They're given a sealed envelope with a topic, no time to prepare and 5 minutes on the clock. This is Band-ter with Clairsy & Lisa.
Forming in 1976, they went on to be the key band in the original wave of British punk rock and were billed as ‘The Only Band That Matters’. Their third album, London Calling has been named one of the greatest of all time – Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time ranked it 8th in the 2003 and 2012 editions, and 16th in the 2020 edition. This week, Clairsy & Lisa band-ter about The Clash.
His name was inspired by a teacher's description of him as ‘idle’ and for someone whose roots were firmly in punk rock, he’s managed to reinvent himself (more than once) as a solo act with a more pop-punk edge. In 1982, armed with hits like ‘White Wedding’, ‘Dancing With Myself’ and ‘Hot In The City’, his debut album solidified him as a staple on the-then brand-new MTV. Just a year later, his second album Rebel Yell proved he was no fluke.
In 1990, an accident where he very nearly lost his leg, forced him to face his issues with addiction, which took about a decade to fully get a handle on himself. To this day, he’s still releasing music and considered a living legend.
This week, Clairsy & Lisa band-ter about Billy Idol
Not only are they one of Australia’s first pub rock bands, they’re also one of the best-loved. Originally going by the name ‘Orange’, they finally settled on Cold Chisel in 1974. Their songs were raw observations of everyday life and distinctly Australian experiences, something often acknowledged as a major reason for the band's lack of international appeal. But it didn’t matter. They were ours.
They weren’t without their dramas, breaking up in 1983 before band members went solo, with wildly varying degrees of success. They reunited in 1997.
Their 1978 single, ‘Khe Sanh’ is listed at No. 8 of the all-time best Australian songs.
This week, Clairsy & Lisa band-ter over Cold Chisel
With a distinct, dense sound, borrowing from goth, psychedelic and progressive rock, fronted by the ‘anguished, bruised reports from Billy Corgan's nightmare-land’, they were one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands of the 1990s. Despite splitting up between 2000 and 2007, they’re about to celebrate their 35th anniversary. This week, Clairsy & Lisa Band-ter over The Smashing Pumpkins…
For many of us, especially those of us who grew up in the 70s and 80s, he was as part of our Aussie culture as Countdown, Vegemite and the footy. He's simply known as The Voice, a name that stuck from the hit 1986 album Whispering Jack, which remains as the second-highest-selling album in Australian music history.
Australian rock historian Ian McFarlane summed him up as ‘the most successful solo artist in the history of Australian rock and pop... an affable sense of humour and a simple, unpretentious 'everyman' charm which also makes him one of the most respected celebrities in Australian entertainment history’.
This week, Clairsy & Lisa Band-ter over John Farnham.
From playing their first gig in a school dining hall to performing at Live Aid to a global audience of 1.9 billion, Spandau Ballet was one of the leaders of the New Romantic movement of the early 1980s. Despite breaking up and getting back together, they’ve seen a huge achievement in their 40-year history.
He is one of the most enduring names in music. For decades, not only has the veteran folk legend created a back-catalogue of pure classics – including his seminal fourth album, Harvest Moon, which is celebrating 50 years – but his comments (and blistering hot takes) on the state of the music industry are nothing but revered. This week, Clairsy & Lisa Band-ter over Neil Young.
It seemed more like a stage name for Debbie Harry, but Blondie was an entire band. They settled on the name after Harry bleached her hair and consequently copped a barrage of ‘Hey, Blondie!’ catcalls around New York. It wasn’t until their 3rd studio album, Parallel Lines, that Blondie found themselves in the international spotlight after landing No. 1 and selling nearly 2 million copies... I mean, with six singles, including the iconic ‘Heart of Glass,’ how could it not? This week, Clairsy & Lisa Band-ter over Blondie.
To say it was a concept was an understatement - a band that would fuse classical, orchestral and rock music in a way that would 'pick up where the Beatles left off' before it moved into a more futuristic prog rock direction. It’s a lot. But it worked. And Australians loved it. This week, Clairsy & Lisa Band-ter over The Electric Light Orchestra.
After farewelling Split Enz in late 1984, Neil Finn, Paul Hester and Nick Seymour formed a new band, one which would later include Mark Hart, Matt Sherrod and Neil’s brother, Tim Finn. Their Split Enz connection meant the newly-formed Crowded House already had an Aussie and NZ fanbase which helped push them along in the mid-80s, which was to low-key success. It wasn’t until October 1986 where their single ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ went gangbusters, reaching number two on the US Billboard Hot 100. It remains their most commercially successful song. Between farewells, reunions and reformations, Crowded House have since sold over 15 million albums worldwide.
Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Bob Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career spanning more than 60 years... so when you only have 5 minutes to discuss him, just what would you chat about? Clairsy & Lisa give it a crack...
Referred to as the Queen of Soul, she has twice been placed ninth in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. With global sales of over 75 million records, Aretha Franklin is one of the world's best-selling music artists.
It was a case of strength to strength for this English outfit that formed in 1977 who played a style of rock influenced by punk, reggae, and jazz. What a combo, right? Their debut album reached No. 6 on the charts but their second album, Reggatta de Blanc, became the first of four consecutive No. 1 studio albums in the UK and Australia. It seems that every little thing The Police did was magic…
He’s the master of writing modern pop ballads and recently became the first artist to hit 100 million followers on Spotify. With more than 150 million records sold worldwide, he’s one of the world's best-selling music artists. Not bad for someone who began writing songs at 11-years-old. This week, Clairsy & Lisa brought their ‘A Team’ when they band-tered over Ed Sheeran.
