4 Brisbane Places Linked to The Saints

4 Brisbane Places Linked to The Saints

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Posted 2025-01-15 by Gillian Chingfollow
The raw and searing sounds of punk music have been credited in many quarters as originating in Brisbane by 4 young pioneering musicians known as The Saints . The inner city Brisbane suburb of Petrie Terrace is home to several seminal spaces where the band honed their sound which went on to influence the world.

By Elisabet Corlin - Elisabet Corlin, CC BY-SA 3.0


Who are The Saints?
Brisbane in the mid-1970s was a politically historic time, which The Saints lead singer Chris Bailey described as a "semi-repressed atmosphere for rebellion." With an autocratic Government corrupt politicians and senior police officers including the Police Inspector, many artists and the socially active protested about the oppressive Government led by then Premier Joh Bjelke Petersen. It helped fuel a creative and cultural uprising for young people seeking social change.

In this environment, 4 young musicians from the outer working-class Brisbane suburb of Inala created a musical revolution. They were called The Saints.

For Chris Bailey (vocals), Ivor Hay (drums), Ed Keupper (guitar), and Kym Bradshaw (bass), the rapid-fire riffs of their "buzzsaw" guitar, frenetic drumming, and powerful bass were a far cry from the glam rock and American midtown sounds dominating the popular music scene. The Saints became known as pioneers of a new sound, punk. They formed Fatal Records and independently released their debut single, "I'm Stranded" in September 1976 selling it for $2 through their marketing and PR company called Eternal Productions,

Here are 4 places in Brisbane's Petrie Terrace that are significant to the band's history and give an insight into the musical life in Brisbane in the 70s.

1. Club 76
Most residents or visitors to Brisbane will have driven past Number 4 Petrie Terrace at some stage on their way to the City but do they know its artistic history?

With only one booking agency in Brisbane, The Saints found it difficult to secure venues to play so they created their own performance space.

The Saints on Petrie Terrace in front of the Club 76 sign. Courtesy of Joe Borkowski


The Saints performing live in the former shopfront space at Club 76. Courtesy of Joe Borkowski


In the 70s, Number 4 Petrie Terrace was home to the Saints lead singer Chris Bailey and his sister Margaret. In a spirit of enterprise, they used the tiny corner block house as a music studio and live performance venue. Club 76 , as it became known, had a short existence. Police and health inspectors shut it down due to it being overcrowded and an unlicensed venue with multiple safety concerns.

The building still stands in one of Brisbane's busiest intersections connecting Milton Road to the CBD. Today, however, there are no traces of the sometimes violent, frenetic, and careful musical days as progress and business have transformed the building into a commercial real estate office. The main exterior has been preserved and updated.

Photo: Gillian Ching


2. The Saints Mural
Take a further 20 steps towards Upper Roma Street and you will find a mural honoring The Saints unveiled in 2017. The illustration was designed and created by visual artists, Frank and Mimi (led by Rick Hayward and Emily Devers.

Photo: Gillian Ching



It features the band's four original members, their first album, and lyrics from the hit single (I'm) Stranded mixed within the imagery of railroad tracks, power lines, and a large arched window. The Saints guitarist Ed Keupper attended the opening of the mural.

Photo: Gillian Ching



If you look closely you might also see a small ode to Club 76 in the image.

Photo: Gillian Ching



3. The Roma Street Train Line
The fact that the mural's backdrop is the Roma Street Train line is significant. This is where the first part of the band's iconic 1977 song "I'm Stranded" was written while guitarist Ed Keupper was on a train on the Roma Street line.

Photo: Gillian Ching


The lyrics became:

I'm riding on a midnight train
But everybody just looks the same
A subway light it's dirty reflection
I'm lost, babe, I got no direction

So it makes sense that the mural of the band marks this spot.

The Police Barracks
Opposite Club 76 are the Barracks which was once the Brisbane Petrie Terrace Gaol which in the 1800s accommodated 96 prisoners in 2 cell blocks. It later became the Petrie Terrace Police Depot. Police training and operations, stabling horses, motor vehicle depot.

Photo: Gillian Ching


In an ironic twist, Club 76 directly faces the Barracks of the police service which shut down the music venue and represented the corruption in Queensland that fuelled the rebellion of The Saints. Today The Barracks is a retail precinct offering a range of shopping, dining, and entertainment.

Where Are They Today?
In the decades that followed, The Saints rejected the punk tag and the original members disbanded the group after 3 albums. Chris Bailey continued to perform under the name of the Saints and recruited a mix of musicians for the next 4 decades.

The Saints lead singer, Chris Bailey sadly passed away in 2022 at age 65 in Haarlem in The Netherlands.

In 2024 guitarist Ed Keupper and drummer Ivor Hay re-united to form "The 'Aints" with a new line-up including singer Mark Arm of Mudhoney, bassist Peter Oxley of Sunnyboys, and former The Birthday Party / Bad Seeds guitarist Mick Harvey.

What Else?
All of the places listed in this story are free to see. (Note: the JJ Property Building is a commercial place of business and therefore entry is restricted only for business purposes but can be seen from the outside at street level).

%wnbrisbane
#historic_homes
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#outdoors
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#brisbane
#petrie_terrace
#history
301058 - 2025-01-13 03:56:48

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