Rock de Lux questions the Go-Betweens break-up in 1992 as they support the Lloyd Cole Love Story tour

(contributed and translated from Spanish by Javi)

David S. Mordoh (the interviewer):" About the GB's separation, were you guilty of it?"

Robert Foster: Yes, the rest of the group didn't take part in it. And they were not guilty. Just that we both wanted to grow in our facet of songwriters. Maybe the most important reason was the tiredness. We arrived at a point that GB's done everything they could do, except an album with Michael Jackson. Twelve years united are too many years and 16 Lovers Lane had a big quality. That was a good moment for us to say "goodbye" as a group. We both had songs that didn't fit with the group concept, and we had TOO MANY songs. Perhaps the problem will be resolved editing a double album every year.

DSM: "Rumours said that the reasons were not so friendly"

GM: It's very annoying to see that people don't worry about our solo albums, of two composers that want to grow in new facets, especially the record company, they only want to know about the possibility of a future reunion of the GB's or anything morbid about their final.

RF: " I live in Germany with my wife and invite Grant. We are playing the guitar in the kitchen. Telephone rings. An interview for a Danish radio. They begin to say that Robert and Grant hate themselves while my friend is in my home, laughing about all this shit. The tour is an opportunity for us to travel together. It has nothing in common with our time like a group. Forget the GB's, but don't forget their songs. We don't forget them. Our show is a mixture of GB's songs and our solo songs. We go out with two acoustic guitars and play 11 songs. It's fantastic. Seven weeks around the world like friends. At the end of the tour we could even record something together, but nothing is decided by now.

DSM: " Someone said that GB's break out because they were tired of waiting for the success that never arrived"

GM: That's not true, because GB's had more "name" than Forster or McLennan.

DSM: "Other people said that unity ended when Robert Vickers left the band"

RF-GM: No.

DSM: "It's curious to see that after the separation, everybody is talking of you, about how important you were in the melodic segment of the music business. Are you satisfied of being considered as a cult band?"

RF: "Yes. That's what I think GB's are in this moment, but everything in show-biz is unpredictable. The most important thing is that we can make different records with the same feeling, without having to find the best hit producer of LA

DSM: "It's the same case as David McComb of The Triffids"

GM: Yes, there's some parallelism. The Triffids are Australian, they come from a small town too, very influenced by a rural ambient. They use violins, guitars. They have good melodies with interesting texts. But the Byrds do too. We cannot judge if David McComb did the right thing beginning a solo career, because his case will be compared with ours. I think he's made the right decision. The question is if now he's better or worse than before. I'm his friend so I cannot give my opinion.

DSM: "Do you think that there's something Australian in the music of the groups from there?"

RF: "We'll always feel Australian, but never in a "Crocodile Dundee" way. But the fact of recording and living in different countries influences you too, and you obtain a basic advantage: you are more tolerant. Well, we have recorded at home, in Great Britain and France because the discographies didn't pay us a better place. If we record something after the tour, it will be probably in New York because we want to be in the places of our heroes like Lou Reed, Television or Talking Heads. But we are Australian, all the adolescence information we received was in Australia.

DSM: "then, do you think that there's an Australian line, comrade-ship? I don't wanna say the Bee Gees..."

GM: Probably we would be friends of Bee Gees. Well, there was a time with many Australian groups: Nick Cave, Triffids, Moodists,... Then all explodes and each one went in different directions. But Postcard was a true movement. It didn't matter the origin of the bands, we were united by our influences. We still have contact with some of them, we were with Roddy Frame(of Aztec Camera) in Australia a few weeks ago.

DSM: "and, what influences? In 16 lovers lane you mention the Byrds"

RF: "For both the folk-rock is decisive. And the songwriters like Dylan and Joan Baez. And Creedence Clearwater Revival. While all the groups in 1978 imitated The Clash or Sex pistols, we preferred the songs. Now everybody talks about songs. We like to listen to stories, if they are Texans like Guy Clark or Townes Van Zandt, or from the east like Leonard Cohen or Jonathan Richman. Songs, stories, without posse.

DSM: "Robert, tell me more about the recording of your first solo album Danger in the Past in Germany"

RF: "I've been living in Germany the last two years because of my marriage, but we are going to move to Australia. I live very calm, like in the country. During ten years I've lived in big cities like Sydney and London. I wanted to go out from this. Grant and I began from an isolated ambient. When I start something, I try to do it from the isolation. I don't like situations with high pressure, I run towards the calm, I need time to be far from some things. There I grow and grow, and when I feel that I have all my power then I present myself to the world again.

DSM: "What does the marriage change to you?"

RF: "Not the way of writing. The only thing is that I'm happier.

DSM: "Does it reflect in the album?"

RF: "Not in the first, but sure in the next.

DSM: "In the tribute to Leonard Cohen you sing "Tower of song" and Nick Cave too. Why?"

RF: "I'll try to be diplomatic. They show me the list of songs recorded in Paris and no one has recorded it. They award me it in December and I record it in February. At that time Nick is in the studio in London. They show him the list and my version is in it. I talk with Harvey and he confirms me that they will participate but they haven't chosen a song. Four months late someone tells me that they cover Tower of song too.

DSM: "Grant, about your first solo album "Watershed", I love it but, isn't it too sweet?"

GM: My style, my worry, are my texts, and I don't mind if I sound country or heavy.

DSM: "In the first 5 songs you mention the moon..."

GM: I don't know why, I like the nature.

DSM: "Who is Sweetpea?"

GM: A friend(a girl)

DSM: "What friend?"

GM: Next question.

DSM: "Are you happy with your album with Steve Kilbey of The Church?"

GM: Yes, very proud of it. The American critics were really good. In Australia too: we have been named as composers of the year. In Europe, it seems that GB's fans don't like The Church and vice versa.

DSM: "Do you think Watershed means a process of madurate?"

GM: With the years you have knowledge of your limitations and your possibilities. Where's your force. And perhaps I'm growing more like a musician than like a composer. At the beginning Robert made everything, and I only played the bass. Then I began to compose and to sing and then in "Before Hollywood" we were at 50%. And now, 12 years and 7 albums after, I'm satisfied with my voice. It's a question of learning to know you.

RF: "Look, Grant and I, in composition, are probably the best you can find nowadays. You're sitting in this table with two of the best composers in the world.

DSM: I never had a doubt.