Friends of the Iguana - April 1997

David Megarrity from the wonderful Friends of the Iguana
and other Brisbands has sent me some fantastic recordings
and information on this truely beautiful sounding band.
If you like say a band like My friend the chocolate cake
you will love this. So give it a listen and some feedback
in the comments.
Many thanks to David.
Check out their web page Here

Friends of the Iguana were an unusual brisband –
two guitars and a cello were the core of the group, formed in
1992, initially as a scratch band for a cabaret at La Boite
Theatre.Guitarist/songwriters David Megarrity and Anthony
Mullins, and cellist Madelaine Hale began to put together
their original material shortly afterwards: literate, emotional,
often domestic landscapes captured by delicate chamber-pop
arrangements. They played all the local venues, were state
finalists in the National Campus Band Competition,
and recorded a self-titled EP in short order.
They followed with a full length album, ‘Fall’ at West End Music,
played a lot, including support gigs such as My Friend the
Chocolate Cake and Regurgitator, and were reviewed well in live
and recorded form (including a write up in UK music rag NME)
Madelaine left the group and moved to the UK where the band
later played as a duo. The ‘Black and Brown’ EP was recorded,
followed by appearances at the 1996/7 Woodford Folk Festival.
On April 26 and 27th 1997 Friends of the Iguana, by now in its
2nd incarnation, with cellist David Sills and Liz Elliott on violin,
gathered at the Coorparoo house of sound engineer and general
good-guy Andrew Meadows to record some new songs and new
arrangements live to DAT, in preparation for a third album.
These recordings are a selection of these tracks, recorded
completely live with the windows open to a suburban Brisbane
backyard. Later that year, on the 6th of July at the Valley Fiesta,
the band played what turned out to be their last gig.
These are the final live recordings made by the group.
With the encouragement of local music luminary James Lees,
the band’s original lineup reunited in 2004 to play the Keep Off
The Grass anniversary show at The Zoo, along with The
Toothfaeries and various other folk/pop brisbands of the mid
nineties. Having released only cassettes during their time,
the Friends of the Iguana’s music was released on CD in 2005
for the first time in the compilation ‘Collected Recordings’,
which is now finally available from Rockinghorse Records
or in an expanded format on itunes.
David and Anthony formed a filmmaking partnership which ended
up in Cannes 2000. David went on to form the short-lived
Daveylamps, then The Goodbye Notes.

Tracklist

01 - Susan
02 - First Sigh of Love
03 - National Geographic
04 - Gayfield Square
05 - One Extra
06 - An Old Donkey
07 - Over
08 - Time to Go



Download Here

Stephen Cummings - Lovetown

"Lovetown will surely get Stephen Cummings to heaven" - Rolling Stone

This 1987 solo release from Stephen Cummings was his 3rd and when
he came into his own. Steven has had a long and brilliant solo career
and yet the big time always eluded him.
This album is a joy, a pop masterpiece, something you have to hear
to believe. Why he isn't acclaimed like say Paul Kelly is beyond me.
She set fire was a track released on one of Andrew Pendlebury's
brilliant solo albums which I shall move on to soon.
A fantastic song about a rather dark subject.

She Set Fire To The House

Steven Cummings/Andrew Pendlebury

I pushed the button
Somebody opened the door
Her name was Monika
And Monika was mine ever more
She said I can't be held responsible
For all the guilt in this world
Seven years is enough for any boy or girl

Chorus:
She set fire to the house
And watched it burn down to the ground

The house was in darkness
Monika made me insist
If you want to stay that's alright
But it's at your own risk
Keep your mouth shut
Keep it bottled up inside your head
Love is disappeared
Love is vanished all hope is dead

Chorus (x2)

Pretty flames
Illuminated the night
Monika's face was snow white
If she was ever unfaithful to me
Well I didn't notice
Especially

