Mister Brisbane: Locked and loaded
My rapid relocation, rock music and railway stations
I chose the date of my house move nearly a month beforehand, but it seems I got it exactly right. The important furniture — i.e. my bed and sofa — was delivered just hours before Brisbane went into lockdown on the evening of March 29. I was going to move in slowly over the course of the week but instead I made two mad rushes across the city within those last hours, collecting food and clothes from my old place and buying more food and other essentials at the supermarket, and was safely ensconced in the new apartment before the 5pm deadline.
It’s not over yet but as moves go, it’s been fairly seamless. Only one broken piece of crockery, so far.
PS: I suppose the sales statistics aren’t in yet, but I reckon that many Brisbaneites spent last week’s snap lockdown in a state of semi-sobriety. It’s interesting (to me at least) that among the businesses that have done well during the pandemic are those that deliver food and beverages.
Tune in to the Mister Brisbane radio show on Reading Radio at 1296AM and on DAB+ in Brisbane at 6.30pm on Tuesday nights. It’s also available as a podcast. Just search for “Mister Brisbane” on your favourite player or follow this link.
ALLEN TOWN
Since I opted to buy new furniture, and I’m a cheapskate, I’ve had to reacquaint myself with the Allen key over the past week. Putting flatpack furniture together is never fun, but at least you generally only need this one tool.
Of course, it got me asking that question that comes to us all at least once in our adult lifetimes: exactly who was “Allen” that they key was named after. According to Wikipedia — which, I can confidently say, is now mostly more right than wrong — it comes from the maker, Allen Manufacturing Company, which was founded by W.G. Allen. The generic name is, apparently, “hex key”, but I’d never heard that until just now. Also, I’m wondering whether Mr Allen and Mr Phillips, of screwdriver fame, were friends.
MIXING IT UP
Following up on my item last week about mix tapes, I asked my social media followers what tracks were, or would be, on theirs. Lisa responded: “These spring to mind but no doubt many more — David Bowie, Queen, Aaron Neville/Neville Bros, Leonard Cohen, Billy Joel, Rick Astley, Joe Jackson (above), Willy Nelson, Heart, Mariah’s first stuff, Womack and Womack, Phoebe Snow, Elton John.” What was on your mix tape back in the day? And how similar is it to your current Spotify playlist?
GETTING SOME ZEDS
Many people would cite FM104/Triple M as Brisbane’s first FM station. They would be wrong. They were well and truly beaten by community station 4ZZZ. My introduction to the Zeds came in the late 1970s, when it was still stationed in the Student Union complex at the University of Queensland. I knew a few of the announcers and, for a while, I volunteered in the newsroom. (I can now kind-of claim that my career has come full circle since I’m working in radio again, albeit in programs rather than news.)
Triple Zed was revolutionary in its day, and it sailed close to the wind in Bjelke-Petersen-era Queensland. It supported a radical agenda and was the subject of many complaints, eventually leading to it being thrown off campus by a student-union president of a different political hue. But it also championed local artists and live music — as it still does — through its Joint Efforts, and despite the severed connection with the union continued to thrive through subscriptions and other fundraising, including the annual radiothon.
Plenty of big names got their start at Triple Zed, while many others were content to stay there and play the music, and produce the kind of programs, that were not happening anywhere else on the airwaves. The station continues to fill its niche, broadcasting now from premises in Fortitude Valley.
LONELY HEARTS
I’ve become used to being served up ads for seniors dating websites. What I didn’t expect, however, was when one of those ads identified a senior as anyone over the age of 45. The advertising algorithms have established that I’m single; why can’t they get me a date? Apparently that requires some effort on my behalf. I guess I can only use the fear of contracting COVID for so long. (Longer than I thought, to be honest.)
FEEDBACK
Seems I may have been wrong (no, say it ain’t so!) about Australia Post not leaving parcels in a designated spot. Terry writes: “Auspost leaves stuff for me if I have ticked the right box when ordering.”
On the subject of railways stations, Nick says: “Central Station in Melbourne isn't their central station. Trap for young players — and tourists .” And Spencer writes: “I miss Vulture Street station. I get that South Bank is clearer for tourists but let’s not lose all the history!” John says: “I miss Gloucester Street station (above), our little hidden gem for St Laurence’s students.”
And Blair notes: “Some years ago a chap wrote in a Letters To The Editor of the [Courier-Mail] asking for wholesale changes to the names of Central and Roma Street stations, around the time of the building of the Transit Centre. His argument was that Roma Street was ‘Central Station’ and Central should be ‘Metro’ based on their function. There was also another letter writer at the time of Expo 88 asking for Vulture Street to be changed as it was an ‘unattractive name’ for foreign visitors to encounter.”
Er, there is a second tool required for flat pack assembly, and you alluded to it in your first segment - beer! I've never successfully completed a flat pack assembly without it - absolutely essential for mental health wellbeing...