My Time in the Middle of the Australian Pub Rock Era in Sydney

I was born in January 1980 and this made me 18 in 1980 which was smack bang in the middle of the greatest music era in Australian History. 

The Pub Rock era was amazing and sadly, it will never be repeated.  The combination of new, diverse, fresh bands with an enthusiastic and hungry group of venues created a music scene that was bursting at the seams. I would like to take you on a journey of what it was like in Sydney in this era and which bands and what major venues made it such a privilege to be this age at this time.   

                                                  THE BANDS

The era was led by iconic bands such as Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil, AC/DC, Inxs, Dragon, The Angels, Australian Crawl,Men At Work, The Radiators, Icehouse and the Divynls and the Church

These bands played almost nightly to pack pubs and clubs, and had album and single sales that showed that Aussie Music more than held its own in world music.

Bands such as Air Supply and the Little River Band, whilst not dominating the live scene were having great success overseas. 

Later it was the likes of Gangajang, Crowded House, Hunters and Collectors, the Choirboys, Black Sorrows, Redgum, Paul Kelly, the Hoodod Gurus and the Saints

These were the bands we not only hurried to see live but we listened to on radio stations. Radio Stations in Australia changed forever with Double J commencing in 1975 with the previously banned Skyhooks You Just like me cause I'm good in Bed being the first song played and then in August 1980 Triple M with a call sign of because your ears have brains blasted through the radio and championed the great bands we were so happy to see live.  

                                                       THE VENUES

I lived in the Western Suburbs of Sydney and we were privileged to frequent pubs like the Sefton Hotel, The Sundowner Hotel among many others, we could travel into the city and further and see Midnigt Oil at the Royal Antler at Narrabeen of INXS at the Dee Why Hotel, But it didnt matter where you went the scene was the same, loud,packed and sweaty with great music and the odd fight to also entertain. 

It was said and it was true that nearly every pub had a quality band, nearly every night, whether they had radio precence or not did not matter, cover bands were great, young unheard of bands had created their own following and atmosphere.

It truly was the greatest music time and what a time to be 18 and onwards !!!!  

                                           SOME OF THE MANY HIGHLIGHTS

I remember going to the Sundowner hotel as an underaged drinker ( so much easier then than perhaps ever ) and seeing Cold Chisel and Australian Crawl in mid week concerts.  I saw Mental as Anything at the Sundowner one night where a fight broke out in the crowd the spread from one table to another, my friends and I realising the Mentals continued to play moved closer to the bar and watched what was akin to a western movie brawl continue whilst this great band belted out hit after hit of their own.

Another highlight was at the Bankstown Trotting Track in May 1983 where the  Church and the Radiators were the support band for The Angels and where Doc Neeson climbed many metres in the air of a light pole to sing Be With You.

Or the night we saw the Divinyls back INXS ( for 5 dollars a head!) and after a problem with the microphone, Michael Hutchence sang without a mic.

I saw the unique, Jimmy and the Boys who were fronted by Ignatius Jones who was a contortionist and who was a co diretor of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 olympic games as well as the director of Vivid Sydney until 2019. He was joined by Joylene Thornbird Hairmouth who was a kitch transvestite on keyboard. 

They pioneered shock theatre and became one ot the best live shows in the country, they had a top ten hit with They Won't Let My Girlfriend Talk to Me which was written by Tim Finn

I saw them several times but one night stands out not just for this band but for any live show I saw before during or after Pub Rock. It was late 70s and although i was underage i had no problem getting in to the Sundowner Hotel and with a very new female friend we were front row of the packed crowd when the band who were abusing an effigy (a look a like life size doll) of Malcom Fraser, the Prime Minister , at one point late in the show, Jones cut the doll's head off and began to spin the headless doll above his head. Bizarrely the doll was filled with red food dye and sausage mince and this spread across the audience and especially the front row covering us in fake blood and guts. As was the case then, the show went on and we enjoyed the rest ot the show 

visit our aussie and kiwi and pub rock collection, grab a shirt or two or three and either rejoice in the memories of the pub rock era or regret you were not of the right age ( if any age ) to enjoy it - believe me it was bloody fantastic