A new book about the Indigenous band, by Donald Robertson, explores their legacy. Photograph: Carol Ruff
Picture the scene. It’s 1982 and Australia’s future prime minister Bob Hawke – then the shadow minister for industrial relations – has accepted an invitation to launch a mini-album by an emerging Indigenous rock-reggae band called No Fixed Address. Hawke’s daughters are fans, and he recognises the importance of both the release and the symbolic gesture of a white politician endorsing it. There’s just one sticking point: the final song is called Pigs.
They’re always on the move
They call them the boys in blue
They’ll kick you in the head
Until they leave you dead
