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There's a band on every corner...
Oct. 12th, 2004 04:07 pmOnce upon a time in 1992, three boys from Newtown in Sydney, Australia - Stevie, Andy and Tim - decided to form a band. An acoustic-based band, as something that would stand out among the hundred-and-one grunge bands that were being formed around that time. Stevie and Andy wanted to call themselves "Three Nice Boys", but whilst they were away on holiday, Tim snuck out and got the posters advertising their first gig printed with the name "The Whitlams" instead.
It later turned out Stevie had gone to the same school as Gough Whitlam, the Prime Minister for which the band is named. Gough graduated dux of the school, and Stevie was expelled.
Last Friday I went to see Tim's Whitlams retrospective show at the Speigeltent outside the Victoria Arts Centre. Basically a showcase of Whitlams history - not just the songs, but Tim's stories and memories. It was an amazing show, especially when Tim talked about the suicides of both Stevie (in 1996 after a long history of drug and alcohol problems) and Andy (who also played double bass with the Gadflys on Good News Week after leaving the Whitlams. He had a gambling addiction and hung himself just as "Blow Up The Pokies" was being recorded), and played "The Curse Stops Here".
They were also selling the 6 hour retrospective DVD, which I got, and got signed by Tim. It's great stuff.
It's strange, when Tim played "You Sound Like Louis Burdett", I got a little teary. The last time I heard the song played live was my last night in Toronto, and Johnny Devil and the Screaming Demons played it. I hope they still do - it's a connection, somehow. My friends over there hear it and hopefully think of me, and I hear it here and think of them.
All my friends are fuck-ups, but they're fun to have around. Indeed.
So, yeah, a little trip down Nostalgia Way. I think it was around 1993 when BRM and I discovered the Whitlams, playing support at the Corner Hotel in Richmond to Weddings, Parties Anything. I've been following them (not literally) pretty much since then. The band's come through - or Tim has, rather - some pretty heavy stuff, but he's there, he's still faithful, and long may he continue recording. He played a couple of new songs, so I think there's a good chance of that.
It later turned out Stevie had gone to the same school as Gough Whitlam, the Prime Minister for which the band is named. Gough graduated dux of the school, and Stevie was expelled.
Last Friday I went to see Tim's Whitlams retrospective show at the Speigeltent outside the Victoria Arts Centre. Basically a showcase of Whitlams history - not just the songs, but Tim's stories and memories. It was an amazing show, especially when Tim talked about the suicides of both Stevie (in 1996 after a long history of drug and alcohol problems) and Andy (who also played double bass with the Gadflys on Good News Week after leaving the Whitlams. He had a gambling addiction and hung himself just as "Blow Up The Pokies" was being recorded), and played "The Curse Stops Here".
They were also selling the 6 hour retrospective DVD, which I got, and got signed by Tim. It's great stuff.
It's strange, when Tim played "You Sound Like Louis Burdett", I got a little teary. The last time I heard the song played live was my last night in Toronto, and Johnny Devil and the Screaming Demons played it. I hope they still do - it's a connection, somehow. My friends over there hear it and hopefully think of me, and I hear it here and think of them.
All my friends are fuck-ups, but they're fun to have around. Indeed.
So, yeah, a little trip down Nostalgia Way. I think it was around 1993 when BRM and I discovered the Whitlams, playing support at the Corner Hotel in Richmond to Weddings, Parties Anything. I've been following them (not literally) pretty much since then. The band's come through - or Tim has, rather - some pretty heavy stuff, but he's there, he's still faithful, and long may he continue recording. He played a couple of new songs, so I think there's a good chance of that.
