Celibate Rifles singer Damien Lovelock once said to me that the Sydney music scene between 1978 and 1985 was as strong as anywhere in world, at any time.
Live photos by Edwin Garland
The Gun Club were an exciting proposition. They were on the edge; they took punk rock to a new level - like The Cramps, our own Scientists and later, the Beasts of Bourbon. They all had the fire and fury of the greatest punk bands. but they were darker, looking back at Delta blues and roots music.
Their debut album, “Fire of Love” was a masterpiece, as was the follow up. “Miami” and the EP “Death Party”. I had “Fire of Love” and it was one my favourite records at the time.
The story was that the band had experienced yet another sudden change in line-up. Jeffery Lee Pierce was offered a tour of Australia, but when he arrived landed at LA Airport his drummer and guitar player quit and refused to get on the plane. So Jeffery and his bass player, Patricia Morrison decided they would wing it.
They had to pick a band and pulled in locals in guitarist Spencer P Jones (pictured right) and drummer Billy Pommer Jr, both of the Johnnys. Jeffrey waited for former Gun Club member, Kid Congo Powers, to fly over from the USA to rejoin the ranks. And they were The Gun Club for us.
The Strawberry Hills gig defined rock ’n’ roll for me, it was loud, frantic and urgent. It was a show full of passion and commitment. We were all crammed into a space designed for 100 people. There were maybe twice of many of us squeezed in that tiny room. At one point I was pushed over and landed in Billy’s drum kit…as the band played on.
This was the final show of the tour - an impromptu affair organsied to raise some money to get the US band memebrs home.
It was a hot and sweaty room and many beers flowed. I still can remember the band pumping out “Fire Spirt” and “She’s Like Heroin To Me” with Jeffery Lee Pierce hollering away, with beer in hand. The guitars wailed with an intense heated-up feeling - as if the valves were to be blown. The rhythm section was relentless: It all had so much more balls than the record…. and it was a night I will never forget.
The media release promoting the tour, courtesy of Stuart Coupe.
