Oz rock!

Not sure if you guys know this, but the American perception of Australian culture is quite positive. Of course, what Americans think Australian culture is about is probably mostly ridiculous, but it's perceived very fondly.

The American TV and radio ads for Foster's beer and Outback Steakhouse are great examples. A guy with an Australian accent, promoting "Crocodile Dundee" stereotypes, sells a product. And Americans eat it up, literally.
 
Onya uniin - we're getting quite a catalogue going here.




Yeah, that was the worst gig ever. Much more fun having residencies at small, fleabag bars. As for the "exposure" you receive playing a prestige venue with a name band ... it doesn't necessarily mean good exposure ...

I usually find Skyhooks songs too repetitive but they worked great live because they were so tight and had such great energy. Ego is a great little number.

Going back to 1972, this was a classic by excellent vocalist, Jeff St John http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgWGQTcDFLk ... a million miles from from the formulaic singer/dancer bimbo and himbo pop stars on the record company mass production line!

We even had our own precursor to Boy George - Jeff Duff - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUFeKIaVFP8 ... I went with friends to see a more recent band of his in a city venue. They knew Jeff and we sat and drank with him and the band after the gig. The fruity shtick is such a game - he's a really grounded, likeable guy :) ... and he's still gigging http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQtNSSFfvwc

Skyhooks: the whole Ego album is good. my local AOR station played the whole thing when it came out in '75 and i went to school the next day singing "You Just Like Me Cause I'm Good In Bed". my friends wanted to know - What are you singing ? : ) didn't hear it again until da tube. wondered if i just imagined the record was that good. it was. and so were the songs from other albums that i found and the documentary was good too.

Jeff St. John: great voice. is he wheel-chair bound for life oe was that a momentary occurance ? i could look him up, but...you know...i'm like lazy and stuff.
 
this work?
Rolf Harris: Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport http://youtu.be/vGCiYDWGZv4

Don't need to click the link. I saw him perform it on TV for many years. The man is a dag but he's a genuine talent. One of his tricks was to doing a painting in a couple of minutes before an audience - very skillful!

Don't forget his cover of Stairway to Heaven :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBzJQ6ZA6oA


Not sure if you guys know this, but the American perception of Australian culture is quite positive. Of course, what Americans think Australian culture is about is probably mostly ridiculous, but it's perceived very fondly.

The American TV and radio ads for Foster's beer and Outback Steakhouse are great examples. A guy with an Australian accent, promoting "Crocodile Dundee" stereotypes, sells a product. And Americans eat it up, literally.

Oh yeah, the throw a shrimp on the barbie thing. Bear in mind that no Aussie would ever say that - he translated "prawns" into the Americanese term - "shrimps".

Yeah, the idea of the stoic, laconic Aussie is history. In our cities people are just as neurotic, oversensitive, complaining and hair-trigger as people in cities everywhere.


Skyhooks: the whole Ego album is good. my local AOR station played the whole thing when it came out in '75 and i went to school the next day singing "You Just Like Me Cause I'm Good In Bed". ...

Jeff St. John: great voice. is he wheel-chair bound for life oe was that a momentary occurance ? i could look him up, but...you know...i'm like lazy and stuff.

Ah, there's a story behind You Just Like Me Cause I'm Good In Bed ... it was banned on all the commercial radio stations. Just at that time the ABC (government-funded independent media) started up a radio station for young people to support local product - 2JJ - and that was the first song they broadcast - a nice statement of intent.

Yep, Jeff St John's paraplegic and, yes, he has a great voice.

There was some pretty mean indie going on here too:

The Birthday party, featuring Nick Cave: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5I2vEcVC_I

A similar character was Tex Perkins. I saw one of his bands play, The Beasts of Bourbon ... pretty heavy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IR5DykkpnE

Later he started up The Cruel Sea, who I liked a lot more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmeiqwI6Ejk
 
Don't forget his cover of Stairway to Heaven :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBzJQ6ZA6oA

I've been trying to forget that little gem ever since he first performed it. Unfortunately, Pol, you won't let me.

The Poms can keep him........they can also keep Kylie and Danni Minogue.....and they can have Mel B back too for that matter.

Totally impressed to see the Skyhooks getting a run on the other side of the Pacific though.
 
Bee Gees ?

Olivia Newton-John ?

