! is another I have been listening to alot. Once again, no favourite tracks as such, but album listens. I have also been dragging out some old faves such as Silverfish, Wire 154 (a true classic) and Happy Flowers.
There are so many independent releases happening now and I seem to attend heaps of release parties over here in Perth. I usually buy the CD, or even cassettes on offer. I am mostly a live music person and it does take alot to impress me these days, but you will find my right down the front when the new kids if its worth it.
A few months ago I bought a cassette called Empty land by Oranj Punjabi (Fjorn Butler). I was lucky to see Fjorn perform at the Melbourne edition of the International Noise Conference organised by Rat Bastard where I played recently. I loved her experimental noise with home made gadgets so I had to get a recording. It’s grating but almost melodic. I came back to Perth and had a listen while I was in the process of organising my tour of New Zealand. After listening to the cassette twice, I decided that I wanted to take her on my tour, and I am happy that she took up my offer.
