The two hour documentary “The Go-Betweens: Right Here” is on Sky Arts, 9pm, this Saturday 26th January.
This has been a Public Service Announcement.
Go-Betweens klaxon
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Musings on the byways of popular culture
Giddy up 👍
Thanks @niallb
Any chance you could remind me on Saturday, I’m bound to forget!😁
I actually bought the DVD of “Right Here”. It’s really good – everything you could wish for in a documentary about the Go-Betweens. I watched it just after reading Robert Forster’s wonderful book “Grant and I”. What songwriters they were. What a band they were.
Big fan of The Go-Betweens. Currently enjoying ‘The Friends Of Rachel Worth’ as one of the albums on my ipod. Thanks Niall, I’ll look out for the DVD perhaps (don’t have Sky)
“Grant and I” is a fantastic book and as I don’t have Sky Arts I may well buy the DVD. Did anyone see The Go-Betweens? I saw them supporting Aztec Camera at the Dominion in about 1984 (?) and was hooked. Saw them a few more times after that too. Always unpredictable but great. For some reason, the song “Finding You” on the final “Oceans Apart” album is one that makes me get something in my eye whenever I hear it.
Same here, Nick. Grants lyrics and vocals on that song have a poignancy that was not intended at the time of recording.
I saw them in Manchester, early 2000’s. They were terrific.
Tiny room at Manchester University? I was there.
But not as good as Leeds Warehouse with the definitive lineup back in the 80s.
thanks. I need to find a way to watch this
Saw them quite a few times, think even once during Robert’s “dress phase”. Simple, quirky, sometimes out of tune, sometimes the beat got wayward but always interesting.
Thought the Robert Vickers, Amanda Brown era was their peak.
I one of the last shows I saw Robert took it upon himself to do laps of the stage and behind stage while the band played on. He’d re-appear to do another verse and then bolt off again. Did it 5 or six times before he ran out of puff.
Saw them in spring 1985 in Oxford. Did’t know what to expect having only heard a couple of singles. I was used to seeing alternative bands (these were pre ‘indie’ days) play in the back room of pubs to a handful of people. This, however, was in a large hall holding maybe a thousand and from the off they owned it inspiring much devotion and the audience acting as if they were a much bigger, known band. Such a shame that they, the Triffids and Stump, three of my fave late 80’s bands, didn’t have more success. Certainly live, all three were phenomenal live bands.
Was slightly too young first time out but a couple of wise older friends pointed me in their direction in the mid 90s and I was hooked. Fabulous band, what a pairing of songwriters. Got to see them a couple of times on their second spin around, albeit without Lindy and Amanda. What a loss Grant is. Going to see Robert in a couple of months in Dublin, always great value.
thanks for alerting me to the documentary. Very interesting. Not a hagiography – Clinton Walker’s hilarious acerbic comments saw to that. Still very emotional for all involved it seems.
I’d have liked a bit more on the last years even if (like many) I am most interested in the “classic” years.
Back in the day (well 1979) nearly all my contemporaries hated Joy Division. Now JD seem to be almost as popular as ABBA. I keep waiting for the same to happen to the Go-Betweens.
One of the few bands/artists whose second act was worthwhile. The albums and ep’s they recorded, from The Friends of Rachel Worth to Oceans Apart were fine additions to their legacy.