Lose The " This Is Australia" Part

In mid 1985, not long after I joined GANGgajang but before we recorded the first album, we were rehearsing in a room in Darlinghurst called... 'The Dungeon".

It was, as you would imagine, a dump.

A concrete bunker-like cold storage room lined with acrid green/brown carpet pieces and smelling of a million cigarettes and joints and beers and sweat.

And it was damp even in summer.

We were scrutinizing our repertoire.

The low point of our set was a song of Mark 'Cal' Callaghan's called 'Sounds Of Then' (This Is Australia).

It was right in the middle of the set and seemed as flat as a pancake.

Cal thought the line 'This Is Australia' might sound a bit too 'jingoistic'.

I agreed, without hesitation.

Definitely too jingoistic.

I'd felt that for a while.

I was glad he'd brought it up.

It had to go.

"Yes", I urged, "Let's lose the 'This Is Australia' part!"

I still wake up some nights in a cold sweat from a nightmare where they actually listened to me.

Lose The " This Is Australia" Part
In mid 1985, not long after I joined GANGgajang but before we recorded the first album, we were rehearsing in a room in Darlinghurst called... 'The Dungeon". It was, as you would imagine, a dump. A concrete bunker-like cold storage room lined with acrid green/brown carpet pieces and smelling of a million cigarettes and joints and beers and sweat. And it was damp even in summer. We were scrutinizing our repertoire. The low point of our set was a song of Mark 'Cal' Callaghan's called 'Sounds Of Then' (This Is Australia). It was right in the middle of the set and seemed as flat as a pancake.
		Cal thought the line 'This Is Australia' might sound a bit too 'jingoistic'. I agreed, without hesitation. Definitely too jingoistic. I'd felt that for a while. I was glad he'd brought it up. It had to go. "Yes", I urged, "Let's lose the 'This Is Australia' part!" I still wake up some nights in a cold sweat from a nightmare where they actually listened to me.

Lose The " This Is Australia" Part