#90 The Saints in Brisbane in the years 70 : Interview with Ed Kuepper from his first meeting at school with Chris Bailey and Ivor Hay until their first album I’m Stranded Podcast part 1

I recorded that interview with Ed Kuepper a long time ago, in fact in August 2007 just after Pig City but there always were new interviews to publish with Ed like about his last album’s release Jean-Lee and the Yellow dog then his European tour with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and I always put that interview off until later. So now after the All Tomorrow’s parties festival where The Saints reunited for a few shows with the original members Chris Bailey, Ed Kuepper and Ivor Hay, I thought it was the good time for a little history !! In this first part we started when Ed met Chris at school in the first years of 1970 until the Saints left Brisbane for London with their first album self-produced in 76 « I »m Stranded ».

The Saints in Brisbane in 1976 (pic Joe Borkowski) : In front on the left Ed Kuepper (guitar) above him Ivor Hay (drums) Kym Bradshaw (bass) on the right Chris Bailey (vocals).

This interview is pretty different from the ones I recorded Live at Berlin with Ed; we spoke more about their life as a band in Brisbane and the political background which sometimes crossed their music.
I played some songs to illustrate our talk : Nights in Venice, Wild about you (recorded in 74), Story of Love, Brisbane security city, Demolition girl and a song called « Untitled ».
In the second part Ed gave his feeling about his arrival in London in 77 in the context of the punk movement explosion, their second and third album’s recording with EMI until the band split in 1978…stay connected!

Meltingpod Connections : Update January 23th
If you want to spend one hour comfortably at home with Nick Cave speaking about his 25 years carreer from The Birthday Party to the Bad Seeds to Grinderman and how the Saints with « I’m Stranded » were a revelation for him, go to TripleJ abc.net and listen to that great broadcast recorded in 2007 by Richard Kingsmill : a pro job !! Hoping Nick will made up with the journalists ! (thanks Lars for the link!)

Nick Cave in Mt Buller ATP January 2009 : check more great pics on Carbie Warbie ‘s website, a passion for the rock photography he shares with us at Flickr !! Fantastic pics from X and the Saints in Melbourne by the way !
Another news but pretty sad, Mick Harvey announced he quits the Bad Seeds : check his message yesterday at abc.net.au/news