Journalism (1980s>90s)

PRE-DIGITAL DEEP ARCHIVE (journalism)

There are rock journalists - and there's Clinton Walker...
- Chris Boyd, Australian Financial Review (2005)

What follows here is a semi-random cross-section of just some of the millions of words I pounded out as a freelance journalist between the late 70s and the mid 90s, when I started to pull back from journalism to concentrate on writing books, since books offered me a way to try and tell the stories I wanted to tell that the mainstream media didn't seem to be interested in.

It is an adjunct to the archive of my stuff at rock'sbackpages, the definitive repository of post-war pop music journalism, an even more personal take than my personal/general history of the Australian music media that you can read here. Casting my eye over this listing naturally gives me pause to reflect and I can only now see the patterns and connections I couldn't when I was so deeply immersed in actually pushing it all out, and I will soon enough post some of those observations at the bottom of this page.

Meantime, enjoy a trawl through, it's a trip! Not included is any of my material already reprinted in either edition of Inner City Sound - meaning a lot of early stories on the GoBetweens, Boys Next Door-cum-Birthday Party, Laughing Clowns/Saints, Triffids, post-punk elektronika, lots of other stuff - and only a small amount of my non-music stuff is included in its own section further down. Probably what's collected here amounts to barely half of my full output, and if some pages are a bit short on legibility I'm still cleaning everything up for clarity:

Review (bad!) of Radio Birdman's Burn My Eye from SSA, April 1977, here
Item from Pulp #1 on the Leftovers, August 1977, here
Item from Pulp #3/4 on the Leftovers, February 1978, here
"Punk Rock Riot!" report in Pulp #3/4 on Blondie's Brisbane no-show in December 1977, here
Review of the Saints' Eternally Yours album in Semper, July 1978, here
Review of Kraftwerk's Man Machine album from Semper, August 1978, here
"The Morality of Punk," thinkpiece from Semper, August 1978, here
First-ever story on the Laughing Clowns, Roadrunner, August 1979, here
2 live reviews (Manikins, Tactics) from Roadrunner, October 1979, here
2 jazz-rock record reviews (Chicago, Quasar) from Roadrunner, November/December 1979, here
First-ever GoBetweens feature, from Roadrunner, December 1979, here

Melbourne, 1978: "If Peter Tosh was white...

... he'd be a superstar."

