Description
Book SynopsisThe Front Lawn is a multi-award-winning, much-loved New Zealand duo-turned-trio made up of Don McGlashan, Harry Sinclair and, eventually, Jennifer Ward-Lealand. A 1980s variety act, The Front Lawn was part of an Aotearoa/New Zealand alternative tradition of duos that combine music, comedy, theatre and film. Their debut album
Songs from The Front Lawn (1989) distilled McGlashan and Sinclair's theatrical stage show and their groundbreaking short films,
Walkshort and
The Lounge Bar, while also thrusting the band into the burgeoning New Zealand indie scene. The album is a snapshot of '80s New Zealand, a turbulent, creative period for indie music, indie film and musical theatre, celebrating local identity in new ways.Starting with a social and cultural background of New Zealand in the late 1970s, the book covers McGlashan and Sinclair's upbringing on Auckland's North Shore, early artistic influences and overseas experiences leading to the formation of the group. Much at
Trade ReviewSongs From The Front Lawn is deserving a place on any serious bookcase dedicated to New Zealand music. It is thoughtful, analytical, provocative and a mostly enjoyable insight into one of our landmark groups. -- Graham Reid * Elsewhere *
Bannister’s book is a worthy addition to the library of books about NZ acts ... importantly, it’s not just the telling of the duo’s story, but a critical essay. -- Gary Steel * Witchdoctor *
Table of ContentsList of Figures Acknowledgments 1. Background 2. The Front Lawn 3. The Album 4. The Aftermath
Notes Index
