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At CHCMC
an Australian experimental
aesthetic emerged ...

Terminal Moraine (1980)

Whether it was a coincidence or shared circumstances, the Clifton Hill Community Music Centre (CHCMC) emerged just as punk’s ‘just do it’ attitude coupled with emerging postmodern sensibilities, which, among other things, had art-makers coalescing in new spaces that ignored the mainstream’s own alternative venues. Although CHCMC began as a community-oriented music venue, it soon gave way to new creative, political, and philosophical pathways that artists developed and explored during its five or so years of activity. I hope that this site will be used by both researchers and casual listeners to unpack specific works, potentially revealing their significance to experimental art practice in Australia.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a notable shift occurred as institutionalised culture began to lose its dominant grip while universities underwent corporatisation. Concurrently, popular culture, once looked down upon within the arts, gained new legitimacy and was recognized as a rich and entangled field to explore. For some of us, unskilled in traditional art-making and disillusioned with mainstream music practices, a creative gap opened that we could fill by exploring music-making, sound, and performance; uncovering novel concepts; and experimenting with new methods that embraced our varying levels of competence.

Melbourne is a big music town, and back in the late ’70s and early ’80s, CHCMC emerged as a space on the margins of the mainstream where experiments and shifts in cultural discourse played out, both performatively and audibly, to a small but growing audience. The Centre provided a safe space for emerging artists and their temporal art-making that didn’t fit commercial and academic expectations.

Artworks performed at CHCMC were wide ranging in scope, primarily involving music, but also performance, film, video and installation. These works de-emphasised traditional ideals of craft, expression and musicianship; moreover the artworks often critically commented on the dominant channels of production and cultural framings that were seen as pervasive in mainstream culture.

It could be argued that at CHCMC, an Australian experimental aesthetic emerged—one that ceased to merely replicate American and European ideas and trends. Instead, expressive forms began to reflect local experiences and themes, and had room for different approaches that included for some artists the pursuit of modernist counter-culture methods, while at the same time there were performances that deconstructed what some artists saw as pervasive modernist tropes.

Explorations of broader topics were primarily discovered, articulated, and expressed through music, sound, and moving images, rather than through written texts or curatorial frameworks. This included political and Indigenous themes—albeit from colonial-settler perspectives—as seen in the works of Ron Nagorcka and IDA. Listening back to the archive today, I notice how the Australian accent became very prominent. Exemplified by figures like Chris Mann, Ernie Althoff, Ralph Traviato, Adrian Martin, and others, it is a though it signaled a fresh, non-academic sounding personal voice of liberation and expression. Spoken word still had a role to play: Warren Burt, Ernie Althoff, and Chris Mann often spoke at length about their works, prior to, or as part of their performances, and Tsk Tsk Tsk often photocopied essays to accompany their performances. But the music always came first. Between performances, appraisals and critiques would often take place as we chatted around the large silver tea urn.

As I now see it, CHCMC was a site where postmodernism 1 emerged in Australian art practice, although none of us were familiar with the term at that time. Initially evident among younger performers, including my own generation, this emergence involved both intuitive and deliberate deconstructions of modernist artistic and cultural methods and aesthetics, occasionally challenging the approaches of older CHCMC artists who’s creative pathways were informed by a counter-culture practice that still drew on modernist methods. Revisiting all the works within this archive today, I find them all intriguing, making it challenging now for the visitor to distinguish between these two creative philosophies. I also recognise influences in my own music from older composers like Warren Burt. But it is still worth acknowledging that as these different creative ontologies rubbed up against each other at CHCMC it created a creative friction that was ultimately productive for all.

My memories of this time also include non-sonic aspects of CHCMC’s creative milieu, which were still important: what we spoke about, how different people dressed, and all the different styles, methods and interests we all brought to CHCMC.

And so, for the keen listener, these recordings capture a dialectic of aesthetics, derived through modern and postmodern creative methods and through framings that were variously expressed through the music, performance, film and video. For example, the slightly older composers tended to experiment with inner musical structures and processes, while us younger composers concerned themselves with external structures, such musical context and the spectacle of performance.

