Granite Island Discs: John Siviour From Rerun Records & Photography

Like Desert Island Discs. Only South Australian – and without the litigation from the BBC.

What five songs would you take to a desert island?

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – ‘The Ship Song’

2. The Verve – ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’

3. John Cooper Clarke – ‘Beasley Street’

4. Leonard Cohen – ‘Hallelujah’

5. The Triffids – ‘Wide Open Road’

If you could only pick one, what would it be?

Nick Cave’s ‘The Ship Song’. It’s a great romantic ballad that I first heard in 1990, and it hasn’t lost its appeal. It’s appropriately titled for a desert island, too. And, apart from the lyrics, I really like Nick’s powerful and emotive voice.

What’s your favourite album?

Idle Moments by Grant Green. This nice, cruisy and laid-back jazz album has a 15-minute title track with a progressive piano riff that keeps you hooked in.

What’s your favourite song by an SA artist/band?

I really like an Adelaide band called Seaweed Evans, who released a self-titled record in 1989. It has some classic tracks, ‘Boogaloo’, ‘Boomtime’ and ‘Night Dentist’ to name a few. I found the record in a bargain bin at B Sharp Records. Some of the band were members of GT Stringer, who played great psychedelic surf music around Adelaide pubs in the 1990s/2000s.

Favourite music-related memory?

One of my favourite memories was seeing Leonard Cohen at A Day On The Green with Paul Kelly and The Audreys on support in January 2009. A great concert! Leonard, who would’ve been in his mid-to-late 70s, danced around on stage, and his presence was ever so graceful and humble. I’ve always been a fan of him, and this was the first time I’d seen him play live – it was a great comeback tour.

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