Jagger Says Hello, Avoiding Lou Reed, And Chrissy Was One: What Defines A Rock Star?

50e61e3b2ccc81ad1e849bfe92ae29cb — Chrissy Amphlett performs with Divinyls(Tony Mott)

What makes a rock star? It is not simply the hits, the haircut or the size of the crowd.

In Episode 41 of On The Record, Brian Wise and Michael Mackenzie turn to a 2014 essay by Robert Forster for a more exacting test: a rock star, Forster argues, is one even when nobody is watching.

Forster’s six are Nick Cave, Tex Perkins, Michael Hutchence, Chrissy Amphlett, Dragon’s Marc Hunter and the Masters Apprentices’ Jim Keays.

Wise and Mackenzie weigh the case for Bon Scott and Johnny O’Keefe, add Tim Rogers to the conversation and nominate Amyl and the Sniffers’ Amy Taylor as a contemporary contender.

Kylie Minogue, meanwhile, prompts the other half of Forster’s question: what separates a rock star from a pop star—and why should either title be worth less?

From there, Wise turns to Neil Young’s Second Song, his new album with the Chrome Hearts. He has only had an initial listen, but hears a musical consistency and several fine songs; a fuller verdict, he promises, can wait until next week. With Spooner Oldham in the band, there is plenty for roots fans to savour. The seven-track album was released on 18 September.

Mackenzie has concert plans of his own. After last episode’s thwarted Radiohead ticket hunt, he has successfully secured seats for Madness’ Australian tour. The pair wonder how the band’s newer material will sit alongside the familiar songs, with its 2023 album Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est La Vie providing the episode’s parting note.

There is room for a distinctly Australian film recommendation, too. Both enjoyed Spit, with David Wenham returning to his Getting Square character Johnny Spitieri. Wise relishes the slang and the comedy; Mackenzie finds some of the broader dialogue a little laboured, but is won over by Wenham’s performance and the film’s heart.

On television, Mackenzie recommends the dusty, morally tangled DC drama Lanterns, while Wise finds lighter Friday-night company in Timothy Spall’s crime series Death Valley. They also agree on the pleasures of the airborne action film Mayday.