In 1979 No Fixed Address (NFA) was formed by Aboriginal teenage students at the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music, in North Adelaide. NFA became the first Aboriginal band to perform on the mainstream circuit in Australia. Their songs and music challenged the status quo of the mainstream music industry in Australia.
The band lead the way, and opened the doors for many Aboriginal contemporary musicians to perform on the Australian mainstream music circuit in the 80s. During this time the band was the support act to Cold Chisel, Redgum, Midnight Oil, Goanna Band, INXS and Men at Work as well as international acts Ian Drury, The Clash, Peter Tosh and Taj Mahal.
In 2011 No Fixed Address was inducted into the National Indigenous Music Associations ‘Hall of Fame’ and later in 2016 was inducted into the Adelaide Music Collectives South Australian Music ‘Hall of Fame’. The City of Adelaide named a laneway in Adelaide in honour of the band in 2021. In May 2023, a book written by Donald Robertson, about the life and times of the members of No Fixed Address was launched. In December 2023 The Financial Times judged the book, written by Donald Robertson, as the best music book for 2023. Bart took out the APRAs’ Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services for Australian music 2024.
No Fixed Address will be touring the UK in August 2024, as part of their 40th anniversary tour. The band originally toured the UK during the English summer 1984.
No Fixed Address will be returning to the ’The Gov’, the place where they first began on the mainstream circuit, on Thursday the18th July for their final performance in Adelaide before their UK tour.
