Au Go Go Records
Encyclopedia
Au Go Go Records is the name of a Melbourne
, Australia
based independent record label
.
It was founded by Bruce Milne
and Philip Morland from a house in Brunswick Street
, Fitzroy
in 1979
and is now operated by Greta Moon.
The label started releasing bands on the Melbourne
punk and New Wave
scene. Its first release was in 1979 with the EP
Overnight by Two Way Garden. The labels first 25 releases were the bands' debut recordings, and included some seminal Australian acts such as The Young Charlatans, Mungabeans, Marching Girls, Clint Small, Scarpa Flow, Little Murders, the Zorros and Dorian Gray. Philip Morland left and Greta Moon joined in 1982.
By 1994 the label started to increase its profile due to the local and overseas success of bands like The Moodists
(featuring Dave Graney
and Mick Turner
of The Dirty Three). Releases from this later period included the Scientists
"Swampland" (which was actually the b-side of the single, with the a-side being "This Is My Happy Hour") and God
's "My Pal", one of the label's most popular releases, as well as titles by Ollie Olsen
's band NO
, Harem Scarem, various compilations such as the "Asleep At The Wheel" collection of (mostly unsigned) Melbourne
bands, and the well-received "Hard To Beat", a double album tribute to the Stooges
, featuring many Australian acts.
The label also branched out into international releases, issuing albums (under license) by overseas bands such as Sonic Youth
, Mudhoney
, Dinosaur Junior and Big Black
. Au Go Go was also instrumental in helping these bands tour Australia.
In 1987, with the success of the mail-order service, the record shop was started. The shop shifted to a smaller space in central Melbourne in June 2000, but closed in late 2003 after losing its lease
.
Bruce Milne started an offshoot label, Giant Claw Records, in 1989, to issue 7" singles. He is currently involved in running Melbourne pub/rock venue the Tote, in Collingwood
, as well as a new label, In-Fidelity Records.
Au-Go-Go continued throughout the '90's, issuing early releases from such Australian acts as Spiderbait
, The Meanies
and Magic Dirt
, the latter becoming one of the label's top attractions. Magic Dirt
left Au-Go-Go in 1999, and the label never fully recovered. Due to a lack of funds, many of Au-Go-Go's releases are now out of print and are fast becoming collector's items.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Music of Australia
The music of Australia is the music produced in the area of, on the subject of, or by the people of modern Australia, including its preceding Indigenous and colonial societies. Indigenous Australian music is a part of the unique heritage of a 40–60,000 year history which produced the iconic...
based independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
.
It was founded by Bruce Milne
Bruce Milne
Bruce Milne is an Australian music entrepreneur closely linked to the Melbourne post-punk scene. He founded the independent record label Au-Go-Go in 1979....
and Philip Morland from a house in Brunswick Street
Brunswick Street
Brunswick Street can refer to three different locations in Australia:*Brunswick Street, Brisbane, a major thoroughfare in Brisbane, famous for the Brunswick Street Mall....
, Fitzroy
Fitzroy, Victoria
Fitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
in 1979
1979 in music
See also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...
and is now operated by Greta Moon.
The label started releasing bands on the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
punk and New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
scene. Its first release was in 1979 with the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Overnight by Two Way Garden. The labels first 25 releases were the bands' debut recordings, and included some seminal Australian acts such as The Young Charlatans, Mungabeans, Marching Girls, Clint Small, Scarpa Flow, Little Murders, the Zorros and Dorian Gray. Philip Morland left and Greta Moon joined in 1982.
By 1994 the label started to increase its profile due to the local and overseas success of bands like The Moodists
The Moodists
The Moodists were an Australian post-punk band that formed in 1980, when Dave Graney, Clare Moore and Steve Miller of punk group The Sputniks moved from Adelaide to Melbourne. They added bass player Chris Walsh and later added guitarist Mick Turner....
(featuring Dave Graney
Dave Graney
David John "Dave" Graney is an Australian rock musician and singer-songwriter from Mount Gambier, South Australia. Since 1979, Graney is generally accompanied by drummer, Clare Moore...
and Mick Turner
Mick Turner
Mick Turner is an Australian musician and painter best known as the guitarist for Dirty Three.Prior to his work with Dirty Three, Turner was a member of several Melbourne-based rock bands: Sick Things , The Moodists , Fungus Brains , and Venom P...
of The Dirty Three). Releases from this later period included the Scientists
The Scientists
The Scientists are an influential post-punk band from Perth, Australia, led by Kim Salmon, initially known as Exterminators and then Invaders. The band had two primary incarnations: the Perth-based punk band of the late 1970s and the Sydney/London-based swamp rock band of the 1980s...