There are murders
That aren't murders
And they happen every single day
We break our promises
We find it hard to break away
Only Monika she left first
And in that cold clear dawn light
An empty can of kerosene
Helped that house of love burn down so bright

Chorus (x4)

Watched it burn down to the ground


Tracklist

01. Everybody Wants To Get To Heaven
But Nobody Wants To Die
02. Some Prayers Are Answered
03. If You Don't Want My Love
04. When Trouble Comes
05. Where Are You Going
06. My Willingness
07. You Jane
08. She Set Fire To The House
09. Push It Up All Fall Down
10. Viva Las Vegas

CD re-issue only:
11. Time To Kill
12. She Set Fire To The House (Electric)
13. Who Listens To The Radio ('89)
14. Last Round Up

Download Here

The Sports Early Recordings ,Acetate. Recorded April 1977

"I just vaguely met people and dragged them into it.
I always wanted Andrew in the group as a guitarist
nd I had an idea for a rockabilly country sound.
But I always wanted to change it because I really
liked the MC5 and wanted to make it more like that as well."

Stephen Cummings

The Sports were one of the best bands to come out Melbourne
and one of the best from the 2nd half of the 70's full stop.
I loved this band and went on to follow the careers of both
Steven Cumming and Andrew Pendlebury.
This post could take me in many directions.
This 6 track demo, apart from being a rarity,
is also a wonderful recording of some nice songs.
A bit more rockabilly than the later stuff and all
the promise of the greatness of this band is there
in this first recording.

Track list
01 True Stories
02 When We Got To The Taxi Rank
03 In Trouble With The Girls
04 The Creature
05 Missing The Kissing
06 A Red Cadillac And A Black Moustache


These are early recordings made before signing a
recording contract and prior to the release of their
self published "Fair Game" EP.


Download Here

Tism - great truckin' songs of the renaissance

Legend has it that on 2 December 1989 the place to be that night
was at the RNA showgrounds at that years Livid festival
That was the night that the Labor party threw of the shackles
of the National Party and finally won government here after
some 30 years in the wilderness. As the result became known
Tism, or This is serious mum took to the stage for a wild celebration.
It was one of the few Livids I missed and I regret it to this day.
To celebrate the re-election of the Labor party on the weekend
we have some Tism. Perhaps their greatest album, there's plenty
great songs here. Now be warned these guys are not your usual
thing, they are very funny, sometimes shocking, but never dull.
With songs like I'm Interested in apathy, Saturday Night Palsy,
or 40 Years - Then Death, you know your in for a wild ride.
If you haven't heard these guys they are worth the trouble,
unless your easily offended then I would recommend them.


I'm Interested in apathy - Tism

I know how to cheat at Tattslotto
I got a great idea for a song
I know the truth about Marylin Monroe
I can prove Einstein's theory wrong
But that's not what motivates me.
I'm interested in apathy.

I can predict mankind's fate
I know where there's oil in Bass Straight
All the deserts I could irrigate!
All the poor I could emancipate!
But none of this petty stuff for me.
I'm interested in apathy.

I've got the cure for all known disease
I know how to make money grow on trees
I know how to stop terrorism
I know one of the guys in TISM
Enough of this wretched pedantry.
I'm interested in apathy.

Here we are at the last verse.
I've lost interest.


Download Here



40 Years then death - Tism

David McCormack and the Polaroids - Live At The Zoo, Brisbane, 2004

The work of David McCormack becomes sublime at the
point of his work with the Polaroids. This band is unreal
and this is an excellent recording of a night they were
firing on all cylinders. There's some of their best as well
as the Custard track "Girls Like That" a cover of the
Iggy Pop tune I'm Bored.
Recorded here in his home town at the wonderful Zoo,
give this a listen you won't be disappointed.

And here's my song of the moment,
a wonderful track, a perfect pop song
that says it all.

Who Can It Be - David McCormack

I've been sleeping for a long time on my own,
and then you came and let me in.
Suddenly, suddenly, suddenly on the phone,
Your calling up to see if I'm back.

