Brisbane 1985 – 2010 (Thru Dodgey’s eyes) Part FOUR

This is part FOUR of my recollection of being involved in the music industry in Brisbane 1985 -2010 – if you missed part one, two and three,  READ HERE first.

In the shadows of all these national activities was the new emerging  national music body, AUSMUSIC.  We caught the attention of the CEO, Pete Steedman, who addressed an audience of over 400 musician and industry people in the Fortitude Valley pub, Dooley’s in 1989.  AUSMUSIC wanted to develop formal qualifications for sound technicians, artist managers, performers, artists and road crew.  As it stood in 1988 – 89, the “modern popular music industry” had minimal formal training opportunities for entrants and the information and “the business of music” was known by so few in Australia.  Those that had built their careers weren’t developing the next generation with good business skills (many were skilled in street smart skills only).

Australia, at that time in the late ’80’s, had some amazing exports in contemporary music: INXS, (with a USA number#1) AC/DC, Men at Work (USA number#1), Little River Band (LRB – many #1’s), Air Supply, Midnight Oil, and so many more, however, there was no proper infrastructure building and transferring the skills, knowledge and competencies as in other creative industries such as film, dance, design and classical music.

In Australia we invest billions annually in Sports development – but zero in “Popular Music” development.  The national government had invested in AUSMUSIC to fulfill this role at a cost of only $2million a year.   The Victoria State Government also set up a state music body, Vic Rock, in 1989, and invested $1mill a year.  It sounds big numbers.  But consider this was twenty one years ago – and the two million dollars nationally to assist producing more serious exports in Intellectual Property that can be reinvested back into the development grassroots communities (like in sports).

Almost every state government ran an orchestra, which costs tax payers approximately $6 – 10 million a year to fund (per state).  Orchestras create NO Intellectual Property – only the retention of employment for the retention of a cultural “European” heritage – a glorified cover band really.  It is about fair ‘equity” – and this has been out of balance for along time – and still remains a quandary.

So, to quickly recap the local Brisbane music industry landscape in September 1989 through my eyes ;

1. A new industry body was formed  – MIAQ – predominately music product retailers and recording studios.
2. Ausmusic had set up a local office – manned and run by Jacinta Brondgeest (local musician)
3. Music Worx (my new business) launched as a new innovative music store in Barry Parade, Fortitude Valley (two doors up from Mick Privitera’s ~ The Musicians Pro Shop)
4. A major public music show was about to be run ny the MIAQ at the RNA showgrounds in October 1989.
5. Robert Brock created an Industry Training Advisory Board (ITAB) for Q’ld Tafe (now called Southbank Institute of Technology) to assess the needs of the music industry.   The collection of people came from Musicians Union, Recording Studios, agents and the newly formed MIAQ. I was honoured to have a guernsey to be on that advisory board.
6. Triple J was being born as a national youth FM radio station
7. Triple Zed Fm Alternative Radio had been locked out of their studios at Uni Q and had related temporarily to Toowong.
8. Indecent Obsession were the keynote speakers at the new MIAQ Music show at the RNA showgrounds
9. December 1989 saw Wayne Goss (Labor Party) win the election from the corrupt National Government, who had held power in Q’ld since 1957 (Joh Bjelke-Peterson was Premier from 1968 – 1987 – forced to resign under investigation from the Fitzgerald Inquiry).
10. The old derelict Target building in the Fortitude Valley Chinese Mall, became a regular cost effective rehearsal space for Brisbane bands.
11. Livid was a new small music festival starting at the grounds of Garden’s Point, QUT in January 1989 – featuring Go-Betweens, Chris Bailey, Ups and Downs, Died Pretty and Great Caesar’s Ghost.

As Bob Dylan sang many years earlier, “The order is rapidly fadin’/ And the first one now/ Will later be last/ For the times they are a-changin’”.

For me and many others, 1989, was a very good year.  It was also the formation of Australia’s hottest new Brisbane  band, Powderfinger (although playing covers, they were far from being together enough to be on anyones radar yet).      Brisbane as a city had just finished the World Expo 88 hangover and was getting down to business.   A new government, the police force was being cleaned up and the Valley, predominately run by “mafia types”, was on the reform.

The MIAQ ran its first music show at the RNA Showgrounds and we managed to attract over 12,000 people.  There was a united buzz in the air.  We launched Music Worx and we set up a string of other tenanted businesses in the same building at 188 Barry Parade.   Road Worx – owned by Bruce Fogarty (building road cases and renting out band rooms for rehearsals), Rock Worx – owned by John Wiseman, Guitar teaching studio and later in 1990, Drum Worx – owned by Colin Barnes.   As a collaborative team we created the impression  that we were one larger entity.

AS 1990 kicked in a new decade (and the last for the century) – we shouted loud and proud on our stone washed t-shirts ~ 1990 THE YEAR OF THE WORX.

We had big plans and we were keen to roll them out to put Brisbane on the map.  Read here PART FIVE for how these plans rolled out.