Interview Two: Gwen Byng, Brissie 60's Rock'n Roll
Janice: Gwen, I'm guessing your first connection with the music scene was in Brisbane? If not; where and who was it that took your imagination to become involved?
Gwen: Good question! It was most definitely Brisbane but not really so much in a "who inspired me" way. I was doing Psychology at University of Queensland, 1st year, and around halfway through the year I did some "prac" observations at a place called The Open Door, which was run by an ex Minister of Religion Hayden Sargent, who was on talk back radio, and was involved in many things. My plan for my degree was to work with Drug Addiction, hence the connection to the Open Door
He created this venue as a "Drop In Centre" for kids who needed a place to talk. Counsellors etc were on board and he also introduced regular gigs to attract the age group he was aiming for. Friday night was "Blues" night, Saturday night was mainstream "Pop?" music with interstate guests who the local agent would generously pop in spots to fill their nights gigs, Sunday was a laid back "folksie" vibe, which I will admit I never attended. Hayden could see that there was no place for the young musos to peddle their wares so he did a 10-2 Saturday session for young performers and bands. I ended up being the "venue staff" on those days. The guy who ran the "band list" made sure everyone had a shot at performing. Some were very ordinary, some mediocre and then you had those who you knew were going to go somewhere. I had been involved in learning piano for a lot of years, exams at Conservatory of Music etc, so I did have an "ear". As happens, being there every week I got to know most of the guys.
One day I was chatting to one band who told me they were about to give it all up and return to Maryborough/Bundaberg and just give it all away. They were good so I decided, rightly or wrongly, to just help them.That was my first band that I ever helped.
Mark Moffatt went on to do some great work producing and his guitar playing was superb.Mark Harvey was in bands all his life, while also being a Secondary School teacher, also writes some pretty impressive music. Peter Hudson played drums and was a highly valued session drummer but he also had a deeper creative side and went on to design and create jewellery and now is an acclaimed artist whose works hang in the best galleries in this country.. Fred played in bands all his life and still does jump in and out of bands to this day.
The very first piece of advice I gave them was " Never forget that music is a business, While you are all for the craft the business is all about business and dollars, you have to find a way to blend the two, and that will have to come from you as the people in the business only have one objective and that is making money." When Mark passed, his sister rang me and quoted that back to me as one of the things Mark carried through his life and would quote back to others.
His handling of Yothu Yindi proved that he lived by that motto.
So out of "I think we will toss it in" I have never been more proud of people who stayed.
Janice: I only ever visited Queensland a couple of times in the '60's for work but found Brisbane to be behind the scenes in terms of acceptance of difference; especially in the way we dressed. I had a good pal with me and we jangled bells that we were wearing around out necks (faux Hippies that we were!) to annoy people as we walked though the streets.
Gwen: It is hard for Southerners to understand the Queensland Music Scene as they would breeze in and do gigs and go back to their homes. The Bjelke Petersen era was restrictive and hard to create. Long haired guys were targeted by the police force all the time. They would "raid" venues who weren't in their pocket and create havoc. It was hard to be creative and look over your shoulder all the time.
I have linked "The Open Door" page just for some clarity on the subject. Every gig had it's share of undercover cops who stood out like a sore thumb, their stylists were non-existent..
"Saturday mornings at the Open Door were just amazing even if I did get pulled over by the cops on the way there every week." Mark Moffat
Janice: Ok Gwen; you keep your talents close to your heart; you obviously cared about these young musicians.
Gwen: I ended up with a few bands, 5 to be exact. Getting them noticed was interesting though.
Janice: So you became an agent? Or manager?
Gwen: There were a few agents in Brisbane, but two had most of the work. One was a complete shonky character and the other was much more pliable but still very street smart. It really started as just helping bands but ended up as management. They will say I managed every facet of their lives but we are all still close friends today, so guess my style was ok
I was 17 nearly 18, an absolute nobody in the music scene, or anywhere else for that matter, so I decided to approach both agents separately (as they absolutely hated each other).
Janice: You're pressing buttons regarding other unheralded female friends of mine, the late Gaille Jang who was employed as Activities Officer at Sydney University who later; appointed Deb Doyle as, Union Activities Assistant Assistant, together they gave many of the up and coming young bands their first Sydney gigs.
Gwen: I talked them into coming into the Open Door one Saturday, got the band list to include the 5 bands I had to "audition" for them.
As unfolded they both arrived at the same time, not my best planning, as the atmosphere was toxic between them. So there I stood in between these powerful guys in the industry and me being as naïve as I could possibly be. Both during the hour expressed that I was lucky I was young and female, but I did what I did. Both guys ended up booking 4 of the bands, the youngest band would not have been allowed in venues, but we all knew that and put them forward anyway. My street smart agent Brian ended up being a bit of a mentor to me, taught me to manage with my head and a little bit of heart rather than the other way which I was prone to do.
Janice: It sounds like you were on a swift learning curve!