It was a busy time. New works were being created each week, often in response to what other artists had presented the week before. Themes and ideas were explored directly through the act of making and presenting music, films and performance, with discourses that reflected certain philosophical precedents at the time – Marxism, the French New Wave, semiotics, structuralism. Some artists referenced contemporary American thinkers or experimented with novel musical and sonic concepts and structures, uncovering new aesthetic outcomes. For example, there was the use of multiple cassette recorders by some artists to layer up sounds in a process that gradually transformed simple recorded utterances into dense, distorted and evocative soundscape (Graeme Davis, Plastic Platypus, Ernie Althoff), or the deployment of novel tunings and pitch sets (Warren Burt). Some performers applied film theory that, at the time, was being being taught at La Trobe University and at Melbourne State College (Phillip Brophy, Adrian Martin, Robert Goodge Goodge, David Chesworth, Rolando Caputo). Other performer were influenced directly by the artists who performing before them at CHCMC.

All this was taking place within a world that was still very analogue; where tapes took time to rewind and musical works and performances often emerged slowly over long timescales, and where cheap super-8 film’s grainy images evoked a visual aesthetic that within just a few years appeared quaint and old in comparison with digital images. Sound Art hadn’t yet emerged as a distinct discipline or even as a term. There was no internet, mobile phones, nor social media to disseminate what was taking place at CHCMC. Instead, the mainstream and alternative rock press maintained its full control, while public radio stations were just getting a foothold. Some journalists harboured suspicions about CHCMC’s off the grid activities: its motives and critical attitudes. Amongst all this, I remember that there was a growing awareness that this world and creative milieu would soon be swamped by the incoming tidal wave of digital technology. It was difficult then to picture how this would affect us and how it would forever transform the fidelity of the mediascape, our methods and our creative pathways.

This rare archive of a nascent experimental music scene was recorded binaurally on cassette by Ernie Althoff – himself a regular performer at CHCMC. It is not a complete record, rather, it reflects Ernie’s personal choices, after all, no one asked him to make these recordings; he simply took it upon himself to attend performances and make them. Ernie’s own creative work is therefore well represented in these tapes.

The cassettes Ernie recorded had been silently resting on a shelf for over 40 years until 2020/21 when they were transferred and organised into a digital archive for this site The cassette transfers were made by John Campbell, who was also a performer at CHCMC (and who initially uncovered the availability of the Organ Factory and its potential as a community space). I have done some restoration work on the recordings including compiling recordings of single events that Ernie spread across several tapes in order to fill up any available space.

Some artists who were prolific at this time are not well represented in the archive, as they mainly performed electronic music that was considered to be already documented on tape. Warren Burt, a hugely significant artist during this time has relatively few recordings made at Clifton Hill. His prolific output was at the time mainly video and film-based. We have included a separate archive of some of Warren’s work from the 70s that also includes undated CHCMC performances that he recorded. This can be found under the ‘Other Recordings’ link.

This site also includes the distinctive performance season posters designed by Philip Brophy and Ernie Althoff and copies of the New Music magazine (1978–81) edited and published by Philip Brophy and myself that contain reviews of performances followed by discussions with the artists who respond to the reviews. Also included are three earlier publications of The New Music Newspaper (1976–77) edited and published by Warren Burt and Les Gilbert (clicking on the cover images of the publication will reveal their content). You will also find photos and ephemera associated with CHCMC. There weren’t many photographs taken at CHCMC, as it was considered indulgent by some of us to think that one’s contribution should be preserved beyond the performance. In retrospect we are thankful that some photos were taken and recording were made. We are fortunate that photographer and CHCMC performer Jane Joyce took a range of shots that now appear throughout the site, as did members of →↑→ and myself. Other photographs are being be added as they come to light.

CHCMC Performers are encouraged to send in information and clarifications and to flesh out their own biogs. If any of you have recordings of CHCMC performances that we have missed then please us know.

