Arne just called us at the studio for a long catch-up chat.
When I first met David Aboud he was still turned out by his mother in brown brogue shoes tweed pants a cotton checkered shirt with a finely woven wool tie, the first day he came and worked at the 'record market' in Queen Street, Brisbane. Owned by (maude) Hocking and managed by John Simpson - this was his retail baptism, the same week of his 'coming out' and it set the future for the edginess that we all loved about Puss. Pixley Street, Kangaroo Point was Tony Cottrell's flat - Tony has the pink asterisk and Kate Clifford (Mrs Packer) has the dot - it was quick skip down Edward Street and onto the 'fairy' as we all called the BCC ferry to the other side. Puss moved from the Yerongpilly family home of John Aboud Q.C. to . . . the . . . most 'camp' place on earth at that time . . . Tony's apartment. Within a week of starting at the record shop, Puss was clad in army fatigues with dozens of dolls super glued to the front, stretch tights and those large shoulder bags he was always toting around (full of records and art catalogues), he had lots to catch up on, early on.
He loved me driving him to various suburban beats in my brand new MG - to widely distributed junk shops and always booked me for the annual "queens ball". We soon lost him and his collections to Melbourne where I visited many times as my freelancing and art collecting took me there. His 40th birthday at summer lands mansion was memorable as was Miss Xteen Dunbar, his most adorable muse.
Puss and I both sold collections in the same Sydney sale at Phillips in 1999. I supported his various collections and especially the shells in the early daze. I treasure my gifts and cards received, I gave him all my LP's when he left town - they were mostly his gifts to me anyway . . . he did drop in and stay with Barb and I when blowing through town but the thought of Brisbane, the Joh days, his family all chilled him to the bone. We shared international mates like Keith and Clayton, its great to see that old shot of him in that signature skull cap (and the other photographs) on Gavin's (coco's) bloodspot:
http://nic-nakcastle.blogspot.com.au
Here she is as Queen Victoria in his own sumptuous apartment:
R I P (vale) Puss
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