Justin Sheedy's Blog - Posts Tagged "memoirs-of-a-go-go-dancer"

1985.

Though early December – the beginning of summer in Australia with nights balmy to hot in Sydney – the nights in Melbourne were still mercifully cool. Cool enough to dress up and hit the town. Which Germaine and I did on that very first night. And when we hit it, I realised Melbourne had something Sydney did not.

Nightclubs.

Sure, Sydney had nightclubs but not the kind that welcomed two kids under the legal drinking age with open arms – perhaps because, as was clear from the first establishment we entered, the emphasis here in Melbourne wasn’t on drinking but on dancing.

Stepping down into the ‘Groove Tube Café’, a whole dancefloor full of people going coolly berserk to "Stepping Stone" by The Monkees, on the walls and on the dancing people were revolving cartwheels of colour, each wheel of numberless coloured spokes all intermeshing with others in perpetual harlequin-shaped motion.

‘This is AWESOME,’ I sided to Germaine above the music.

‘As it should be,’ she returned close to my ear. ‘Sydney’s got natural beauty. Melbourne...’ She shook her head. ‘So we make beauty.’

‘I can’t believe this!’

‘Believe it,’ she flowed. ‘Sydney, you’re fine if you like the one thing that every club in Sydney is doing. Here there’s so many clubs there’s always one doing what you like. I like Go-Go. And here it is...’

Go-Go Dancing! And here indeed it was... Just like in the black-and-white photo in the school library except exactly 20 years later and in colour and I’d just stepped into the photo. The people weren’t just dancing like fools (not that there’s anything wrong with that); here there was a definite style, just like in the still photo from 1965 except here it was moving and, man, was it moving. Some of the dancers were better than others but their style was a mix of mania and grace, a fusion of passion and poise only ever seen elsewhere in Flamenco dancers.

But then Stepping Stone finished and a song began that I had once heard for the very first time through Steve, one he by now famously hadn’t thought I’d like...

HHEOWWWWH!!!

"I Got You" by James Brown meant one thing only. I spun to Germaine.
‘Dance?!’

For the second time that day she put out her hand to me. Though this time I didn’t ‘take’ it, as such...

I grabbed.

"MEMOIRS OF A GO-GO DANCER" WILL BE THE SEQUEL TO JUSTIN SHEEDY'S WARMLY-RECEIVED FIRST BOOK, "GOODBYE CRACKERNIGHT". FULL BLOG POST AT SHEEDY'S CRACKERNIGHT.COM HERE...
http://crackernight.com/2014/06/22/a-...

Author Justin Sheedy is delighted to see his upcoming book, “Memoirs of a Go-Go Dancer”, taking shape. Out for this Christmas, “Memoirs of a G0-Go Dancer” is Sheedy’s 4th book and long-awaited sequel to his 1st, “Goodbye Crackernight”, his ‘shared memoir’ of growing up in 1970s Australia – when a child’s proudest possession was not a smart phone but a 2nd-hand bike. “Memoirs of a Go-Go Dancer” (yes, Sheedy’s 1st job out of school) is his portrait of teenage in the 1980s featuring not only all the magic, triumph and terror of being a 1980s teenager but also the world events, issues, culture and Fashion Crimes that shaped the decade.



MEMOIRS OF A GO-GO DANCER! Justin Sheedy’s first job out of school was a symbol of his rebellion against the 1980s – a decade so lame it cried out for any other. Crackernight, the annual fireworks festival of his childhood, was gone. So was childhood. Justin’s teenage would be a search for new fireworks. He would find them. In his legendary schoolteachers, in questioning his elders, in playing rock and roll, in marching against nuclear madness, and in that scariest of all things known to Man: GIRLS. And all that was before he became a Go-Go Dancer! Then the fun really started.

Justin Sheedy was delighted to see his latest book, “MEMOIRS OF A GO-GO DANCER”, launched on the eve of Christmas 2014 & now being read & loved by book-lovers everywhere. Its maiden 5-Star Amazon review begins & ends thus: "100% Unputdownable... I cannot recommend this book highly enough." - Yasmine Wick Kopita, Texas.

Sheedy’s 4th book, “Memoirs of a Go-Go Dancer” is the long-awaited sequel to his first, “Goodbye Crackernight” (2009), Sheedy’s warmly-received comic memoir of growing up in 1970s Australia when a child’s proudest possession was not a smart phone but a second-hand bike.

