I would never say I take any of these memories for granted, but life in many ways has not changed. Still love the funk, and recently I'm getting back in touch with many of my old homies from this time thanks to Facebook - pretty much all are still High Energy peeps dedicated and passionate for music. Not to mention seeing and meeting some of these Funk Legends Live.
There are two tragic losses though...Angus Galloway and Michael Jordan. You will forever be remembered my bretheren. Good people, damn good people. Love you both.
I copied this post I wrote back in March 08. This is a brief outline of a golden time. I hope to share some more of this story soon.
Copied from In The Mix Forum
http://www.inthemix.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=217291&page=6
Let me tell you some stories
Angus was my homie for 24 years. I met Angus for the first time
on the first day of year 9 at Indooroopilly high. He caused quite a
stir, but so did I as I rocked up on the first day wearing a singlet
with a tooned Koala by a billabong with the slogan �Stoned Again�. We
became friends instantly. Indooroopilly was like that, no dress code so
you know it was wild. We had full costume goths, mods, punks,
rokabillys, nerds oh and I remember 1 guy who actually wore the official
uniform. Me and Angus were representing Hip Hop and The Funk. Before I
met Angus he was an accomplished breakdancer with the Electric Trooper
in Brisbane. These guys were so amazing that they had there own 5
minute segment on ABC TV just before the news. Guys like Egan from the
Troopers would provide instruction and demonstrations on Break-dance
moves like hot rocks, backspin, the turtle and egg rolls. Angus would
show off his hot rocks and head spins to anybody who would ask � even in
his 30�s.
Angus rocked up at Indooroopilly High after the private schools had had enough of his rebel break-dancing ways. At that time he wasn�t DJing, but I can tell you what inspired him to become one. Angus showed me his fake ID he had recently gotten, and I soon got one too � we were 15 years old at the time (1985), but we could get into any club in Brisbane. Of course, at that time there was only two and a half venues that we wanted to get into:
� The legendary �Images�;
� Images sister club Sybils; and
� The coffee shop
O.k. the coffee shop was not an official club (hence the half) but It was a hugely important evolution in Brisbane Hip Hop and DJing in general. Allow me to provide an overview of each of these landmark Brisbane venues.
Ask anyone who was a regular at Images about that club, and they will fill with love for this place. The 70�s disco phenomena had given rise to plush funked up Disco�s, and in 1985 Images would have rivaled any Disco in the world. That may be a big call but just look at what it had going for it - this club used to be Brisbane�s most exclusive revolving restaurant � 24 floors high at the top floor of the then SGIO (now Suncorp) building. Floor to ceiling windows with panoramic views to Moreton Bay; Tambourine Mountains and the D�agular ranges. The city night lights were amazing, and when dawn broke in that club it would fill with sunlight. That alone was not why it was phenomenal. We would go to Images as many nights as we could � definitely Friday and Saturday, but also Sunday and Wednesday. The DJ �Tim� would spin a great mix of Funk, Disco, Hi NRG and Club through the night, but the real special part of the night was after about 1.30am when he would get serious with the funk. That club rocked Midnight Star; Kurtis Blow; One Way; Luther Vandross; Dazz Band; Cameo; George Clinton. The groove was bad. The bouncers were especially schooled in who could and could-not get into the venue. You had to be dressed sharp, you had to have a swagger in your step, or you needed to be a stylish lady. There were always Brisbane louts in grey leather shoes being turned away in the foyer near the lifts on the 24th floor. Images was like a family, and it was the first club that made me and Angus feel alive in the night life. At this time Angus�s record collection was just beginning � he has less than a crate of albums, most of which he bought on a trip to the United States with his father in the early 80�s. He brought back soul albums by the Temptations and Glady�s night. Later we would joke about all the serious funk and hip hop he didn�t buy in the states when he was there. My god, image what you could have brought back at that time. There was some early rap � Sugar Hill Gang and Grandmaster Flash; and early funk via street sounds compilations. Of course the man loved his rap, he was a serious break dancer � but the real rap and funk collections were yet to come, and House and Techno were not even on the radar at this stage.