"Swampland" (which was actually the b-side of the single, with the a-side being "This Is My Happy Hour") and God
GOD (band)
God was a rock 'n' roll band from Melbourne, Australia, together from 1986 to 1989 and comprising Joel Silbersher, Tim Hemensley, Sean Greenway and Matthew Whittle. All members were 15-16 at the time of the band's formation...
's "My Pal", one of the label's most popular releases, as well as titles by Ollie Olsen
Ollie Olsen
Ollie Olsen 1958, Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian composer, synthesist and sound designer who has been producing and performing rock, electronic and experimental music for the past thirty years...
's band NO
No (band)
No were an Australian band, active during the late 1980s. They blended electronic music with nihilistic punk rock, in a similar fashion to New York's Suicide. The band included Ollie Olsen, Marie Hoy, Michael Sheridan, and others...
, Harem Scarem, various compilations such as the "Asleep At The Wheel" collection of (mostly unsigned) Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
bands, and the well-received "Hard To Beat", a double album tribute to the Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
, featuring many Australian acts.
The label also branched out into international releases, issuing albums (under license) by overseas bands such as Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, Mudhoney
Mudhoney
Mudhoney is an American alternative rock band. Formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988 following the demise of Green River, Mudhoney's members are vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison, and drummer Dan Peters. Original bassist Matt Lukin left the...
, Dinosaur Junior and Big Black
Big Black
Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Naked Raygun...
. Au Go Go was also instrumental in helping these bands tour Australia.
In 1987, with the success of the mail-order service, the record shop was started. The shop shifted to a smaller space in central Melbourne in June 2000, but closed in late 2003 after losing its lease
Lease
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee to pay the lessor for use of an asset. A rental agreement is a lease in which the asset is tangible property...
.
Bruce Milne started an offshoot label, Giant Claw Records, in 1989, to issue 7" singles. He is currently involved in running Melbourne pub/rock venue the Tote, in Collingwood
Collingwood, Victoria
Collingwood is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
, as well as a new label, In-Fidelity Records.
Au-Go-Go continued throughout the '90's, issuing early releases from such Australian acts as Spiderbait
Spiderbait
Spiderbait are an Australian alternative rock band formed in Finley in 1989 by bass guitarist Janet English, singer-drummer Mark Maher , and guitarist Damian Whitty. In 2004 the group's cover version of the 1930s Lead Belly song "Black Betty" reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart...
, The Meanies
The Meanies
The Meanies are an indie Australian punk rock band, formed in 1989. The current band members include Link Meanie , Ringo Meanie and Wally Meanie . The Meanies had a hiatus in the mid-late 1990s, but began performing again in 1998...
and Magic Dirt
Magic Dirt
Magic Dirt are an Australian rock band, which formed in 1991 in Geelong, Victoria, with Daniel Herring on guitar, Adam Robertson on drums, Adalita Srsen on vocals and guitar, and Dean Turner on bass guitar. Initially known as Deer Bubbles and then The Jim Jims, they were renamed as Magic Dirt in...
, the latter becoming one of the label's top attractions. Magic Dirt
Magic Dirt
Magic Dirt are an Australian rock band, which formed in 1991 in Geelong, Victoria, with Daniel Herring on guitar, Adam Robertson on drums, Adalita Srsen on vocals and guitar, and Dean Turner on bass guitar. Initially known as Deer Bubbles and then The Jim Jims, they were renamed as Magic Dirt in...
left Au-Go-Go in 1999, and the label never fully recovered. Due to a lack of funds, many of Au-Go-Go's releases are now out of print and are fast becoming collector's items.
External links
- Bruce Milne's new venture, Infidelity Records
- Au Go Go (Everett TrueEverett TrueFor the cartoon character, see The Outbursts of Everett True.Everett True is a British music journalist, who grew up in Chelmsford, Essex...
, Tangents) - Au Go Go is go going (Patrick Donovan, The Age, 3 October 2003)