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6 unusual facts about John Willsteed


John Willsteed

As a musician, he is best known as a member of the iconic Brisbane band The Go-Betweens, in which he played bass guitar from 1987–1989, most notably on the album 16 Lovers Lane.

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He has worked on a number of Australian features - including Angst and The Rage In Placid Lake – and over 60 television documentaries and short films.

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Willsteed has won three Australian Film Institute Awards for Sound Design (Vietnam Nurses, The Beat Manifesto and Rare Chicken Rescue).

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As a sound designer he won Australian Film Institute awards for his work on The Beat Manifesto (1996), Vietnam Nurses (2005, as composer) and Rare Chicken Rescue (2008).

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In 1978, and with little formal musical training, John became a member of Brisbane feminist punk group Zero (later Xiro) after a chance meeting with drummer Lindy Morrison and Brisbane visual artist Gary Warner.

Streets of Your Town

Featuring polished production, a prominent backing vocal by Amanda Brown and a guitar solo by bassist John Willsteed, "Streets of Your Town" is one of the band's most recognised songs and is arguably the closest the group had to a mainstream hit.



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