Gwen: Honestly, we all learnt together. Most of these guys were older than me but they listened and as a unit we would make most band decisions. We had some great bands in those days who had some of the best musicians. Brisbane was a hard place to further your career and if you really wanted to cement your place in music you had to travel south. Whereas S.A and W.A seemed to encourage their musicians and give them safe places, Brisbane did not do that. Some great bands and musos that never left Queensland for one reason or another. Some of the ones that did from the 60's are listed below, sure I have missed some but .....
The Bee Gees
Billy Thorpe:
Lobby Loyde (Barry Lyde):
The Purple Hearts:
Tony Cahill:
Mike Furber and the Bowery Boys:
Ross D. Wylie:
The Coloured Balls:
Thursday’s Children:
Matt Taylor,
Barry Sullivan,
Barry Harvey
Tony Beutel,
Glen Wheatley
Michael Turner
Gavin Wood ( a muso back in the Open Door days and now the voice of everything)
Janice: Our perceptions in Sydney were that Queensland was redneck territory with Bjelke Peterson at the helm.
Gwen: Never mix music and politics was a moot point in Brissie, as politics infiltrated into the very essence of venues. The city has played such a formative role in Australian music but the repressive Bjelke years prevented many early musicians getting the credit and success they deserved.
Janice: Returning to the opening of our interview I was surprised to learn you were studying psychology, I shouldn't have been. You have deep and often humorous insights about people and their quirks!
Gwen: I never finished the psychology course officially, went to work with Hayden at the Open Door and took a bigger role in the music side of the venue, was given an offer by Mike Vaughan to relocate to Sydney which I ended up doing but arrived to his departure.
Janice: Mike Vaughan, manager of the Easybeats. No doubt more of a story to tell. Maybe you and I both missed bigger opportunities....for good or bad? If so we have a commonality & a sliding doors moment. He was interested in managing me but I couldn't see the connection with my kind of music and the Easybeats....short sighted?!
Gwen: He appeared to want me to run Sydney while he stayed in the UK. The original offer was to work with him in Sydney as he expanded his stable. What a ridiculous notion. I was 19.
Janice: Well Gwen it was quite a ride and I'm sure there is more to share regarding your incredible journey as a young woman bringing to the fore some of Australia's greatest rock bands, I feel very privileged that you are willing to share some of your story with me and sincerely thank you.
Gwen: I am very proud of the Brissie musos and supported them back in the day, and I still do. I often work with them consulting on their projects and even have a couple of "youngies" I will collaborate with.
The back stories of the Brisbane music scene are murky, including the bombing of Whisky A Go Go, police intimidation of young musos was pretty intense (if your manager or agent wasn't contributing to the police ball" but out of all the background we produced some pretty great musos and for that I am extremely proud.
Michael Turner
Gavin Wood ( a muso back in the Open Door days and now the voice of everything)
Janice: Our perceptions in Sydney were that Queensland was redneck territory with Bjelke Peterson at the helm.
Gwen: Never mix music and politics was a moot point in Brissie, as politics infiltrated into the very essence of venues. The city has played such a formative role in Australian music but the repressive Bjelke years prevented many early musicians getting the credit and success they deserved.
Janice: Returning to the opening of our interview I was surprised to learn you were studying psychology, I shouldn't have been. You have deep and often humorous insights about people and their quirks!
Gwen: I never finished the psychology course officially, went to work with Hayden at the Open Door and took a bigger role in the music side of the venue, was given an offer by Mike Vaughan to relocate to Sydney which I ended up doing but arrived to his departure.
Janice: Mike Vaughan, manager of the Easybeats. No doubt more of a story to tell. Maybe you and I both missed bigger opportunities....for good or bad? If so we have a commonality & a sliding doors moment. He was interested in managing me but I couldn't see the connection with my kind of music and the Easybeats....short sighted?!
Gwen: He appeared to want me to run Sydney while he stayed in the UK. The original offer was to work with him in Sydney as he expanded his stable. What a ridiculous notion. I was 19.
I stayed in Sydney for a few years, and worked with people who afforded me some great memories and even better experiences. `I returned home after becoming disillusioned watching artists get hooked on drugs and wasting their talent. I returned home, got married, and blended back into the background which is where I love to be. I still dabble in the background and am always happy to help any artist achieve their goals. My connection with Caloundra Event Centre kept me in the loop of gigs and I loved that I got to be involved
Janice: Well Gwen it was quite a ride and I'm sure there is more to share regarding your incredible journey as a young woman bringing to the fore some of Australia's greatest rock bands, I feel very privileged that you are willing to share some of your story with me and sincerely thank you.
Gwen: I am very proud of the Brissie musos and supported them back in the day, and I still do. I often work with them consulting on their projects and even have a couple of "youngies" I will collaborate with.
The back stories of the Brisbane music scene are murky, including the bombing of Whisky A Go Go, police intimidation of young musos was pretty intense (if your manager or agent wasn't contributing to the police ball" but out of all the background we produced some pretty great musos and for that I am extremely proud.
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