Memories to celebrate life and work of Kevin Stanton (1955–2017)
by Robert Chuter
“Nobody’s perfect…” — ‘Young Maniacs’ by Kevin Stanton
I accidentally met Kevin at one of Mi-Sex’s gigs somewhere at one of their Melbourne gigs in the early 1980’s. At that time I was a very young, very impressionable and pimply adolescent starting a promising career as a rock journalist with a music magazine called ‘Road Runner’. I was asked to interview Steve, but unfortunately missed him somehow and was pushed over to Kevin. Little did I know at the time that this “push over” was the beginning of a very long, prolific and enterprising relationship that lasted for over 35 years. After taping the interview (which I still have on cassette!) we talked for hours and hours — and these talks that lasted for hours and hours became the norm in our friendship.
I remember days, hours at the Prince of Wales in St. Kilda, sitting up in Kevin’s room with innumerable coffee and cigarettes writing, laughter and talking and yes, for hours and hours. This pattern of meeting and working continued for many years, not song writing, but a screenplay, the Mi-Sex story and much about his private life. He and I must have felt, in a inexplicable way, that we were kindred spirits as we always confided to each other about our many demeanours and misdemeanours, our dreams, our artistic endeavours.
Over the years, I shot many, many photographs of Kevin and Mi-Sex, in particular — one of the favourites was the shoot outside the ABC Studios at Ripponlea it was 1982. The guys were about to appeared on ‘Countdown’ performing ‘Castaway’. One of these images appeared in the newly released coffee table book entitled ‘Australia Rocks” by Lucy Desoto. Another favourite are the black and while portraits Kev, dressed in black, in close-up- really proud of these and I think catches Kevin beautifully.
When I visited Sydney, I caught up with him and his lovely partner Gwen and their son, a very little Nyran with endearing blonde fuzzy hair. It was in the Woollhara house and I remember giving Gwen a pictorial book on period corsetry which I had found. Another day we went off to a Mi-Sex football match somewhere in Sydney park.
As the years past, Kev and I worked tirelessly on our artistic pursuits, the first was the multi-media adaptation of ‘Rebel With A Cause’ at the Union Theatre in Melbourne. The year was 1986 and Kevin came down with his fairlight computer and he had composed the most stunning and evocative soundtrack. The production was huge — cars, scooters, revolving staircases and a young and dynamic cast which included a young Phil Ceberano (a brilliant guitarist in his own right), Fiona Corke (later well known as Gail in ‘Neighbours’) in the Natalie Wood role, comedian Mark Neal in the James Dean role and in the Sal Mineo role was the imitiable George Huxley.
I recall Kevin and I sitting in the auditions at the Handspan Space and seeing masses of hopefuls among them Tobsha Learner (now a well-know novelist and playwright) and the awesome Troy (Davies). The production was well before its time with 35mm film projections, animation — the works conceived by Mark Atkin (now a respected editor) and the incredible mind of Michael Bladen. The show was a huge success for the Next Wave Festival and all involved. Kev worked incredibly hard, it reminded him of his early days in New Zealand when he wrote and composed another multimedia rock opera called ‘Dance of the Pixies’ (which I also still have) and another he wrote over four months called ‘Harlequin’ which he started on his 20th birthday.
In between these bouts of creative inspiration we both collaborated on a screenplay which was entitled ‘Young Maniacs’ after a song he wrote and recorded. The script was a thinly disguised version of his own early life (from living on a farm with his two sisters), about his mother Mona, his bikie experiences, love affairs, Steve, the band ‘Think’ right up to present.
In September 1988, it was the legendary La Mama Theatre’s 15th Birthday and Kevin scored and composed the most amazing soundtrack commissioned for the stage play called ‘Shipwreck’, by Colin Ryan and directed by me while recording in his then studio in Balmain. The score was a lush, grand, almost Hollywood epic — beautiful and provocative. I still have it too on reel to reel but haven’t heard it for many years.
