| Author | Message | ||
     Austin McLean Member Username: Bruegelpie Post Number: 33 Registered: 09-2004 |
Lindy's in a "fly on the wall" doc about the work she does with disabled musicians. Any one who watches this, please let us know how it is: http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv-reviews/st oryline-australia-junction-house-blues/2 007/01/03/1167777142186.html# Austin "An electic bunch of musicians whose challenges go beyond the usual sex, drugs and rock'n'roll cliche. Charismatic drummer Lindy Morrison leads the pack in Storyline Australia: Junction House Blues Charismatic drummer Lindy Morrison leads the pack in Storyline Australia: Junction House Blues AdvertisementAdvertisement Type Documentary Channel SBS Date Thursday January 4 Time 8:30 PM Here’s an antidote to the virus of reality TV - a fly-on-the-wall documentary following the fortunes of an eclectic bunch of musicians whose challenges go beyond the usual sex, drugs and rock'n'roll cliche. The group stands apart from the usual wannabes - being the Junction House Band and real-life cast for the doco - who range from regular musos to intellectually impaired members who bring unique sets of problems and personalities to the small screen. SBS has talked up this program as a mix of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and This Is Spinal Tap, an ambitious claim not met by patchy production values. However, if you persist, it can be a surprisingly uplifting experience with moments of poignancy. The band was formed about 13 years ago in Sydney as a community-based music project for people with mild intellectual disability but has evolved beyond therapy into a semi-professional outfit that pursues live gigs and has ongoing clashes of artistic temperament. The "regular" band members include three paid music tutors with bona fide rock pedigrees and they too are not exempt from the tensions over artistic content that provide the necessary drama. Leading the pack is charismatic drummer Lindy Morrison, whose credits include membership of the successful 1980s band the Go Betweens. She's a headstrong woman and as one member observes "we work as a team and we do it Lindy's way". Her preference is for the most musically gifted members of the band to take a lead - that’s lead singer Brook, a testy fellow with an encyclopedic music knowledge, as well as Albert, a gentleman of the old school with an ear for a tune and no small obsession with trains. But Lindy's push for art above all other considerations gets the goat of band members such as Diane who would like to see a more even distribution of stage time. Presented like this, it might sound fairly mundane - boring, even - but the challenges faced by the disabled members gives an insight into a world that is rarely highlighted in the media, let alone on prime time. We follow Brook, Albert and Diane into their homes and get a sense of what they are up against. The program notes suggest that at the heart of the documentary are questions the disabled face in every facet of their life: in what context does society fear, forgive or celebrate difference and where does bad behaviour become acceptable? Moreover, should everyone be given the same chance, regardless of ability? They are ambitious goals and without a central narrator, sometimes hard to discern from the occasionally confusing structure of the film. But it's not patronising or just worthy and does offer a counterpoint to the predictable seasonal offerings. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 460 Registered: 10-2004 |
This sounds interesting. It's nice to hear about how active Lindy is. Anyone else find this statement (quoted below) from the above text a bit funny? I mean, given that the Go-Betweens have a reputation for being the archetypal band for whom success was elusive. But I suppose it's all relative in the end. "...Lindy Morrison, whose credits include membership of the successful 1980s band the Go Betweens." | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 1101 Registered: 04-2005 |
Successful compared to the Junction House Band, I suppose. It sounds like a really interesting program. Hope I get to see it someday. | ||
| Roger Griffin Member Username: Roger Post Number: 48 Registered: 11-2004 |
It's a good doco. Lindy is tireless and has the patience of a saint. She's a real visionary, as you'd expect. I've secured a preview tape of this and I'll let you all know if I get around to making a DVD. | ||
| Eddie Member Username: Lewisdhead Post Number: 3 Registered: 01-2007 |
"...Lindy Morrison, whose credits include membership of the successful 1980s band the Go Betweens." Maybe not commercially successful, but they touched a lot of people in different ways and left a great legacy. That's a kind of success, I think. |