David Chesworth


  1. Postmodernism as I define it here, was an intellectual stance or mode of discourse defined by a skepticism toward the grand narratives and ideologies of modernism, as well as opposition to epistemic certainty and the stability of meaning. 

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–83)

Clifton Hill
Community Music Centre

This is an archive of music performances with associated recordings, posters and publications that took place regularly at the Clifton Hill Community Music Centre (CHCMC) between 1976 and 1983. Based in an old organ factory in Melbourne, it became a space for experimentation in music, sound and other temporal art forms. Play the binaural recordings below while you investigate the site. (This archive is incomplete)

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synthesizerprocess musicvoiceImprovisationFilm (super 8 or 16 mm)Video'performance'tape playbackcassettes as performance toolsminimalism/repetitionbands/groups
IndexArtist/sTitleDurationDate
001The Clifton Hill Community Music Centre opening Concert18.06.76
Anecdote

The opening performance at Clifton Hill featuring ‘a special short program of low budget technology/music by Warren Burt & Ron Nagorcka’

002Redbird15.09.76
003Music for flutes, guitars and cassette recorders20.09.76
004Rubbish band and junk electronic workshop 126.09.76
005Environmental sound installation28.09.76
006Bob & Mal show: songs, jokes and performance art02.10.76
007Rubbish band and junk electronic workshop 210.10.76
008New compositions & improvisations01.05.77
009PLAYPAUSESalon music with Atom Bomb61:1403.05.77
Anecdote

Atom Bomb, a work by Ron Nagorcka employs voice, toy instruments, and cassette recorders. The work uses iterative process of live recording and playing back between two or more cassette players, slowly incorporating previously recorded performance elements, while also gradually layering up the distortions inherent in the equipment and the accumulating ambience of the room.

Also see here.

Greame Davis and Ernie Althoff were other CHCMC artists who often used this process.

010Melbourne autumn festival of organ and harpsichord04.05.77
Anecdote

Through to May 15. Ron Nagorcka had some connection to festival. More information to come.

011Spinning Speakers29.05.77
Anecdote

Some or all of Bill’s performances took place in the large downstairs space, which may have been what took place in this case, although I don’t remember. It could have happened outside, in front the building. The space needed to be big enough to swing small speakers attached to cables.

012Music by Ron Nagorcka & Warren Burt07.06.77
013PLAYPAUSENew pieces for reeds & piano77:4513.06.77
Anecdote

This recording came from Les’s personal collection and we’re pretty certain it was from this evening’s concert and probably recorded by Les. The cassette has a note which states: ‘Divertivements for a pianist. CHCMC. ’77.’

014Music by themselves, LaMonte Young, John Cage, John White20.06.77
015PLAYPAUSECoathanger Event17:0212.11.77
Anecdote

An installation exhibited over the weekend of November 12-13 1977.
The work appears to have been split into several areas and offered the visitor different engagements that are discussed in a review by Robin Teese in New Music Newspaper Issue 3 p.7 (see a copy in Ephemera)
One of the works Winds and Circuits used audio derived from handheld metal coat hangers to derive television signals to create electronic visual patterns.
Ros tells us that this recording was derived from an arrangement of metal coat hangers to which thin cables are attached and held in the ears of each user.

016PLAYPAUSEMinimalism84:4105.04.78
Anecdote
  • Poster says: “Tsk Tsk Tsk instruct the unhip squares with an enlightening historical retrospective of their works and sex lives”
  • “one of the most severely minimal performances I’ve ever heard. Merciless. Quite a fine thing, that I can only approve” Warren Burt, New Music Newspaper issue 1 page 14.
017Nice Noise. Our all new format of modern teen music will nuetralize you02.08.78
018Kaboom -our pop play explodes with all the bangs of wartime Hollywood09.08.78
019PLAYPAUSESolo; real time73:5316.08.78
Anecdote

David Tolley was a well-known and highly regarded jazz musician who played acoustic bass and had recently discovered a love for synthesizer - especially its sequencer!
On the cassette recording this work is titled ‘A Certain Survivalism’.