Look at me, look at me, look at me,looking at me,
It'd have be you, It'd have to be me.
Look at me, look at me, look at me,looking at me,
It'd have be you, It'd have to be me.

I check my watch to see if my time is wrong,
I never meant nothing I didn't write myself.
I can hit rewind or I can hit play back,
But don't look up or down
And don't look back.

Look at me, look at me, look at me,looking at me,
It'd have be you, It'd have to be me.
Look at me, look at me, look at me,looking at me,
It'd have be you, It'd have to be me.


Pinch my arm to let me know that I am here
Then all is said and done
Pinch my arm to let me know that I am here
Then all is said and done

Look at me, look at me, look at me,looking at me,
It'd have be you, It'd have to be me.
Look at me, look at me, look at me,looking at me,
It'd have be you, It'd have to be me.




Track list
01 I'm Going to Execute Your Ex-Boyfriend
02 Who Can It Be
03 The Inner West
04 Girls Like That, (Don't Go For Boys Like Us)
05 The Truth About Love
06 Millionaire Adventurer Balloonist
07 If You Leave Me and The Park
08 You Broke My Heart
09 I'm Bored

Download Here





Dave JJJ interview on Gob's Tribute and playing
"Head full of Steam"

Midnight Oil - Sound Relief Benefit Concert , Melbourne, 14th March 2009

Midnight Oil were the Australian band who made politics
and music a commercial success. Not that I think commercial
success counts for much, to boot they were this amazing band.
I saw them play for free at the first Woodford Folk Festival
when the Festivals future was in doubt. They were the kind
of big name shot in the arm they needed to get the crowds in.
They were a legendary band live and this recording shows
the guys still have it. Peter may have had to soften his
politics for the Labour Party, but I hope he will one day
make the impact He clearly wants to.
This is a fantastic FM recording as aired by JJJ, some
classics here, my favorite, Beds are Burning , still gives
me goosebumps.


Beds are Burning - Midnight Oil

Out where the river broke
The bloodwood and the desert oak
Holden wrecks and boiling diesels
Steam in forty five degrees

The time has come
To say fair's fair
To pay the rent
To pay our share
The time has come
A fact's a fact
It belongs to them
Let's give it back

How can we dance when our earth is turning
How do we sleep while our beds are burning
How can we dance when our earth is turning
How do we sleep while our beds are burning

The time has come
To say fair's fair
To pay the rent, now
To pay our share

The fire will scare the cockatoos
From Kintore East to Yuendemu
The western desert lives and breathes
In forty five degrees

The time has come
To say fair's fair
To pay the rent
To pay our share
The time has come
A fact's a fact
It belongs to them
Let's give it back

How can we dance when our earth is turning
How do we sleep while our beds are burning
How can we dance when our earth is turning
How do we sleep while our beds are burning

The time has come
To say fair's fair
To pay the rent, now
To pay our share
The time has come
A fact's a fact
It belongs to them
we're gonna give it back

How can we dance when our earth is turning
How do we sleep while our beds are burning


From the Australian, March 15, 2009

Midnight Oil bring down house at Sound Relief

Something beyond the best music of the last three decades soared
as more than 80,000 punters danced to local and international
acts to help Victorian communities devastated by fire.
If there had been a roof, headline act Midnight Oil would have
raised it.Torrential rain earlier at the Sound Relief concert
stopped for former frontman Peter Garrett to show he still has
what it takes to rock with a regrouping for one night only.
Opener Redneck Wonderland had the crowd on their feet before
the first bar as the Federal Environment Minister swapped his
suit for open neck 80s style on center stage.
While US Forces didn't get an airing, Blue Sky Mine was
dedicated to those affected by the disaster.
And the Oils didn't shy away from Beds Are Burning, which
garnered the greatest response as crowds waved their
mobile phones across the hallowed turf.
“I think that you can look at lyrics out of any songs and clearly,
there are going to be lines there that pertain to any human
situation,” Mr Garrett told a press conference.
“But the songs stand in their own right and in their own time.”


