About This Site
This site is an attempt to provide a permanent record of Australian bands, musicians, recordings and technical crew no matter what the musical genre. It will have a bias towards Rock and Pop in the beginning but eventually we would like to highlight Aussie music of all types.
We gratefully accept contributions directly from Bands and Muso’s so if you want yourself or your band listed just let us know. Similarly, if you spot something on our site that is not accurate, please let us know and we will correct it.
Hi there,
I’ve just ‘stumbled’ across your site. Good on you for setting up such a database – an important historical (as well as contemporary) resource.
As you mention, the bias is towards ‘Rock and Pop’ – no doubt due to your time restrictions!
I think you would do well to check out the folk/acoustic scene. There are some fabulous and influential musicians and bands in that scene.
One way to do that would be check out programs from the major folk festivals in Australia, as they have the bands listed with players and bios. Such festivals include The Port Fairy Folk Festival, Woodford Folk Festival, The National Folk Festival, Fairbridge Folk Festival and Cygnet Folk Festival, just for starters.
On that topic, I am a founding member of a band that has played in that scene for nearly 25 years, and is still going strong. The band is called ‘Jugularity’. It is a comedy cabaret band, and can be found at http://users.monash.edu.au/~sci148k/.
Otherwise, I am a full-time musician, and I play in a variety of bands, and work as a session musician.
Hope this is helpful.
Ciao,
Peter
I would like to see recognition for AQUARIUS, a coffee shop in Perth WA, in the early seventies. It was down an alley, at the back of the YMCA, made from what used to be an indoor swimming pool. It was most notable for full house Sunday night concerts.
Although it started as a predominately folk music venue, it soon grew to include rock/pop played acoustically, standup comedy, piano solos, and even a young man who played Raga styles on guitar. I sang and played guitar there in 1971.
I later included in my act, a medley of fifties type rock.
There was such a vibrant vibe about the place back then, it is sad to find no mention of it on the Net.
Over the last two years, a few of us have made contact, and hopefully someone will start a special site. Would love to hear from anyone who remembers the place. I am sure that there are some who played there, who went on to Muso careers.
Its surprising that one Australia’s iconic music venues – The Playroom – is not included in your list of venues – having seen a number of huge Aussie bands and overseas acts through the 80’s and early 90’s I would have thought there would be punters who would have written about it.
Aquarius great vibes -regular haunt for a lot of people
Aquarius was a very important music centre in Perth between 1969 – 1972/3. The concept was originally that of John Thornton of JT & the Jazzmen fame and who was later the long term operator of the Regal Theatre a renowned venue in Subiaco where some of the worlds leading acts have over the years performed. The ongoing success of some of the musicians who got their start doing a Sunday night bracket is significant and for a long period of time it was the only venue through which new young performers could display their talents. It is my view that if Perth is included in Australia’s music history so too should Aquarius Coffee Shop be as a part of that history.