The Coffee Shop was not even a shop, but it would become part of our Friday night rituals to visit. The imagery is quite profound. We started our nights high up at Images as usual, then at about 9 or 10 we would go down to a church building annexed to the cathedral at the base of the Suncorp Tower. The church would allow the recreation hall to be used by street-wise kids to keep them out of trouble, but the only one who hung out there were the graffiti artists and the break-dancers. Decks were always set up and tunes spun by none other than Dj Katch. Katch was always Katch, at 15 he set up his decks and PA and brought his extensive crates of hip hop and rocked the coffee shop. Angus would always do some breaking and Katch would crack us up with his unique �clown� style breaking. It was funny because he always looked millimeters away from breaking his neck, and we would always cringe and laugh uncontrollably. Legends of Brisbane�s first wave of hip hop underground would all be there � Justin (Prinz Clyde); Hams; Bill & Jamie Moultin (Hype Magazine and the B-Boy Allstars); the rest of the B-Boy Allstars; all the Ipswich line graffitti crews; Frenzy...too many to name. We kept the Funk alive at Images and the real Hip Hop alive at the Coffee Shop. It was prime. In a way Images heralded the end of Disco/Funk domination and the Coffee shop heralded the beginning of Hip Hop domination. Funnily enough I never remember Katch at Images � he would not leave the street. Sybils gets a mention because it was the sister club of Images, owned by the same people, and they would provide a mini-bus for patrons between the two venues. Sibyls was bigger, less plush, but has a serious dance floor, sound system and lighting accentuated by the cathedral like Dome ceiling. Sibyls became the number one venue after Images was forced to close in 87 because of concerns over fire safety (tragic event for many). So by the time we reached 18 and were legally able to enter clubs, we had 3 eventful years of regular attendance at Images and then it was no more. It was during this time that Angus was inspired to start DJing. He was inspired by an american sailor (name unknown) from a visiting US Navy ship. Anyone who knew Angus knows that he was a night crawler, and he would talk to anyone who has an interest and knowledge in his interests � especially music. This guy told him stories about the clubs in the states, mixing, scratching, breakbeats, block parties etc. It was still the 80�s, and Brisbane had none of this style of partying. Angus visualized it and pursued it. I have some audio recordings of me and Angus joking around being DJ�s and starting to scratch for the first time. We learnt scratching �from scratch� right there in his bedroom at St Lucia and it just got better and wilder from there. Angus would absorb as much knowledge about a topic he was interested in as he could. He talked to a guy who talked to a guy and he�d find out that he needed Technics 1,200�s. He needed slip mats, he needed a copy of change the beat, he needed a Gemini mixer with a cross fade; he needed RP7 to cut out the static. Then the DMC (DJ Mixing Championships) started releasing videos of the world titles and there was no turning back. He would scratch with his shoe like Cash Money, with the rocker switch like DJ Alladin. Then we were all in the Brisbane 88 DMC. What a line-up � Angus; Katch; Fib; Michael Jordan; Keshrow; Dominic. If anyone has footage of this show at Transformers, please put that baby up on youtube � it was a historical event for Brisbane. We then watched the 88 world championship finals on video until that tape was worn out. We would eat, drink and sleep djing � mostly hip hop djing at this time. We had an early possee called Kings Getting Busy with Angus; Katch; Hams; Fib; Klyde and Micahel Jordan. We began producing Hip Hop with S900 samplers, 808 drum machines and old school breaks. Let it be known that Hip Hop and Funk was always a main stay for Angus, but in 89 he fell heavily into House and from here I am probably not the most qualified to carry on the story. But we did remain friends throughout the rest of his life. The other ubiquitous venue in Brisbane through all these years was 4ZZZ. We would meet at Toowong, then the Valley for Katch�s Hip Hop show and do guest spots. I would have a stint co-hosting the show with Katch for a few seasons, and Angus would go onto co-host a set with Peter Mogg.
