SALLY COLLINS' TRIBUTE

(Triffids manager for their entire career - almost)

Commenced June 1999 - completed April 2000

I have been a music lover and fan all my life. It is still my passion. As soon as I was old enough to look 18, I was off in pubs and discos getting my fill. And I was also always on the lookout for anything new and inspiring... In this way I first heard of the Triffids from a friend, Anthony Smith of Flowers/Icehouse who saw this little band in Perth '79 or '80 and raved about them. I think he was soft on Jill #1.....keyboard player and later founder of the Teeny Weenies.


At the time I was in partnership with Lobby Loyde at S.C.A.M. (suss city artist management) looking after Sardine v, Sunnyboys and Machinations. We moved to offices in Yurong St, Darlinghurst. Behind the office was the Sheppard Newman Building - a glorious squat. It coincidently became The Triffids first Sydney address. Fate - for me - I think this was '81 or '82. I remembered Anthony's rave about the Triffids and their great songs. The band had no trouble getting work right away and publicised their shows well. I took Peter Oxley of the Sunnyboys to see them - I think at the Southern Cross. We both fell instantly in love with their beautiful simple melodies, Dave's gorgeous lyrics and the band's overall charm and humour. Songs like Madeline, This Boy still stay with me. I also loved how they moved between innocent, pristine pop to plumb their wild dark side. They were awesome when they got wild and thrashy. They had more light and shade in a set than anybody I had previously seen. They took you on a journey with each show - you were up, you were down, laughing and crying, dancing and rigid. You felt oh so good and oh so bad...Brilliant - Atmosphere!

Anyway dear old Pete Oxley and I became sort of crusaders for the band. The Triffids were soon supporting the Sunnyboys at every available opportunity. Poor guys - in those days supports had to supply two loaders for the 'in & out' and it was hard to watch Alsy and Rob loading those huge boxes up flights of stairs. But even our crew loved the Triffids and always treated them kindly. Jeremy Oxley also became a big fan and even gave Dave one of his classic guitars - I can't remember which one - was it the Gretsch? I'm sure this was terribly embarassing for Dave at the time.


Pete lent The Triffids his Tascam four track which was used to record the Dungeon Tapes. I think I bought most of the tapes from Rob and gave them away to radio, press, record companies, anyone I thought would listen. Plus I felt I was financially helping the band. I would do anything to help their cause. The Triffids were a truly independent band - they were organised. They wrote, recorded, made videos and marketed themselves as well as performing prolifically throughout their entire career. They paid for everything with only occasional record company assistance right up to when they signed to Island. I still treasure my Triffids 'Bad Timing' hanky - a marketing treasure from the band's marketing expert Martyn P Casey. It has never touched my nose.

Dave's songs made me cry - a reaction I have always loved in music. In fact at the time Alsy had a couple of beautiful tear jerkers too. But Dave, though shy, gangly and seemingly naive (something I learned later to be a winning affectation he used to suit) had awesome charm and power. I was a fan and would not have dreamed of approaching him other than to nod and smile hello - very respectfully, of course. Rob was the mouth piece for the band as far as business was concerned at that time -bloody good at it too. Rob was protective and intuitive in a way I could relate to.


Through Lobby we even steered The Triffids toward White Label (a branch of Mushroom which Lob was instrumental in getting set up with Gudinski to cater for a rash of young bands like Sardine v and Machinations who were left of the mainstream and so not suited to Mushroom. We even got Michael G. to coax the late Neil Bradbury away from Vox Magazine to run the label thinking he would be sympathetic). But I am getting off the track. The label didn't suit them so luckily they were released.


Meanwhile in 1983 I resigned from the Sunnyboys who were about to combust and went overseas for a holiday and to do some work in the States for the Machinations. When I returned I resigned totally from SCAM and severed all dealings with Mushroom and made a beeline to the Southern Cross Hotel to catch a 'four setter' from The Triffs. After the gig, out on the street Dave came up to me and asked me to manage them. He told me that they had a new record company - Hot Records and they thought they needed some help. This was the first time he ever really spoke to me. And I knew because of the way they worked that the band had all discussed the possibility of me working with them. I was flattered beyond belief. I was feeling pretty burned with management at the time (part of another story - the SCAM saga) so I said that I wouldn't manage them but would be their agent and give them whatever advice they felt they needed regarding Hot.



So our long and lovely relationship began. I went and met Hot Records with the band and set up Hot Booking through which I booked The Triffids tours and other artists on that label. I was thrilled when the band asked me to return to London with them in 1985. Dave, Graham and I shared a house in west London the first year - we were so broke. We worked hard, travelled hard and had a ball. At this stage there was also Hot Management which I had been talked into. It wasn't until 1986 that I took on sole management of the band.