Track List
01. Intro
02. Redneck Wonderland
03. Read About It
04. Blue Sky Mine
05. Advance Australia Fair
06. One Country
07. Beds Are Burning
08. King Of The Mountain
09. The Dead Heart
10. The Power and The Passion
11. Best of Both Worlds
12. Encore Break
13. Sometimes


Recorded by Triple J.

Download Here

Adults Today

As part of the brilliant "Brisbane Sound" shows last year
this legendary band reformed and boy they were so good.
I like Glen and his unique style. His band from a couple
of years age Beachfield is bloody fantastic.
Of course anyone who can write a song as good as
Music is Crap deserves all the accolades coming their way.
Glen went on to play drums for the Go-Betweens mark two
and these days plays Guitar for Robert Forster's band.
If anyone has any of the legendary live recordings of this
band I would just love to hear for you

Adults Today came to life in 1995 when Glenn Thompson,
who up until then had been playing drums for COW and
Robert Forster, decided he wanted to play guitar and sing
his own songs. Glenn asked friends Dylan McCormack,
Trevor Ludlow and Nick Norton to join him and Adults Today
soon began performing at Brisbane's inner city night spots.
The band's short sets were optimistic but clumsy,
as Glenn struggled to sing and play guitar and especially to
do both simultaneously. But it wasn't all bad and some people
actually came to gigs regularly. (you know who you are).
In 1997 Adults Today ceased to exist when Glenn abandoned
it to join Dylan's brother's band Custard. Glenn took the song
he had written from that time "Music Is Crap"
and recorded it with Custard on their third album
We Have The Technology.
Dylan, Trevor and Nick went on to play as Skippy one of
Brisbane's best late 90's outfits.

Track list
01 everything fades
02 examiner 12
03 music is crap

Download Here

Dave McCormack and COW

Bazzil from the most wonderful Prehistoric Sounds blog
has sent me this rare and fantastic cassette to post.
Many thanks to Bazzil, now get over to his blog now
if you haven't seen it. Here



This is what he has to say about this

It's a cassette of David McCormack's old Band COW.
I got this off a chap I worked with years ago.
I remember seeing them play one night at a
Spanish restaurant in Little Edward Street
sometime in the 90s, back when I was living up
the road in Spring Hill.
It was a great night, lots of sangria,
beer and Spanish food.


That sounds like a great night!
I saw COW myself at some Livid festival, They were backing
Robert Forster and did the most brilliant extended version of
Danger in the Past.



COW - which stood for Country Or Western. Also featured
Glenn Thompson (Custard/The Titanics/Go-Betweens)
and producer extraordinaire Robert Moore, as well as about
a dozen other people! COW released one CD, called Beard,
in 1995. In 2006, Dave and Robert Moore collaborated on
a new COW single called "The Chicken Dance" featuring
Rob Hurst of Midnight Oil fame on drums.
There were only 50 copies produced.
They are hard to get.

Track list
01 Concrete Boot Stomp
02 Bob's Blues
03 Tallow Beach
04 Lowryhorn
05 Cow Music
06 Mother Song
07 Green Acres
08 Stormy
09 Things Are Gonna Get Better

Download Here

Dave McCormack in solo acoustic mode at the Roxbury, circa 2001/02

I love me some Dave McCormack, he's so cool and isn't this a
brillant recording. Starting with "Since she started to ride"
a song Jonathan Richman started his brilliant Jonathan Goes
Country album with. I love Jonathan Richman, its a love affair
that goes back 25 years, Dave reminds me a lot of Jonathan.
Take his version of "I'll never fall in love again"

What do you get kiss a girl
You get enough germs to catch pneumonia
And when you do she'll never phone ya
Oh I'll never fall in love again

