John Willsteed

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John Willsteed is an award winning Australian musician and sound designer. As a musician, he is best known as a member of the iconic Brisbane band The Go-Betweens, in which he played bass guitar from 1987–1989, most notably on the album 16 Lovers Lane. As a sound designer he won Australian Film Institute awards for his work on The Beat Manifesto (1996), Vietnam Nurses (2005, as composer) and Rare Chicken Rescue (2008). He is a lecturer in Music at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane.

Early career

Terence John Willsteed was born in Brisbane, Australia. In 1978, and with little formal musical training, John became a member of Brisbane feminist punk group Zero (later Xiro) after a chance meeting with drummer Lindy Morrison and Brisbane visual artist Gary Warner. Willsteed became the bass player, replacing former member Catharine Hunt.[1] He remained a member of the band until 1985. Over this period the name, nature and line-up of Zero changed considerably as the original punk covers band evolved into an avant-pop duo. Xiro released two cassette EPs in 1981 (Religious Wars, Half the Profits), and, as Xero, a 12 inch vinyl EP (Lust in the Dust on MSquared) in 1982. His move to Sydney in 1985 heralded a period of musical expansion. Over the next three years Willsteed played bass in a number of Sydney bands ranging from country (Tender Mercies) to quirky pop (Machines That Walk).[2] It was also in this period that Willsteed contributed to film soundtracks for the first time. His long relationship with Gary Warner, then with the Sydney Super 8 Film Group, drew him into the work of filmmaker Ross Gibson (Camera Natura, Wild, Dead to the World), and he contributed as a musician to the scores of these films and others.[3]

The Go-Betweens

In 1986 the Australian band The Go-Betweens lost their bass player Robert Vickers, moved to Sydney from London, and began searching for a replacement. Willsteed had played with two members - Lindy Morrison in Zero and Amanda Brown in Tender Mercies – and through this social connection was invited to join the band.[4] Almost immediately they went into pre-production for their sixth studio album 16 Lovers Lane. Willsteed’s work on this album as both guitarist and bass player has been credited with being an important part of the band’s increasing musical sophistication.[1] With 16 Lovers Lane, The Go-Betweens achieved their greatest commercial success to date, both in Australia and internationally. The song 'Streets of Your Town' remains the best known of The Go-Betweens’ catalogue. They toured extensively in Australia and overseas in 1988-89 supporting R.E.M. on their Green World Tour. At the end of the tour Willsteed was sacked from the band for unspecified reasons. Willsteed continued to play in Australian bands, including Plug Uglies, The Drunk, The Monk and the Spunk, and Disgraceland and is currently a member of Halfway. He has also contributed to recording projects by The Apartments and Ed Kuepper among others.[5]

Film sound design

Willsteed studied Sound at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, graduating in 1996. He moved to Brisbane, and began working professionally as a sound designer for film and television projects. He has worked on a number of Australian features - including Angst and The Rage In Placid Lake – and over 60 television documentaries and short films. Willsteed has also composed music for the children's stop-motion animated television series Kitu and Woofl for Henderson Bowman Productions and ABC TV in 1997. Willsteed has won three Australian Film Institute Awards for Sound Design (Vietnam Nurses, The Beat Manifesto and Rare Chicken Rescue).[6] He has also been nominated for two IF Awards (Angst, The Rage in Placid Lake) and is the recipient of the International Wildlife Film Festival Sound Award (for Hypsi, the Forest Gardener). Willsteed is currently a partner in Brisbane sound post-production facility LCR Film Sound.[7]

Intellectual work

John Willsteed began teaching in the tertiary system in 2000 at Griffith University in Brisbane, and has since taught at Bond, SBIT, and a number of private schools. He now holds a full time lecturing position at Queensland University of Technology, where he is the Study Area Coordinator in the Music Discipline.[7] He is currently working on his PhD, It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Humidity, an exploration of meaning and identity in Brisbane music and musicians.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 John O’Donnell, 'You can go home again', Rolling Stone, at The Go-Betweens Archive
  2. ↑ The Go-Betweens Background Triple J J-Files Archive
  3. ↑ Williams, Deane (1996) Mapping the Imaginary: Ross Gibson’s Camera Natura, Carlton South, Vic. : Australian Teachers of Media in association with Australian Film Institute Research and Information Centre and Deakin University School of Visual, Performing and Media Arts
  4. ↑ Go-Betweens Background, Triple J J-Files Archive
  5. ↑ Australian Rock Database The Apartments
  6. ↑ Past AFI Award Winners
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 John Willsteed QUT Staff Page
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