Page 107 - Metro
P. 107
he describes his friend as a ‘boy wonder’, ‘far ahead of any (S CHCM S S@JD @ KNS NE HL@FHM@SHNM SN FN ?( L FNHMF SN ENQL @ ONKHSH-
RQH HOVHp LQ KLV NQRZOHGJH RI ĺOP SRHWU\ DQG PXVLF +H DOVR BHRDC QNBJ A@MC SG@S R OQNSDRSHMF SGD ONKHSHB@K QDFHLD :w< ( CNM S
UHFRXQWV 0F/HQQDQpV LQLWLDO UHIXVDO WR MRLQ WKH EDQG EXW WKHQ ADKHSSKD SG@S ATS SG@S R MNS QNBJDS RBHDMBD m @MC HE XNT UD FNS
reads a postcard suggesting a change of heart, as the camera RNLD QD@K HL@FHM@SHNM XNT LHFGS SGHMJ ?6G@S R RNLDSGHMF DKRD
VFDQV 0F/HQQDQpV KDQGZULWLQJ ,PSUHVVLRQLVWLF UH HQDFWPHQWV (ŭBNTKC CN
IHDWXUH WZR \RXQJ PDOH ĺJXUHV VSHDNLQJ LQ D FRUULGRU DQG VZRUG
ĺJKWLQJ RXWVLGH D ERDUGHG XS SLFWXUH WKHDWUH 7KHUHpV D VHQVH RI <HW WKLV LV QRW WKH RQO\ HOHPHQW DFFRUGLQJ WR WKH ĺOP WKDW
two kindred spirits sharing a strong, idealistic bond, based on a PDGH 7KH *R %HWZHHQV XQLTXH 7KHUH ZDV DOVR WKH XQXVXDO ZD\
PXWXDO SDVVLRQDWH SXUVXLW RI WKH DUWV o:H ZHUH WURXEOHPDNHUV in which the band formed: out of friendship, rather than a meeting
we were dreamers. It took off from that moment,’ Forster says. of musicians. Forster, for instance, was already writing songs and
However, he also admits to their competitiveness, likening their SOD\LQJ LQ 7KH *RGRWV ZKHQ KH PHW 0F/HQQDQ o, KDG WKLV UHDOL
G\QDPLF WR WKDW RI WZR GULYHUV 0F/HQQDQ DW ĺUVW DSSHDULQJ LQ sation,’ he recalls. ‘It was better to work with a friend who didn’t
KLV UHDU YLHZ PLUURU EXW WKHQ RYHUWDNLQJ KLP WKHQ VOLSSLQJ EH play an instrument but was entirely on your wavelength, as op
hind, then overtaking him again. posed to musicians who could obviously play but weren’t on your
‘It’s a tricky story to tell because there are so many personal ZDYHOHQJWK p :KLOH WKH )RUVWHUt0F/HQQDQ SDUWQHUVKLS IRUPHG WKH
G\QDPLFV LQ WKH EDQG p 6WHQGHUV PXVHV oEXW WKDWpV DOVR SDUW RI band’s core, other members – particularly Morrison and Brown –
the magic. It’s a saga and that’s what I wanted to convey: the played a crucial role in shaping their sound and developing their
highs and lows and the joy and the pain of being in a band.’ ethic. As Morrison recounts, ‘I wanted the band rehearsing every
In addition to tracing the vicissitudes of the band mem day. That’s what I wanted. I was in the pocket with them because
bers’ personal relationships, the documentary explores what we spent so many hours just playing, over and over and over.’
PDGH WKHLU PXVLF LGLRV\QFUDWLF $JDLQ 6WHQGHUV VWHHUV FOHDU 3GD &N !DSVDDMR 1HFGS 'DQD LV D G\QDPLF GHQVH DQG IDVW
RI GLGDFWLFLVP KHUH LQVWHDG EXLOGLQJ D NDOHLGRVFRSH RI VXJJHV SDFHG ĺOP WKDW WXUQV WKH OHQV RQ RQH RI $XVWUDOLDpV PRVW GLVWLQF
WLRQV DQG OHDYLQJ WKH YLHZHU WR SLHFH WKHP WRJHWKHU (VVHQWLDO WR WLYH URFN EDQGV ,Q GRFXPHQWLQJ 7KH *R %HWZHHQVp FRPSOLFDWHG
this picture is the historical, political and social context, which VWRU\ t IURP WKH PRPHQW )RUVWHU DQG 0F/HQQDQ PHW DV XQLYHU
6WHQGHUV GHSLFWV E\ LQWURGXFLQJ VHYHUDO FRQWHPSRUDULHV RI 7KH VLW\ VWXGHQWV WR 0F/HQQDQpV SDVVLQJ t 6WHQGHUV KDV HPSOR\HG D
*R %HWZHHQV 7KHVH LQWHUYLHZV DUH VKRW LQ EODFN DQG ZKLWH DQG deft touch. He rejects conventional, linear narration in favour of
FORVH XS DJDLQVW DQ XQLGHQWLĺDEOH EODFN EDFNGURS GUDZLQJ pluralism, allowing all surviving band members to speak openly.
