Recording the golden age of Australian live music
Where the bands played, what was on and what charted, from the pub rock years of the 1970s to the 1990s. Told by someone who was there, and written down before it’s lost.
This week in history
1973
- SkyhooksMatthew Flinders Hotel, Chadstone, VIC
1977
- Cold ChiselBondi Lifesaver, Bondi Junction, NSW
1980
- James Freud & BerlinComb and Cutter Hotel, Blacktown, NSW
- Tim Piper Band, Dynamic HepnoticsGraphic Arts Club, Sydney, NSW
- Tim Piper Band, Dynamic HepnoticsGraphic Arts Club, Sydney, NSW
1981
1982
- Bronx, Treason, Montreaux, BossAstra Hotel, Bondi, NSW
- Pat DrummondRest Hotel, Milsons Point, NSW
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1988 was the year Australian music flexed its muscles. Amid Bicentennial festivities — tall ships, Harbour fireworks, and nationwide pride — local artists delivered a soundtrack of confidence and polish.…
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1977 sits right in that sweet spot of Australian music history — the moment when local artists weren’t just filling the gaps between overseas hits, they were owning the charts.…
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2025 was a heartbreaking year for Australian music, as we said goodbye to some of the legends who shaped our sound. From country pioneers to glam rock icons, these artists…
From the mixing desk
In 1985 and 1986 I was the live sound engineer for Bandanna. My work diaries from those years are mostly just a date and a venue, night after night, and they’re where this site started.
Since then I’ve been writing up the bands, the venues and the charts, with help from readers and photographers who were there too. If something here is wrong, or you have a photo, a poster or a memory to add, I’d like to hear from you.
On YouTube
Song stories, countdowns and trivia on the Australian Music History channel.