Not my person experience mind you , quite the
opposite, but funny.
Oh and a great cover of Robert Forster's
The Circle. Dave has worked a lot with
Rob and played on his Calling From A Country
Phone album.
Do you think that top photo is real?
Boy that's funny

Track list
01 Since she started to ride
02 Anatomically Correct
03 Always Greener
04 Girls like that
05 One Day
06 I'll never fall in love again
07 Your Woman
08 Millionaire Adventurer Ballonist
09 The New Matthew
10 Apartment
11 Hello Pussycat
12 Dirty Jeans
13 Livin' Lavida Loca
14 The Circle


Download Here

Who's Gerald

Who's Gerald? was a bad band in a time of very bad music.
The people in the band, although fine people now,
were all idiots at the time. I was the biggest idiot of them all.
All the songs, without exception, were atrocious.
There are no good memories of that time.
Except when we broke up.
Dave McCormack

David McCormack's first band the wonderfully named Who's Gerald.
Legend has it they were named after the response to finding a
wooden coat hanger with Gerald written on it,
Actually they were named after Gerald V. Casale from Devo.
Dave went on to become one of Brisbane's leading musical lights,
leading several bands, Custard being the most successful,
the Titanics and the Polaroids.
At the Pig City Festival Dave put on a ripper performance
playing songs from throughout his career.

Who's Gerald were.
David McCormack - guitar,
Cathy Atthow - drums,
Glen Donald - keyboards,
Paul Medew - guitar initially, then went onto bass,
Christian Dahl - bass.
Later on Scott Younger joined and played bass

Who's Gerald released a single named
"Wrestle Wrestle/Gerald Is Stumbling Away Upon The Highway Of
Life"and had a track called "Pins And Needles"
included on the 1988 Youngblood compilation.

Track List
01 Pins and Needles
02 Gerald is Stumbling along the Highway of Life
03 Wrestle, Wrestle

I know it is frightening to think this way my friends, but it was
actually 20 years ago this year that me and Paul Medew and
Glen Donald started our first band together called Whos
Gerald. Us three met at school in Ipswich, a stinking hot
mining town about 125 years west of Brisbane.
After high school, Paul went off to Townsville to attend James
Cook University. Glen and I headed off to Queensland
University. There we met Cathy Atthow. Shed never played
drums before, but I think her brother had a drum kit,
so she was our drummer. If Id known about the Velvet
Underground back then, I would havethought we were really
cool. At the time I thought we were cool cuz the Gobetweens
had a girl on drums, and so do we.We put up adverts all
around Uni for a bass player and got one
response. It was a journalism student called Christian Dahl.
Christian was a bit older than us, drunk spirits and had a song
called Ive got the no coffee, caffeine deficiency blues which we
used to play at parties. Looking back now, Christian was to my
life sort of a Matthew Strong Beta version. More on that later.
Wed rehearse at Christians house in Indooroopilly. Sometimes
wed rehearse out at Queensland University, under the Activities
office. They had a small Roland PA that we could hire.
One night, the PA was doubled booked, and we used to get so
excited about practice that we just had to play. So we drove
around the Uni grounds and stumbled upon some sort of hockey
training club house thing. There was a power outlet on the wall.
We plugged in and played. Wed always travel in a convoy of 3
or four cars and have everything we needed to play right there
with us. There would be a couple of guitar amps, normally with
multiple inputs so we could run mikes and stuff through there as
well, a bass amp, a drum kit, obviously instruments and what
have you, a couple of mike stands and a few shitty old mikes.
Afterwards, we go to Hungry Jacks at Taringa, where Cathy
worked,and shed get us free food. They used to have a burger
called a Yumbo. It was a microwaved ham and cheese thing.
I loved em. Our first real gig was at a place called The Outpost
in the Valley. It is where the Red Garter strip bar is now.
Or is it called Bad Girls now? Not sure.
Our second gig was at The Love Inn, just up the road
a bit. Our third was back at the Outpost. Things continued on like
this for a while. We recorded one 7inch single called
Wrestle/Wrestle. A label from Sydney called rooArt called us up
and asked us to contribute a track to their Youngblood
compilation. We went to QTQ Channel 9s studios up at Mt Cootha
and recorded Pins & Needles. We played 4ZZZ Market Day once or
twice. We never toured interstate.
Our two biggest gigs were support Sonic Youth at The Patch at
Tweed Heads and INXS at Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
Around 1989 somewhere we split up.
It seems so long ago, and yet just like yesterday.

