No Fixed Address

For the term referring to homelessness, see No fixed abode.

No Fixed Address
Origin	Adelaide, South Australia
Genres	Reggae
Years active	1978–1985, 1987–1988, 2008
Labels	Rough Diamond Astor PolyGram Mushroom
Associated acts	Mixed Relations Coloured Stone Yothu Yindi Blackfire
Past members
see Members list

No Fixed Address is an Australian Aboriginal reggae group formed in 1978. Led by Bart Willoughby, the band supported Peter Tosh on his 1982 Australian tour. After the success of the Peter Tosh tour No Fixed Address became the first Aboriginal band to travel overseas becoming cultural ambassadors for their people while touring the United Kingdom playing at nine cities including London, Bristol, Leeds, Plymouth and Manchester.

The band coalesced at the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music in North Adelaide. The band were a very popular pub rock outfit among students and the alternative music scene, especially supported by community radio station 5MMM. The band made a movie "Wrong Side of the Road" with another CASM band, Us Mob. The movie dealt with the trials and joys of touring and the contrasting receptions they received in Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. With the recording of the soundtrack, No Fixed Address and Us Mob became the first contempary aboriginal bands to be recorded. Following the release of the movie and its soundtrack album, No Fixed Address toured widely.

In 1982 the band were contracted to Rough Diamond Records, a subsidiary of Polygram Records and released their debut mini album From My Eyes. The album was launched at the Hilton Hotel by the Australian Prime Minister, Bob Hawke. Didgeridoo player, Billy Inda, made a guest appearance on folk rock band Goanna's single "Solid Rock" from their album, Spirit of Place – it peaked at No. 3 in October on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart - it is the first charting rock song to feature the didgeridoo.^[1][2]

In 2008 the band reformed and played at the Dreaming Festival & Tarerer Festival in Woodford, Queensland, where they released a limited edition CD copy of From My Eyes.

In 2011 No Fixed Address, along with Coloured Stone, were inducted into the Hall of Fame at the National Indigenous Music Awards. ^{[3] [4]}

Members

• Selwyn Burns - guitar
• Joe Geia - vocals, percusion, didgeridoo (1982–1983)
• Les Graham - guitar (1978–1983)
• Ricky Harrison - guitar (1978–1985)
• Joe Hayes - bass (1982)
• Billy Inda - percussion, didgeridoo (1982)
• Chris Jones - guitar (1982–1985)
• Les Lovegrove - guitar (1987–1988, 2008)
• Rick Lovegrove - guitar (1987–1988, 2008)
• Louis McManus - guitar (1984–1985)
• John 'John' Miller - bass (1978–1985, 1987–1988, 2008)
• Nicky Moffott - bass (1983–1985)
• Veronica Rankine - vocals, saxophone, flute (1978–1985)
• Bart Willoughby - drums, vocals, didgeridoo (1978–1985, 1987–1988, 2008)

Discography

Albums

• Wrong Side of the Road (Soundtrack with Us Mob) - Black Australia/EMI (1981) AUS #67^[2]
• From My Eyes - Rough Diamond/Astor/PolyGram (RDM 8804) (1982)AUS #77^[2]

Singles

• "From My Eyes"/"We Have Survived" - Rough Diamond (RDS 3511) (1982)

References

• McFarlane, Ian (1999). Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-768-2. 

1. ^ McFarlane 'Goanna' entry. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
2. ^ ^{a b c} Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.  NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974.
3. ^ http://www.blacklist.org.au/news/index.cfm?process=DISPLAY_item&articleId=EEEB01DE-D5B5-CB14-410C9941FB26BC9F&activeVSKey=
4. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2011/08/19/3297752.htm

External links

• AFI Screen Biographies
• [1] annotated bibliographical records
• Listen to 'We Have Survived' on australianscreen online
• 'We Have Survived' was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia Registry in 2008