Last week my job took me on a route past both The Saints ‘I’m Stranded’ mural and the ‘Richlands’ sign on the same day. For those not aware of the geography in Southeast Queensland, that’s not a common occurrence. The mural is a dedication to the independently released Fatal Records single and is in Brisbane City. The Richlands sign is a destination marker seen in the video of the post-Ed Kuepper & Ivor Hay incarnation of The Saints radio staple ‘Just Like Fire Would’ (covered by Bruce Springsteen) demonstrating that Chris Bailey (RIP), well into the 1980’s, still acknowledged Brisbane’s Western Suburbs. Add to this scenario, that this particular journey was the day after seeng the Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter and now hearing this podcast, and it’s a little surreal.
I was born the same year that The Saints were formed, and the chance to attend the Pig City festival in 2007 where Chris, Ed and Ivor reunited and played together for the last time, was a special opportunity that I wasn’t going to miss. The event was named after a book, ‘Pig City: From The Saints To Savage Garden’ itself named after a song by The Parameters. Although The Parameters also played amongst a throng of Queensland music luminaries on the day, the festival was about The Saints, for whom most of the other artists on the bill, without the DIY agency of early The Saints including securing their own venue, Club 76, would not have existed.
17 years later, in November 2024, Ed and Ivor with Mick Harvey (Bad Seeds), Peter Oxley (Sunnyboys) and Mark Arm (Mudhoney) did some shows in Australia as The Saints ‘73-‘78, playing songs from the 3 LP’s released in that time. There were multiple generations at the shows witnessing versions of songs many have only seen and/or heard as covers by the likes of Jello Biafra, Alexisonfire, The Hives, Violent Femmes or Midnight Oil. Yet, while the crowds were similar, there was a distinct difference between seeing someone front the Sex Pistols then someone singing for The Saints. Frank Carter can hold a tune, though when he sings “I am an anarchist…” it doesn’t hit the same as when Mark Arm improvises the “west coast” lyric in ‘Know your product’ and name checks the Western Australian locations of “Freemantle and Perth, Margaret River and Motherf….n’ Dunsborough”. Mark Arm, with his vocal yelps, is clearly a student of The Saints along with many others, as I had seen the photos of Nick Cave in the audience of early The Saints gigs, watched the Rage clips with Mark Lanegan, and read top 50 song lists, but the Australia to Seattle music influence in the 70’s and 80’s off the back of ‘I’m Stranded’, cannot be understated. As Duff McKagan had said “Along with The Saints and Radio Birdman, AC/DC kicked our asses from all the way Down Under” and when you read that you cannot unhear The Saints in any popular recordings that Duff was part of.
Therefore, it would appear Gavin was on the money about how band formations after listening to The Velvet Underground may not stack up to the actual level of band formations following hearing the ‘I’m Stranded’ album for the first time.
I personally see the minimalist and ‘demo’ approach to production of the recording by New Zealander Rod Coe - noting he would go on to be a house producer for one of most prolific country music artists in history - on the ‘I’m Stranded’ album, as a catalyst for a lot of music thereafter.
Another worthy album suggestion by Gavin by a very influential band and a great review by the DMO union.
For more The Saints influences, sometime Pavement member & sometime Queensland resident, Spiral Stairs, has a fantastic song, also called ‘Pig City’ that sounds like the correct hybrid of The Saints and The Go Betweens which name checks locations in Brisbane and surrounding northern suburbs. Released as a 7 inch on the Coolin’ By Sounds label, it is well worth a listen or several.
Last week my job took me on a route past both The Saints ‘I’m Stranded’ mural and the ‘Richlands’ sign on the same day. For those not aware of the geography in Southeast Queensland, that’s not a common occurrence. The mural is a dedication to the independently released Fatal Records single and is in Brisbane City. The Richlands sign is a destination marker seen in the video of the post-Ed Kuepper & Ivor Hay incarnation of The Saints radio staple ‘Just Like Fire Would’ (covered by Bruce Springsteen) demonstrating that Chris Bailey (RIP), well into the 1980’s, still acknowledged Brisbane’s Western Suburbs. Add to this scenario, that this particular journey was the day after seeng the Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter and now hearing this podcast, and it’s a little surreal.
I was born the same year that The Saints were formed, and the chance to attend the Pig City festival in 2007 where Chris, Ed and Ivor reunited and played together for the last time, was a special opportunity that I wasn’t going to miss. The event was named after a book, ‘Pig City: From The Saints To Savage Garden’ itself named after a song by The Parameters. Although The Parameters also played amongst a throng of Queensland music luminaries on the day, the festival was about The Saints, for whom most of the other artists on the bill, without the DIY agency of early The Saints including securing their own venue, Club 76, would not have existed.
17 years later, in November 2024, Ed and Ivor with Mick Harvey (Bad Seeds), Peter Oxley (Sunnyboys) and Mark Arm (Mudhoney) did some shows in Australia as The Saints ‘73-‘78, playing songs from the 3 LP’s released in that time. There were multiple generations at the shows witnessing versions of songs many have only seen and/or heard as covers by the likes of Jello Biafra, Alexisonfire, The Hives, Violent Femmes or Midnight Oil. Yet, while the crowds were similar, there was a distinct difference between seeing someone front the Sex Pistols then someone singing for The Saints. Frank Carter can hold a tune, though when he sings “I am an anarchist…” it doesn’t hit the same as when Mark Arm improvises the “west coast” lyric in ‘Know your product’ and name checks the Western Australian locations of “Freemantle and Perth, Margaret River and Motherf….n’ Dunsborough”. Mark Arm, with his vocal yelps, is clearly a student of The Saints along with many others, as I had seen the photos of Nick Cave in the audience of early The Saints gigs, watched the Rage clips with Mark Lanegan, and read top 50 song lists, but the Australia to Seattle music influence in the 70’s and 80’s off the back of ‘I’m Stranded’, cannot be understated. As Duff McKagan had said “Along with The Saints and Radio Birdman, AC/DC kicked our asses from all the way Down Under” and when you read that you cannot unhear The Saints in any popular recordings that Duff was part of.
Therefore, it would appear Gavin was on the money about how band formations after listening to The Velvet Underground may not stack up to the actual level of band formations following hearing the ‘I’m Stranded’ album for the first time.
I personally see the minimalist and ‘demo’ approach to production of the recording by New Zealander Rod Coe - noting he would go on to be a house producer for one of most prolific country music artists in history - on the ‘I’m Stranded’ album, as a catalyst for a lot of music thereafter.
Another worthy album suggestion by Gavin by a very influential band and a great review by the DMO union.
For more The Saints influences, sometime Pavement member & sometime Queensland resident, Spiral Stairs, has a fantastic song, also called ‘Pig City’ that sounds like the correct hybrid of The Saints and The Go Betweens which name checks locations in Brisbane and surrounding northern suburbs. Released as a 7 inch on the Coolin’ By Sounds label, it is well worth a listen or several.