020Salad Music21.08.78
Anecdote

‘and others’

021Presents her electronic music23.08.78
022Solo 2; real time30.08.78
023Plays it againagainagain04.09.78
024Constructed cinema11.09.78
Anecdote

‘Constructed cinema - we drop our music and shine with movie-buff disease’

025Games of chance and other music04.10.78
Anecdote

‘Malcom Tattersall and friends’

026Presents his music, live!11.10.78
Anecdote

A performance on a Saturday afternoon that didn’t appear on the regular poster. Ernie Althoff remembers that it occurred in relation to an Organ Factory clean-up working bee.

028IN18.10.78
Anecdote

Dura Dara and David Tolley

029Three Tape Pieces25.10.78
Anecdote

‘Three tape pieces featuring flute and voice, Chinese gong, computer music.’

030OUT01.11.78
031Pure M.O.R. music. The ultimate synthesis of a. garde and 3AK06.11.78
032Airs itself. 3rd-year composition students go public08.11.78
033Uses up yet more Eveready batteries15.11.78
034Present an evening of wonderful entertainment29.11.78
Anecdote

The Fab Four - John Crawford, Jane Joyce, David Chesworth, Philip Brophy

035More new (& sterile) films from the kids who brought you ‘Contracted Cinema’04.12.78
036PLAYPAUSEA mixed nite13:0806.12.78
Anecdote

Ernie’s contribution to the mixed night

037PLAYPAUSEMexican Divorce51:0128.03.79
038PLAYPAUSEMr Inadequate discovers static in his underpants22:0704.04.79
039PLAYPAUSEFive Duets for Prepared and Treated Guitars22:4304.04.79
Anecdote

Robert and David not yet performing as Essendon Airport.

040The Dave and Phil Duo11.04.79
041Familiar Females Return18.04.79
042no title25.04.79
Anecdote

Two separate performances. It would be great to hear what they presented, but alas…

043With no idea02.05.79
044PLAYPAUSEMr Inadequate and Binary Digit62:5230.05.79
045PLAYPAUSEErnie Althoff & Mr Inadequate20:2730.05.79
Anecdote

Graeme Davis performed the first half (as Mr Inadequate). This recording is of two pieces in the second half by Ernie Althoff who tells us: “The first piece, ‘A whirlwind tour of the great organs of Europe’ is two fingers pressed down on the FF keys of two cassette players loaded with identical cassettes made from the LP record ‘The great organs of Europe’. The second piece at 4:40, ‘March of the Metronomes’ is made with a slanted metronome and two vari-speed cassette players recording and replaying in ways fairly typical of that exploratory time.”

046PLAYPAUSEPlastic Platypus; triumphant return31:3506.06.79
Anecdote

This concert appears to be Ron playing solo rather than the duo with Warren Burt. Warren may have been overseas at the time.

047PLAYPAUSESelf distortion/self destruction46:4413.06.79
048PLAYPAUSESo, You Want To Be a Drummer? & 4 Organ Pieces38:0820.06.79
Anecdote

The night began with a mimed performance by David Chesworth, Rainer Linz and Robert Goodge of Chesworth’s record, Fifty Synthesizer Greats. Listen HERE on Bandcamp. This performance was mimed in the style of TV pop appearances in the day…Countdown etc). This was followed by ‘So You Want To Be a Drummer?’ for live drum machine and tape delay, which begins this recording, followed by a performance of Chesworth’s Four Organ Pieces (found at 17:00 on the recording)

049Nice noise. New & streamlined27.06.79
050PLAYPAUSEAnn Shirley, Robin Teese, Malcolm Tattersall30:5004.07.79
051Presents ‘The Microtones’11.07.79
052PLAYPAUSEA Sonic Investigation of the Trivial70:1018.07.79
Anecdote

This was the first performance of the group Essendon Airport although the group was yet to have a name for this performance.

