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
   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112