These Infinite Spaces

Remember how in Spinal Tap the manager is always struggling to keep the band together, then David's wife arrives on tour, and proceeds to split them apart? Well, the opposite happened to me. Our WAGs were all very supportive and stayed out of band business, but our manager eventually pushed me out of the band. Well, he played a part in it at least.

I'm not sure how we got involved with Russell. He was in his mid-40s (maybe older), had a new wife and baby on the way, and worked as a baggage handler for Qantas. But in his youth he was a sound technician and tour manager for Moving Pictures, and he longed to give up his day job and work in music again. He was looking for a band that he could take to "the top", and he decided we were it.

At first I was thrilled like all of them. It felt like recognition of our talent and hard work. But I soon began to feel pretty uncomfortable around Russell, and I got the feeling he didn't like me much either. He was always talking down to us and I never felt respected by him. He'd also made some snide comments about my religious beliefs and some inappropriate stuff about my girlfriend too.

But even that doesn't quite explain it. The best way to say it is that the band stopped being fun for me after Russell arrived. I spoke before about the attraction of being united on the stage, kinda like 4 blokes against the world. Suddenly there was a fifth wheel to contend with and he was pretty opinionated too. I didn't like it.

My probems with Russell made leaving the band easier, but that's not the whole story either. Sometime around late 1990 I realised I was on a different trajectory to Andy and Jarrod. They both wanted to have a real crack at Rock and Roll stardom, but I no longer dreamed about that. I was going to uni and had a good job, and the band was just a fun thing on the side.

I remember arguing about this a little with them - "You've got to give it a go, Swartzy - you've got to take it all the way!" But that's not what I wanted. For a while now the band had been knocking back mid-week gigs because I was going to uni at night. This created a bit of pressure, there is no doubt. It was going to be worse in 1991 as I would be doing 4 nights a week! I think the guys saw that and it helped them to realise I would not be able to go on the journey with them (oh, but there is a part of me now that wishes very much I'd gone on that journey - very much!)

By now it was early 1991 and Justin was due home soon. Graeme would be leaving the band then (very much against his will, I should say - he was not happy). It seemed like a good time for me to exit as well.

The guys soon found a new bass player, and they quickly changed the name of the band as well. The Catch, something that had been so important to me during my teenage years - it was finished. I can't recall how I felt then, but I feel sad now as I think about it. How easily we throw valuable things away when we are young. Then we grow old and look back and wonder why we were such young fools.

And so the story of the catch draws to a close, though not quite yet. There is a little more to tell...