Metro Australia — January 2018

http://www.metromagazine.com.au | © ATOM | Metro Magazine 195• 105

he describes his friend as a ‘boy wonder’, ‘far ahead of any
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reads a postcard suggesting a change of heart, as the camera
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two kindred spirits sharing a strong, idealistic bond, based on a
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we were dreamers. It took off from that moment,’ Forster says.
However, he also admits to their competitiveness, likening their
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hind, then overtaking him again.
‘It’s a tricky story to tell because there are so many personal
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the magic. It’s a saga and that’s what I wanted to convey: the
highs and lows and the joy and the pain of being in a band.’
In addition to tracing the vicissitudes of the band mem
bers’ personal relationships, the documentary explores what
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this picture is the historical, political and social context, which
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the viewer’s focus to their words. In this way, the speakers are
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nists’ – the band members – who speak from the farmhouse.
‘Brisbane felt very insular,’ recalls Mark Callaghan, singer/song
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age of mannequins in shopfront windows, dressed in 1970s
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sure time, but the overpowering police presence creates an un
settling contrast. Another interviewee, author and screenwriter
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pacing and in faded colouring – call to mind the music video
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While this adversarial atmosphere spawned numerous highly
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poetic voice. As writer Clinton Walker, a friend of the band, explains:

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in which the band formed: out of friendship, rather than a meeting

of musicians. Forster, for instance, was already writing songs and

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sation,’ he recalls. ‘It was better to work with a friend who didn’t

play an instrument but was entirely on your wavelength, as op

posed to musicians who could obviously play but weren’t on your

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band’s core, other members – particularly Morrison and Brown –

played a crucial role in shaping their sound and developing their

ethic. As Morrison recounts, ‘I wanted the band rehearsing every

day. That’s what I wanted. I was in the pocket with them because

we spent so many hours just playing, over and over and over.’

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deft touch. He rejects conventional, linear narration in favour of

pluralism, allowing all surviving band members to speak openly.

Their memories and confessions are supported, enhanced and,

occasionally, contradicted by a wealth of archival material, and

bolstered by perhaps the most powerful storytelling tool of all:

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https://clickv.ie/w/metro/the-go-betweens

Jasmine Crittenden is a Sydney-based freelance writer whose inter-

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She’s a senior writer atConcrete Playground, a senior writer at Music

Australia,a regular contributor toMetroandScreen Education,

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Endnotes

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