The Saints are undeniably one of Brisbane’s greatest bands. Not only did the group pioneer punk rock in Australia, but they also played a leading role in the greater international movement. Formed in 1973, the band originally comprised Chris Bailey (lead singer), Ed Kuepper (guitarist) and Ivor Hay (drummer). Initially called Kid Galahad and the Eternals, the band emerged on the scene with an abrasive sound that, although unique, was unfamiliar and did not immediately appeal to local crowds. In turn, the band struggled to gain support from established venues.
According to Kuepper, at one show, an audience member was so incensed by the band’s sound that he punched Bailey, leaving him knocked out onstage. The band kept playing.(1)
By late 1974, the group had refined their sound, and a year later, changed their name to The Saints. Kym Bradshaw, who had been a fan since the beginning, joined as bass guitarist. Soon after, Bradshaw and Hay moved into a house on the corner of Milton Road and Petrie Terrace. It was there, in Club 76, that the band honed their sound, playing to audiences of up to 100 at house parties.
In June 1976, The Saints recorded their debut single (I’m) Stranded at Window Studios in West End. Kuepper had written the song’s first verse and chorus in early 1974, waiting at Auchenflower train station to go to his parents’ place for dinner. The band released the single in September 1976 through their own label, Fatal. They distributed the song through Brisbane’s few import record shops and mailed copies to music magazines and record companies in Australia and abroad. Although the popular UK pop/rock magazine, Sounds, published a gushing review, the band was oblivious to the hype they were generating in the UK until ABC Radio broadcast their positive reception. As the group’s popularity continued to grow, the London headquarters of EMI Records reached out to the label’s Sydney office, suggesting they chase up the band.(2)
In December 1976, The Saints recorded their first album, also titled (I’m) Stranded, with EMI Records. They spent two days at Window Studios with producer Rod Coe, who had flown up from Sydney. Bradshaw, on a visit to Museum of Brisbane in 2024, shared that during the recording session, after listening to the playback, he decided to overdub extra bass parts to thicken out the sound. He played and recorded the bass line ten times, then layered the tracks microseconds apart, making the songs sound like they were live performances. Kuepper did the same with some of his guitar parts. Reflecting on the experience, Bradshaw shared, “We produced something so great; I am still very proud of that first album”.
The Saints released their first album in February 1977. That same month, the group moved to Sydney and, for the first time, played outside Brisbane. In April, they performed in Melbourne, galvanising the nascent punk scene and inspiring musicians such as Nick Cave and Mick Harvey.
A month later, the band moved to London. At the time, most punk bands in the city were still under the influence of the Ramones’ first album and resistant to change. The Saints, on the other hand, wanted to explore and experiment. Their next two albums, Eternally Yours (1978) and Prehistoric Sounds (1978), featured elements of R&B and jazz-blues; a remarkable departure from their first album.
Looking back, what the band achieved in the late 1970s was incredible – three diverse albums within 18 months, created by musicians from Brisbane who were barely in their 20s. Remarkably, (I’m) Stranded was the first single released by a punk band outside the United States. The Saints also predated the first wave of English punk bands, including The Damned and Sex Pistols. In turn, although it took years for the group to be studied as such, The Saints became the first Australian rock band to lead a global musical genre, rather than follow an overseas trend.
Despite such success, tension started to brew between the band and their label and, on top of that, Kuepper and Bailey’s relationship began to deteriorate. In 1978, Kuepper left the band and moved back to Sydney, where he started a jazz-punk outfit called Laughing Clowns. Bailey, however, kept The Saints going.
Throughout the 1980s, Kuepper and Bailey’s rivalry was widely publicised, playing out like a soap opera on the pages of magazines. Although some were against it, Bailey continued to release music as The Saints, including the album A Little Madness To Be Free (1984). Laughing Clowns eventually disbanded, and Kuepper embarked on a solo career, which continues today. In 1986, The Saints were invited to perform at the festival concert series, Australian Made. The series was unofficially headlined by INXS and Jimmy Barnes, with other acts including The Models and The Triffids. The festival toured six of Australia’s capital cities and played to more than 140,000 people. The all-Australian lineup was met with enthusiastic crowds, reflecting a shift in attitude towards Australian music. Indeed, The Saints had come a long way since Club 76.
Forty years after their split, Kuepper and Bailey reconciled in 2007, and along with Hay, reunited as The Saints to play in the Pig City: Brisbane’s Historic Soundtrack concert held at The University of Queensland as part of Queensland Music Festival. This was the first time the band had performed together in Brisbane since 1977, and they were met with an ecstatic crowd. For this author, the highlight of the night was Messin’ with the Kid – the first song Kuepper and Bailey had written together when forming the band. The climbing riff at the end of the song brought me to tears.
Two years later, The Saints performed at the All Tomorrow’s Parties music festival in Brisbane. Although the band was billed to play through the entirety of (I’m) Stranded, they only ended up playing five songs off the album, none of which were the titular song. The audience was furious. Years later I discovered the band was meant to play (I’m) Stranded as an encore, but they took too long to return to the stage and the crew had already dismantled their equipment. (3)
In April 2022, Bailey passed away. Obituaries praised his role as a singer-songwriter in both The Saints and as a solo artist. Later that year, Kuepper played a solo show to a seated audience of 50 at It’s Still a Secret – a vintage bar on Montague Road in South Brisbane. Before the first number, he addressed the crowd, speaking about Bailey and their plans to play together for the band’s 50th anniversary in 2023. He then started the show playing Messin’ with the Kid.
Written by Brian Ogden, Research Lead, Museum of Brisbane.
Footnotes
Experience rock history up close! The electric guitar of The Saints’ bassist, Kym Bradshaw, is now on display at Museum of Brisbane as part of Precious, a showcase of thousands of remarkable objects from over 30 public and private collections.