David McCormack

Download Here

Radio Birdman - From The Vault

Chuck has scanned this wonderful magazine from 1985 called
from the vault. There's 2, the first has a fantastic article on
the Birdman, including a family tree! The second another
article on the Hitmen. This of course follows on from the
Fun things post, as they were heavily influenced by
Radio Birdman. Very interesting stuff and worth the read.
Also included is a heap of Birdman links Chuck has put together.
I had the good fortune to see Radio Birdman play when they
first reformed and played that Big Day Out years ago.
Boy that was a great gig.
Check out Chucks fantastic Birdman links in the
comments, heaps of music.


Download Here

The Church - The Club, Melbourne 26-08-84.

One of the last things Glen did before leaving Brisbane for
the decidedly brighter lights of London, was to bring this
Cassette into the digital age for this blogs readers.
Its a rare recording and I doubt its been available on the
net before. They play some fantastic songs on this bootleg
and they play pretty fast. A great period from the Church
and they even play Unguarded Moment.
Thanks to Glen.

Track list
01 One Day
02 Electric Lash
03 Tear it All Away
04 Constant in Opal
05 Volumes
06 Just For You
07 It's No Reason
08 Month of Sundays
09 You Took
10 Shadow Cabinet
11 10000 Miles Away
12 When You Were Mine
13 Too Fast For You
14 Almost With You
15 Unguarded Moment
16 It's All Too Much
17 Is This Where You Live
18 An Interlude
19 Travel By Thought

Download Here

Fun Things - 7'' ep (1980)

While the band existed from 1979 - 1980 under the name
The Fun Things, they were also known previously during 1978
as The Aliens. There was another band of the same name during
this period from Adelaide but were more new wave orientated.
The Brisbane punk rock “Aliens” members featured Brad
Shepherd on guitar and vocals, bassist John Hartley, and
Murray Shepherd on drums but dissolved to form the Phantom
Agents for a phase without Hartley.
After the Phantom Agents, The original Aliens reformed as The
Fun Things with The Phantom Agents guitarist Graeme Beavis.
This outfit rapidly gained a strong local following,
which was due to their tight and energetic live shows.

The Fun Things were still teenagers but managed to record a
self titled E.P. in 1980. “It was just part of the punk process.
It was something you wanted to do. We felt we had a couple
of decent songs. We were still all in school at the time.
I borrowed 400 bucks from my parents in order to make the
thing happen,” Brad Shepherd recollected. The songs were
“mixed gutsy guitar riffs, breakneck tempos, punk attitude
and youthful exuberance in equal measure,” according to
Ian McFarlane.In 2000 the EP was re-released on
Pennimann Records from Spain. Some of the tracks in the
past had been subject to bootlegging from outside Australia.

The band split in 1980 at the time of their E.P. release which
was followed by Brad Shepherd joining The 31st, an
alternative rock outfit from Brisbane. Murray Shepherd and
Hartley went to form The Screaming Tribesmen in 1981
with Mick Medew and Ronnie Peno from The 31st.

In the early 2000's the Shepherd brothers formed a band
called The Monarchs, which was loosley based on the Fun
Things. A CD called Make Yer Own Fun was released by
The Monarchs.

