Knock! Knock! 16 Lovers Lane revisited
It was the iconic album by The Go-Betweens that gave us Streets of Your Town and now 16 Lovers Lane is returning in concert at QPAC.
It’s the album that gave us the tune many regard as Brisbane’s anthem – Streets of Your Town. A brilliant song off 16 Lovers Lane, the sixth studio album by our iconic indie rock group, The Go-Betweens.
Released in 1988, it still resonates and it will resonate in the Concert Hall at QPAC on September 26.
Lindy Morrison, Amanda Brown and John Willsteed, three of the original recording artists on 16 Lovers Lane, along with a line-up of special guest artists, will celebrate one of the greatest Australian albums of all time by playing the whole thing.
The 16 Lovers Lane concert will recreate the The Go-Betweens album, and the concert will also feature revered Queensland vocalists: Meg Washington, Patience Hodgson (The Grates), Seja Vogel (Regurgitator), Jem Cassar-Daley, David McCormack (Custard), Eamon Sandwith (The Chats), Ben Ely (Regurgitator) and Darren Hanlon, along with an augmented band featuring Dan Kelly, Luke Peacock and Danny Widdicombe.
A seminal album in Australia’s pop history, 16 Lovers Lane produced classic singles including Streets of Your Town and Was There Anything I Could Do? and is renowned for shaping the quintessential sound of Brisbane.
Following the popular performance of 16 Lovers Lane at QPAC in 2017 as part of Queensland Music Festival, this new concert features the album in full, along with other well-known songs by The Go-Betweens performed by a fresh new line up of talented artists.
QPAC chief executive Rachel Healy says the concert will not only showcase the widely acclaimed and enduringly popular album but would also celebrate the breadth and calibre of local talent.
“Hugely successful and iconic, this band came from the Brisbane suburbs and has a special place in the hearts of Queenslanders, to the point that we’ve even named a Brisbane city bridge after them,” says Healy.
“We are proud to present the return of 16 Lovers Lane in our Concert Hall, with an all-new and impressive line-up of highly acclaimed guest artists, all hailing from Queensland, to join with three former members of The Go-Betweens to bring this seminal album back to life.
“Celebrating Queensland artists and stories is at the heart of what we do at QPAC and it is especially fitting to present this concert in our 40th anniversary year. We can’t wait to experience the legacy of this unforgettable Queensland band, a band that has influenced so many musicians and whose influence continues across new generations.”
Subscribe for updates
Formed in Brisbane in the late ’70s by Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, The Go-Betweens was considered Australia’s finest indie-rock band, with their signature rhythms, charming melodies and poetic lyrics. In 2006, McLennan sadly passed away. The Go-Betweens’ former frontman Robert Forster will not perform at this concert but is supportive of it.
16 Lovers Lane achieved critical acclaim and went on to be listed at No. 12 in the book 100 Best Australian Albums and included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. In 2021, it was listed at No.15 in Rolling Stones’ 200 Greatest Australian Albums of All Time.
16 Lovers Lane, Concert Hall, QPAC, September 26, 7.30pm