John Foy has played pivotal roles in the development of Australian music and culture. In part 1, we discuss early years, Sydney's record shops and burgeoning punk scene, Australian vinyl, bootleg records, creating extraordinary poster art as shown in his new book "Snaps, Crack, Pop" and lots more.
Topics include:
John’s early years in Sydney – Pop culture, Mad Magazine, Telstar
Records and music in the house – First albums
Bootleg records in Australia
First live shows – early AC/DC shows, seeing Black Sabbath & Buffalo
Early memories of Rose Tattoo
John attempting to play an instrument
John’s plans after high school – working at White Light Record Shop
Transforming the record shop to cater to punk rock
Why Australian vinyl pressings are considered inferior
The relationship between independent record shops and major labels
Bands finding their limits in Australia and moving overseas
The role of indie record shops in the Australian music scene
How the indie record shops worked together
Moving from record shop to a record label – Phantom Records
Early private pressings – The Saints, Radio Birdman, The Sports
Creating mail-order artwork for the record shop
Discovering his strengths in design
Getting busted for Bootleg records
The bootleg record industry in Australia
What were the vinyl pressing plants in Australia?
Packaging the music once the band is done recording
“Snaps Crack Pop” Book, John’s business card
John’s screen-printed poster art – now highly collectable
Approx 110 of each poster was created
People collecting John Foy poster artwork early on
John’s approach for designing a poster
Where were they generally hung?
Typical brief he’d get on a poster design
How many posters survive today?
His personal favourite posters
John’s design and and production process for the posters
Are any poster designs missing?
Making a poster for the Hells Angels
Working with Michael Chugg
Other promotional materials and creative projects
Balancing multiple creative projects
Order "Snaps, Crack, Pop" book here.
Full interview available here: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide
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About The Vinyl Guide
If you like records, just starting a collection or are an uber-nerd with a house-full of vinyl, this is the podcast for you. Nate Goyer is The Vinyl Guide and discusses all things music and record-related.