Aussie Rock Anecdotes

[zenikoy]

Share a story here, first or second hand, or just mythical.

 

 

 

[zenikoy]

Who would have thought? Tom Petty and Benmont Tench as Daddy Cool fans.

 

Described first up in this podcast.

http://mrjeremydylan.com/post/160069227185/my-favorite-album-200-the-favorite-aussie-music

[Tweaky]

12 minutes ago, enikoy said:

Share a story here, first or second hand, or just mythical.

 

 

 

What do you want to know?

I spent over 10 years watching live music in Sydney nearly every night over that period, the majority was AUS bands

 

I can tell you a FACT that a lot of people say is fiction.

Chrissie Amphlett, from the DIVIYNLS definitely was a drama queen that THREW things at people when things weren't going her way.

I was nearly a victim at a early Diviynls gig at the Manzil room in Sydney when she threw a ashtray at Mark McEntee, it flew past my nose less than 1cm in his direction and shattered against the wall.

She proceeded to jump up and down at the back of the room pouting, and just generally throwing a kiddy like tantrum....still looked cute in that school uniform.

[mello yello]

maybe she was threw of driving home, all the boys in town

[zenikoy]

12 minutes ago, Tweaky said:

What do you want to know?

I spent over 10 years watching live music in Sydney nearly every night over that period, the majority was AUS bands

 

I can tell you a FACT that a lot of people say is fiction.

Chrissie Amphlett, from the DIVIYNLS definitely was a drama queen that THREW things at people when things weren't going her way.

I was nearly a victim at a early Diviynls gig at the Manzil room in Sydney when she threw a ashtray at Mark McEntee, it flew past my nose less than 1cm in his direction and shattered against the wall.

She proceeded to jump up and down at the back of the room pouting, and just generally throwing a kiddy like tantrum....still looked cute in that school uniform.

 

Perfect. More of this type stuff 

[Tweaky]

Honestly, I have a heap of antidotes.

 Colin Hay from Men at Work having a drink with Billy Connally [when he was still on the piss] at the same Manzil room in Sydney's Kings Cross.

Billy fancied this dancer that had rocked up, and decided he and she should hit the dance floor.

All was normal until Billy decided to do the "Dance of a Thousand Crabs".

The sight of the Big Yin in leather trousers grabbing his crouch while splaying his legs prancing about with this poor woman was hilarious.

 

I saw Billy with one of his daughters around 10 months ago in Sydney, WOW....he is a shadow of his former self, very Grey, very gaunt and very slow moving....still witty, but not as quick witted as old.

 

Hopefully others will chip in with their antidotes......I would loath to be the only one.

I've got funny stories on all of the below.....but will only reveal when a story I haven't heard is posted.

 

Clash/ Ian Dury/ Pretenders/ Rod Stewart / Elton John/ Cold Chisel/ Angels

Edited April 28, 2017 by Tweaky

[Just me]

re Chrissie Amphlett - I remember The Divinyls absolutely wiping the stage floor with Concrete Blonde who were the main act at Selinas at Coogee Beach in Sydney

I digress - early '78 at The Civic Hotel (Punk Central)  in Sydney watching Midnight Oil, the hottest new band around at that time.

Pills of all sorts on the floor and drugged out pill poppers begging for the last inch of whatever in your glass. One of them shaping up to my girlfriend (now wife) when she grabbed his arm to stop him stealing her drink. Me throwing him down the stairs and being thanked by the bouncer who saw it all.

Anyway, the Oils are playing and the audience is spitting on the band (apparently, a term of endearment in those early punk days).

Not to be outdone and with reciprocal endearment I'm sure, Peter Garrett starts clearing his nose, one nostril at a time back onto the audience! They loved it!

I'd love to meet Peter and remind him of this although I'm sure he remembers it. Who wouldn't?

[Darren69]

Was very very lucky to be around Sydney a bit in the mid 80's to early 90's due to seeing a very nice young lady at Bass Hill...I remember looking through the gig guide on a Saturday morning and having to pick between the absolute cream of all the Aussie bands at the time, all live.

