Mick Geyer: Music Guru

ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Mick Geyer was a broadcaster and journalist in the alternative Melbourne music scene in the 1980's and 1990's. His influence was widespread, but remained largely outside the public view.

His passion for music and contemporary culture formed a solid base for his activities. With a personality to match his formidable range of interests, Mick made a lasting impression on many people, often moving from interviewer to friend in a single conversation.

At PBS he was a broadcaster and Editor of the station magazine WAVES. Amongst many musicians he was a catalyst to musical discovery through conversation, his legendary cassette tape compilations and writer of epic press releases! More recently, he edited health-related material for the World Health Organisation.

After he died in April 2004, there were two recurring themes in recollections of him:

• the 'Geyer Tapes' - those finely crafted collections of musical enlightenment covering jazz, blues, alternative, punk, be-bop, gospel, reggae, African, eastern and everything in between, and
• the fact that no-one seemed to have a complete picture of Mick.

"The original idea was to replicate the Geyer Tapes in a series of radio programs, inviting people to share their tapes and to talk about the circumstances of receiving them", said project producer, Moira Drew, "but it quickly became clear that something concentrating on Mick himself was warranted".

Sophie Best, PBS Program Manager at the time, began seeking contributions, and said that the cooperation of many people was really heartening.

Notably, Henry Rollins offered to record a special music program, presenting music that Mick either turned him on to, or that they both listened to and discussed. Graeme Osborne who presented 'Something Else' on PBS for many years, also preferred to make his contribution through music. These two music features provide an ideal balance to the 4 hours of interview material.

Interviews were mostly recorded in the studios of PBS with one or two on location. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis were interviewed by studio link from London, Henry Rollins likewise from Los Angeles.

With anecdotes, impressions and testimonies from 35 interviewees, excerpts from over 100 pieces of music, and archival material from 9 sources, the series gives a comprehensive view of the Melbourne alternative music scene in the late 1980's and early 90's. This is as complete a picture of Mick Geyer as we could have hoped.

'Mick Geyer: Music Guru' is presented by Lisa Palermo, and was first broadcast on PBS in Melbourne over 7 consecutive days 7-8pm from 10-16 April 2006, marking the 2nd anniversary of Mick's death.

The series was later made available to Community radio stations around Australia via satellite, and is now available again on this website.

'Mick Geyer: Music Guru' was produced for PBS by Moira Drew, Lisa Palermo, Jenni Crowley, Garry Havrillay and Bill Runting.