Photograph from one of The Go-Betweens earliest concerts

May 6, 2016 marks 10 years since the death of Grant McLennan, Queensland musician and co-founder of the indie rock group, The Go-Betweens.

This image is part of the recently donated Paul O'Brien collection, showing a young McLennan with fellow singer-songwriter Robert Forster performing as The Go-Betweens at Baroona Hall in Caxton Street, Paddington on 28 April 1978. According to Andrew Stafford's 2004 book, Pig City: from the Saints to Savage Garden the band gave their first concert at the same venue in early 1978, making this image an early snapshot of the group at the very beginning of their career.

The Paul O'Brien collection contains 880 photographic negatives of bands and fans in the Brisbane punk scene from the late 1970s to early 1980s. Some of these images have been digitised and can be browsed online through our One Search catalogue.

Do you have any materials (recordings, flyers, posters, reviews, tickets, films, videos, photos, letters, and other memorabilia) from Queensland’s music scene gathering dust at home? This material would have a valuable place in our music history and cultural heritage and should be looked after and preserved for current and future generations.  Please contact us about any material you think should come to the library.

Myles Sinnamon - Project Coordinator, State Library of Queensland

Further reading:

• The Go-Betweens: Right Here documentary features SLQ images