The Bee Gees started their music careers in Brisbane but they'd long returned to their native England by the time they made it internationally.

Olivia ... yeah, I guess, but she was pretty well a product.

Just noticed there's not too many women in these lists ... hmm, All woman band, The Party Girls, played hard pop rock http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAaT8P5kVD0. My old band supported them one time and their crew was awesome - they really looked after us and we never sounded so good. The band were nice too.

Melbourne indie band (PFOG's territory) The Go Betweens had a woman drummer, Lindy Morrison http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq1s6FCEoZM

Back to the boys, Jeff Lang is arguably our most talented blues guitarist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvTiTICBI2M ... I've seen this lineup play and, while they noodle like crazy, they noodle very, very well.

Has anyone heard of Alex Lloyd? He was pretty big for a while. He started out in a band called Mother Hubbard, who sounded like Pearl Jam before Pearl Jam did. Trivia: the sister of an ex partner was friends with their drummer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdmUucJyugg
 
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there's a lot of information here to go through. i am thankful for all of your supplying thoughts, memories and links.

Lindy Morrison is my new hero. didn't Split Endz do a video in that same rustic barn / shack set ?
 
Any bands you'd like to suggest that I missed?

You and some surprisingly "well listened" Yanks are pretty much covering it Pol. Everytime I think of one, I come back and see that it's been added (Skyhooks was my last attempt). Don't think Powderfinger have been mentioned have they? Shame to see them split last year......great band I always thought.

Outside of them, I'm scraping the barrel. Don't think I've seen Dragon mentioned...Sherbert perhaps (Ok,,,lame, but people obviously loved 'em back in the day....poor man's Skyhooks I always thought...after the fact of course, being such a spring chicken and all). :)
 
Lindy Morrison is my new hero. didn't Split Endz do a video in that same rustic barn / shack set ?

Dunno the vid, Unfunk. Lindy is now a management consultant or sumpin like that :)


You and some surprisingly "well listened" Yanks are pretty much covering it Pol. Everytime I think of one, I come back and see that it's been added (Skyhooks was my last attempt). Don't think Powderfinger have been mentioned have they? Shame to see them split last year......great band I always thought.

Outside of them, I'm scraping the barrel. Don't think I've seen Dragon mentioned...Sherbert perhaps (Ok,,,lame, but people obviously loved 'em back in the day....poor man's Skyhooks I always thought...after the fact of course, being such a spring chicken and all). :)

Yeah, I've been impressed by a few of these guys, who break the cliche of the insular Yank :)

Yep, Powderfinger were after my time ... good pickup.

Dragon, they were super slick on stage, like a band of session players (also expat Kiwis). Who can forget their outrageous single Are You Old Enough? (just heard it on the radio a few mins ago). How did such seediness make it to No 1?? How about when they did the mime thing on Countdown ... singing "are you old enough" to a mass of screaming girls - hilarious!

Speaking of Kiwis, there was also Dave Dobbyn and his band DD Smash (also v good live) ... Whaling was a great song.

I liked two Sherbert songs - Summer Love and Howzat! - where the bubblegum was a tad less sticky.
 
Not sure if more than a few people are reading but whattheheck.

Forgot a big one - the first Aussie rocker to tour the US - Johnny O'Keefe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kP3BS23PNE ... before my time, though. Any of you guys heard of him??

Closer to my vintage was the Masters Apprentices (another big omission) - this track rocks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GJkjRo5jkg ... they did well in the UK for a short while. The drummer, Colin (forgot last name) is a regular at a club we've played at a few times. Good guy - lots of fun.
 
I live in a beach town, been surfing all my life, and surfers travel, the surfing lifestyle translates across the globe, Rabbit Bartholomew was one of my hero's growing up, he spends alot of time in this area now. but whew I live the music/surf connection was how we knew about lots of Aussie music:: check this cover: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PGKjPgbTt4
 
Onya MX, another gap filled.

Then we have the self referential songs ... singin' about Orstraya.

Icehouse: Great Southern Land http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mkidP2OUCk... VERY 80s. Iva Davies (vocs, guit, songwriter) used to play in a cover band called Flowers ... best cover ban I've heard. Couldn't believe the perfect note for note cover of Lou Reed's Intro/Sweet Jane from Rock'n'Roll Animal.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FdWPeHFAMk. No joke - he and the others in the band nailed this perfectly.