First writing I got paid money for, first publication in a real newspaper - the Adelaide Advertiser - 24 January 1980, here
First publication in RAM, Boys Next Door news story, 20 February 1980, here
First Birthday Party feature from RAM, later that same year, November 24, here
3 electronik rock rekord reviews (Tolley & Dara, Laughing Hands, Severed Heads) from RAM, 1980, here
2 punk record reviews (Dead Kennedys, SLF) from RAM, 1980, here
2 post-punk record reviews (Associates, Magazine) from RAM, 1980, here
Adelaide Advertiser item on the Ramones on tour in Australia, 10 July 1980, here
Church item from the Adelaide Advertiser, 1980, here
Jimmy Witherspoon (!) interview from RAM, 30 May 1980, here
Sydney Shout feature on the New Race, June 1980, here
TAGG live review of Toy Love at French's, 1980, here
RAM review of the Machinations live at the newly-opened Trade Union Club, 1981, here
Adelaide Advertiser item on Paul Kelly and his debut album, March 1981, here
First Rolling Stone publication, and a major feature, on post-punk elektronika, 14 May 1981, here
Rolling Stone feature on Don Cherry and Old & New Dreams (!!), 14 May 1981, here
Equal Local feature from RAM, 26 June 1981, here
Review of Tactics' My Houdini album from TAGG, 1981, here
"Intensely Original:" Laughing Clowns item from the Adelaide Advertiser, 1981, here
Review of Laughing Clowns' Reign of Terror/Throne of Blood LP from Rolling Stone, 1981, here
Parrish Hall Post-Punk: TAGG live review, 1981, here
3 coldwave album reviews (Laughing Hands, David Chesworth, Dead Travel Fast), 1981, here
'Brisbane Despatch' from RAM, 17 October 1981, here
1982 - a sole entry! - interview with Blurt's Ted Milton for Fast Forward, October '82, here
From Inner City Sound to 'Sedition': mega-feature from Stiletto, July/August 1983, here
Feature on Phantom Records from Rolling Stone, October 1983, here
Feature on X from Rolling Stone, October 1983, here
John Cale feature from Stiletto, October 1983, here
Review of Reels' Unreel album from Rolling Stone, November 1983, here
First story for the Age, on Saint Christopher Bailey going solo/acoustic, 25 November 1983, here
Stiletto feature on the Gun Club (partly) in Australia, November 1983, here
Rolling Stone review of the Triffids' Treeless Plain album, December 1983, here
1983 end-of-year Best list, from Stiletto, December/January 1984, here
Review of the Birthday Party's Mutiny from Rolling Stone, January 1984, here
Triffids news story from the Age, 6 January 1984, here
INXS news story from the Age, 13 January 1984, here
SPK news story from the Age, 27 January 1984, here
"Sad Nick:" Stiletto feature on Nick Cave, February 1984, here
News story on Pel Mel from Sydney Morning Herald, 10 February 1984, here
Johnnies news story from the Age, 17 February 1984, here
'Fear and Loathing at the Tamworth Country Music Festival' from Stiletto, March 1984, here
Rolling Stone 'Around the Traps' item on Laughing Clowns, 1984, here
Mental As Anything news story from the Age, 16 March 1984, here
Violent Femmes feature, from Stiletto, April 1984, here
Rolling Stone review of Laughing Clowns' Law of Nature, April 1984, here
Sydney Morning Herald news story on Upside-Down House, 13 April 1984, here
Lighthouse Keepers news story from Sydney Morning Herald, 19 April 1984, here
Item on 'non-diversionary Oz post-punk' in Sydney Morning Herald, 26 April 1984, here
Wet Taxis news story from the Age, 27 April 1984, here
Review in Rolling Stone of the Celibate Rifles' eponymously-titled second album, May 1984, here
Uriah Heep (!!) album review from Rolling Stone, May 1984, here
Scattered Order news story from Sydney Morning Herald, 18 May 1984, here
'The Rough and the Smooth' from Melbourne, news story in Sydney Morning Herald, 25 May 1984, here
"Year of the Triffids" feature from Follow Me, June/July 1984, here
Review in Rolling Stone of the Moodists' Thirsty's Calling, June 1984, here
Review of the Beasts Of Bourbon album The Axeman's Jazz from Rolling Stone, 1984, here
News item on Roger Knox written for Rolling Stone but not run, 1984, here
Hoodoo Gurus news story from the Age, 8 June 1984, here
Died Pretty news story from the Age, 22 June 1984, here
Rolling Stone 'Around the Traps' item on Scritti Politti, June 1984, here
Breaking news story on Warumpi Band, from the Age, 27 July 1984, here
Reviews of Hallowed Ground and Raining Pleasure, from Rolling Stone, July 1984, here
"All Peter Milton Walsh Wanted:" Rolling Stone 'Around the Traps' item, 1984, here
'Sekret History': Sekret Sekret item from Sydney Morning Herald, 13 July 1984, here
Flaming Hands news story from the Age, 1 August 1984, here
Rock on TV: Stiletto feature on ABC's Sweet and Sour, August 1984, here
Rock on film: Stiletto feature on Purple Rain and others, September 1984, here
Review of the Nick Cave album From Her to Eternity from Rolling Stone, September 1984, here
Review of the Saints album A Little Madness to be Free from Rolling Stone, September 1984, here
Rolling Stone review of Hunters & Collectors' Human Frailty album, 1984, here
Interview from The Next Thing with Chris Bailey, 1984, here
Interview from The Next Thing with Ed Kuepper, 1984, here
Interview from The Next Thing with the Sunday Painters, 1984, here
