Product Overview
Brisbane, 1983. Joh Bielke-Petersen has just won his 6th consecutive election. Qld’s own fascist premier, he’s waged a war on art and culture in the city, bulldozing iconic venues and putting together a special branch of goons to round up anyone putting on underground events. It’s a period that spawned The Saints, The Go-Betweens and is fabled in The Parameters’ track Pig City and Andrew Stafford’s book of the same name. A young Phil Shaw, Andrew Massie, Steven Clarke and Barbara Schmidt form The Billy Mummys.
Their songs are fresh and inspired, dark but melodic, and performed with a driving intensity. The Cure have recently been through town, performing to 100 or less people in a basement. Shaw was one of them, he goes out and buys a Roland JC120 amp, chasing that iconic chorus tone. He co-writes with bassist, art school student, Massie. The pair recruit Drummer, Clarke — who recently moved from Sydney after disbanding with Icehouse singer Iva Davies — and Schmidt, who has a Roland synthesiser which plants their sound firmly in the now. The Billy Mummys are at the vanguard of gothic new-wave performing in Brisbane.
After a handful of shows the band are spotted and invited to a former label executives studio to record some demos. They lay down everything they’ve got — these 13 tracks. A demo tape of the first 4 tracks is sent to 4ZZZ and the band are invited to perform live to air. The second song ‘Remember’ details singer Shaw’s romance with a Dutch woman named Cecile. Shortly after recording the couple to Amsterdam and by the time he returns to Brisbane, a couple of years have passed and the band members have dispersed.
A few years go by and Shaw starts a family. He’s always got a guitar in hand but never forms another band. His sons know the story about album-that-never-was by heart. Unfinished business. Early 2024 Dougal Shaw (Dr Sure, Marthouse Records) is packing down his Dad’s apartment to help him move to Melbourne and finds a stack of old hand-labeled cassettes in a cupboard.
Salvaged, digitised, remastered and pressed to vinyl for the first time, A Date Not To Forget is the debut album from The Billy Mummys. The album art is taken from an original screen printed poster by bassist Andrew Massie, with back cover photography by the late, great, Sheena Dunn. 43 years later, not a day too soon, a dream is realised. The first single Beach Ball is out today. A Date Not To Forget is out in full this Friday July 24 on Marthouse Records. It’s the final vinyl release on the imprint — wrapping up after 10 years of ‘art as a revolutionary tool’.
Their songs are fresh and inspired, dark but melodic, and performed with a driving intensity. The Cure have recently been through town, performing to 100 or less people in a basement. Shaw was one of them, he goes out and buys a Roland JC120 amp, chasing that iconic chorus tone. He co-writes with bassist, art school student, Massie. The pair recruit Drummer, Clarke — who recently moved from Sydney after disbanding with Icehouse singer Iva Davies — and Schmidt, who has a Roland synthesiser which plants their sound firmly in the now. The Billy Mummys are at the vanguard of gothic new-wave performing in Brisbane.
After a handful of shows the band are spotted and invited to a former label executives studio to record some demos. They lay down everything they’ve got — these 13 tracks. A demo tape of the first 4 tracks is sent to 4ZZZ and the band are invited to perform live to air. The second song ‘Remember’ details singer Shaw’s romance with a Dutch woman named Cecile. Shortly after recording the couple to Amsterdam and by the time he returns to Brisbane, a couple of years have passed and the band members have dispersed.
A few years go by and Shaw starts a family. He’s always got a guitar in hand but never forms another band. His sons know the story about album-that-never-was by heart. Unfinished business. Early 2024 Dougal Shaw (Dr Sure, Marthouse Records) is packing down his Dad’s apartment to help him move to Melbourne and finds a stack of old hand-labeled cassettes in a cupboard.
Salvaged, digitised, remastered and pressed to vinyl for the first time, A Date Not To Forget is the debut album from The Billy Mummys. The album art is taken from an original screen printed poster by bassist Andrew Massie, with back cover photography by the late, great, Sheena Dunn. 43 years later, not a day too soon, a dream is realised. The first single Beach Ball is out today. A Date Not To Forget is out in full this Friday July 24 on Marthouse Records. It’s the final vinyl release on the imprint — wrapping up after 10 years of ‘art as a revolutionary tool’.
TRACKLIST:
1. Drowning
2. Remember
3. Beach Ball
4. Cult Horse
5. Scrutinize
6. Little Pictures
7. Desperate Living
8. Eastern Charms
9. Does It Whisper
10. Dedication To War
11. Some Sort Of Music
12. Take Another Minute
13. Desperate For Words
1. Drowning
2. Remember
3. Beach Ball
4. Cult Horse
5. Scrutinize
6. Little Pictures
7. Desperate Living
8. Eastern Charms
9. Does It Whisper
10. Dedication To War
11. Some Sort Of Music
12. Take Another Minute
13. Desperate For Words
