Carol Lloyd, the original wild woman of Aussie rock, would have been 75 this week. The frontwoman of chart-topping Brisbane band Railroad Gin passed away in 2017.
Scroll down for videos of Carol performing.
Carol found her place in the world as an out lesbian in her early twenties.
“I’d been married, my marriage had broken up, and I’d found my way back to where I was in my teens when I thought I was the only gay woman in the world.”
The year before, Carol joined Railroad Gin as lead singer. With their singer immersed in the early 1970s Brisbane gay scene, the band performed at the annual Queens Ball, then held at a hall in Nundah.
In 1974, Railroad Gin’s A Matter of Time reached #1 on the Brisbane charts. The band spent the then-unheard-of sum of $5000 in fireworks for a video clip shot at Lang Park (Suncorp Stadium). Brisbane newspapers gave over front pages to the band and its flame-haired singer.
But this was the era of conservative and authoritarian Premier Joh Bjelke Petersen — and Carol Lloyd was an out lesbian.
“What was it like being a lesbian in front of a rock band in Joh’s days??
“Challenging…
“I never felt inclined to hide my sexuality…
“I was a sweaty, in-your-face rock singer singing about taking women to bed…
“The toughest time I got personally was from blokes in other bands. They resented the fact I was crashing their domain which was all driven by cock rock…
“I was pulling women. They hated that.”
Railroad Gin – Ruby Tuesday (Audio Only.)
A Matter of Time – Railroad Gin
Railroad Gin 1993
Carol Lloyd – A Matter of Time, 2013
Read More:
Queensland Mourns 70s Rock Trailblazer Carol Lloyd.
Hundreds Farewell Queensland Rock Icon Carol Lloyd.
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