Steve Connolly: Like a Lowdown Guitar

Across the inner cities of Australia from 1976 – 1996 live bands performed seven nights a week in hundreds of small venues and pubs. Driven by free street press papers, cheap rents, lax liquor laws and voracious publicans, fans flocked in. This scene spawned Australia’s independent music movement. Steve Connolly honed his style in this era. His guitar was one of the reasons Paul Kelly’s music gained traction in this busy scene. Steve lived fast and loose but wasn’t a showy guitarist. His talent lay in his hands and he complimented the musicians around him. Steve’s music was pre-internet, before mobile phones and social media and documenting the environment in which he flourished is vital to our collective history. The Australian independent music scene cannot be documented without Steve Connolly. His iconic riffs will continue to ring out but now a name and face can be put to those sounds.

Steve Connolly’s short life is both an inspiration and a lesson. In the eighties pub rock scene there there was no duty of care, you sank or swam. Today being a musician is a career move, a life choice but back then musicians lived like outlaws in a cash only environment usually from dusk till dawn. Laws introduced later made workplaces including venues, safer but many mourn the freedom of those days. In telling Steve’s story you could extrapolate any young man under the stress and excess of their chosen industry. Behind his sometimes ferocious gaze was an intelligent, focused, self-taught musician with a strong desire to make a mark. Steve stayed true to what he believed in and created a consistent style which changed how we hear the guitar, and yet he remains largely unremembered. This documentary aims to inspire musicians to follow their beliefs, as Steve did. Technology will always advance but creativity should always be a human endeavor that pushes boundaries.

Music sparks warm memories of youth without responsibility and rules. Fans of Steve’s music still remember when they first heard those lead breaks. Tributes and dedications are scattered throughout the documentary from fans touched and inspired by that powerful synergy that comes from hearing music that hits and resonates. Social change comes from grassroots action. Music fans across Australia rallied to save The legendary Tote venue in Melbourne from developers. Small music venues are still under pressure but fans of live music have not disappeared. If we as a society value music we need to fight for it. The age of AI is upon us. Australian musicians need support to continue to produce art that makes you feel something. Steve’s music was very emotional and instinctual. If this documentary achieves anything it is to inspire others to follow the sounds in their head and to bring their fans along for the ride.

Networking via Australian music sites have led to strong ties in the industry. Word of mouth is powerful. The independent music scene supports fellow artists. Fans and friends of Steve all want to see this documentary made and are as enthusiastic today about Steve’s guitar skills as they were back then.

I will drive traffic to a website that will be dedicated to this documentary. People will be encouraged to sign up for updates and get involved in the discussion to spread the word. Fans already contacted will, in turn contact their peers and the ripples will spread. Peer to peer fundraising is powerful tool. Encoraging the public to tune in for updates will build anticipation. This will be a true grassroots driven documentary for everyone.