Brisbane punk rock had its main impact between 1975 and 1984 as part of the overall punk rock scene in Australia. According to rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, the Queensland capital provided "some of the most anarchistic bands" of that era whilst it was "arguably the most conservative city" in the country.McFarlane, 'the Fun Things' entry. Archived from the original on 30 September 2004. Retrieved 22 August 2015. The development of the local punk movement differed from other cities because of its relative geographic isolation from other similar trends. The Brisbane scene also received a greater scrutiny by local police where early punk bands formed as "an obvious backlash to an oppressed society". This generated antagonistic and individualistic groups or "snot" driven punk bands.
The Brisbane punk rock movement can be divided into four phases. First, there was the pioneering chapter, which lasted from 1975 to 1977. These bands were either innovators or part of the first wave of local punk bands. Foremost of all such groups are the Saints, which are acknowledged as "Aussie punk pioneers". The second phase occurred between 1978 and 1980, which McFarlane described as "the second generation" of punk groups. The next period or "third-generation"'McFarlane, 'the Vampire Lovers' entry. Archived from the original on 29 August 2004. Retrieved 23 August 2015. spanned from 1981 to 1984 and diverged into two genres of punk rock and hardcore punk. The fourth period, during 1985 to 1988, developed three styles: Detroit rock (and the closely aligned garage punk), hardcore punk including Crossover thrash and skate punk – the Brisbane punk rock movement had changed to alternative rock.
History
Pioneers (1975–77)
Brisbane punk rock developed under the state government of Joh Bjelke-Petersen, the Premier of Queensland from 1968 to 1987; his administration was investigated by the Fitzgerald Inquiry (1987–89), which found "long-term, systemic political corruption and abuse of power." Bjelke-Petersen resigned, two of his ministers and the state's police commissioner were jailed for corruption charges. Doug Hutson and Gavin Sawford co-wrote in their book from 1988, Out of the Unknown: Brisbane Bands 1976-1988 that, "Authority's intolerance of anything different, which, to be fair has since considerably diminished, reflects the peculiar suspicious verging on animosity that Queenslanders as a whole hold for anyone who leaves the cultural straight and narrow of beer, beach and burgers."Hutson and Sawford,"Home Town Connection", p. 9.
Kid Galahad and the Eternals were a garage rock band formed in 1973 in Brisbane by school mates: Chris Bailey on lead vocals, Ivor Hay on piano and Ed Kuepper on guitar.McFarlane, 'the Saints' entry. Archived from the original on 6 April 2004. Retrieved 23 August 2015. Locally they earned a reputation for their punk attitude after a debut performance at a Returned and Services League venue in the western suburbs. Bailey described the first gig to a United Kingdom fanzine, Sniffin' Glue, in October 1976, "Then after our second drummer walked out and we almost called it 'quits' but we decided to keep playing to the 30 people (from an original 150 patrons) who were still with us. Before the last number the manager of the hall arrived with cops, turned off the power... The cops told us they would confiscate our equipment if we didn't go, so we went." By the end of 1975 the band added Kym Bradshaw on bass guitar and moved Hay to drums; soon after they changed their name to the Saints.
The Saints favourite rehearsal space was a shed behind Hay's home, which was near a police station; after the group were "ostracised" by the local music scene they established their own venue to perform their original material. Located at 4 Petrie Terrace, it was named Club 76. Kuepper later opined "we didn't play until we started putting on shows of our own, and then the cops would break them up anyway, as they did any sort of gathering." The Saints' debut single, (I'm) Stranded (September 1976), was issued on their own Fatal Records label. Copies were sent to local, national and international media and record labels. "(I'm) Stranded" came to the attention of the UK musical press and fitted neatly into the punk sound and attitude in London. Sounds magazine's Jonh Ingham declared it "Single of this and every week." Jon Savage, UK journalist and punk historian, later wrote that the Saints "had been developing in near isolation for three years, but it took just one review in Sounds magazine to make their career."Savage, p. 246.
The Saints arrived in the UK in 1977 but found that their hair and image did not fit the UK punk dress codes. The locals were sporting spiky hair and brothel creepers, instead the group had appeared similar to street bums with attitude. Kuepper reflected on their reception, "By the time we got here the initial spirit already died out, it was very contrived. There were too many people following slavishly after. We had problems because we didn't look new wave."Savage, p. 384. The Saints reached the UK charts with their third single, This Perfect Day (July 1977), after the Sex Pistols had released their second single, God Save the Queen (May).
The Saints released (I'm) Stranded (February 1977) and followed with Eternally Yours (May 1978), which included their single, Know Your Product (February). Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, declared that "Know Your Product" was "one of the greatest R&B-fuelled rock songs of all time." A third album, Prehistoric Sounds, was released in October before Kuepper left. Bailey formed a new line-up of the Saints in 1980; however, their punk edge was lost without "Ed Kuepper's relentless power chords." In May 2001 "(I'm) Stranded" was listed in Australian Performing Rights Association's Top 30 Australian songs of all time. (I'm) Stranded was listed at No. 20 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums (October 2010), with Prehistoric Sounds at No. 41.