Chapter on new groups from The Big Australian Rock Book, 1984, here
Sydney Morning Herald item on Mose Allison in Australia, 5 October 1984, here
Rolling Stone album reviews of Lawson Square Infirmary and Bo Diddley, November 1984, here
Review in Rolling Stone of Au-Go-Go's Melbourne compilation album Asleep at the Wheel, November 1984, here
Salamander Jim item from Sydney Morning Herald, 16 November 1984, here
"Aborigines Express Hope:" item on The Indulkana Suite from the Age, 23 November 1984, here
Rolling Stone item on GoBetweens' return Australian tour, December 1984, here
Rolling Stone reviews of albums by Lighthouse Keepers +, December 1984, here
Review of Nick Cave's The Firstborn is Dead from Rolling Stone, January 1985, here
RAM item on Joe Ely on tour in Australia, 13 February 1985, here
Hold on, They're Coming to Australia: Sam & Dave on tour, from the Age, 15 February 1985, here
6 (count 'em!) news items, from Nick Cave to Coloured Stone, in one issue of Rolling Stone, March 1985, here
Triffids news story from the Age, 1 March 1985, here
Age news story on A.T. Wells, 8 March 1985, here
Review of Warumpi Band album Big Name, No Blankets from Rolling Stone, April 1985, here
News item on Bo Diddley on tour in Australia, Rolling Stone, April 1985, here
Rockmelons news story from the Age, 26 April 1985, here
Review of Paul Kelly album Post from RAM, 1985, here
No Fixed Address in between Euro-tours in 1985, not published I don't think, here
Woman & Children First news item from Rolling Stone, May 1985, here
Paul Kelly news story from the Age, 17 May 1985, here
Mullanes live review from RAM, 3 July 1985, here
Hoodoo Gurus news story from the Age, 19 July 1985, here
Do-Re-Mi album review from RAM, 28 August 1985, here
Review of Mortal Sin album Mayhemic Destruction from Rolling Stone, 1985, here
Died Pretty news story from the Age, 1985, here
Rolling Stone 'Around the Traps' item on emerging Aboriginal music, September 1985, here
Rolling Stone 'Around the Traps' item on government grants in rock, September 1985, here
Rolling Stone 'Around the Traps' item on Oz post-punk 'supergroups', September 1985, here
News story on John Cooper Clarke on tour in Australia from the Age, 6 September 1985, here
Lighthouse Keepers news item from Rolling Stone, October 1985, here
Age news story on Jonathan Richman on tour in Australia, 18 October 1985, here
Age news story on Los Lobos on tour in Australia, 8 November 1985, here
Triffids news story from Rolling Stone, January 1986, here
Violent Femmes breaking new ground, from the Age, 31 January 1986, here
Meeting Nico in Bondi, from the Age, 21 February 1986, here
Grant McLennan interview from Follow Me (Gentleman), March-May 1986, here
Craven Fops item from RAM, 12 March 1986, here
GoBetweens item from the Age, 14 March 1986, here
RAM cover story on the GoBtweens, 26 March 1986, here
Review of 2 Flying Nun records from Rolling Stone, April 1986, here
Age news story on Jeffrey Wegener joining Chris Bailey's Saints, 25 April 1986, here
Peter Blakeley news story in RAM, 7 May 1986, here
Black Australian music cover story from the Age 'EG', 3 May 1986, here
Rolling Stone news story on Crowded House in LA, June 1986, here
Saints feature from Rolling Stone, August 1986, here
Cramps story from the Age, 15 August 1986, here
Age 'EG' cover story on New Country, 3 October 1986, here
Flying Emus news story from the Age, 31 October 1986, here
Age news story on Sandii and the Sunsetz, 21 November 1986, here
Age news story on Johanna Pigott's Scribble, 28 November 1986, here
Steve Earle interview from RAM, December 1986, here
Review of Wa Wa Nee album from Rolling Stone, December 1986, here
RAM news item on Tim Gooding's King of Country, 14 January 1987, here
Stan Ridgway news story from the Age, 20 February 1987, here
Peter Blakeley feature in Rolling Stone, 1987, here
Sparklers news story from the Age, 1 March 1987, here
Slim Dusty interview from Follow Me (Gentleman), March-May 1987, here
RAM cover story on the Hoodoo Gurus, 22 April 1987, here
Chris Abrahams news story from the Age, 24 July 1987, here
Suzanne Vega feature from the Age, 18 August 1987, here
Feature on Australian jazz starring the Benders, from Follow Me (Gentleman), 1987, here
Rolling Stone review of Louis Tillett's Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell, 1987, here
Tamworth Country Music Festival preview from the Age, 22 January 1988, here
Feature on the Chills for RAM, 9 March 1988, here
Two-part special on A&R from RAM, 21 May 1988, here
"Radio Now" feature from Stiletto, July 1988, here
Rolling Stone reviews of albums by Johnny Batchelor and Pseudo Echo, 1988, here
'Politics in Rock' thinkpiece in Stiletto, September 1988, here
Bulletin cover story on INXS in America, 4 October 1988, here
Item on Tav Falco's Panther Burns in Australia, (my last piece for) the Age, 14 October 1988, here
Review of the Colors film soundtrack written for the Bulletin but not run, 1988, here
Review of Nick Cave's Tender Prey, from Stiletto, November 1988, here
Bulletin item on Run-DMC in Australia, 8 November 1988, here
"Don Walker Breaks In" item from the Bulletin, 13 December 1988, here
Review in Rolling Stone of Guns'n'Roses live in Sydney, February 1989, here