Angus was a very funny guy, but also had a dangerous edge to him. You didn�t know how far his jokes were going to go � but in the end, he would maintain some self-control. He lived more life in his 38 years than most people. I shared a million private jokes with Angus, he really was a funny guy. I hope this info sheds some light on the formative years of the Brisbane Hip Hop and Dance. I have some photo�s of angus with his first Gemini mixer (and 80�s pastel clothes), and Kings Getting Busy � including the first and last attempt by Angus at graffiti art at Indooroopilly High School - A lot of fun, but he stuck with Djing.
Angus rocked up at Indooroopilly High after the private schools had had enough of his rebel break-dancing ways. At that time he wasn�t DJing, but I can tell you what inspired him to become one. Angus showed me his fake ID he had recently gotten, and I soon got one too � we were 15 years old at the time (1985), but we could get into any club in Brisbane. Of course, at that time there was only two and a half venues that we wanted to get into:
� The legendary �Images�;
� Images sister club Sybils; and
� The coffee shop
O.k. the coffee shop was not an official club (hence the half) but It was a hugely important evolution in Brisbane Hip Hop and DJing in general. Allow me to provide an overview of each of these landmark Brisbane venues.
Ask anyone who was a regular at Images about that club, and they will fill with love for this place. The 70�s disco phenomena had given rise to plush funked up Disco�s, and in 1985 Images would have rivaled any Disco in the world. That may be a big call but just look at what it had going for it - this club used to be Brisbane�s most exclusive revolving restaurant � 24 floors high at the top floor of the then SGIO (now Suncorp) building. Floor to ceiling windows with panoramic views to Moreton Bay; Tambourine Mountains and the D�agular ranges. The city night lights were amazing, and when dawn broke in that club it would fill with sunlight. That alone was not why it was phenomenal. We would go to Images as many nights as we could � definitely Friday and Saturday, but also Sunday and Wednesday. The DJ �Tim� would spin a great mix of Funk, Disco, Hi NRG and Club through the night, but the real special part of the night was after about 1.30am when he would get serious with the funk. That club rocked Midnight Star; Kurtis Blow; One Way; Luther Vandross; Dazz Band; Cameo; George Clinton. The groove was bad. The bouncers were especially schooled in who could and could-not get into the venue. You had to be dressed sharp, you had to have a swagger in your step, or you needed to be a stylish lady. There were always Brisbane louts in grey leather shoes being turned away in the foyer near the lifts on the 24th floor. Images was like a family, and it was the first club that made me and Angus feel alive in the night life. At this time Angus�s record collection was just beginning � he has less than a crate of albums, most of which he bought on a trip to the United States with his father in the early 80�s. He brought back soul albums by the Temptations and Glady�s night. Later we would joke about all the serious funk and hip hop he didn�t buy in the states when he was there. My god, image what you could have brought back at that time. There was some early rap � Sugar Hill Gang and Grandmaster Flash; and early funk via street sounds compilations. Of course the man loved his rap, he was a serious break dancer � but the real rap and funk collections were yet to come, and House and Techno were not even on the radar at this stage.