In 1976 the Leftovers were formed in Sandgate, as "Australia's first true punks in the Sex Pistols mould" according to music writer, Clinton Walker. Walker felt they were "obnoxious, anarchic, anti-social, powerful, violent and with a strong self-destructive bent."McFarlane, 'the Leftovers' entry. Archived from the original on 19 April 2004. Retrieved 23 August 2015. They gained local recognition for their existentialist approach. On Behind the Banana Curtain (2000, a CD compilation sponsored by the radio station, 4ZZZ) they were described as "Raw, intoxicated, energetic and antisocial." The Leftovers experienced "continuous harassment from the local constabulary"; and a history that included, a "story of prison, the shocking aftermath of attempted suicide and now-numerous deaths."(2005) Album notes for Tales from the Australian Underground, p. 7. Shock Records. In June 1979 they released their only single, Cigarettes and Alcohol, which McFarlane declared was "one of the classics of the late 1970s Australian punk rock era." They disbanded later that year.
Also from this period were the Survivors (formed in 1976 as Rat Salad), which issued a sole single, Baby Come Back, in December 1977. It was included on the Lethal Weapons (May 1978) compilation by various Australian punk bands. The Survivors' bassist, Jim Dickson, went on to play for profile bands that included The Barracudas and Radio Birdman. During this era Brisbane punk rock venues included the Hamilton Hall and Toowong RSL hall. Hutson and Sawford stated that "Two of the more notorious DIY venues were the Saint's 76 Club ... and the Baroona Road Hall, scene of numerous 'one-off' multiple band gigs."Hutson and Sawford, "Home Town Connection", p. 7.
From November 1975 4ZZZ broadcast local punk music; John Stanwell, its original Arts Administrator, explained, in September 2006, that it was "The first (Radio) station in the world to play The Saints." The era was documented in a fanzine SSuicide Alley, arguably Australia's second punk fanzine, which was printed in Brisbane in April 1977 by Walker and Andrew McMillan. Walker detailed the late 1970s Brisbane scene through his contemporary work for University of Queensland paper, Semper, and another fanzine, Pulp. His later books include Inner City Sound (1982) and Stranded: The Secret History of Australian Independent Music 1977–1991 (1996).
Second phase (1978–80)
The Brisbane punk movement expanded from 1978: the "second generation" of bands were formed.McFarlane, 'Young Identifiers' entry. Archived from the original on 31 July 2004. Retrieved 23 August 2015. They were given air time on 4ZZZ and the station was influential in playing the new music during this period. One band, which benefited from such airplay, was Razar with their track, "Task Force (Undercover Cops)" (1978).McFarlane, 'Grooveyard' entry. Archived from the original on 20 August 2004. Retrieved 26 August 2015. Hutson and Sawford described them as a "Youthful and popular punk outfit which attracted a lot of attention due to their controversial material."Hutson and Sawford, "Razar", p. 30. The lyrics of "Task Force" dealt with the Queensland Police special branch, or "Brisbane's notorious undercover police."
Razar, and most high-profile Brisbane punk groups, received intense scrutiny from the local constabulary with their venues often raided and closed. 4ZZZ's Dave Darling, and an independent concert promoter, recalled: "We encountered problems with police just like everybody else did that tried to run a venue... 9 out of 10 of them I don't think ever made the final song... and [we would] disguise them from Task Force knowing they were on, but eventually in the course of the night one of them would find out and next thing you know you had all of them there..." Hutson and Sawford elucidated that, "In fact it wasn't uncommon for police, both uniformed and Special Branch plainclothes, to regularly break up concerts by bands such as Razar, the Leftovers and the Sharks, who were considered among the more subversive and threatening local talent."
The antithesis and disdain for other forms of contemporary popular music was a notable characteristic amongst Brisbane's punks. Razar's laconic anti disco song from their 1978 single Stamp out Disco A-side and the highly caustic song from 1984 about the New Romantics by the Vampire Lovers, titled Long Awaited Justice, were two clear recorded examples that reflected this negative attitude.
The Fun Things, originally known as The Aliens, were an outfit that characterised the Detroit sound inspired by Sydney-based punk group, Radio Birdman.Hutson and Sawford, "Fun Things", p. 15.Spencer et al., "Fun Things", p. 282. Fun Things recorded a track, "When the Birdmen Fly", released on their self-titled EP. According to McFarlane, "The Fun Things issued what has emerged as one of the most collectable artefacts of the Australian punk rock era." The band members, John Hartley, Brad Shepherd and his brother, Murray Shepherd, went on to join other bands, including the Hoodoo Gurus for Brad and The Screaming Tribesmen for Hartley and Murray.
Zero, a feminist-styled punk band, (although some critics considered Zero to play a more quirky sort of pop,Spencer et al., "Xero", p. 842. or New wave music) were present on the local scene. Their contributions were seen as "colourful and imaginative".Hutson and Sawford, "A to Z listing", p. 45. Zero changed their name in the 1980s to Xero and released an EP in 1982. The line-up included John Willsteed and Lindy Morrison, who both went on to the Go Betweens.
Another youthful Brisbane punk band was the Young Identities. According to McFarlane, the band presented "plenty of youthful energy, belligerent spirit and all-important punk attitude. In the 1980s the band changed its name to Kicks and joined the rising Goth rock sound.