Their music has been described as hard rock, blues rock, and heavy metal, but they simply call it ‘rock and roll’. Which is fitting – they’re arguably the best example of what today we call classic rock. Thing is, Clairsy & Lisa have only 5 minutes to band-ter about AC/DC…
If anyone embodies the great American songbook, it’s Bruce Springsteen. Over the course of 20 studio albums, the singer, songwriter and muso blazed his own path with his own brand of heartland rock. He’s also got some of the most dedicated fans, many of whom criss-cross entire countries to catch multiple performances when he’s on tour.
They’re the British rock group who were among the most popular and influential bands of the 1960s and ’70s who rejected the cocky idealisation that so many bands indulged in (and still do). Instead, they delivered their themes of alienation, uncertainty and frustration with power chords...and howling feedback. Who are they? The Who, indeed.
It’s been 40 years since they first performed and it's not hard to see why the band are so beloved, enduring and straight-up legendary. Their live shows are played with more energy than bands half their age and their songs, described as ‘inventive and lyrically smart’, earned them a well-deserved place in the ARIA Hall of Fame. And honestly, the Aussie music landscape wouldn’t be the same without them. Join Clairsy & Lisa for some hot sake in our living room as we Band-ter over the Hoodoo Gurus.
Forming in 1981, they quickly became one of the best live acts in Australia. Fronted by the impassioned-angst vocals of Mark Seymour, they developed a pub-rock style that, through driving bass lines and heavy guitars, was borderline emotional. This week, Clairsy & Lisa Band-ter over Hunters & Collectors.
One sealed envelope. Five minutes to fill. No time to prepare. This week, the 'Queen of Rock 'n' Roll' who is simply the best, Tina Turner. **Content warning: domestic violence mentions.
The album which was only expected only to sell enough for a follow-up, turned out to be one of the biggest of the mid-90s and, at 33 million sales worldwide, it’s still the second biggest-selling album by a female artist behind Shania Twain's Come On Over.
To this day, Jagged Little Pill still cuts, and Clairsy & Lisa recall that moment she burst onto the radiowaves…
This week on Band-ter, Alanis Morrisette.
This week in 1981, they released their eponymous debut album and quickly shot to stardom during the very earliest days of MTV with their infamous ‘Girls on Film’ video and, from then, continued to be a leading band in the MTV-driven Second British Invasion of the US in the 1980s. This year, more than 40 years after that first record, they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This might very well be Planet Earth, but this is also Duran Duran.
They’ve sold over 50 million albums since forming in Manchester back in 1985 and being not just pop but also soul, they’re easily one of those bands that just seem better when playing live. This week on Band-ter, let’s just say that if you don’t know them by now, you’re never going to know Simply Red.
For nearly 50 years they’ve been one of the greatest preservers of boogie rock and Texan blues who also managed to carve out their own unique sound, complete with the longest beards in showbiz. This week, Clairsy & Lisa band-ter about a couple of sharp dressed men, ZZ Top.
They’re the Aussie rock band who are still touring after almost 50 years… you could say they took the long line. They’re also the band who has probably the most famous audience call back in Australian music history. This week, Clairsy & Lisa band-ter about The Angels.
Although he’s released a stack of records both solo and with other bands over the past 40 years, but Tex Perkins will always be best-known for fronting The Cruel Sea. He is also one of the few who have wooed Johnny Cash lovers with his own brand of nod to the Man In Black. He’s also who Clairsy & Lisa are band-tering about this week…
It can’t be overstated how huge they were when they exploded onto the charts in the mid-90s with the breakthrough album, Definitely Maybe, which was followed by one of the most significant rock/indie albums ever made, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory. We also learned that the only thing more explosive than their music… were brothers and band mates, Liam and Noel Gallagher. This week, Clairsy & Lisa Band-ter over Oasis.
With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, Led Zeppelin have been credited as significantly impacting the nature of the music industry… particularly rock. But could you talk about the band for a whole 5 minutes without any preparation?
Originally called Flowers, this pub-rock band was taken under the wing of none other than David Bowie, who insisted they join him on his Serious Moonlight Tour. That same year, they release ‘Great Southern Land’, a track that’s still considered Australia’s other national anthem. This week, Clairsy & Lisa band-ter over Icehouse.
One of the most critically acclaimed bands of the '80s, bringing a new wave sound and a clean-cut image which had people asking themselves, ‘well, how did I get here?’ This week, Clairsy & Lisa band-ter about Talking Heads.
The classic rock band who famously took us to the Dark Side of the Moon... but just how do you squeeze Pink Floyd into just five minutes?
Billboard ranked him third greatest artist of all time after the Beatles and The Rolling Stones and famously quipped ‘I play 107 shows a year, why would I go home and play the f--king piano?’ With 31 studio albums and, honestly, an absolute string of live, soundtrack, compilation and holiday albums, how do you pack the man formerly known as Reginald Kenneth Dwight into just 5 mins? (Warning: mentions suicide)