No Fixed Address (band)
| No Fixed Address | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Genres | Reggae rock |
| Years active | 1979–1985, 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 rock group formed in 1979. The band was led by Bart Willoughby (lead vocals and drums) Pitjanjatjara from Koonibba Mission near Ceduna in the far south west of South Australia, together with Ricky Harrison (rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter) Kurnai from Morwell in Victoria, Leslie Lovegrove Freeman (lead guitarist), Ngarrindjeri from Murray Bridge in South Australia, John Miller (bass) from Port Lincoln in South Australia and Veronica Rankine (tenor saxophone), Ngarrindjeri from the south east of South Australia. Many members were related through family ties, Willoughby, Miller and Freeman were cousins. Freeman, related to Harrison through marriage, recruited him from Victoria and they all met and formed the band at the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM) in North Adelaide, South Australia.
The band members were students at CASM and there first heard reggae music from Jamaica. The band were a very popular pub rock outfit among students and the alternative music scene, especially supported by community radio station 5MMM. In 1979, the band played its first large concert at the National Aboriginal Day held at Taperoo, South Australia. In 1980 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 contemporary aboriginal bands to be recorded. On the strength of their live performances and airplay of their demo recordings on 5MMM they were the cover story on the August 1980 edition of national rock magazine Roadrunner.
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. The video for the single, "From My Eyes" was filmed at Hanging Rock, Victoria and the Old Melbourne Gaol. The band toured Australia in 1982, in support of Peter Tosh. Following the success of the Peter Tosh tour, the band became the first Aboriginal band to travel overseas, touring Great Britain, playing at nine cities including London, Bristol, Leeds, Plymouth and Manchester.
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