 

No 'Australian Idol' back then

 

 

So-

 

Chrissy Amphlett taking a squat in the middle of the stage at Revesby Workers club.

 

Doc Neeson jumping from the top of speaker stacks (maybe 2.5m off the stage) to the other ones, same club, during 'The Dogs Are Talking' song.

 

Angry Anderson spitting back at punks at The Royal Oak Hotel, Parramatta.

 

Being stared at all concert by Ross Wilson one night, the GF was in stitches, don't know what that was about to this day.

 

The Australian Made concert at Endeavour Field in 87(?) with INXS lifting the freaking roof, if there was one to lift.

 

Dave Gleeson (Screaming Jets) being so drunk at a Coffs Harbour Hotel performance that he had to go off stage for a spew mid song.

 

Watching The Cockroaches go off (again, Revesby Rissole) before they went and played for the kiddies. Great live performers.

 

J Farnham stopping mid song at Brissy Entertainment centre on the Whispering Jack tour to tell a heap of lovestruck vocal girls in the audience to 'nick off'.  Methinks he was annoyed at breaking three guitar strings whilst covering 'A Long Way To The Top'. Was doing it well too!

 

Fourteen of us watching Dragon at the S Grafton RSL, it was a week after Barnsey had been at the same venue on his Working Class Man tour (huuuge night) so not many turned up for Dragon, it was fantastic and fully interactive, the band ending up on the dance floor with us for most of the night! RIP Marc, he was a very nice man along with the other band members.

 

J Barnes- Working Class Man tour, S Grafton RSL- freaking huge night, the only time I have seen almost all the audience walk out literally covered in sweat and beer. Now that was a concert.

 

My first ever live show- Koo De Tah at Grafton Rissole, haha! Went to sneak in @ 16yrs old, my mate joined up as he wasn't a member and the security guy said- 'I spose you're in the same boat?'

Umm...yes??

Signed me up.  Don't know to this day if he knew I was underage and was managing me or if he just made a mistake.

 

Theres probably more.

 

Going OT now-

 

smuggling myself to the Lismore RSL in the very early 80's to try and get a peek at Iron Maiden (yep, Lismore RSL-Piece of Mind tour) but the concert didn't go ahead due to lack of sales. True story. Saw them do 'Aces High' on Countdown instead. It was not a great time for Metal.

 

Nov 2015- The Darkness @ The Tivoli-Brissy, I didn't high five Justin Hawkins whilst being carried aloft through the crowd by the bouncer as I couldn't imagine where that hand had been, hahaa!! I got a funny look then a grin.

 

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/the-darkness-review-the-tivoli-brisbane-november-8-2015-20151108-gktwfy.html

 

Good times!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LogicprObe]

LOL!

You could write pages on this subject.

 

One of the really big nights I recall (barely) was Stage Door Tavern.........started lunch time Friday ............I was wasted by the time Chisel came on.............but still kicked on to the Lifesaver and saw Rose Tattoo!

(well.............half that show I was laying on the grass outside...............) but still...............it was a night to remember!

Edited April 29, 2017 by LogicprObe

[Darren69]

30 minutes ago, LogicprObe said:

LOL!

You could write pages on this subject.

 

One of the really big nights I recall (barely) was Stage Door Tavern.........started lunch time Friday ............I was wasted by the time Chisel came on.............but still kicked on to the Lifesaver and saw Rose Tattoo!

(well.............half that show I was laying on the grass outside...............) but still...............it was a night to remember!

 

The lifesaver was a mega-dive wasn't it?

 

I have never been there but my work colleague who now lives in this area (obviously) reckons it was and he comes from Blacktown!

 

He didn't see what was so funny about Fat Pizza Vs Housos, he thought it was a doco.

[Darren69]

Oh- PS, remember Icehouse (sure they were Icehouse by then) playing at the S Grafton RSL, supported by INXS. Too young to go but I remember seeing the ad in the paper. Chicago also played there once.