053John Crawford performance08.08.79
054What I’m doing with your tax dollars this year15.08.79
055PLAYPAUSEMore tedious structuralism70:1122.08.79
056Even more tedious structuralism05.09.79
057PLAYPAUSEWhy I spent my holidays in Germany47:2012.09.79
Anecdote
  1. metapiece - sine tone and slide whistle
  2. three piano dances - electric piano
  3. percussion piece - tabletop percussion quartet
  4. five gas songs - CO2, N, H, He, O
  5. untitled piece for sine and pulse generators.
058PLAYPAUSEAn evening of pleasing sensual music31:4819.09.79
Anecdote

recorded at CHCMC by Ad Hoc. Designer’s title.

059Why my job at a slick/shit Carlton café has affected my perspective on electronic music26.09.79
Anecdote

The viewer should bear-in-mind that some of the titles of performances that appear on the posters (and in this archive) were not those of the artist’s choosing. Performers that had agreed to do a performance on a particular night often didn’t have a title ready, which left the door open for some creative titling from a certain poster designer.

060PLAYPAUSEShort Bright Ditties and Long Arduous Masterpieces62:4603.10.79
Anecdote

Duo comprising David Chesworth and Philip Brophy playing electric pianos. The first song is an arrangement of a Brian Eno song and the rest are originals by the duo.

061PLAYPAUSESonata for industrial deafness16:5810.10.79
062A Night At The Theatre (A Night of Carlton-esque ideals)24.10.79
Anecdote

I don’t remember who was in the group at the time. Parenthesis text in heading was added by the poster designer.

063PLAYPAUSEAccentuate the positive…36:5124.10.79
Anecdote

Other voices provided by Ron Nagocka and Graeme Davis? All three would soon form the group I.D.A. that would go on to create many new performance works.

064PLAYPAUSEFour pieces25:5631.10.79
Anecdote

same evening as Graeme Davis

065PLAYPAUSECassettes Are Driving Me Crazy46:4631.10.79
066Returning With More Synthesizer Goodies14.11.79
067PLAYPAUSEI. D. A.87:0021.11.79
Anecdote

First performance of group comprising Ron Nagorcka, Ernie Althoff and Graham Davis. Instrumentation varies but includes cassette players, spoken voice, modified saxophone, didgeridoo (played by Ron) and small instruments made out of found household and industrial objects.

068Texts28.11.79
069PLAYPAUSEThe Gang’s All Here28:3705.12.79
070PLAYPAUSEFortunes Ready Made70:0012.12.79
Anecdote

Group comprising David Chesworth, Mark Pollard, Jon Campbell, Rainer Linz, John Crawford. What is most notable today is hearing how unskilled as musicians we all sounded. It didn’t seem to matter and I think adds a certain endearing quality to the simple music we made, although others might not agree with that assessment.

Anecdote

Many artists, each doing their own thing

072PLAYPAUSEImprovising with Ernie 147:0816.01.80
Anecdote

Poster says: ‘Join in or just listen - it’s your choice. Bring an instrument - low budget, of course.’

073PLAYPAUSEImprovising with Ernie 240.2823.01.80
Anecdote

Improv featuring Ernie Althoff, Robert Goodge, David Chesworth and others.

074More of the same by Chris40:2827.01.80
075Maybe Graeme can throw more light on the subject30.01.80
076Previously Unfinished Bits and Pieces06.02.80
077“Their Way”13.02.80
Anecdote

Featuring Chis Knowles, David Wadleton, James Clayden. Probably the designer’s title.

078Question Mark20.02.80
Anecdote

written as ‘?’ on the poster

079PLAYPAUSEIf they annoy you, carry on talking67:0727.02.80
Anecdote

Separate performances from David and Chris on Serg synthesizers (Chris is probably playing Serg modular copies made by Julien Driscoll)

080PLAYPAUSELaughing Hands35:3312.03.80
081PLAYPAUSEPromotional concert for 3rd E.P.91:4119.03.80
082PLAYPAUSEFly by night (it’s cheaper)57:4426.03.80
083Two performances - untitled02.04.80
Anecdote

Two artists presenting separate programs. Bruno made performance works and Chris created music on serge modular synthesizers.