Review of Alberts Productions' Good Times LP from Rolling Stone, February 1989, here
Rolling Stone review of Stephen Cummings' New Kind of Blue, March 1989, here
Shane Howard album review from Rolling Stone, March 1989, here
Chris Wilson feature from Rolling Stone, March 1989, here
Live review of Don Walker's Catfish from Rolling Stone, April 1989, here
Review of Wa Wa Nee's Blush from Rolling Stone, July 1989, here
Patsy Cline record/s review/s from New Woman, August 1989, here
Al Green/Neville Brothers record reviews from New Woman, 1989, here
"The Last Rock'n'Roll Band:" X oral history from Rolling Stone, September 1989, here
Black Eye Records feature from Rolling Stone, September 1989, here
Review of Paul Kelly's So Much Water So Close to Home from New Woman, September 1989, here
Johanna Pigott feature from the APRA Magazine, October 1989, here
Review of Nina Simone album Nina's Back from New Woman, 1989, here
Feature on Max Q's Ollie Olsen from the Edge, November 1989, here
Review of Robyne Dunn album Labour of Liberty from New Woman, November 1989, here
"Face to Face: Johanna Pigott" profile from New Woman, December 1989, here
New Woman music columns, December 1989/January 1990, here
Kylie Minogue cover story for the Edge, January 1990, here
Peter Blakeley news story for the Edge, January 1990, here
Album reviews - Tackhead, Cruel Sea, Collette - from the Edge, February 1990, here
'Talk To' profile of John Foy, from the Edge, 1990, here
Item on Archie Roach from New Woman, 1990, here
Beasts of Bourbon feature from Rolling Stone, June 1990, here
Dave Graney live review from Rolling Stone, August 1990, here
"Face to Face: Jenny Morris" profile from New Woman, September 1990, here
Review of Nick Cave live in Sydney from Rolling Stone, October 1990, here
"Back with Attack:" AC/DC feature from Rolling Stone, December 1990, here
GoBetweens album review-cum-obituary in Rolling Stone, January 1991, here
Divinyls feature from Rolling Stone, March 1991, here
Playboy music column on the Divinyls and Falling Joys, April 1991, here
Rolling Stone item on Not Drowning, Waving in PNG, May 1991, here
Rolling Stone review of the Chantoozies' Gild the Lilly, May 1991, here
Rolling Stone review of Anne Kirkpatrick album Out of the Blue, June 1991, here
Playboy music column on the Hummingbirds and Chris Isaak, July 1991, here
Mark Seymour feature from the Australian Colour Magazine, September 1991, here
Don Walker feature written for the Australian Colour Magazine but not run, 1991, here
Damien Lovelock feature from Rolling Stone, November 1991, here
Review of Jimmy Barnes album Soul Deep from Rolling Stone, November 1991, here
"Lunch with 3 Country Girls" from the Australian, 12 November 1991, here
Rolling Stone review of Keith Urban album Keith Urban, December 1991, here
Rolling Stone review of Yothu Yindi album Tribal Voice, January 1992, here
Ed Kuepper feature from Rolling Stone, March 1992, here
'On the Record' column in the Bulletin, 21 April 1992, here
Young Disciples album review from Rolling Stone, May 1992, here
'On the Record' column in the Bulletin, 16 June 1992, here
Nick Cave feature from Rolling Stone, June 1992, here
News story on Dale Barlow from Rolling Stone, June 1992, here
Weddings, Parties, Anything feature from Rolling Stone, September 1992, here
"Big Day Out on Wheels," preview from Rolling Stone, December 1992, here
Baby Animals feature from the APRA Magazine, December 1992, here
Review of Paul Kelly live album for the first issue of Juice, March 1993, here
Archie Roach feature from Rolling Stone, March 1993, here
Tiddas news item from Juice, April 1993, here
Review of Kev Carmody album Bloodlines from Rolling Stone, June 1993, here
John Prine live review from Juice, June 1993, here
Introduction to Beasts of Bourbon songbook From the Belly of the Beasts, 1993, here
Peter Blakeley feature from the Australian Colour Magazine, 1993, here
Review of Cruel Sea album The Honeymoon is Over from Juice, October 1993, here
Gram Parsons 'Discography' column from Juice, February 1994, here
Birthday Party 'Discography' column from Juice, March 1994, here
AC/DC 'Discography' column from Juice, April 1994, here
'20 Questions' with Bon Scott, from Playboy, May 1994, here
Feature on 5.6.7.8s and the Japanese Invasion from Juice, June 1994, here
Dave Graney retrospective from J-Mag, 1994, here
Jimmy Little profile from Real Wild Child CD-Rom, 1994, here
Joint review of 2 Jon Spencer Blues Explosion albums from Rolling Stone, 1994, here
Article on Oz punk/post-punk in the global dialogue, from Hot Metal, 31 October 1994, here
Spencer P. Jones feature from Rolling Stone, December 1994, here
News story on the exotica revival from Rolling Stone, December 1994, here
Feature on NuiPacifican Soul, from Rolling Stone, June 1995, here
Book reviews from Rolling Stone, June 1997, here
Book reviews from Rolling Stone, October 1998, here
Rolling Sone country music columns, 1998, here
Very Sorry Indeed: Sydney Morning Herald review of Jack Marx book Sorry, 24 July 1999, here
Cowboy poets: Joint album reviews, HQ, August 2000, here
Perfect Work of Art: Miles Davis box-set review, HQ, 2000, here
"What Makes Australian Music Australian?" thinkpiece from Massive, 2000, here

