Random

[John Saunders]

I recall when I was a newspaper journo, I once interviewed Robert Forster in a motel room in Palmerston North, New Zealand. I was trying to lead him into talking about how he and McLennan had developed such an original canvas for expressing their musical ideas when he abruptly hit me with ... "It's the f***ing muse, man" and I was suitably humbled and chastised. I always felt The Triffids had that same magic going on, maybe to an even greater extent, but here in NZ we sadly missed out on seeing them live. I can understand how we were a small market and the European foothold was the priority. Maybe the Flying Nun thing we had going in the '80s gave the impression we were not on the same wavelength. For myself, I had already worked at Mt Newman for a year, and for me, The Triffids were the only Aussie band that came close to expressing that bitter-sweet feeling of emptiness and loss that comes with living in the outback. Even today, just hearing David McComb's amazing voice is enough to trigger a certain sadness over his premature death. The Triffids still sound as fresh and real today as when they were recording, and that will be his legacy.

[Cassiel]

As first posts go, that's pretty f*cking great, John.

Interesting you say that about NZ and Flying Nun. I loved my Flying Nun bands but always did get the impression the place was hermetically sealed musically. You had some great bands, a great label, a thriving scene, why the hell would you need anything else? Bizarre I ever thought that.

Welcome aboard.