Tonight | Australian Story on ABC: Chrissy Amphlett’s Wild begins – Australian Story examines the life, influence and private struggles of Divinyls frontwoman Chrissy Amphlett in the two-part profile Wild. Part one begins tonight, Monday 28 September, at 8.00pm on ABC and ABC iview.
The new edition brings together family, friends and former bandmates. Together, they reconsider an artist whose confrontational stage presence changed expectations for Australian women in rock.
In addition, the program includes rare footage and three unreleased songs that Amphlett created with Tim Finn. For viewers who know her primarily through the Divinyls’ hits, Wild offers a wider account of the discipline, volatility and vulnerability behind the performer.
A stage presence that changed Australian rock
Music photographer Tony Mott describes Amphlett as the greatest frontwoman he witnessed. He recalls how she prowled the stage and completely owned it.
For example, Amphlett openly rejected expectations about how a woman should behave. In a 1988 interview included in the story, she said she did not want to be “all nice”. She also admitted that she liked the fact some men feared her.
Success, pressure and addiction
Divinyls produced a run of defining songs across the 1980s and 1990s. Behind the success, however, the band faced debt and addiction before imploding after 16 years.
Meanwhile, Amphlett spoke openly about alcohol becoming central to the way she coped. The profile places that struggle beside the creativity and force of personality that sustained her career.
Family and collaborators reassess her legacy
Her cousin Patricia “Little Pattie” Amphlett argues that previous accounts have not captured the singer’s full story. She regards Chrissy as the ultimate feminist. However, she believes the industry rarely gave her that recognition during her lifetime.
Finally, the two episodes draw on memories from the people closest to Amphlett. They also present three songs that she wrote and recorded with Tim Finn about 15 years before her death. As a result, the program adds a new piece to her musical legacy.
AUSTRALIAN STORY: WILD – CHRISSY AMPHLETT BEGINS TONIGHT, MONDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 8.00PM ON ABC AND ABC IVIEW.
For more TV Central ABC news, head here. Watch current and past episodes on the official Australian Story page on ABC iview.
