Distorted: Reflections on early Sydney punk

[@waynecarrol3415]

Jez takes me back to Frenchs at 3am coming out pissed on cider with this chick who lived near Taylor Square down under in a basement! Saw heaps of bands ( there was 10 to 12 pages of bands in paper! Take ya pick took it for granted made friends & had a time till about 84 when council laws shut Sydney down so I moved to Melbourne!! Ran into Ian Rilen who had moved too !!!

[@misterslats]

Something Australia had in common with Canada is a touring circuit for bands across the country that was comprised almost entirely of old hotels - often skid row hotels - whose entire ground floors were live music venues. These were often the scariest and most dangerous bars in the city mostly because the clientele staying in the rooms were hookers, pimps, dealers, winos, and bikers. When punk bands took over the circuit in the late 70's things got even wilder. The one element that was different in Canada is that the hotel clubs liked to book bands for 1 week residencies - 2 to 4 sets a night. The bands were paid standard music union rates which made it VERY lucrative for punk bands to take these bookings. So at places like the Calgarian Hotel where I live you had bands like Husker Du, Social Distortion, Subhumans, MDC come and play every night for a week and they would make enough money to bankroll their whole tours. They loved the money but hated the nightly violence between cowboys, drunk Indians, bikers vs. the punkers.

[@denysemcalister6218]

What an amazing record of times gone by. Loved it!!! Was never part of this scene, but was well aware of it and loved being on the outside looking in whenever I went in to the city. Came from a completely different culture living on the other side of the bridge in Manly. Loved the music from back then. Still do.

[@thevelointhevale1132]

Central Skins - lived next door to a bunch of Skins in Stanmore in a squat above the shops in the early 80's - we were Punks, no trouble there at all. I still remember when Paddington Markets were a meeting place on Saturdays for Punks, before Paddo became a gentrified la dee da wank fest. I also recall when there were still corner pubs running down George and Pitt Street and seeing Punk bands on the bar floor - right in front of the taps. All those Pubs were cleared away when the Sky Train went in - Sydney has changed and lost so much ...

[@lesszacsuri1330]

Really enjoyed this, great job. I'm from Melbourne circa the 1980's hardcore era, writing the Regression Fanzine, being in bands etc. Loads of bands that had an influence and totally respected amongst here. Really appreciate seeing members and hearing their memories...So good..

[@glenn9229]

what a great record of the people in the punk scene in Sydney and some great memories of bands and venues past. Thanks heaps for posting

[@ianwhite6034]

I think this is the best film I've seen... of this era in Australia. Thanks so much.

[@montiwhitton5528]

thanks for bringing back some of my most treasured memories....

[@VagueRANT100]

PRICELESS STUFF!!!

[@dougwoellner7895]

Played there at the grand 77 to 79 with a band called the Lepers with Peter Lennon vocals ( Happy hate me nots) Jason O'Donnell bass Gary Millar on rhythm guitar Doug Woellner on lead guitar John Smith on drums all of us still at high school except the drummer was at university lived in Darlinghurt with Criss Cross aka Criss Tom's & Glebe squats then rented a terrace at Surry Hills with Cathy corpse aka Cathy Smith. Mark Eastern and Mark Crastie Colin Chaos & Kaye and Rob O'Brien etc Colin Carr aka Colin Pill great fun & memories were all in that film

[@Thebibs]

ROCKS are still playing in Sydney. Depression and Vicious Circle in Melbourne too.

[@chamberpot969]

Really enjoyed this. Nostalgia overwhelming.