084Untitled09.04.80
085PLAYPAUSEI.D.A. give 2/3rds of what they’ve got128:2216.04.80
086Films & things like that23.04.80
087Video work for 2, 3, & 4 monitors30.04.80
Anecdote

including ‘Figures in a Landscape’

088The Threo + Bryce/Phillip/Melissa21.05.80
089PLAYPAUSEMinimalism, Serialism, Music Theatre. A mixed bag.44:0128.05.80
Anecdote

Starts with a group performance on classical instruments by Pollard, Parish, Sample and Gerrard and then is followed by a performance work by Rainer Linz (at 33.27) who, as part of his work, discusses the history of the piano while, with the help of others, the piano is noisily and chaotically moved around the small upstairs performance space.

090Ad Hoc04.06.80
091No cassettes whatsoever11.06.80
Anecdote

I.D.A. often used portable cassette players to record and play back material in their performances, so it was obviously notable that there were actually no cassettes used in this performance.

092Laughing Hands performance18.06.80
093Alone and together. 5 improvisations for familiar and non-familiar instruments25.06.80
Anecdote

Group comprising Ros Bandt, Julie Doyle, Gavin McCarthy, Carolyn Robb

094PLAYPAUSEPaul Schütze with Chris Wyatt45:5202.07.80
Anecdote

I would like to find out more about this performance. It appears that both played together, which was an unusual pairing, but very interesting. Paul is an improvising percussionist who percussively explores a wide variety of instruments and objects, while Chris played live modular synthesisers based on the architecture of the Serge synthesizer.

096PLAYPAUSEDoes Quite a Few Things - Themes & Variations41:1616.07.80
Anecdote

The performance work is titled Themes and Variations and is a rigorous minimalist solo performance based around early plainsong and the solfege system with its seven basic syllables - do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti.

097Students from Melbourne State College13.08.80
Anecdote

Melbourne State College trained teachers and is now part Melbourne University. It had some progressive aspects to it in the 70s. Ron Nagorcka taught music there and there was an influential film studies course run by Arthur Cantrill with teachers that included a very young Adrian Martin (film critic and performer at CHCMC). There are no records about what was presented at CHCMC on the night.

098PLAYPAUSENarrative Music + Formula Disco87:4720.08.80
099PLAYPAUSESeven Rare Dreamings58:3627.08.80
100John Crawford03.09.80
101So you thought you knew me!10.09.80
102The Lunatic Fringe17.09.80
103PLAYPAUSE41 aspects of the leisure setting46:5024.09.80
Anecdote

A performance of tape pieces by Paul Schütze from Laughing Hands.

104A short piece24.09.80
105PLAYPAUSEThe Dave & Phil Duo32:5001.10.80
Anecdote

Performing music that was released on their E.P. ‘Dave & Phil Present Themselves’ for the first 10 minutes, then a series of curious vocal pieces.

106Rainer Linz, John Campbell, Music 408.10.80
Anecdote

Rainer Linz performed with his group Splinter Faction in this concert

107New and Recent Films15.10.80
108Epic-Monumental-Project; (1) Moods for videotape and stereo sound03.11.80
Anecdote

Following his extensive trip to the USA Warren presented work in a series of Monday evening performances collectively called Epic-Monumental-Project (5 pieces for video, film, voice & electronics)

109PLAYPAUSEWell, why not?36:2405.11.80
110(2) Der Yiddisher Cowboy10.11.80
Anecdote

2] Der Yiddisher cowboy - a film in English in collaboration with Ronald Al Robboy

111performance12.11.80
112(3) If structure is an empty glass17.11.80
113Erotica vs Exotica19.11.80
Anecdote

Percussion work by Paul Schütze.
I’m guessing this is Philip Brophy’s title

114The Strange Effect19.11.80
115(4) Penguins; for film, slides, tape and reader24.11.80
116Herbie Jercher, Chris Babinskas26.11.80
Anecdote

Herbie was initially an accomplished jazz guitarist but has many more interesting strings to pull. His performance had a ‘performative’ aspect to them. I remember an air rifle being fired at a bird cage in one performance.
I think this was the only time Chris performed, as a movement artist.

