Tamam Shud

Tamam Shud belong to a rich vein of Australian music which has been spawned and supported by the alternative surf culture along Sydney's coastal north, and also gave rise to Midnight Oil; more recently Grinspoon. The group Tamam Shud grew out of the instrumental surf music scene of the mid- Sixties and became one of Australia's first 'progressive' rock bands.

The early Sixties instrumental sounds inspired by the Ventures and then the Shadows found another, perfect form of expression when it applied itself to the new surf music craze. Sydney's Atlantics led the field in Australia. In 1964 Newcastle instrumental group The Four Strangers distinguished itself in the field with a single, 'The Rip'. Once the Beatles and the Rolling Stones arrived those instrumental groups invariably became the new groups of the era, already equipped to play their music themselves. All they needed was a singer. The Four Strangers found Lindsay Bjerre, and moved into the Rolling Stones/r&b style. Now just called the Strangers, in late 1965 they became the Sunsets, a pop group playing alongside the heroes of the day, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, and Ray Brown and the Whispers.

In late 1967 the group's line-up and musical philosophy changed again. The new adventure in music was 'progressive' rock. This was the post Sgt.Pepper time of Cream, Traffic, Jimi Hendrix. In Australia it found its own expression in the renamed Sunsets, taking as much from their local surroundings as they did from their global influences. Initially Tamam Shud (meaning 'the very end') took to the free-form aspects of progressive rock, stretching loosely structured songs into long rhythmic and melodic workouts. Film maker Paul Witzig saw the band and its music as a perfect complement to the surf movie he was creating. He set the band up in front of a screen and Tamam Shud spent two and a half hours playing and recording as they watched the surf footage. The result was the band's first album, which carried the same name as the movie, 'Evolution'. Witzig paid for the session and took four songs for the soundtrack of his film.

Tamam Shud were now at the spearhead of Australia's progressive rock movement, quickly followed by Tully and Spectrum. The second album was a more traditional and structured affair (comprising actual songs) but just as ambitious in a totally different way. Called 'Goolutionites And The Real People' the album was a concept suite, centred on the polluters of the world, the Goolutionites. The album featured the band's new 16-year old guitarist Lindsay Gaze, who left again just before 'Goolotionites' was released. Within four months he was back, having recorded an album as part of Kahvas Jute.

Another changed Tamam Shud line-up toured extensively throughout 1971 and found time to contribute four songs to legendary surf movie 'Morning Of The Earth', produced by G.Wayne Thomas, with Broderick Smith providing vocals for one of the Tamam Shud tracks.

On the journey from the Sunsets to 'Morning Of The Earth' it was Tamam Shud's own singer Lindsay Bjerre who was the constant throughout, and in August 1972 it was Lindsay who decided the band should break up. He said he was leaving and that no-one would be using than band's name after he was gone. The band had come to a crossroads personally, as well as musically. Some of the band members were happy with the life of the rock and roll band on the road. Others wanted to slow down. There was also disagreement about the direction the band's music should take. Lindsay Bjerre and bass player Peter Barron formed the gentler country-style Albatross. Tim Gaze and drummer Nigel Macara formed another rock band, Miss Universe.

Within a year Bjerre had moved on again. He ended up travelling throughout Europe and USA and 'out of the blue' re-emerged with a solo album in 1977, 'Stealing The Hours', now presenting himself as a theatrical Bowie-esque performer in make-up and beret. After a follow-up album Bjerre disappeared from sight again.

In the years that followed, unbeknownst to their old fans and the music business in general, the Bjerre-Barron-Gaze-Macara core of the latter Tamam Shud kept in touch and played together in private. Between August 1993 and February 1994 they recorded in secret, and satisfied that the results were worthy of Tamam Shud sought a record deal. The 'Permanent Culture' album was released in August '94. The band hoped that the album would generate the interest which might justify a full-time return to touring. When it didn't they went their separate ways again. The album was of a very high standard, but unlike other legendary Australian bands, Tamam Shud's past recordings had never been radio staples, at the time or later. In '93 they were virtually having to start from scratch and 25 years on, the band members weren't that way inclined.

Tamam Shud proved to those who managed to notice that time had taken nothing from their impact as a unit with their part in the "star-studded" A Long Way To The Top tour. For most people however, overwhelmed by the names as memories on show, Tamam Shud's performance was there and then forgotten but they were definitely there and a band that deserve never to be forgotten.

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