| THE
FEATURE you are about to read concerns
Robert Forster and Grant McLennan of the
Go Betweens. They’re sharing a sofa,
tins of "strong beer" and a
double act in which they’re both
competitive and complementary to one
another: something much akin to the
four-way tension in the band as a whole. Their
new lp is called ‘Liberty Belle and
the Black Diamond Express’ and
attempts to describe highlight the
obsolescence of pop journalese. The
customary hyperbolic gushings and rows of
'!!!'s are over used to the point of
becoming meaningless. The Go Betweens
deserve terms with more intrinsic value.
Suffice to say I love it.
Grant: "lt’s the
highest point of our career. We’ve
made a landmark album with a record
company we feel confident and comfortable
with, and which is dedicated to making
the Go Betweens secure. As the
inter-relationship of people within the
band, it’s never been so good."
The group are now signed
to Beggars Banquet after spells with
Rough Trade, Sire and Elektra.
Robert: "Musically,
we've steered the same course but in
personal terms Its been an absolute drag
having to get to know new people all the
time. Each year getting a ‘thank you
and goodbye’ note. We have a feeling
of force behind us now."
Grant: "They
approached us. We didn’t approach
them. And they don’t expect a hit
single straight off like Sire did."
To continue reading
this article and to discover many more (over 140,000 words-worth!),
purchase Mick
Sinclair’s Adjusting
the Stars: Music journalism from post-punk London.
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