Jackie sent me an email about Grants funeral and wake and she gave me permission to post it here. It's down the bottom....

Some of you may have known Grant McLennan yourself, as he was quite a regular fixture on the Brisbane band/bar scene. Others may know only of his music, as one half of the fairly iconic indy band the Go-Betweens. That's him on the left.

Grant died of a massive heart attack while preparing for a party at his house, at the tender age of 48. He was given CPR by friends but they couldn't save him. Jackie called me this afternoon to tell me. She lived with him for about 3 years in their gorgeous riverside apartment in Brisbane, and she and Russell named their first born Tallulah after the Go-Betweens song of the same name. He couldn't make it to her birthday party last week because he was going to be singing at Dane's (Charles Foster Kane's frontman) wedding.

My personal memories of Grant are mostly of him perched in gracious style somewhere at a bar - often Rics - drinking afternoon long island iced teas with various members of the Brisbane music community and waxing lyrical and cynical about life, the universe and everything in it. He was a great Buffy fan (as are Jackie and I), and the three of us would often end up curled up in the TV room with glasses of plonk to watch the latest episode and offer our own personal theories on the current events in Sunnydale!

I can't quite believe that he's gone. He (and his songs) will be very sadly missed. Thanks for the music, Grant.

From Jackie:

Back home after a pretty intense Brisbane trip down memory lane. The funeral was huge, St John's cathedral in the city. So many faces from old times my brain was already hurting to remember names. I was finding it really hard to even remember really obvious people's names. Russ and Jamie and I sat together on one of the side wings facing the alter with a pretty good view I guess. We all kept sporadically bursting into tears and consoling each other.

The eulogies were beautiful.

First Sally McLennan, Grant's sister told lots of great stories of their youth up in Nth Qld as well as some hilarious later ones. One in particular of Grant on an international tour, uncontactable by Robert or anyone the night before flying out. They had his ticket and his bed hadn't been slept in when they checked in the morning so all they could do was go to the airport without him. Once on the plane Robert hears a message over the loud speaker "Will Robert Forster please come to the front of the aircraft". Sure enough there's Grant standing there pleading with the airline staff to let him on the plane, with his only ID a Go-Betweens album, and him pointing at the picture and them himself going "see, it's me, Grant McLennan!" The funny thing was he'd made it past the check in desk, the security staff with the CD but it was only at the door of the plane they stopped him. And this was the days after September 11 as well. She described an image of Grant standing at the pearly gates with a Go-Betweens CD saying see it's me, let me in!

Robert was next. He spoke of the loss and bewilderment he felt at the thought of "what would he do with the rest of his life?". He said he heard Grant say to him the day after he died. Go into the city and find a big room and think of me. He went into the city and found himself at St John's during a service. After it was finished during the procession of the minister and vector leaving the alter and walking through the church and out he saw the large book of the bible glowing inexplicably and felt it was Grant leaving. He later found out the funeral was to be held in that church.

Emma, Grant's girlfriend was the third and last. She spoke of their absolute love for each other and their appetite for conversation on all things. They had a favourite song which she recently wrote out for him. He carried it with him in his wallet all the time. She read it out.

IF YOU GO AWAY (by Patricia Kaas)
On this summer day
Then you might as well
Take the sun away
All the birds that flew
In the summer sky
And our love was new
And our hearts were high
When the day was young
And the night was long
And the moon stood still
For the night bird song
If you go away , if you go away, if you go away
But if you stay
I'll make you a day
Like no day has ever been
Or will be again
We'll sail on the sun
We'll ride on the rain
We'll talk to the trees
And worship the wind
But if you go
I'll understand
Leave me just enough love
To fill up my hand
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away
If you go away, as i know you must
There'll be nothing left
In the world to trust
Just an empty room
Full of empty space
Like the empty look
I see on your face
Can i tell you now
As you turn to go
I'll be dying slowly
Till your next hello
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away,
But if you stay
I'll make you a night
Like no night has ever been
Or will be again
I'll sail on you smile
I'll ride on your touch
I'll talk to your eyes
That i love so much
But if you go
I wont cry
For the good has gone from the world
goodbye
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away, if you go away

The service also had readings (Adele and Ian Haug), and plenty of prayers and a couple of hymns. Pretty traditional Anglican. When the pall bearers carried the coffin from the church it was soo sad.
There was absolute silence.....then, the silence was broken by a sudden Do do do do doo! yep, the Monkees, I'm a Believer. So Grant.

Russ and I sat for ages unable to face going outside. Then we lit a candle, said a few words and left.
Caught up with lots of people outside then Jamie and Russ and I bought some beers and walked along the river walk that now goes past our old house.

We sat down right outside Grant's old room and drank beers and remembered funny stories about our time in the house together. Like when Grant went downstairs to his room one day to find a carpet snake curled up beside his bed....he hated snakes. It was a great thing to do and by the time we arrived at the Powerhouse we were in a better mood than when we'd left the church. Something to do with the beers maybe, and talking and talking.

The wake was like a big party, as they are, only you can't help waiting for the guest of honour to arrive. We drank Long Island Iced Teas all night (on the record company's tab mind you) - thanks very much. There were so many familiar faces I wouldn't know where to begin to list them. Had some great hugs and drunken raves with lots of old friends and made all sorts of promises about staying in touch and I'm sure some of us will.

We ended up at Ric's - of course. Had a couple of pizzas at Fat Boys and stood around the bar with countless others all having the same flash back experiences about sitting on the stool at the end of the bar, next to Grant.

And we'll never have those experiences again.

It's unbelievably sad and I don't think any of us will ever really come to terms with the loss of someone so dear to us. It was great to go to Brisbane for a night but what a terrible reason to go there. I think it will be a while, if ever, till we make it back to the Valley. Doesn't have the same feel anymore. It was one big farewell, and as Jamie kept saying, we just kept feeling like Grant would be turning up any minute.