“Memoirs of a Go-Go Dancer” is Sheedy's portrait of teenage in the 1980s: of manic adolescence under the threat of nuclear destruction and ‘the Grim Reaper’, a time of ‘Perfect Match’, of hideous 1980s fashions and much, much more. A true portrait of the era, Sheedy’s story features his own experience of the iconic events that shaped the decade such as the fall of the Berlin Wall. He captures the spirit of his 1980s personal hero figures such as Clive James and Bob Hawke including Hawke’s great ‘America’s Cup moment’. Political, social and cultural issues of the 1980s are richly covered and, yes, as readers of “Memoirs of a Go-Go Dancer” will discover, 19-year-old Justin Sheedy turned out to have a rare talent indeed…

MEMOIRS OF A GO-GO DANCER. Justin Sheedy’s first job out of school was a symbol of his rebellion against the 1980s – a decade so lame it cried out for any other. Crackernight, the annual fireworks festival of his childhood, was gone. So was childhood. Justin’s teenage would be a search for new fireworks. He would find them. In his legendary schoolteachers, in questioning his elders, in playing rock and roll, in marching against nuclear madness, and in that scariest of all things known to Man: GIRLS. And all that was before he became a Go-Go Dancer! Then the fun really started…

MEMOIRS OF A GO-GO DANCER is freshly available via bookstores everywhere (if not on shelves so soon since its launch then orderable-in across the counter), also via Amazon & all leading online book retailers in paperback & ebook formats.

MOMENTS OF COMEDIC BRILLIANCE – FOR ANYONE WHO IS YOUNG AT HEART
Review by Suzy Lee, Sydney, Australia.

“Memoirs of a Go-Go Dancer” by Justin Sheedy is an autobiography written as a light-hearted yet intelligent account of the author’s adolescent years in the 1980s in Sydney, Australia. Sequel to Justin’s childhood story, “Goodbye Crackernight”, “Memoirs of a Go-Go Dancer” has something for the teenager in all of us! Justin writes with clarity and unique metaphor, providing the reader with moments of comedic brilliance. A sense of warm nostalgia is never far away.

Justin takes us on a candid and intimate journey through his education and his creative and exciting extracurricular endeavours, also his relationships with family, teachers, close friends and early romantic liaisons, always told with integrity, respect and sensitivity. Justin’s eloquent description of his beautiful and loving mother, for example, is heart-warming.

Justin shares many wonderful anecdotes: from his role as a singer in Sydney bands, Go-Go dancing in Melbourne with beautiful girls, his hitch hiking adventures, roller skating as a means of transportation and presenting a radio program. All of this is set on a backdrop of iconic places distinctive to 1980s Australia such as “The Oxford Tavern”, Newtown, and “The Groove Tube Cafe” in Melbourne. The scene is set to the soundtrack of the likes of then Sydney band “The Psychotic Turnbuckles” and Justin’s own band, “The Voodoo Rockets”.

The tumultuous world of the teenage Justin involves many triumphs, disappointments, joy and the occasional heartbreak, with Justin always reflecting with intelligence and that marvellous wisdom of hindsight.

Growing up as a teenager in 1980s Sydney myself, I could relate easily to many aspects of Justin’s story and am happy to say that I loved reading this book. By the final chapter, I felt as though Justin and I were old friends. I recommend this book to anyone who is young at heart.

Heartfelt cheers to Suzy Lee, a most excellent lady – Justin Sheedy

ALL REVIEWS OF “MEMOIRS OF A GO-GO DANCER” HERE... http://crackernight.com/reviews-of-ju...

Author Justin Sheedy is delighted to have been invited to sign copies of his 4th and latest book, “Memoirs of a Go-Go Dancer” , at his local bookstore, Gleebooks, inner-city literary mecca of Sheedy’s home town, Sydney, on Saturday 7th of March.

In a literary nutshell, it’s a local event for a local boy telling a local story and he couldn’t be prouder. Particularly as this, his latest book released last Christmas, has already received rave reviews and they keep flooding in. Sheedy will be signing copies from 10am at Gleebooks, directly across Glebe Point Road from the iconic Glebe Markets, so it should be a bustling event full of local character. And characters! Including young Sheeds.

