Georgia Lucy presents: Gough and Margaret’s Bull Clip

Advance Australia Fair
An anathematic anthem
Sung generation and nation-wide
Lacking diaphragmatic delivery

In short - the song sucks. Suppose we had options? Suppose we write our own?

Guess what? In the early '70s PM Gough Whitlam held a national anthem quest to replace the existing anthem, God Save the Queen. The Australian people responded eagerly with entries in notation, lyric and tape-recorded form. However, all submissions were turfed. Dumpster-diving the national archives, I found them! The dirty dirges, with an urge to be heard, held together by a heavy-duty stationery clip from the Prime Minister's office.

This project dragged me through Queensland floods to sing a resituated anthem to dairy cows from my sister's amplified van. On another occasion I discovered antique Australian AI-generated content.

After curious examination
Of The Voice(s) of our nation
(and trying to understand it)
I present my findings

All are invited.

Gough and Margaret’s Bull Clip is a liberation of the could-a-beens. The people's huge and hidden hits, butchered live in front of your eyes. Processed and served up as a sonic selection of smallgoods for your enjoyment (cheese and crackers included). Anthems to taste.

The spread will be treated through the late Ross Hannaford's 1974 Space Echo unit. After all, the word for anthem comes from antiphon, a call and response style of singing... singing... singing... Is a cooee an antiphon? An echo bouncing off the walls? At the time the anthem entries were being composed Australia was doing the Eagle Rock. I'm hoping Daddy Cool's Space Echo can help make these patriotic pieces sound less daggy and more dancy.

Copyright or wrong, Gough and Margaret's Bull Clip are leaking the tapes. The songs that diva belter Delta could have blessed the MCG with. We all stand and sing along, diaphragms expanded. Imagine.

This event is part of a series of showings from Next Wave's 2024–25 Kickstart Program. The program supported seven individual artists and one collective to develop a project over 18 months, under the guidance of Next Wave and local mentors.

Accessibility

Brunswick Mechanics Institute is a step-free venue with accessible bathrooms.

Video tour of Brunswick Mechanics Institute

Download the Brunswick Mechanics Institute visual story (.docx)
Download the Brunswick Mechanics Institute visual story (.pdf)

Download the Brunswick Mechanics Institute transport and parking information (.docx)
Download the Brunswick Mechanics Institute transport and parking information (.pdf)