Jamie Robertson
Armed with an ambitious dream, a backpack, and very little else, Jamie landed in Australia in 1976 feeling like a fish out of water - until he found work as an assistant editor in the local film industry.
Living in the pre-digital age was very different from today’s fast-paced society. Although analogue technology was imperfect, he loved the tactile interaction of cutting film and splicing sound.
After a year of backpacking across Asia and the Americas, he returned to the UK and spent the next three years climbing the gruelling industry ladder to become a film director. Driven by a deep connection to the country where he had been given a ‘fair go’ at the beginning of his career, he returned to Australia in 1981 hoping to make it his permanent home.
Over the next two decades, Jamie navigated a maze of challenges, learned lessons the hard way, and stumbled into some memorable romantic misadventures.
Using classic Aussie rock songs as chapter headings, this intimate memoir follows his journey until he earned the opportunity to work on a Hollywood movie in 1997, fulfilling his lifelong ambition.
About the Author
Jamie Robertson is an accomplished photographer, writer, and award-winning filmmaker. During his long career, he directed many television commercials and documentaries worldwide, and his images have appeared in numerous books and magazines.
Jamie's first-ever rock concert was the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970. Since then, he has attended hundreds of other gigs and loved every one of them. Along the way, he met a few of his heroes, including The Who’s charismatic drummer Keith Moon while I was working on the movie The Kids Are Alright, and the artist formerly known as Prince Rogers Nelson during the edit for Let’s Go Crazy.
ABBA also get a mention, as they indirectly helped me get a job in the Australian film industry. *Full story below!
How ABBA helped get me a job in the Australian Film Industry in 1977
The call was from a film company called Scope Films, who said they were interested in me working for them... but there was a catch. The job was based in a small town called Gumeracha, which was about an hour’s drive from where I lived, so I would need a car. I told them I would get back to them as soon as I had found a way of resolving my transport issue.
When I arrived at the café, where I washed dishes three nights a week, the other members of staff were talking about ABBA. The Swedish pop group was very popular in Australia at the time and was set to perform in Adelaide the following night. When one of the girls asked me if I was going, I told her I couldn’t afford to. Ironically, ABBA’s Money, Money, Money was playing on the radio at the time.
‘It’s a sign, mate!’ she said as a joke. ‘ABBA might be the answer to your financial woes!’ We both laughed, and then I went back to washing dishes. After my shift ended, I decided she was right - it was time to think positively, so I gave the tour promoter a call. By a stroke of luck, it was Michael Chugg who answered the phone and, to my surprise, remembered me straight away.
‘You again!’ he said with a chuckle, and then kindly gave me the number of their head of publicity, a woman named Patti Mostyn. 'Tell her Chuggy sent you!’
On the night of the concert, I borrowed my mate's Yamaha 350cc and drove to the Park Royal Motor Inn, collected my pass, and then rode to the Westlakes Football Stadium. After I arrived at the venue, I showed my press pass at the entrance and then made my way to the photographer’s pit. At least a dozen other photographers were already there. Behind us were around 20,000 fans all screaming ‘We want ABBA!’
Just before the concert was about to begin, one of the security stewards with muscles like Popeye on steroids pointed at my camera and yelled, ‘No flash!’ I gave him a thumbs up and then desperately tried to remember everything I had been taught at film school about shooting without flash in low-light conditions.
Moments later, Agnetha, Frida, Bjorn and Benny took to the stage, and hundreds of flashes all went off around me at the same time.
Still partially blinded by the lights, I suddenly felt a strong pair of hands grab me and lift me up onto the edge of the stage. When I looked to see who had just given me the best view of the band I could ever have hoped for, it was the same security steward. After giving him a thumbs-up, I got into position and poised my finger over the camera shutter. It was showtime!
ABBA started with Tiger and then played a number of other songs I had heard on the radio, including Waterloo, SOS, Money, Money, Money, Mamma Mia and Fernando. The encore was Dancing Queen followed by a reprise of Thank You for the Music.
When the show was over, I went straight to Group Colour Film Laboratories in Adelaide to drop my roll of film off for overnight processing. After an anxious, sleepless night, I went back to the Lab as soon as it opened. I was relieved to discover my images looked pretty good, considering I had not been allowed to use flash. I then went to see a company that specialised in creating posters. The owner bought four of my images on the spot for AUD $200.
With the proceeds, I bought a 1964 EH Holden with a three-speed manual column-shift gearbox for AUD $200 cash. After getting the rego sorted and filling the tank up with petrol at the nearest servo, I rang Scope Films to tell them I could start work as soon as he wanted me to. This was a huge turning point in my life. I had not only been able to make some money using my photographic skills, but I now also had the opportunity to further my film career. Thank you, ABBA!
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