the viewer’s focus to their words. In this way, the speakers are Their memories and confessions are supported, enhanced and,
HVWDEOLVKHG DV FRPPHQWDWRUV LQ FRQWUDVW WR WKH ĺOPpV oSURWDJR occasionally, contradicted by a wealth of archival material, and
nists’ – the band members – who speak from the farmhouse. bolstered by perhaps the most powerful storytelling tool of all:
‘Brisbane felt very insular,’ recalls Mark Callaghan, singer/song 7KH *R %HWZHHQVp HQGXULQJ VRQJV WKHPVHOYHV
ZULWHU IRU 7KH 5LSWLGHV DQG *$1*JDMDQJ
https://clickv.ie/w/metro/the-go-betweens
( QDLDLADQ SG@S SGDQD V@R MNSGHMF NODM @ESDQ RHW N BKNBJ 8NT
FNS SGD RDMRD SG@S XNT VDQDM S RTOONRDC SN QNBJ SGD AN@S @MC Jasmine Crittenden is a Sydney-based freelance writer whose inter-
SG@S @MXNMD TMCDQ SVDMSX kUD V@R @ S@QFDS @MC XNT VDQD @KV@XR DRSR HMBKTCD kKL LTRHB KHSDQ@STQD RTRS@HM@AHKHSX @MC GTL@M QHFGSR
@V@QD NE SGD ONKHBD She’s a senior writer at Concrete Playground, a senior writer at Music
Australia, a regular contributor to Metro and Screen Education,
$FURVV WKH VFUHHQ ĻDVKHV SKRWRJUDSKV DQG IDVW PRWLRQ IRRW @MCŭ@ŭLDLADQ NE SGD TRSQ@KH@M %HKL "QHSHBR RRNBH@SHNM m
age of mannequins in shopfront windows, dressed in 1970s
IDVKLRQ \RXQJ SHRSOH GDQFLQJ RQ VXEXUEDQ ODZQV DQG GULQNLQJ Endnotes
LQ JXWWHUV SURWHVW VLJQV DQG SHUKDSV VXUSULVLQJO\ IRU YLHZHUV 1 o7KH 6RQJV 7KDW 5HVRQDWH 7KURXJK WKH <HDUV ,QGXVWU\ 9RWHV IRU
XQIDPLOLDU ZLWK 4XHHQVODQGpV KLVWRU\ SROLFH OLQHV ,WpV D ZRUOG 7RS $XVWUDOLDQ 6RQJVp PHGLD UHOHDVH $35$ 0D\
WKDW IHHOV W\SLFDOO\ $XVWUDOLDQ ĺOOHG ZLWK VXQOLJKW DQG DPSOH OHL DYDLODEOH DW KWWS ZZZ GHEELHNUXJHU FRP SGIV DSUDWKLUW\ SGI>,
sure time, but the overpowering police presence creates an un DFFHVVHG 1RYHPEHU
settling contrast. Another interviewee, author and screenwriter 2 6HH 'DYLG %DUEHOHU o%ULVEDQH %ULGJH +RQRXUV /HJHQGDU\ %DQGp
*HUDUG /HH UHFROOHFWV Drive 6HSWHPEHU KWWS ZZZ GULYH FRP DX PRWRU QHZV
EULVEDQH EULGJH KRQRXUV OHJHQGDU\ EDQG DE KWPO>,
!TS XNT JMNV VGDM XNT FQNV TO VHSG HS XNT KD@QM SN kMC EQDD- DFFHVVHG 1RYHPEHU
CNL HM SGD RL@KK V@XR SG@S XNT B@M 2NLDSHLDR HS V@R RB@QX 3 .ULY 6WHQGHUV TXRWHG LQ +HOHQ %DUORZ o5LJKW +HUH )LQGLQJ
FNHMF NTS @S MHFGS ADB@TRD HE SGD BNOR FNS XNT @MC XNT VDQD 7KH *R %HWZHHQV .ULY 6WHQGHUVp 1HZ )LOP ,V 3UHPLHULQJ DW WKH
VD@QHMF RNLD JHMC NE LTKSHBNKNTQDC AD@MHD NQ TFF ANNSR NQ 6\GQH\ )LOP )HVWLYDOp 6%6 0RYLHV -XQH KWWS ZZZ
RNLDSGHMF VDKK SG@S R @M GNTQ NQ SVN NTS NE XNTQ KHED VGHKD SGDX VEV FRP DX PRYLHV DUWLFOH ULJKW KHUH ŷQGLQJ JR
SNQLDMS XNT EHWZHHQV NULY VWHQGHUV QHZ ŷOP SUHPLHULQJ V\GQH\ ŷOP>,
DFFHVVHG }1RYHPEHU
6W\OLVWLFDOO\ WKHVH KLVWRULFDO LPDJHV t SUHVHQWHG ZLWK XS WHPSR 4 ibid.
pacing and in faded colouring – call to mind the music video .ULY 6WHQGHUV TXRWHG LQ 0HJDQ /HKPDQQ o4 $ .ULY 6WHQGHUV
IRU o6WUHHWV RI <RXU 7RZQp 7KH *R %HWZHHQVp KLJKHVW FKDUWLQJ )LOPPDNHU p The Weekend Australian Magazine 6HSWHPEHU
VRQJ 1RW FRLQFLGHQWDOO\ 6WHQGHUV FR GLUHFWHG it, too. KWWS ZZZ WKHDXVWUDOLDQ FRP DX OLIH ZHHNHQG DXVWUDOLDQ
6
While this adversarial atmosphere spawned numerous highly PDJD]LQH TD NULY VWHQGHUV ŷOPPDNHU QHZV VWRU\ D D D E
SROLWLFLVHG EDQGV 7KH *R %HWZHHQV SUHIHUUHG D PRUH SHUVRQDO G F H F E E ! DFFHVVHG 1RYHPEHU
poetic voice. As writer Clinton Walker, a friend of the band, explains: 6 7KH PXVLF YLGHR ZDV FR GLUHFWHG ZLWK AnWRQ\ &ODUH
www.metromagazine.com.au | © ATOM | Metro Magazine 195 • 105