117(5) 8-8s; 4 pairs in the shape of a piece for computer and electronics01.12.80
118Denise Holmes, Martin Lewis, Nick Stamopoulos + Chris Wyatt03.12.80
Anecdote

Denise Holmes, Martin Lewis, Nick Stamopoulos played music to three films by Robert Vincs. This is discussed in New Music #4 1980

120untitled08.12.80
Anecdote

Two well-known jazz performers who pushed boundaries in different ways. The Barry Veith Big Band was well known in jazz circles. CHCMC performer Herbie Jercher played guitar in the band.

121improvisations15.12.80
Anecdote

Two performances: K.G.B. then Chris, Robert and Ian

122Les Gilbert17.12.80
123Spontaneous consumption; Dream focus; colourless green dreams22.12.80
124Wartime Art24.12.80
Anecdote

A Christmas eve performance!

125Punkline and Contracted Cinema I & II21.01.81
Anecdote

The first season of 1981 was a season of mainly super-8 films made by CHCMC artists and other local makers.

Two separate presentations.
Poster says
Punkline (5 min. 1980 16mm. color. sound)

Contracted Cinema I & II (2 hrs. 1978 super 8. color. silent)
multiple projection

126Gravel pits and other works28.01.81
Anecdote

Two presentations:
Ian Sinclair - Gravel pits; Semi-autobiographical portrait; In his own image.
Warren Burt, Eva Karczag - Intercut; Slow moving in the big city; Computer Dance Video; Requiem; Tide pool Piece.

127Feyers; Zoomfilm & Some films with no titles04.02.81
Anecdote

1981 brought about an increased exploration of film for many artists who also worked in music, painting and drawing.

129Hoddle St suite; Cityscape series18.02.81
Anecdote

Films

130Skin of your eye25.02.81
Anecdote

Film

Anecdote

This recording is of I.D.A.’s contribution to the night.
Occasional benefit concerts were held to raise money for such things as the New Music publication. Other performers on the night were K.G.B., Tsk Tsk Tsk, Laughing Hands, Essendon Airport.

132A non-space & Suddenly I moved18.03.81
133Films …
134Music Video01.04.81
135PLAYPAUSESevered Heads, Ralph Traviato48:1308.04.81
Anecdote

Tom Ellard from Severed Heads (Sydney) sent me a tape of cut-ups to be played on the evening. NB: Ralph Traviati presented too. Les Gilbert also performed on this night.

136PLAYPAUSELes Gilbert performance11:0608.04.81
Anecdote

Les is playing soprano sax here although I’m pretty sure he was not a trained player. This performance occurred the same night at Severed Heads and Ralph Traviati

137Music15.04.81
Anecdote

Signals included Chris Knowles, David Wadelton (from Ad Hoc) and Dave Brown

139The Rock Criticism Show29.04.81
Anecdote

Two performances: The Connotations & Peter and Roxanne

140Landscapes of China & Film: Play Loud06.05.81
Anecdote

Two seperate presentations. Laughing Hands (improvising group); Daniel Scharf (film)

141PLAYPAUSEHigh Altitude Grabs56:0603.06.81
Anecdote

Performance was recorded by L.I.M.E. principle performer Ros Bandt on her own Sony cassette and mic system

142PLAYPAUSEChis Mann94:1310.06.81
Anecdote

Epic spoken word performance by Chris Mann. Chris reads from prepared poetic texts and also improvises. There are also interjections and responses from the audience.

143Videos & Performance17.06.81
Anecdote

Two separate presentations.

144Ros Bandt & Les Gilbert24.06.81
Anecdote

Seperate performances

145Films by Paul Fletcher and Viv Caroll01.07.81
146PLAYPAUSEHaving Fun with Burt and Ernie08.07.81
Anecdote

Title is a play on a famous puppet duo from American children’s TV show Sesame Street.

