Classic Australian Music from 1976
1976, I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in year 9 at high school. Malcolm Fraser was our Prime Minister then, back in the days he could keep his trousers on. Neville Wran became Premier of NSW in May of 1976.
Van Der Hum won the Melbourne Cup. Australia beat the West Indies in the cricket test. Hawthorne won the VFL Grand Final and Manly broke my heart by beating Parramatta 13-10 in the NSW Rugby League Premiership.
At the movies, we were enjoying such Aussie classics as Storm Boy, Don’s Party, and John Mellion was giving the performance of his career in The Fourth Wish.
Some famous Aussies were born in 1976 such as Brett Lee, Brett Kimmorley, Kasey Chambers, Damien Leith, Marcos Ambrose & Mark Webber.
Australian music was very healthy with Countdown in full flight and artists like The Angels, John Paul Young, TMG, Jon English, AC/DC, Sherbet, Little River Band and many, many more. Here’s a few of those acts to give you a taste…
Some of the Gigs Australians were going to in 1976
| Date | Artist | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18/01/76 | Skyhooks | St Kilda, VIC | Palais Theatre |
| 20/03/76 | Leo Sayer | Moore Park, NSW | Hordern Pavilion |
| 09/04/76 | Little River Band | Bondi Junction | Bondi Lifesaver |
| 11/04/76 | Little River Band | Bondi Junction | Bondi Lifesaver |
| 17/04/76 | Queen | Moore Park, NSW | Hordern Pavilion |
| 30/04/76 | Toons | Ramsgate | Hawaiian Night (Club?) |
| played as “Briquewall” | |||
| 08/05/76 | Toons | Cronulla, NSW | Youth Club |
| played as “Briquewall” | |||
| 22/05/76 | Toons | Surry Hills, NSW | Clique Wine Bar |
| played as “I.C. Delite” | |||
| 04/06/76 | Toons | Cronulla, NSW | Fiddler’s Vine Winebar |
| 05/06/76 | Toons | Cronulla, NSW | Fiddler’s Vine Winebar |
| 11/06/76 | Toons | Surry Hills, NSW | Clique Wine Bar |
| 12/06/76 | Toons | Surry Hills, NSW | Clique Wine Bar |
| 17/06/76 | Toons | Cronulla, NSW | Fiddler’s Vine Winebar |
| 18/06/76 | Toons | Surry Hills, NSW | Clique Wine Bar |
| 19/06/76 | Toons | Surry Hills, NSW | Clique Wine Bar |
| 24/06/76 | Toons | Cronulla, NSW | Fiddler’s Vine Winebar |
| 25/06/76 | Toons | Surry Hills, NSW | Clique Wine Bar |
| 26/06/76 | Toons | Surry Hills, NSW | Clique Wine Bar |
| 01/07/76 | Toons | Cronulla, NSW | Fiddler’s Vine Winebar |
| 02/07/76 | Toons | Surry Hills, NSW | Clique Wine Bar |
| 19/07/76 | Midnight Oil | Kingsford | Regent Hotel |
| 30/07/76 | Skyhooks | Canberra, ACT | Canberra Theatre |
| + Ol’ 55 | |||
| 31/07/76 | Skyhooks | Goulburn, NSW | Goulburn Hall |
| + Ol’ 55 | |||
| 08/08/76 | Skyhooks | Moore Park, NSW | Hordern Pavilion |
| 19/09/76 | The Silver Studs | Castle Hill | Castle Hill RSL Club |
| 02/10/76 | Skyhooks | Parramatta | War and Peace |
| 22/10/76 | Cold Chisel | Bondi Junction | Bondi Lifesaver |
| 31/10/76 | Stars | Moore Park (NSW) | Sydney Showground |
| 31/10/76 | Kevin Borich | Moore Park (NSW) | Sydney Showground |
| 11/11/76 | Midnight Oil | Avalon | Avalon RSL |
| 11/11/76 | Blackmore’s Rainbow | Moore Park, NSW | Hordern Pavilion |
| 12/12/76 | Skyhooks | Bondi Junction | Bondi Lifesaver |
| 12/12/76 | AC/DC | Moore Park, NSW | Hordern Pavilion |
| 28/12/76 | Russell Morris | Sydney | Regent Theatre |
| 28/12/76 | Ol’ 55 | Sydney | Regent Theatre |
Does anyone remember a music festival in the late 70s or early 80s in New South Wales called tanalong or something similiar. Aztecs,Max Merrit and the Church played along with a heap of other bands.
Tanelorn was a year or two before Narara. It’s been hard to find info about it or at least enough to write an article. Hopefully some stuff will turn up one day. 🙂
I do, if it was the one north of Newcastle with Split Enz, Men at Work, Midnight Oil and lots of others over two or three days.
I remember Tanalong , It was just outside of Stroud , north west of Newcastle , in !980 or 81 , The Oils played & blew everyone away , I’ve got a photo of Peter Garrett ‘s pumping bald head STEAMMING in the night air, Splitz Enz then came on & said ” Wow ! , they ‘re a hard act to follow” & played that song. The big question I want to know as I have just watched “Searching for Sugarman ” is, I’m pretty sure I saw Rodregriez play that night as well , Can any one verify that ???
Tonti
tonticonnolly@hotmail.com
Does anyone have the list of bands that were on at this festival? a poster, newspaper article or anything. My strongest memory of it was Split Enz starting their set with Hard Act to Follow and dedicating the song to the band they followed, Midnight Oil.
The brilliant Skyhooks released & toured with their 3rd album ‘Straight In A Gay Gay World’