My years working with The Triffids were with out a doubt the best years of my life (no offence to my children). It was a grand adventure of fun, stress, hard work, learning, inspiration, meeting great people and more fun. The Triffids made friends everywhere they went and these fine people added to the entertainment on our journey. I learned an enormous amount during that time, possibly the most important lesson was how to live together and get on within the group with respect for each others differences - strengths and weaknesses. David became a great friend and a confidant. We had many private conversations about love and relationships - he was a true romantic. We spent a lot of time lonely away from partners. I became extremely protective of his talent and very maternal regarding his personal life and feelings.

David quite often could be verbally seduced by people and occasionally he and I would argue over the integrity of these people. If I saw this seduction at work I would become very defensive of him, and the whole band. A manager's role is often really stressful - you are pretty much always at work - even when you are at play. You must always look out for the best interests' of band and the egos of the individuals within it -emotionally as well as in business. You are often wary of some people's intentions. Naturally I was not always right but mostly my instincts were good. I was lucky because The Triffids were extremely supportive of myself, particularly Dave who was intuitve enough to realise when things weren't quite right with me and would often ring to see if I was alright. He was interested in my well being as well as his career and he was a good listener.

On example of the 'seduction' process was when Dave and Graham were convinced that Craig Leon was the producer for them (they were right in one respect because he was only interested in them). After the recording of 2 or so songs and with much disruption and emotional turmoil within the band, I went to our A&R guy Malcolm Dunbar at Island to talk him into taking a different direction. In order to do this we had to get the tapes and David alone to appraise the work. We made David listen to the songs and tell us what he loved about the way they had been done. He was unprepared, he squirmed, fidgeted, concentrated and listened. It was awful for him. I thought the treatment of the band and the production was appalling and I wanted David to see that too. I teased him saying if he wanted to embark on his much discussed (amongst record companies) 'solo career' then he was making a good start because it certainly wasn't a Triffids record. Dave was shocked to the point of tears but got to the stage of understanding what we were talking about. Lenny Kaye was brought in to give advice (what a thrill). Lenny listened to the band and to me and after attending a couple of rehearsals told me that the band did not need him, the songs were great, the band was great and to let them go and make their record and so Calenture was made with our dear friend Gil Norton and it was beautiful.


It was an expensive learning experience for Dave, the band and Island, the record label. My admiration for Dave escalated too as a result of this confrontation. He suddenly could see the pain caused to others in the group. He could understand the disruption. He took the criticism, not personally but objectively. It was extremely hard and it took great strength and compassion to acknowledge that the situation wasn't working in the band's interests.

A couple of our best conversations were aboard ferries in Europe where Dave and I would be sharing in 4 berth cabins. Of course we were in the singles cabin with Graham and Rob. The couples had the other - Jill and Alsy, Marty and Liz. I don't know what it was about those long ferry trips but they were always a party. We would usually get extremely drunk and generally kill ourselves laughing about one thing or another. Graham and Rob were far better sleepers than us (and we know why that is) (no we don't Sally-ed) and Dave and I would talk through the night, on the meaning of life, love and how we dealt with it, our aims and ambitions....and music.

Dave shared his music and love of music with so many people, me not the least of them. I relished our conversations and letters about music, rock history and books. He 'turned me on' to so many great artists and writers and I like to think that I did the same for him. I certainly consider myself so lucky to have received David's annual compilation tape and I am still grateful for 'Holland Tunnel'.


Did I say Dave was drop dead gorgeous....At least all my mature girlfriends thought so. They all fell for David and despite their age, would become giggly and flirtatious in his company. I'd think 'get a grip' leave the poor guy alone. But Dave enjoyed the flirting game and was good at it in his shy respectful way. There were a few good flirts in The Triffids... As all his friends know David was a brilliant correspondent. I cherish his letters, even his last , not particularly coherent letter was filled with humour, honesty and pathos.


As a manager his ability to communicate in this way helped me plan each year's work. Every summer, back in Perth, Dave would send me his hopes for the next year - when to record, who to work with, he would tell me about the songs he had written, what had influenced him. These letters helped me plan a course of action which all the band would discuss. The band were fantastic to work for - everything was discussed. In business they were patient, intelligent and wise. As a manager it was fantastic - management can be quite an isolating business where you are on your own dealing with the frustrations of the industry. Also a lot of artists like to keep a distance from management - management = business; artists = creative. It was never like this with The Triffids, they were very supportive. They always wanted to know how it worked and who was working it and I very much felt like I was part of the group as well as a friend.


At the end of 1988 when we came home for the summer I made an extremely hard decision to leave The Triffids after our 1989 touring, recording commitments. After spending chunks of time in New York in '88 trying to get through to an accountant running our record company in that country, and our only ally at that company dying in the toilet two weeks before my arrival, I felt dejected. I felt that the band needed someone more aggressive and powerful than me to get them happening in America. I felt I was failing the band in that territory.