NON-MUSIC STUFF:

"Holden On:" Book review-cum-feature from Stiletto, October 1983, here
Follow Me item on the return of Sergio Leone, 1984, here
Stiletto item on painter Noel McKenna, 1984, here
Film review columns from Countdown magazine, 1984/1985, here
On Ray Carver, 'Dirty Realism' and the return of the short story, Follow Me, 1985, here
Profile of surfing champion Pam Burridge from Follow Me, 1985, here
"Clint on Clint:" Walker on Eastwood from Follow Me (Gentlemen), 1985, here
Review of Repo Man from RAM, September 1985, here
On location with Brian Trenchard-Smith (!!) shooting Dead-End Drive-In, in Hero, January 1986, here
Follow Me (Gentlemen) feature on gallerist Ray Hughes' stable of Queensland painters, January 1986, here
Feature in Follow Me (Gentlemen) on film director Ian Pringle, 1986, here
Feature in Follow Me on writer Georgia Savage, August 1986, here
Feature in Follow Me on photographer Bill Henson, October 1986, here
Humour: "Tragedy - the Latest Designer Drug," from the Edge, 1990, here
'Talk To' City Films, profile from the Edge, February 1990, here
Humour: "Party Time," from the Edge, 1990, here
Photo feature on Detroit's Golden Age of Gorp, from the Edge, 1990, here
"Heroin: The Facts" feature from the Edge, 1990, here
"Pot Luck:" Investigation into Australia's marijuana trade in Playboy, April 1990, here
"Radio Daze" investigation in Playboy, May 1990, here
"The Hawthorn Factor" from Inside Sport, June 1992, here
Feature from Inside Sport on Aboriginal footballers, July 1992, here
Profile of Sydney Swans' star Daryn Cresswell from Inside Football, 1994, here
"Re-Enter Sandman," from Australian Style, 2000, here