Or Gangajang with Sounds of Then (This is Australia) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML9h3I5Uktw ... there was this small movement in the 80s towards a romanticised idea of Aust. Bloody young cappuccino quaffing city slicking hipsters carrying on about the Great Outback ... yeah, don't forget your hair gel, lads

Men at Work's Downunder ... everyone knows this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeG-hNXXy6I ... they were successfully sued by Larrikin Music for plagiarism, arguing that the flute line was stolen from and old Aussie folk song. Rubbish - it was a crock of a decision.

Peter Allen's I Still Call Australia Home *gimme a bucket* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDLXdUnd-3o ... it's almost like an alternative national anthem, played to death on commercial TV when they want to induce a feeling of mawkish patriotism in suggestible Australians.

Easily the best Australiana song IMO is Goanna Band's Solid Rock, the didgeridoo works great http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV_0Mf9YcyA
 
Colin Hay does seem like a nice guy indeed. he was on Craig Ferguson's show a while back.

here's my favorite Men. also one of my favorite snare sounds. it was the last we heard of the Men here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BhrLCTDPdg

My fave MOW track is their first single http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPlNzWbX9c8 ... I had the feeling that Colin Hay started getting serious after a fun, quirky beginning. I dug their drummer live - simple but rock solid and great kit sound.


Can't forget the mighty You Am I !!!!

Great band and still playing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuNnKYHKrNw

Funny thing ... I know the name well and probably know some of their songs but I know nothing about them. Did they come up in the 90s?


Here's one that's good for a laugh ... Moving Pictures had a No 1 with What About Me?, inspiring anthem for melodramatic whiny losers lol (esp those who are into The Boss) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzQKECQgjW8 ... love the lush drum production. I saw them play a few times - excellent live band. Later the vocalist, Alex Smith, was seen playing around the traps in soul bands.

In Oz we have the hazard of finding band names that aren't used by overseas gropups. I saw the excellent blues band The Hippos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpwH7dX2TEI (one for Larry here) play many times. But if you look for them on YouTube you get the US ska band, The Hippos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrZtQyCPDSo

As for jazz ... hard to go past the Australian Jazz Quintet featuring Errol Buddle on all saxes, flute, bassoon etc. He was the first Aussie jazzman to play with leading us jazzers like Elvin Jones, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holliday, Sammy Davis Jr, Roy Orbison, the Bee Gees and Nat 'King' Cole http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaIqAc23mok.

He's still gigging, I think (he must be around 80 now). I saw him play many times - the best was a quartet with brilliant drummer, Warren Daly, from the Daly Wilson Big Band.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnaLOP-qRYo

Truly world class.
 
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I remember The Hippos.....caught them several times myself. Loved their posters, remember them? The back of the singers neck.....looked just like a hippo too!

Great blues band.

Yeah, the same suited them perfectly. Les Karski was a great guitarist. The Hippos also had Bridie King playing for them at one stage (as per earlier posted vid) ... she played keys for every second blues band around.

Let's talk blues ...

1960s - Chain with Matt Taylor and Phil Manning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjslm31mjm4

Daddy Cool - and who can forget Eagle Rock? Who hasn't covered it at some time or another?? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQfAZVsz6KM

Spectrum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1evcVFuqxA0

Foreday Riders - one of the more traditional blues groups. I've seen these guys tons of times http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsFH6-2IDP8

Bondi Cigars (the Yanks would crack up if they work out what it means :) - saw these guys lots too back when Les Karksi from The Hippos was with them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TebRmJInj0

The Mighty Reapers with the fabulous Dave Brewer on guitar and Continental Robert from Dynamic Hepnotics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md-utzsGIr0
 
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Some honourable mentions in previous posts and some not. However, there's a whole era of great Aussie bands not mentioned. Here we go:

The Saints - best known for I'm Stranded, but this one is a much better number http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLbyaNbhHdU

And before the Bad Seeds, Nick Cave was the front man for the one and only Birthday Party (originally the Boys Next Door) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDbfJJUGElw&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL3EC07351BF1B37D7

One of the best live acts EVER - Radio Birdman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhS7jNaUWoE

Another great live act the Celibate Rifles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoIqzlIrIcQ

Died Pretty http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPiOikLI9oM

Crow http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2cZNE3vUCw

Young Docteurs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpmcAamG9LU
 
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