ARTICLES


DISCOGRAPHIES:  THE GO-BETWEENS:  ALBUMS  |  SINGLES  |  SOLO:  ROBERT FORSTER  |  GRANT MCLENNAN

[UNDER CONSTRUCTION]


 

Articles index

1982

In between the Go-Betweens

1982

No shoe shops for Go-Betweens

1982

Send Me A Lullaby (review)

1982

King Trigger / The Go-Betweens

1982

The Gentle Three-Headed Monster

1982

The Go-Betweens / Laughing Clowns

1982

The Go-Betweens: Will this lullaby end their slumber?

1983

Orange Juice / The Go-Betweens

1983

Exiles from the lost Australian Dream

1983

The Smiths / The Go-Betweens

1983

Up From Down Under

1984

Money Can’t Buy You Love

1984

Remembrance and Visions of Hope

1986

Stars of the underground

1987

The Go-Betweens

1987

Of Skins and Hearts

1987

Power to imperfect pop

1988

The Go-Betweens

1988

Growing up gracefully

1988

Driving along Lovers Lane

1988

Love Notes

1988

You can go home again

1989

Go-Betweens aim to strike public chord

1989

The Go-Betweens

1989

Inbetween Days

1989

The Go-Betweens

1989

The Go-Betweens

1990

What you call change

1990

A Go-Between goes it alone

1992

Rock de Lux Questions the Go-Betweens Break-up

1992

Forster/McLennan: no Go-Betweens Reunion

1995

The Australian Go-Betweens Show: Forster Interview / Grant McLennan & Robert Forster at The Zoo

1996

Robert Forster, Grant McLennan and the Go-Betweens canon

1996

Gazing On A Sunny Afternoon

1996

The Go-Betweens

1997

Part Company — Again

1997

Interview with Robert Forster

The Go-Betweens
— London, The Astoria, December 1986

Terry Staunton — New Musical Express, 3 January 1987

Robert Forster looks a little like John Cale, or even Richard from Pop Will Eat Itself, but he seems to think he’s Iggy Pop or Bono. After 40 or so minutes of competent, capable guitar-based pop (nothing special, mind, but listenable) off comes the jumper and shirt, revealing his manly chest to the throng.

A few strokes of his groin later, Robert is fakin’ makin’ it with Lindy’s drum kit and then leaping into the photographers’ pit to lay his hands on the mortal subjects gathered here today for the sermon. All very well when attempted in the Papal proportions of U2 at some stadium or other, but a bit of a dead loss when only about a dozen punters can be bothered to shake his hand.

Forster spends too much time running through the 1986 catalogue of rock poses and posing for cameras which aren’t there. More time should be spent on developing the songs, although the recent addition of Amanda on violin helps fill out the sound and particularly works on Draining The Pool and Spring Rain.

The Go-Betweens have a few very good songs, but waste them by bashing the lot out too early in the set, leaving me wondering "What’s next?" It’s almost criminal to play Head Full Of Steam (dedicated tonight to Lee Remick on her 51st birthday) second in the set when it should be the killer climax. The excitement arrives too soon and all that remains is the leftovers. The Go-Betweens come without warning and leave without feeling (copyright E. Costello) and we may not bother going back into the bedroom the next time.