 

That's was when clubs made huge efforts to get performers. Would have been early 80's.

Edited April 29, 2017 by Darren69

[Grumpy]

Pick a night, any night at or around the Largs Pier Hotel in the early to mid 70s.

 

 

[mrbuzzardstubble]

3 hours ago, Grumpy said:

Pick a night, any night at or around the Largs Pier Hotel in the early to mid 70s.

 

 

I only ever went there once. My regular haunt was the Arkaba Hotel just up the road from where I lived. I saw quite a few bands there. Split Enz, Icehouse ,The Cure and Norman Gunston.

[LogicprObe]

3 hours ago, Darren69 said:

 

The lifesaver was a mega-dive wasn't it?

 

I have never been there but my work colleague who now lives in this area (obviously) reckons it was and he comes from Blacktown!

 

He didn't see what was so funny about Fat Pizza Vs Housos, he thought it was a doco.

 

The Stagedoor was a bigger dive than the Lifesaver......................if he was from Blacktown................what did he say about the Comb and Cutter or the Carousel at Rooty Hill?

[JukKluk2]

Coming from Perth, as I do, the music scene back in the day was mostly local acts. Visiting Oz bands of any stature were treated with the same importance, i.e. as royalty, as international acts. My favourite memory, from January/February '83 I think, was when I was visiting a friend (who is now my wife - but that happened 20 years later)  and her husband down in Merimbula. In the space of five days I saw The Angels (faaaantastiiiiic show) and Moving Pictures at the Merimbula RSL, and then Chisel at the Tathra pub (Faaaaantastiic show, mk2). Like most west aussies I didn't know that there was a band circuit on the east coast where you could see your favourite bands on a regular basis. There's a reason I call it the Land of Ludd, y'know.

[ZEN MISTER]

I recall going to Dallas Brookes Hall in the seventies to see SPLIT ENZ, after Mental Notes, but prior to decamping to the U.K.

The performance was sheer genius. Tim, Phil and Noel each ' out- weirding' the other. Brilliant sound. ( The band emerged on stage from a giant plum pudding unwrapped by a ballerina. It got odd thereafter.)

After the show, we walked to a nearby McDonalds for munchies.

We had been there about ten minutes, when the door opened, and in walked the entire band, in full stage costume and vertical hair.

They moved just like they were still on stage- outbreaks  of twitchyness, shudders, preening, silently staring at the menu board as if it was another language.

The entire Maccas fell silent, customers and staff alike watching this apparition from another planet.

After a minute, they withdrew, as mysteriously as they had entered.

For us, it was like an encore performance.

For the rest of the store, they sat in stunned silence for another few minutes..

I think I have recounted this previously, but it still brings a smile to my face, so, good to share.

Billy.

[Darren69]

1 hour ago, JukKluk2 said:

Coming from Perth, as I do, the music scene back in the day was mostly local acts. Visiting Oz bands of any stature were treated with the same importance, i.e. as royalty, as international acts. My favourite memory, from January/February '83 I think, was when I was visiting a friend (who is now my wife - but that happened 20 years later)  and her husband down in Merimbula. In the space of five days I saw The Angels (faaaantastiiiiic show) and Moving Pictures at the Merimbula RSL, and then Chisel at the Tathra pub (Faaaaantastiic show, mk2). Like most west aussies I didn't know that there was a band circuit on the east coast where you could see your favourite bands on a regular basis. There's a reason I call it the Land of Ludd, y'know.

 

I reckon Perth would now be the best main Oz live act capital. Just a hotbed of talent, for some reason or other.

[Darren69]

1 hour ago, LogicprObe said:

 

The Stagedoor was a bigger dive than the Lifesaver......................if he was from Blacktown................what did he say about the Comb and Cutter or the Carousel at Rooty Hill?

 

I'll ask him and report back.

[ZEN MISTER]

I have had the pleasure to meet a few musicians over the years.

