_{Ian "Ollie" Olsen.}

Australian underground music has lost two important figures in Melbourne’s Ian “Ollie” Olsen and Andrew Picouleau.

Picouleau was best-known as a member of Dave Graney and the Coral Snakes, The Metronomes and Sacred Cowboys, while Olsen was in Whirlywirld, Orchestra of Skin and Bone, Noand Max Q, the short-lived but high-profile collaboration with Michael Hutchence.Both passed last week after protracted health issues. 

Multi-instrumentalist Olsen was a key driver of the Australian post-punk electronic movement of the late 1970s whose punk lineage went back to The Young Charlatans (home to Rowland S Howard) and The Reals. Her was musical director for “Dogs in Space”, Richard Lowenstein’s gritty 1986 depiction of Melbourne’s underground music scene, and went on to make a mark internationally in electronic music and soundtracks.

Bassist Andrew Picouleau was perhaps best known for his playing on Dave Graney’s crossover hit “Night Of The Wolverine”.

The Metronomes member Alister Webb confirmed Picouleau's death in a statement and shared his heartbreak after four decades of collaboration. He also released this tribute:

 
Former Sacred Cowboys bandmate Garry Gray said: ''I'd like to take this opportunity to offer my condolences to the friends, familes and musical associates of Andrew Picouleau and Ian ‘Ollie' Olsen.

“Andrew was the original bass player of the Sacred Cowboys and his skills as a player and songwriter were an integral part of our early sound. A lifelong friend, sadly missed by all.

“Ollie answered an advert placed in Juke somwhere around 1976 by my Reals and later Negatives collaborator, Chris Walsh seeking a guitar player who was into The Stooges and Velvet Underground.  We were all into ‘Raw Power’ and Metal Machine Music. 

“Vale to Andrew and Ollie. Thank you for the music, and for the friendship over the years.''