During a massive red dust storm devouring Melbourne, Kevin and I worked feverishly on the screenplay at my friend’s home in Port Melbourne. We spend everyday drinking more coffee, smoking more cigarettes and working intensely on the screenplay. I had just graduated from film school and was gaining experience producing films. Kev, always creative around me, said he would like to try some acting so… he appeared in the award-winning short film ‘XOS: A Cry for Help’ playing a theatrical stage hand followed by a fantastic performance opposite the late Frank Wilson in ‘In From The Sea’.
A few years later revisiting Kev, he came up with an idea for me to direct and produce with him a doco, — instead of a disguised version of his life — a warts and all film about his life together with the emergence of the changing Australasian music scene including the rise on Mi-Sex. He was then living in Bondi with Julie Rawlings and was soon to depart to the UK. For a couple of years we lost track of each other then to a mutual acquaintance:
DB (To Kevin) — 04 November 2002 via email :
I spoke to Rob Chuter the other day as we’re packaging the artwork for the movie that I believe he’s asked you to write the music for… this should be a bit of salacious fun…
Kevin Stanton — 05 November 2002 via email (To DB):
Rob owes me a few emails as I have replied to his, but he’s not replied to mine. Tell that genius son-of-a-bitch I want to hear from him! I would love to write the music for his movie, but first he must contact me… I will gladly upstage him again
:-) Tell him I have recently done the music for ‘My Matisse’ which opened at the Edinburgh Festival and got ‘Pick of the Week’ in the second to last week and is just about to start a world tour including Israel, Germany, Holland, Poland and Hong Kong. I am currently working on ‘The Immaculate Misconception’ by Carl Djerasssi, opening in London on November 13th, and am just about to the music for ‘Picasso’s Women’ opening in the West End in London with Jerry Hall in the New Year. Fouche!
Always creating, always surprising. Eventually, we reconnected and I spoke to him on the phone. His distinctive accent was comforting and familiar to hear again. I learned so much about his life in the intervening years, stories about his beloved guitar being pinched, his marriage (apparently I was invited but never received the invitation or did I?) , the birth of two other children, his divorce, drugs, dramas and all the rest. I was also reunited via email with Gwen, whom I had always had a warm affection for and little Nyran who is now grown up Nyran. It had been years, but appeared like it was just yesterday.
I learned of Kevin’s serious illness over the last few years and thought how difficult and upsetting it would have been for him. But even during the time of his illness, with me, his imagination was still firing and we talked a lot via email. Unfortunately, creative plans between us were obstructed by other influences and I decided it was best to withdraw as he was frail and its was becoming unpleasant. It was for the best. Here’s Kev’s last (edited) email to me:
30 September 2016
Hi Rob. I’m still upset and confused about your actions over the last fortnight as part of my excitement of working with you on this film was that it was a culmination of many hundreds of hours we’ve worked together and I was so looking forward to sitting with you and watching the result of the 35+ years we’ve been more than friends, more like brothers who had so many things in common. I was so excited to be working with you again even my health picked up (probably adrenalin) and this would probably have been our last chance to do a major project together. I wish you all the best Rob always, I love you like a brother and sometimes brothers have disagreements that can be resolved. I truly hope we fit in the last category, Lots of love, Kev. x
It is a rare gift when someone comes along in your life who affects it in so, so many different ways. Sometimes you aren’t aware of the effect(s) until you much later. Now Kev was no angel and was sometimes selfish but his enormous talent was undeniable. I can still see him playing his guitar on stage. He became someone else with his music. I will remember it always. Today, Wednesday, 31 May 2017 is Kev’s ‘private’ funeral in Noosa. I send my sincere regards to Aleta, his family, Paul Dunningham, Tony Wright-st.clair, Neville Jess, Nyran Stantonand Gwendolyn Beecroft.
Kevin, I feel sad, and a little disappointed that I could not be there to say farewell today, but I refuse to say goodbye anyway as we have much unfinished business. And i am sure you’d totally understand. I love you dearly old friend, no matter what. The unfinished business will be finished and you will look down at me, smile, raise your eyebrows and feel proud that what we set out to accomplish has been achieved and that your legacy is secure and your contribution to music (and the world) is everlasting. RIP.