01 When the birdmen fly
02 Lipstick
03 (I ain't got) time enough for love
04 Savage

Download Here

Dave Warner - Halftime at the Football

Many thanks to John who has given us this wonderful
and rare little Gem. From 1981 released as a 12 " single
this is pure Dave Warner. Half time at the football is
a very funny track. At 6 minutes long its not quite the
classic Mugs Game is, but similar in theme.
Dave's familiar themes of suburban alienation, of girls,
sex and football. Also released on "Meanwhile in the Suburbs"
A mini album released in 1987.

Download Here

Robert Forster and Grant McLennan - Studio 22, 27 May 1999

A wonderful recording of Robert Forster and Grant McLennan from
their 1999 tour to promote the release of Bellavista Terrace;
The Best of the Go-Betweens, taken from the ABC's Studio 22 show.
A beautiful recording of some of their finest in the acoustic tradition.
Many thanks to the most brilliant Chuck who has dragged this gem
from his archives.

I saw them play on this tour, it was a come back I didn't think I
would see at the time and of course it was only the start of a new
beginning.

Track List
01 - Intro
02 - Magic In Here
03 - Head Full Of Steam
04 - Cattle & Cane
05 - Bachelor Kisses
06 - Baby Stones
07 - Love Goes On
08 - Lee Remick
09 - Outro

And how can resist an opportunity to post some lyrics
that I've been singing a lot lately.

Love Goes On - Grant McLennan
There's a cat in my alleyway
Dreaming of birds that are blue
Sometimes girl when I'm lonely
This is how I think about you
There are times that I want you
I want you so much I could bust
I know a thing about lovers
Lovers lie down in a trust

Love goes on anyway!
Love goes on anyway!

The people next door got their problems
They got things they can't name
I know a thing about lovers
Lovers don't feel any shame
Late at night with the lights down low
The candle burns to the end
I know a thing about darkness
Darkness ain't my friend

Love goes on anyway!
Love goes on anyway!

I'm gonna make you happy
I'm gonna spin you round
I'm gonna cut your strings

I put my foot flat down on the floor
I took it as far as I could
I took it down there to Sheridan Street
by the dark wood
Late at night when I want you
I lock you in my room
I know a thing about darkness
I know a thing about lovers
I know a thing about lovers
Lovers want the moon

Love goes on anyway!
Love goes on anyway!

Download Here

James Paterson - Rocky Joe / House of Steel. Unreleased Single

Readers of this blog should know who James is,
if you don't here's a short run down.
James was singer, songwriter and guitarist for legendary
Brisbane band JFK and the Cuban Crisis, writing some
of their best songs. After JFK called it a day James did
a lot of co-songwriting with David McComb of the Triffids.
Writing some dozen or so songs. He also masterminded the
brilliant Triffid related mini LP "Lawson Square Infirmary."
In 1988 James tried to get his new band Champagne Love
Garden up and running which brings us to this point in the
story.
I can't help thinking how good a studio album would have
been at this point.

Rehearsal, Metro Theatre, Sydney, January 2008


In 1987, after my friends The Triffids made what I regard as
their best album, Calenture, I came down with a serious case
of Calenture envy. This prompted me to put together a cast of
friends to record in a 24-track recording studio two of the
tracks from my Champagne Love Garden demos (1987-88).
Which you can find Here.
The two songs, Rocky Joe and House of Steel, were recorded
with female vocalist Zonda Donabauer, viola player
Neil Sanderson, second guitarist Richard Farmer,
bassist Matthew from Sydney band Rabbit's Wedding,
and drummer James Hurst from the Perth band Chad's Tree.
The recordings, which I produced with assistance in the
pre-production stage from Colin Bloxsom, were initially
intended to be released as a single.
However, the project fell through after I was accepted into
university in 1988 and I decided to concentrated thereafter
on my studies. The tracks were mixed by Nick Mainsbridge
in Sydney in 1988 and digitised by Gary Devlin in Perth in 2009.

James Paterson

Download Here

Hamer Hall, Melbourne, January 29, 2009
Triffids with James.

You can watch the Triffids last show in Perth Here.
Its fantastic and I really hope it makes it to Brisbane.