[@marksisto900]

Punk as Buggery

[@alanstrom2221]

Vale Chris Bailey When I say that Chris Bailey is one of the most important people in our Australian Music History, that is a massive understatement. Today's news of his passing is like losing a family member. I'm shattered and devastated. Chris came into my life in 1976, when I was supposed to be doing school homework. Listening to Sydney's JJ 1540am radio ( thanks to the Gough Whitlam government ) I heard (I'm ) Stranded by THE SAINTS. IT STILL RANKS AS ONE OF THE BEST SOUNDS I'VE EVER HEARD IN MY 61 YEARS ON THE PLANET. (I'm ) Stranded by THE SAINTS was released before New Rose. Chris Bailey was extremely intelligent with an acidic wit, not many, if any, could match him. From reports I've heard, Chris was kind, warm, sincere and generous. A beautiful spirit gone way too young. I think he had a great time whilst he was here on Earth. Not many people can do what he did. He was a Punk Pioneer without even trying or even knowing that's what he was doing. Condolences to his family, friends, all his bandmates and his legions of fans and supporters

[@maryburke5423]

Ah…that’s such a beautiful comment. I heard all that music on 2jj too..while ‘doing my homework’ ..and can be found thanking Gough in KZbin comments 😅 Vale Chris

[@littleheath3376]

The Oxford Arts Factory was not far from the Grand . Also had some fabulous bands perform like Black Feather, Billy Thorpe , Khavis Jute , Mother Goose etc . The Grand catered for Punk while Arts Factory was more Hippy.

[@DavidFitzgerald-h9k]

.....Great film on Sydney / Punk personages ...x x x x

[@MasKistershi]

I've never heard "you know" tacked onto the end of sentences so much before in my life. Ha.

[@mjh5437]

Hyde Park Hotel at 12:30 was where I drank with Punk mates in 1981.

[@Jeansieguy]

What a gem, thanks

[@heatherdaydream]

RIP Beautiful Wolf Boy and would be interested to know where Jim is now

[@simonefranks7706]

Which Jim?

[@heatherdaydream]

@@simonefranks7706 Jim that used to cut himself

[@danielclark2339]

Punks not dead .Great film Thank-you 🎥

[@michaelmallal9101]

Jeez, I missed all this. Had no idea. Thought I was very degenerate.

[@barpsoon3031]

Hello desdevlin, would you be up for contacting the people who made this video, or would you consider making a video/doco about the Sydney Underground Troy horse, Goth Scene, prevalent in the late 80s/ early 90s? I have video footage of ‘Kewpies Kleft’, a band who performed around Sydney’s inner west along with other bands such as ‘Neuropaque’, ‘The Hanged Men’, Necromance’, ‘The November Criminals’, ‘Pill Popper’, ‘Picture House’, ‘The Goo Goo Mucks’, etc.?

[@peterescue]

Proximity to the Uni was also part of it.

[@markdunn6949]

I missed hearing Bruce Griffith stories.

[@cleftturnip7774]

I think music is more interesting than musicians

[@garycollingwood4002]

" FANTASTIC MATES " kiwi 😎😎

[@thirstyjames]

you know x 1000

[@crimewave77]

Who,s the girl at 12.00....she,s gorgeous!!!

[@kayglass796]

crimewave77 thats Sue Fox , I took that photo in 1980 I think Heritage Hotel

[@crimewave77]

@@kayglass796 Thank you..wish I,d been there!!

[@XrayVisionGlasses]

I played a show at the Grand with The Kelpies, it was an early gig for the Kelpies & I smashed my drum kit up at the end, then Jim (singer) said one more song, I quickly unbent my cymbal stands and we blasted through a couple more songs. Sydney was still old then, before the makeover, the inner city was dark dusty & grimy & still like it was in the 30s (more or less). I came late to the party (been living in Brisbane) but that small scene of strong individuals saved my life in many ways. Great doco.

[@mjh5437]

@@XrayVisionGlasses When was "the makeover"?

[@ianfisher5316]

X

[@jadetatana3594]

Most of em sound English, annoying wouldve been cool just aussies, seems like a colonised music, punk

[@Thebibs]

A few of them were born to English Parents in the late 50's, and emigrated to Australia in the late 50's, early 60's. thats why the english accent

[@DanHintz]

shame you all did not fly to nyc instead of london. so many amazing punk and no wave and hip hop artists you would have seen. likely would have been a bigger culture shock, but that era of music/art/culture in nyc was unmatched and the rent was cheap then. ramones, suicide, television, contortions, lounge lizards, teenage jesus and the jerks, dna, mars, klaus nomi, theoretical girls, ut, etc., etc. all that said, i love the stranglers, haha.