We’re extremely saddened to hear of the death of Brendon Annesley, the much-adored Brisbane punk responsible for Negative Guest List, the best fanzine of the past decade.In an interview with Annesley a few years ago, he spoke to us about the point of his work:“The original idea was that it be a kind of collaboration project between what someone more generous than me would call 'aspiring Brisbane music writers.' It started off as a reaction to the shitty street press and the general lack of decent music publications in this city. Zero interesting discourse. Zero sense of humor. Absolutely no substance. The name of the zine is a reference to Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments who put out one of my favorite 7-inches in the 1990s called 'The Negative Guest List.' The name was perfect, the song is perfect.”If you live in Brisbane, you can attend a funeral service on Friday, February 10, at the Hemmant Chapel—details can be found here.Annesley had a profound impact on Australian punk. Here’s a collection of thoughts from some of the scene’s prime movers:DANIEL STEWARD
Total Control, The UV Race“There was a generation of young Australian writers who’d grown up on the Internet kicking out fanzines every single week at the time, the majority illiterate, unreadable, no humor, instantly forgettable. Criminal for their mediocrity. They should have blogged it. Brendon had courage and confidence in his writing from the first sentence. I was in awe of his talent. And, he worked at it, and he worked hard.”NAKED ON THE VAGUEThere can't be enough thoughts and love that go out to the memory of B.A, an incredible individual with an inspirational vision. A person that actually shaped, and forcefully molded Australian music for THE BETTER.COOPER BOWMAN
Negative Guest List Writer“Like a lot of people, to me Brendon was the single most important person currently involved in underground music. He was so prolific in such a short space, like he was totally aware of the limited time that he had to get his message out. Now all that’s left is a pile of records that serve as part of what he was trying to accomplish, but the picture is now permanently left incomplete.”TIM SCOTT
Mess+Noise Contributor“Brendon, you were the punkest/coolest dude even in tracksuit pants and one of the best writers (music or otherwise) I knew. You will always be on the Negative Guest List. rest.”SHAUN PRESCOTT
Mess+Noise Contributor“Brendon was/is my favorite Australian music writer, but to call him a "music writer" would probably be an embarrassment to him. His writing wasn't determinedly slack in the charming way many a zine writer's is: he was a poet in his own recalcitrant kind of way, which is also an incredibly embarrassing thing to say and I'm sorry, Brendon, but that's just the way I feel.”[Mess+Noise]You'll be missed, Brendon.
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Total Control, The UV Race“There was a generation of young Australian writers who’d grown up on the Internet kicking out fanzines every single week at the time, the majority illiterate, unreadable, no humor, instantly forgettable. Criminal for their mediocrity. They should have blogged it. Brendon had courage and confidence in his writing from the first sentence. I was in awe of his talent. And, he worked at it, and he worked hard.”NAKED ON THE VAGUEThere can't be enough thoughts and love that go out to the memory of B.A, an incredible individual with an inspirational vision. A person that actually shaped, and forcefully molded Australian music for THE BETTER.COOPER BOWMAN
Negative Guest List Writer“Like a lot of people, to me Brendon was the single most important person currently involved in underground music. He was so prolific in such a short space, like he was totally aware of the limited time that he had to get his message out. Now all that’s left is a pile of records that serve as part of what he was trying to accomplish, but the picture is now permanently left incomplete.”TIM SCOTT
Mess+Noise Contributor“Brendon, you were the punkest/coolest dude even in tracksuit pants and one of the best writers (music or otherwise) I knew. You will always be on the Negative Guest List. rest.”SHAUN PRESCOTT
Mess+Noise Contributor“Brendon was/is my favorite Australian music writer, but to call him a "music writer" would probably be an embarrassment to him. His writing wasn't determinedly slack in the charming way many a zine writer's is: he was a poet in his own recalcitrant kind of way, which is also an incredibly embarrassing thing to say and I'm sorry, Brendon, but that's just the way I feel.”[Mess+Noise]You'll be missed, Brendon.