The Coffee Shop was not even a shop, but it would become part of our Friday night rituals to visit. The imagery is quite profound. We started our nights high up at Images as usual, then at about 9 or 10 we would go down to a church building annexed to the cathedral at the base of the Suncorp Tower. The church would allow the recreation hall to be used by street-wise kids to keep them out of trouble, but the only one who hung out there were the graffiti artists and the break-dancers. Decks were always set up and tunes spun by none other than Dj Katch. Katch was always Katch, at 15 he set up his decks and PA and brought his extensive crates of hip hop and rocked the coffee shop. Angus would always do some breaking and Katch would crack us up with his unique �clown� style breaking. It was funny because he always looked millimeters away from breaking his neck, and we would always cringe and laugh uncontrollably. Legends of Brisbane�s first wave of hip hop underground would all be there � Justin (Prinz Clyde); Hams; Bill & Jamie Moultin (Hype Magazine and the B-Boy Allstars); the rest of the B-Boy Allstars; all the Ipswich line graffitti crews; Frenzy...too many to name. We kept the Funk alive at Images and the real Hip Hop alive at the Coffee Shop. It was prime. In a way Images heralded the end of Disco/Funk domination and the Coffee shop heralded the beginning of Hip Hop domination. Funnily enough I never remember Katch at Images � he would not leave the street. Sybils gets a mention because it was the sister club of Images, owned by the same people, and they would provide a mini-bus for patrons between the two venues. Sibyls was bigger, less plush, but has a serious dance floor, sound system and lighting accentuated by the cathedral like Dome ceiling. Sibyls became the number one venue after Images was forced to close in 87 because of concerns over fire safety (tragic event for many). So by the time we reached 18 and were legally able to enter clubs, we had 3 eventful years of regular attendance at Images and then it was no more. It was during this time that Angus was inspired to start DJing. He was inspired by an american sailor (name unknown) from a visiting US Navy ship. Anyone who knew Angus knows that he was a night crawler, and he would talk to anyone who has an interest and knowledge in his interests � especially music. This guy told him stories about the clubs in the states, mixing, scratching, breakbeats, block parties etc. It was still the 80�s, and Brisbane had none of this style of partying. Angus visualized it and pursued it. I have some audio recordings of me and Angus joking around being DJ�s and starting to scratch for the first time. We learnt scratching �from scratch� right there in his bedroom at St Lucia and it just got better and wilder from there. Angus would absorb as much knowledge about a topic he was interested in as he could. He talked to a guy who talked to a guy and he�d find out that he needed Technics 1,200�s. He needed slip mats, he needed a copy of change the beat, he needed a Gemini mixer with a cross fade; he needed RP7 to cut out the static. Then the DMC (DJ Mixing Championships) started releasing videos of the world titles and there was no turning back. He would scratch with his shoe like Cash Money, with the rocker switch like DJ Alladin. Then we were all in the Brisbane 88 DMC. What a line-up � Angus; Katch; Fib; Michael Jordan; Keshrow; Dominic. If anyone has footage of this show at Transformers, please put that baby up on youtube � it was a historical event for Brisbane. We then watched the 88 world championship finals on video until that tape was worn out. We would eat, drink and sleep djing � mostly hip hop djing at this time. We had an early possee called Kings Getting Busy with Angus; Katch; Hams; Fib; Klyde and Micahel Jordan. We began producing Hip Hop with S900 samplers, 808 drum machines and old school breaks. Let it be known that Hip Hop and Funk was always a main stay for Angus, but in 89 he fell heavily into House and from here I am probably not the most qualified to carry on the story. But we did remain friends throughout the rest of his life. The other ubiquitous venue in Brisbane through all these years was 4ZZZ. We would meet at Toowong, then the Valley for Katch�s Hip Hop show and do guest spots. I would have a stint co-hosting the show with Katch for a few seasons, and Angus would go onto co-host a set with Peter Mogg.
Angus was a very funny guy, but also had a dangerous edge to him. You didn�t know how far his jokes were going to go � but in the end, he would maintain some self-control. He lived more life in his 38 years than most people. I shared a million private jokes with Angus, he really was a funny guy. I hope this info sheds some light on the formative years of the Brisbane Hip Hop and Dance. I have some photo�s of angus with his first Gemini mixer (and 80�s pastel clothes), and Kings Getting Busy � including the first and last attempt by Angus at graffiti art at Indooroopilly High School - A lot of fun, but he stuck with Djing.
Fib (aka Lee Hardwick; Aka Andy)
