Au Go Go Records is the name of a

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia based independent record label. It was founded by

Bruce Milne Bruce Milne (born 1957) is an Australian radio presenter and music journalist. He co-founded Au-Go-Go Records and the cassette magazine ''Fast Forward'', and was owner of The Tote Hotel. Career Milne began his career in the 1970s hosting m ...

and Philip Morland from a house in Brunswick Street,

Fitzroy Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to: People As a given name *Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name: **FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855) ** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...

and was later operated by Greta Moon. The label started releasing bands on the

punk and new wave scene. Its first release was in 1979 with the EP ''Overnight'' by Two Way Garden. The label's first 25 releases included debut recordings of some seminal Australian acts such as Crackajacks, Marching Girls, Clint Small, Scapa Flow, Little Murders, the Zorros, Dorian Gray and Plays With Marionettes (later The Wreckery, featuring Hugo Race). Philip Morland left and Greta Moon joined in 1982. By 1982 the label had started to increase its profile due to the local and overseas success of bands like

The Moodists The Moodists were an Australian post-punk band. They were formed in late 1980 by Dave Graney on lead vocals, Clare Moore on drums and Steve Miller on guitar, all from punk group the Sputniks. They added bass guitarist Chris Walsh in early 1981 ...

(featuring

Dave Graney Dave Graney is an Australian rock musician, singer-songwriter and author from Melbourne. Since 1978, Graney has collaborated with drummer-multi instrumentalist Clare Moore. The pair have fronted or been involved with numerous bands including The ...

and

Mick Turner Mick Turner (born 1960) is an Australian musician and artist. He is the founding mainstay guitarist for Dirty Three and has had art exhibitions around Australia and internationally. Previously he was a member of the Sick Things, the Moodists ( ...

later of

Dirty Three Dirty Three is an Australian instrumental rock band, consisting of Warren Ellis (violin and bass guitar), Mick Turner (electric and bass guitars) and Jim White (drums), which formed in 1992. Their 1996 album '' Horse Stories'' was voted by '' ...

). Notable releases included

the Scientists The Scientists is a post-punk band from Perth, Western Australia, led by Kim Salmon, initially known as the Exterminators and then the Invaders. The band had two primary incarnations: the Perth-based punk band of the late 1970s and the Sydne ...

' "Swampland" (actually the b-side of the single "This Is My Happy Hour") and

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

's " My Pal", one of the label's most popular releases, as well as titles by

Ollie Olsen Ollie Olsen is an Australian multi-instrumentalist, composer and sound designer. He has performed, recorded and produced rock, electronic and experimental music since the mid-1970s. His post punk groups included Whirlywirld (1978–80), Orche ...

's band No,

Harem Scarem Harem Scarem is a Canadian hard rock/melodic hard rock band from Toronto, Ontario. Harem Scarem initially (the early 1990s) achieved popularity in their native Canada and Japan. The band was active from 1987 to 2008, and again from 2013 after ...

, various compilations such as the ''Asleep At The Wheel'' collection of (mostly unsigned)

bands, and the well-received ''Hard To Beat'', a double album tribute to

the Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Da ...

, featuring many Australian acts. In April 1989, the label released the debut single by the Candy Harlots, entitled ''Red Hot Rocket'', with the initial 500 copies pressed on red vinyl and wrapped in a pair of women's knickers printed with the band name. The label also branched out into international releases, issuing albums (under license) by overseas bands such as Sonic Youth, Mudhoney,

Dinosaur Jr. Dinosaur Jr. is an American rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1984, originally simply called Dinosaur until legal issues forced a change in name. The band was founded by J Mascis (guitar, vocals, primary songwriter), Lou Barlo ...

, Big Black and The 5.6.7.8's. Au Go Go was also instrumental in helping these bands tour Australia. in 1989 Bruce Milne started an offshoot label, Giant Claw Records, to issue 7" singles. The Au-Go-Go record label continued throughout the 1990s, issuing early releases from such Australian acts as Spiderbait, The Meanies and

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 forming an alternative u ...

, the latter becoming one of the label's top attractions. Magic Dirt left Au Go Go in 1999, and the label never fully recovered. Many of Au Go Go's releases are now out of print and are fast becoming collector's items.

Au Go Go Records shop

In 1987, with the success of their mail-order and distribution services, Au Go Go opened a record shop at a retail space in Little Collins St in Melbourne's CBD, also taking over the lease of Gaslight's suburban Malvern store. Later the business moved to its best-know location of 349 Little Bourke St on the corner of Somerset Place, then in June 2000 to a smaller space in Somerset Place. The retail aspect closed in late 2003 and elements of the business were absorbed into the operations of Shock Records. The Au Go Go website was last updated Tue Feb 3 2009. In the 2000s Bruce Milne was involved in running Melbourne pub/rock venue

The Tote Hotel The Tote is a hotel, pub, bar, and live music venue located in Collingwood, Melbourne, Australia. The venue hosts many independent local, Australian and international acts, and carries a reputation for showcasing new and emerging independent m ...

in Collingwood, as well as a new label,

In-Fidelity Recordings In-Fidelity Recordings is a record label founded in September 2002 by Bruce Milne and Steven Stavrakis. Bruce Milne established the Au Go Go label and Stavrakis was co-founder of Waterfront Records and Fellaheen. Between them they have worked ...

. He continues to be a sought-after DJ and radio presenter, co-hosting Melbourne Music Bus Tours which is associated with the Arts Centre Melbourne's Australian Music Vault.

References

External links

Infidelity Records

(

Everett True Everett True (born Jeremy Andrew Thackray on 21 April 1961) is an English music journalist and musician. He became interested in rock music after hearing The Residents, and formed a band with school friends. He has written and recorded as The ...

, ''Tangents'') {{Authority control Australian independent record labels Record labels established in 1979 Garage rock record labels Indie rock record labels Alternative rock record labels

Au Go Go Records shop

See also

References

External links