Dave also was edgy at the time. He had been demoing and playing around alot with Adam Peters and was wanting to try new things outside of the group. He and I had a lot of debates about this. My feeling being that he could do these things without breaking up the group - The Triffids music didn't date and I felt they could all go and do other things for a while and come back at any time. Like Craig Leon, Adam Peters always raised my maternal, protective hackles and while not wanting to thwart any creative path that Dave might want to take, I also did not want him to jeopardize the security of the band. I thought that I was being possibly too protective for the band's sake and this made me think that perhaps I was not acting in anybody's best interest.


So in 1989 I resigned from the Triffids to come home concentrate on the other love of my life, my patient boyfriend of nine years. The last year of work together was brilliant and funny and sad. Everything we did - I knew - for me would be for the last time - so it was all special. It turned out to be the last tour for all of us with the band calling it a day after the Australian shows. In fact my final argument with Dave was regarding the Australian leg of the tour. He wanted to promote the shows as farewell, goodbye to The Triffids shows. I disagreed because everyone did that in Australia - 'last shows before leaving' 'first shows back' 'last ever performances...' 'welcome back shows....' I thought this was crap - very undignified...Also I really didn't think it was going to be the end forever for the Triffids. As mentioned earlier I believed they could all have a break, do other things then get back together when they felt like it. Dave had written alot of material that he wanted to record with Adam and without the band. That was fine but I was convinced that he would again write with The Triffids in mind. I don't think he ever forgave me for not having the opportunity for the band to say goodbye to their Australian fans. Sorry Dave.


However I got some great photos on that last year of touring including a favourite snap of Dave sitting on deck of some ferry, with his notebook. He looks gorgeous, laughing, happy, he was in love, relaxed and probably enjoying some stupid conversation about nothing very much. I shed many many tears when I got home - mostly initially because the boyfriend decided life was better when I was away. But I missed everyone so much - still do. The only person I had any contact with was Dave by letter. He too was a bit lost. I think he really missed the security and support of the group.


Time got away for a while - wrapped up as I was in my own world. Rob McComb told me when I first started working for The Triffids that David had a heart condition. I guess that always added to his fragility in my mind. He drank a lot - we all did. But naively I was shocked and sad to hear the Dave stories that began to circulate prior to and after his illness. I was furious when Clinton Walker's book Stranded (his bloody book had the same name as my shop) came out with stories of Dave's supposed drug abuse with The Triffids. My protective maternal vibe came roaring through. I wrote to Clinton c/- his publisher and gave the him a piece of my mind about his not so brilliant Triffids research.

I cannot possibly conceive how it felt for Dave to go through everything that he had to with his illness. His life must have been surreal and if he needed an outlet/escape well he bloody deserved it in my opinion. I pity his friends and family who had to see him go through his terrible ordeal. Knowing how loved David was this must have been heartbreaking for them all. His letters to me became rare, still very funny as he described what in reality must have been hideous medical procedures. In his letters though he was tired and apologised for not having the energy to write more. I didn't care I was just happy to still feel a part of his world.

One of my most treasured possessions which hangs mightily on my wall was the Christmas card 'Dave, Jo and the Dix made it through '96' - great photos and I felt relieved for him, happy and proud of his achievement.

At his memorial service such great things were said about him. I wished at the time that I had the courage to get up and say what he meant to me, but I couldn't, not in front of all those people. I loved him like a brother, like a son and as a friend. At the service when his voice began to sing - I sobbed. In life his songs could make me cry in death they had me sobbing.


The service and wake were extremely cathartic for me. Tragic though it was to be saying goodbye to Dave, for me it was wonderful to see my other dear friends ...Alsy, Rob, Jill, Marty and Graham, who I had not seen for 8 years. I had missed them all so much. I always will. It was wonderful. I feel we all share a bond-a life experience the memories of which will never leave us. It's special.


When you have children you tend to 'settle down' you feel like a 'grown up' and suddenly you have 'a past' - your 'youth'. It's a shock. You realise that your past, your experience and your memories mean nothing to anybody but yourself. But at least I know I share my best memories with six other people with whom I travelled the same road.

I find myself thinking of Dave often. I see him clearly. I see him surrounded by hand written notes, exercize books, cassettes, ghetto blaster, cds. I see him darkly handsome, beautiful smile, scratching his head/doing his hair, sitting pigeon toed in a crushed dark suit. I see Dave on stage powerful, commanding, furious, emotional, sensitive. And I hear him singing, I hear his guitar and I hear his laugh.


He remains, in my mind one of the best songwriters ever. As he was blessed with his talent, charm and enormous capacity ... I was blessed, honoured and privileged to know him, share some of his life and to call him my friend.



© Sally Collins