Mark Moffatt
Looking back on those times at the Open Door over forty years ago I have mixed emotions. The opportunity for a kid like me fresh from country Queensland to play in a venue dripping with so much excitement and atmosphere ( even on Saturday mornings) is what drew me in and set me on the path to a life long career in music. On the other hand just driving to the gig with long (ish) hair and band gear in the back seat inevitably meant being pulled over by the cops. It was a terrible feeling , and that such fear became part of everyday life is a testament to how bad things were in Queensland at that time. Once I got up on that stage in Turbot street , turned my amp up and wailed in front of so many like minded souls all that trouble faded away- until the drive home !
Gavin Wood
Gavin Wood (Impulse, World)......Countdown Motion PicturesPresident/CEO · Hollywood
When you are young and you want to sing and you travel by bus and train from Chermside to Graceville to sing in your first garage band and obviously the first song you learn is ‘Tin Soldier” by The Who, you think, this is pretty cool. You learn about 7 more songs and the neighbours just want you to get out and play somewhere else. I wasn’t the best singer in the world but I tried.
We got a name and we called the band ‘Impulse’ We came from all over Brisbane, Graceville, Kedron, Chermside and Kenmore.
We got excited when one of us found out about this place called ‘The Open Door’ run by Haydn Sargent who was on radio and television. Wow a stage where we can learn our craft.
It became more than a stage, it became a home for all of us with one thought in mind, “Well maybe this might lead into something”.
We were all impressed by Mark Moffitt and his band, and Geoff Scard and his band, they both were really good and we had some work to do. We kept on going with the subtle support from Gwen Byng who looked after Haydn’s baby.
It was such a creative space and many a long conversation was held after the gig about possibilities.
I never thought I would go and eventually work for 5 years with Haydn at 4BC. What a great man, What a visionary. Only a few come along in one lifetime.
Those regular sessions at the Open Door set my future and realizing I was not a good lead singer I took a radio course with Ben Beckensale at 4BH. The rest has been the most fantastic ride you could imagine. Now I am living the dream trying to make movies in Hollywood. I think Haydn taught me to always climb the biggest mountains and give it a red hot go.
Thank You Haydn Sargent and Gwen Byng for my career in the business and it all came from a little OPEN DOOR in Brisbane, all those years ago.
Gavin Wood.
Failed Rock Star but I got to work with Molly........
Haydn Sargent
Haydn Sargent grew up in Wollongong, New South Wales. During his National Service he became a minister. He started the famous Open Door -Brisbane's first drug counselling service. At this time he commenced working with press, radio and television. His dream for the Open Door was to make a difference in the every growing number of people with drug addictions. He also wanted to make a safe place for young people to be able to express their creative self in a massively repressive political place..........a safe haven of sorts. His main focus in the beginning was the counselling but as time progressed he could see a bigger picture.
Michael Turner
Michael Turner: Michael Turner in Session) I met session there and they were forced to back me. It was a Friday night and this guy (sorry I can't remember his name) was running it and took off without paying anyone. H e owed me $10 so I tracked him down next day and got it. Never saw him again ( we were pretty desperate in those days ) also remember playing there with Brown Sugar (great band) and Jeff St John awesome.
Carl Schluter
Carl Schluter (Country Graveyard)
I will try to remember i was only 15 at the time. I do remember that we all helped each other including Mark Moffatt showing me some tips. I remember a blackboard out front with the names of appearing bands as they always rubbed out the O in Country Graveyard.
Geoff Scard
Geoff Scard (Brown Sugar)
After a few unhappy performances at the Open Door with a 'commercial pop' band, with a repertoire I hated, I finally relished the mutual forming of a great band, 'Brown Sugar' and had many an enjoyable night at Open Door doing material I loved, with great musos,
The occasional chat with Hayden Sargent was a bonus. I saw John Taylor play there one night ("in Session") with incredible vocals by Mick Turner and I ultimately ended up in a band with John, and with Russel Wood (Brown Sugar) it was "Mantas" We went on to Melbourne from there. I even played some blues harmonica with Wiley Reed one night at Open Door, and enjoyed "Mothers" there, same venue but Friday night. AGREAT Venue !
Stevie Tebbett
It was that rare place. It was a place to go and listen to the Blues and learn from the masters. Everyone was there trying to find out how to break into the music scene. It allowed you to "have a go" on a Saturday , was a great meeting place, and an environment of like minded people . I took my band Isola Natale there on a Saturday to perform . It was very different from every other venue in Brisbane.