The earliest was meeting Billy Thorpe in 1965. I was 11, and The Aztecs were playing my hometown. My father had media connections and wrangled it for me to say hello when the band did an interview on the local radio station.

Billy was very generous with his time and happy to chat. I think he was quite bemused by this little music obsessed kid. I can remember Johhny Dick ( drummer) was there, but memory is foggy re the other members, but I seem to have a memory of Tony Barber being there.

Fast forward to  February, 2007, Thorpie was playing at the San Remo Hotel ( via Phillip Island). I really wanted to drive over and see if I could say hi and thank him for being so gracious to a very young fan. Something came up, and I did not get to go.

Mere days later, Australia's greatest rock star died from a massive heart attack.

Was it Steve Winwood who sang " If you see a chance, take it."

Regrets.

Billy.

[mello yello]

6 hours ago, Darren69 said:

 

The lifesaver was a mega-dive wasn't it?

 

 

with LP laying unconscious on the grass outside halfway through a gig ?

 

 

YES!!!!

[Darren69]

59 minutes ago, Loch Robster said:

 

with LP laying unconscious on the grass outside halfway through a gig ?

 

 

YES!!!!

 

I feel robbed.

 

I could have shaved one of his eyebrows.

[eman]

3 hours ago, JukKluk2 said:

Coming from Perth, as I do, the music scene back in the day was mostly local acts. Visiting Oz bands of any stature were treated with the same importance, i.e. as royalty, as international acts. My favourite memory, from January/February '83 I think, was when I was visiting a friend (who is now my wife - but that happened 20 years later)  and her husband down in Merimbula. In the space of five days I saw The Angels (faaaantastiiiiic show) and Moving Pictures at the Merimbula RSL, and then Chisel at the Tathra pub (Faaaaantastiic show, mk2). Like most west aussies I didn't know that there was a band circuit on the east coast where you could see your favourite bands on a regular basis. There's a reason I call it the Land of Ludd, y'know.

Sad Stories.

I'm not plugged into any useful 'Gig Guide' but the pole posters don't indicate anything like that around here anymore.

 

In fact I could see the venues closing around me in Canberra, (yes there were some),  as the late night 'Wine Bars' opened up and set about complaining about the noise from the live venues that had been there for years.  Close the live band venues.

 

Same thing happened with the racing car speedway. Build a suburb next to it.  Sell the houses in the day.  Run the speedway at night..........get the speedway closed.

Edited April 29, 2017 by eman

[crisis]

My affection to "Aussie Rock" is quite different from all but a few of my closest mates. It is only recently that I have begun to like "Australian" music. So my anecdotes are quite recent and from obscure bands. Last year I attended the New Dead Metal Fest in Adelaide and was amused to watch a kid about 7 or 8 on the shoulders of an adult being subjected to a fairly full on harsh vocal assault from a band I cant recall. It turned out his dad was the drummer. Kid must have thought he was getting told off in school. Then a couple of weeks back at the same venue another heavy metal mini festival had a nana in a wheel chair , had to be 90, being wheeled around by a younger lady, around 70. It turned out that her grand daughter was the singer of one of the bands. I suspect nanna didn't have her hearing aid in but it was an awesome sight.
 

Edited April 29, 2017 by crisis

[crisis]

Actually here is an old one. In "the day", the late 80s, we used to follow a few heavy metal bands around. We were freaks really because everyone was into  "Chisel" and the "Oils". Anyway we got to the venue for a "Metal Holocaust" :-) and the bouncer wouldn't let anyone in wearing a, wait for it, black T shirt. ....

About an hour later with 200 people lined up outside someone told the vegetable that there was no on inside. We all got in and the first band was playing to an empty venue.

[mello yello]

1 hour ago, Darren69 said:

 

I feel robbed.

 

I could have shaved one of his eyebrows.

 

what do you mean one of ... ?

 

get one youve got the lot 

Edited April 29, 2017 by mello yello