147The Connotations & Lisa Dethridge15.07.81
Anecdote

Two seperate performances

148Ian Cox & David Chesworth22.07.81
Anecdote

It is uncertain what was performed in this concert. Content may have been based around an installation artwork exhibited at the Ewing and George Paton Gallery around this time. The Ewing installation incorporated texts and sound/music based around pop song titles. More info if it comes to hand!

149John Dunkley Smith12.08.81
150International Music & Technology Conference26.08.81
Anecdote

For just one evening CHCMC became a venue for the International Music & Technology Conference, which was considered by some as something of a coup. Participants listed on the night include Graham Hair, David Dunn, Herb Jercher, Diane Thome, Peter Tahourdin. See the details listed on the poster

151George Huxley, Paul Schutze02.09.81
Anecdote

Three seperate performances occurred on the night. Slave Guitars presented by Peter Tyndall is listed separately

152PLAYPAUSESlave Guitars45:1202.09.81
Anecdote

The recording is of Peter Tyndall’s cassette release of Slave Guitars performances. The cassette contains two pieces or versions of the Slave Guitars. The performance on side two begins a 21:50 and is a live version with applause at the end. Probably not from the CHCMC concert, but possibly similar.

153Science is in the galleries, so why isn’t art in the laboratories?07.09.81
Anecdote

The Lunatic Fringe were one of the Little Bands - The Little Bands was a parallel music scene that existed in Fitzroy and then St Kilda at the same time as CHCMC.
Kate Buck was one of the members of Lunatic Fringe. Peter Tyndall (Slave Guitars) was also a member of many Little Band groups.

Click this link for a discussion of the Little Bands by its one time convener, the late Alan Bamford.

There might be a recording of this evening out there somewhere.

154Palimpsest09.09.81
Anecdote

The duo of David Chesworth and Robert Goodge had expanded to include Ian Cox on sax and Paul Fletcher on drums. Although the performance was untitled this music was later released on the album Palimpsest.

155Untitled14.09.81
Anecdote

I am assuming two seperate performances. Adrian and Ruth together and then Adrian with his group The Connotations

157Untitled21.09.81
Anecdote

Also listed on the poster is the single name Debra. I’m not sure who she was or if she presented.

160Noises vs muzaks + vice versa30.09.81
Anecdote

“Plus new and recent films”

Anecdote

Film screenings

162untitled07.10.81
Anecdote

Suignals is a variation of the group Ad Hoc minus James Clayden. Signals included David Wadleton, Chris Knowles and Dave Brown who performed on prepared guitar and other things. The performance possibly also included Philip Thomson on percussion.

Anecdote

An evening of artist films

Anecdote

Title refers to the IDA performance. Miles’ performance was untitled

165Makin’ Whoopee18.11.81
Anecdote

currently there is no information about this performance

166Experiments25.11.81
167Films: incl Floterian; Pan Separations; Wilpana; Time/colour separations02.12.81
168This year’s synthesizer music07.12.81
Anecdote

Not yet known what works were presented at this concert

169Logic of Fiction 109.12.81
Anecdote

This was Adrian Martin’s first contribution at CHCMC.

170Industry & Leisure09.12.81
Anecdote

This was a performance work involving David sorting, writing and performing lists of texts as well as some limited physical activities. The performance incorporatred super 8 film and a slides. The work was subsequently selected for the POPISM exhibition curated by Paul Taylor at the National Gallery of Victoria.

171Tape piece by Ernie & Mike Chapman09.12.81
172PLAYPAUSENew Line-up21:0014.12.81
173Videos & Films16.12.81
Anecdote

Videos: Hello Australia; ADS
Films: Suspense/play; The celluloid self

174PLAYPAUSEParty Music45:2223.12.81
Anecdote

This is possibly the only available recording of the Connotations performing. The opening song is poignant reflection on a coming 1982 where he calls on members of the audience to consider a future that is well passed.

00:00/
(close) Sue Davis

Performances

  1. Punkline and Contracted Cinema I & II (21.01.81)