At 58 I have lived in that patriarchal world of the Australian male especially with 6 x years in the army and a lifetime of involvement in football. Now having 2 x daughters in their 20’s, the landscape has changed dramatically and for the better. As they were growing up I wanted them to be strong and independent but they weren’t interested in sport so that was me finished! My only hope was in music and the bevy of inspirational women that inspired me. I told stories, shared books, articles and music with them from Patti Smith, Lucinda Williams, Chrissie Hynde, the Riot Grrl movement, Chrissy Amphlett and Poly Styrene from X Ray Spex, in the hope that they too could succeed in a male dominated world.

The woman I was most familiar with, but knew the least about was the drummer from The Go Betweens, Lindy Morrison OAM. In this intelligent and heart warming book, My Rock ‘n’ Roll Friend, from the former singer/songwriter of Everything But The Girl, Tracey Thorn, I feel I now know this complex and fascinating artist.

The late 70’s and 80’s produced some of Australia’s most original and vital independent music. Politically it was a terrible time and no worse than the Bjelke Peterson regime in Queensland. I was there for 4 x years and it’s level of corruption, masked by a veil of fundamentalist Christianity was the equal of anything Trump dished out. All freedom of speech and creativity was stifled by the premier and his police state. Thank goodness for radio station 4ZZZ who were like a pirate station bobbing on an ocean of dodgy back room deals and a violent police force.

Bursting out of the fear that gripped Brisbane in 1976 was the magnificent Saints and a couple of years later 2 x nerdy art students Robert Forster and Grant McClennan met and in nothing more than a romantic notion went looking for a female drummer to form the Go Betweens.

They got more than they bargained for. Lindy was a drummer with Zero, an all-girl punk band. She’s blonde, statuesque and sexy. She’s also 6 x years older than the boys and has already lived a full life. She begins a relationship with Forster and never gets on with McClennan. A few years later, Amanda Brown joins the band and starts a relationship with McClennan, adding complexity to the dynamic of the band.

The Go Betweens in their original 3 x piece formation headed to the UK in 1983 for the first time and Lindy and Robert shacked up in a shared house in London with ex-pats from The Birthday Party, Nick Cave, Tracey Pew and a gang of their junky friends. In one funny anecdote of her time there, broke, cold and hungry, Lindy gets a cleaning job so they can survive and decides to cook Xmas dinner for the entire crew. After hours of preparation she calls them into the kitchen where they proceed to all nod off, heads on the table having all just had a “hit” in the loungeroom.

It was during the trips to the UK that Tracey Thorn met Lindy backstage at a gig whilst singing with her first band, The Marine Girls. Tracey and Lindy are so incredibly different both physically and personality wise, it’s what makes this friendship so interesting. When I say personality, I mean Tracey is an introvert to the point where she suffered terrible stage fright during her career. Lindy is very much in your face and in her own words, has no filter. That’s where the dichotomy ends. These 2 x woman share a love of books, music, film, art and love to laugh, albeit from the opposite ends of the earth.

The book starts and ends with a beautiful letter from Tracey and excerpts from their letter exchanges over 37 years permeate through the book. Lindy is 10 years older than Tracey and the affection from Tracey’s writing is that of a younger sister looking for that mentorship, confidence and reassurance that great older siblings can provide. The shared love between them genuinely jumps off the page.

Tracey draws out the extraordinary life that Lindy had led before becoming a musician. After graduating as a Social Worker in the early 70’s, Lindy worked at the Aboriginal & Torres Straight Islander Legal Service and commenced a relationship with the charismatic leader of the Black Panthers, Dennis Walker. In 1975 she hitch hiked through Europe somehow avoiding some of the dodgiest and dangerous situations imaginable. Everything Tracey has written about her friend only reinforces just what a force of nature Lindy is.

Despite critical acclaim particularly in Europe, The Go Betweens never gained enormous commercial success. Their last album “16 Lovers Lane” was their most successful and I saw recently “Streets of your town” being used in a fuel company ad which will bring some royalties I would imagine. Lindy too has done a TV ad for over 50’s superannuation. As Bill Hicks would say, “Do a commercial, you’re off the artistic role call”. That doesn’t apply to Lindy. After 10 years working her arse off for the band for little return, she can do whatever she wants. It’s not like she’s flogging booze or a betting company.

Lindy’s diligence in “looking after the boys” is evident throughout the book. Frankly Robert and Grant would have been stuffed without her management skills, something Robert failed to mention in his excellent memoir “Grant and I”. Yes the book was clearly about Robert’s relationship with Grant, but little credence was given to Lindy’s input. What does line up with Lindy’s version of events is the puerile and spineless way Robert and Grant decided to tell Lindy and Amanda that they were breaking up the band. I love the work of Robert and Grant but the story of the break up is like stepping in dog shit after a long, blissful walk.

Lindy was awarded the Medal of the Order for her services to the music industry, not just for her music but as an advocate for so many young bands providing advice on all matters relating to surviving in the industry. For the past 20+ years Lindy has been the National Welfare Coordinator for Support Act, a charity delivering mental health and well-being support for musicians, artists and crew who are doing it tough.

Tracey and her husband Ben Watt had a successful career as Everything but the Girl and finished up in 2000, when Tracey had the first of her 3 x children. Tracey’s exquisite voice has been “hired” by a few different artists over the years, including Massive Attack and she is now a regular columnist with The New Statesman and has written 3 x other best-selling books. Her website is a ripper and all her articles from the New Statesman are published on it.

https://traceythorn.com/contact/

Lindy Morrison is an icon of Australian music and thanks to Tracey Thorn I have seen the spontaneous, manic powerhouse that I had such a crush on as an adolescent!

Here are some related videos. Firstly Tracey Thorn and Everything but the Girl and Tracey singing for Massive Attack:

Here is one of my favourite Go Betweens songs Head Full of Steam, which until I read Tracey’s book I didn’t realise she did the backing vocals for.

From what I’ve read over the years and seen in documentaries about the Go Betweens, there’s always been the odd criticism of Lindy’s drumming. I’m no musician but I love her drumming. I’ve never played air guitar listening to the GOBs but I’ve sure as hell played air drums! Especially on the classic Cattle and Cane.

Finally here’s Lindy today talking about aging gracefully for the insurance company. All class.