We've dipped our toes into the world of YouTube, with footage from our sell-out show at the Williamstown Literary Festival on Saturday 18 June 2016. Many thanks to writers, musicians, organisers and audience for a terrific evening of music and memoir. And huge thanks to BenZen Video Productions for filming and editing the evening.
Alan Attwood Sydney, February 1979 Melbourne, 1984He was wearing a satin clown suit with big black pom-poms, and his schtick was well-rehearsed, but he was also engaging. I felt some sympathy for a singer who’d allowed himself to be pigeon-holed under ‘E’ for eccentrics. The room was strewn with sheet-music.
Diane Kendig Camelot Music, Stark County, Ohio 1971Right after a difficult customer had left the store, Frank would say, “I gotta get outta retail!” This was usually after the 900th person of the week asking for Rubber Ducky or Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head on a 45.
Andy Griffiths Heathmont, 1976It was a sleepy Sunday afternoon in Heathmont sometime in 1976 when I disappeared down the rabbit hole of Alice Cooper’s dark and twisted nightmare. All appeared—on the surface, at least—to be well with the world.
Nathan Johnson South-Eastern Australia, 1985Sometimes we travel far away and I feel like we’ve reached the end of the world. Wagga Wagga, Yass, Goulburn. I trace our route excitedly with a highlighter on my fold-out map of Australia.
Carrye Harris Jaunay-Clan, France 1961 A hospital, Texas, 1981 Spring Branch, Texas 2016I made my way to the hospital elevators, rode down to the main floor in silence. Stopped, went into the gift shop. Glanced through the paperbacks, trailed fingers across book spines, moved on to magazines, past newborn gifts, cut flowers in vases, live plants in ceramic dishes. I stopped at a display of small gift items at the back of the store.
Lucia Nardo Family gathering, Melbourne, 1996I felt a plum-size lump, unyielding to my touch. Dan yelped with pain. That moment is etched in my memory. I knew our lives were about to change. I wanted to push the lump back down, along with all the terror it was about to unleash.
Fiction by Jesse Maskell Falls Festival, Victoria, 2016The best moments are supposed to be ahead but this is it. In five hours I’ll be head-in-an-ocean Chemical Brothers play Wide Open 40 minutes into their set and I’ll look around for Karti, Caitos, through the dim flashing crowd seeing iconic hero friends in moments.
Maria Majsa One bedroom apartment, Herne Bay, Auckland 2007You can fall in love with songs just like you can fall in love with people and because I discovered Elliott Smith after he’d died, it was like falling in love and breaking up at the same time.
Kahli Scott Brisbane, Australia and London, UK; April 2016There’s been a shadow over me that doesn’t seem to lift when London’s grey skies do. And Randy Meisner’s voice keeps popping into my head.