Day of the Triffids

Not far from where I live (on the wrong side of the track) is the house where two members of the legendary 80's alternative band the Triffids grew up, and indeed recorded many of there early jams in the basement therein.   The Triffids went on to become one of Australia's most revered bands of all time (for those with any musical taste that is), and had moderate overseas success too.

The two McComb boys grew up at The Cliff with their other brothers and doctor parents, and attended the local private boys school.  The Cliff is a vast rambling weatherboard house built at the end of the 19th Century in a prime position looking over Freshwater Bay (no working class roots for these guys, sorry).   The house has been vacant and decaying for many years now while a series of investor owners have dithered about what do with it.  Thankfully the current owner has declared non-demolishion as a condition of sale, however the buyers are not rushing in.  Such is the 'bowl it and build a mansion' mentality around here.

I often walk my dogs down past the Cliff to the river, and have more than once jumped the fence and  had a good nosy around.  Then when it went on the market a while back I went with my son and we got to look inside too.   It is like time stood still within its walls, in a home that nurtured some of the most creative talent to come from Perth, in its unpretentious and languid beauty.  I just love wandering around here and thinking about those guys growing up there in the 70's, resisting the dominant paradigm of their privileged upbringing, yet probably largely inspired by the incredible beauty of their environment and quality education.  I'm sure a bit of music practice got enforced in this house after school too.

There is also a tragic aspect to the beauty in this decay, with time standing still when the house was vacated, at around the time that Dave McComb died from a combination of bad luck, over indulgence and illness.  

Here are some photos I've taken there.  Just wish I had a lazy $4m and I'd be moving in next week.