MEMOIRS OF A GO-GO DANCER – Justin Sheedy’s first job out of school was a symbol of his rebellion against the 1980s – a decade so lame it cried out for any other. Crackernight, the annual fireworks festival of his childhood, was gone. So was childhood. Justin’s teenage would be a search for new fireworks. He would find them. In his legendary schoolteachers, in questioning his elders, in playing rock and roll, in marching against nuclear madness, and in that scariest of all things known to Man: GIRLS. And all that was before he became a Go-Go Dancer! Then the fun REALLY started…

EVERY PAGE A CAUSE TO CHUCKLE AND SMILE AND LAUGH AND CRY

Review by Andrew Landström, Sweden

From page one of Justin’s book “Memoirs of a Go-Go Dancer” I was swept away by a time machine rollercoaster that took me back to an age past re-discovered. It seemed as if I had lived in parallel universe to Justin, yet on the other side of earth, simultaneously, going through versions of the same kind of events. I have to admit that I myself was not a nostalgic of too much music from the past, but was swept up into the synth-pop era of the ’80s.



The effortless journey that kept me going up and down and throwing me sideways made every page a cause to chuckle and smile and laugh and cry. Justin, you created a very effective mirror that made me look back at my own ’80s adventures with crystal clarity. For that I am not sure if I should thank you or give you an outright bollicking but… a joy to read regardless.

I have to add that it is not every book that I bother to read every single word between its cover. With this book I did and wished it would continue. Here’s to you Justin, hat’s off, eight gun salute and thank you.

Warmest thanks to Andrew Landström – Justin Sheedy

“MEMOIRS OF A GO-GO DANCER” NOW AVAILABLE IN KINDLE AND PAPERBACK AT AMAZON AND ORDERABLE VIA ALL GOOD BOOKSTORES ALONG WITH ALL JUSTIN SHEEDY’S BOOKS – IN AUSTRALIA VIA DYMOCKS, GLEEBOOKS, BERKELOUW BOOKS & YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE

Full Blog Post WITH PICS at Crackernight.com at the below link.
http://crackernight.com/2015/04/15/sw...

A TIMELESS BOOK FOR ALL AGES AND ALL NATIONALITIES

"Memoirs of a Go-Go Dancer" by Justin Sheedy – Review by Camille Party

Being French and having lived in Sydney for only a few years, I did not have the slightest idea what it would have been like to grow up in Australia. There again, being in my mid-twenties, I could only imagine what it would have been like in the 1980s…

"Memoirs of a Go-Go Dancer" by Justin Sheedy not only filled the gaps but also took me on a fascinating journey through time as though I had stepped into a time machine. Justin’s book in one hand and my iPhone in the other, I would listen to every song mentioned, down to watching the clip of "Sorry" by the Easybeats (A must watch if you haven’t seen it yet!).

Although the 1980s are considered as a cultural and historical blank, Justin surely makes them seem like exhilarating times, filled with romance and adventures. Imagine… People wrote letters and made audio tapes instead of sending e-mails and leaving voice mails. It was more common to catch the train from Sydney to Melbourne than to jump into a plane. And you could even hitch-hike safely and get a free ride with a bikie!

A lot has changed and even though I feel like high school has been over for an eternity, my teenage years are actually not that far away. I remember the feeling Justin describes: this feeling of immense freedom when you realise your whole life stretches in front of you, but that this immensity of possibilities might somehow swallow you…

"Memoirs of a Go-Go Dancer" is a timeless book for all ages and all nationalities. From laughter to tears, it will bring a smile to your face and a feeling of warm nostalgia to your heart. A real delight!

Full Blog post at Crackernight.com HERE...
http://crackernight.com/2015/06/16/a-...

LES MURRAY, iconic Australian poet, author, critic and National Treasure at my book-signing event on Saturday at Dymocks Sydney! Brain like a planet, a lovely bloke and my privilege to sign for him a copy of my book "Goodbye Crackernight", especially given the portrait of Australian society & culture that it is. A great day all-round, tons of books signed & sold, great meetings & chats. Was lovely, too, that more than one complete stranger informed me that they had already read & enjoyed "Goodbye Crackernight" (thru their book clubs etc so it's getting OUT there!) and were eager to pick up the sequel, "Memoirs of a Go-Go Dancer", also available on the day. Reassuring as well that store customers let me know they'd recently seen & heard me on TV & Radio. Limited copies of both books still available at the store or orderable via your local bookstore, Amazon etc.