Lindsay Morrison
We played there on saturday afternoon(s). They seemed to welcome young new bands like us. The crowd was appreciative even though we were a bit rusty and just starting out. At night the place was packed and I remember seeing Coloured Balls play at least once and the place was rocking, and I think I saw Ice Bag Party play there. I met steve there who became rhythm guitarist in our band and has been a life long mate ever since. Happy memories.
Rob Stewart
I used to go there most Friday nights, was just a kid and not yet playing in a band. It was a great education
Thomas Hay
Thomas Hay (Bouncer)
My recollections of those early days. My friend and I stopped a fight one night and the guy running that night immediately hired us as bouncers......fell into that job. My saturday would start off uptown ...possibly at the Lands Office Hotel and then come to the door n start work ..I loved the place ...it did have an atmosphere ...especially on warm nights with the back door opening out onto the Roma Street Lane.....and the staff that i recall ....were all decent minded sorts...my nick name at that time was ...wait fr it.........Scotty......any way it holds great memories for me ...
Harvey Wright
Harvey Wright (Red Pepper, Switchback.......
Hi Gwen, the only memories I have of the open door is playing there on Saturday mornings. It was definitely a place where you could find a muso to add to your line up. A veritable talent auction......... It was where the final line up of Red Pepper was formed via 2 existing bands. The line up was Calvin Playle - Lead Vocals, Rod Compagnoni - Lead Guitar, Kevin Hayden - Rhythm Guitar & Vocals, Fred Arnold -Bass Guitar & Harvey Wright - Drums & Vocals. Fred was ex Iron Webb whose Lead Guitarist was Mark Moffatt.
Peter Harvey
To think back on The Open Door is really a trip back to old Brisbane – at least the old Brisbane of the 60’s – and to the era before the ‘Pub Rock’ scene.
Jo was running the ship, the Vietnam War was a hot issue, King George Square actually had pools and grass, the Police Watch House up on George Street stood like something from a Dickens novel, Queen Street had neon signs and Theatres, Festival Hall hosted all sorts of entertainment from boxing to the Beatles …… and there were trams.
I recall strolling down to the Open Door from King George Square on those beautiful, warm winter Saturday mornings to hang and listen to bands and to wait for our turn to strut our stuff – the band was called “The Iron Web”.
The Open Door was a great platform for aspiring musicians to have a go in front of an audience, be heard outside the confines of practice room, and most of all, have fun.
We occasionally also did a Saturday night gig there.
I suggest that the Open Door was pivotal in the nurturing the musical careers of a lot of musicians. It would make an interesting project to identify a bunch of these ‘OpenDoorers’ and put together a CD featuring a piece of work from each of them with all proceeds going to the ongoing charity that was behind the OpenDoor.
Gary Broadhurst
I used to go to the "Door" to be with my mates Mark, Peter, & Huddo . I didn't really know Geordie. I was itching to get back into playing after going from Bundy down to Sydney for 2 years, and I hadn't got back to playing yet in Bris. I used to think , god I wiush I could be playing in the Iron Web , but that wasn't to be . It was a great time to be involved in the music scene , even as an onlooker. It didn't take me long to get back into playing , and then we all used to hang at the Orb.
Railroad Gin
The Open Door was the site of Railroad Gin's first ever public appearance/gig. It was early 69 if I recall correctly. We were all 17, 18 or 19 and the band was newly formed. We had not played anywhere. Together we collared Haydn one Saturday morning and asked how we could get a gig. Before we knew it he had pencilled us in for a Friday night feature spot. We were floored - in a good way - couldn't believe our luck really and went home and practised our heads off. It was pretty close to a full house on the night, and we were wracked with nerves and fired up. This was the big time for a young band. Our r'n'b type material went over surprisingly well, thanks to the savvy, enlightened audience. We were chuffed. We got asked back, and got to do a number of Saturday mornings as well after that. It was a great venue and training ground for us, and enabled us a bit later to get a foot in the door at the Orb. I think I remember the Turbot Street stage access was quite a challenging lift, especially for a 4 x 12 cab or similar. I have taken a walk past there in recent times and find it incredibly nostalgic - to think of all the music and aspiring musos who gave it a shot there. Brisbane was pretty fertile musically back then. I'm still playing, and still in touch with a number of my old band compadres. Thanks Haydn, thanks Open Door. There was a young band who played there at the time, kids really.