Pub rock (Australia)
Australian pub rock | |
---|---|
Stylistic origins | |
Cultural origins | 1970s, Australia |
Pub rock is a style of Australian
Australian pub rock incorporates
In a few Australian cities, particularly Melbourne, pub rock was associated with the Sharpies youth subculture.
History
Background
The emergence of the Australian version of the pub rock genre and the related pub circuit was the result of several interconnected factors. From the 1950s to the 1970s, mainly because of restrictive state liquor licensing laws, only a small proportion of live pop and rock music in Australia was performed on licensed premises (mostly private clubs or
During the 1960s, however, Australian states began liberalising their licensing laws.
First bands emerge
In the early 1970s
By early 1971, Blackfeather consisted of Neale Johns on lead vocals, John Robinson on lead guitar (ex-Lonely Ones, Monday's Children, Dave Miller Set), Robert Fortesque on bass guitar, and Alexander Kash on drums. Their debut album, At the Mountains of Madness, appeared in April 1971.[2] In May they had a hit with "Seasons of Change", which peaked at No. 15 on the Go-Set National Top 40 Singles Chart.[2][5] Buffalo formed in August 1971 by Dave Tice on co-lead vocals (ex-Head) with Paul Balbi on drums, John Baxter on guitar and Peter Wells on bass guitar. Their debut album, Dead Forever..., appeared in June the following year.[3] According to Australian rock music journalist, Ed Nimmervoll, "The seeds for Australian heavy rock can be traced back to two important sources, Billy Thorpe's Seventies Aztecs and Sydney band Buffalo".[6] In 1972, Aztecs member Lobby Lloyd formed Coloured Balls, which became the favoured band of the sharpies youth subculture.
Notable pub-rock venues include the
Expansion of the sound
Many city and suburban pubs gained renown for their support of live music, and many prominent Australian bands — including
As the pub-rock phenomenon expanded, hundreds of hotels in capital cities and major towns began providing regular live music, and a thriving circuit evolved, enabling bands to tour up and down the eastern and southern coast of Australia from North Queensland to South Australia.
A band like Hunters & Collectors, for example, saw their sound harden from their arty origins (which included a brass section, experimental percussion, and complex arrangements) to a more straightforward rock sound with emphasis on drums, bass, and simple guitar riffs; it was a sound that more suited the beer barns they were to play in over their extensive touring career.[11]
Though Australia has a relatively small population, the proportionally high number of venues that bands could play in, mainly along the Eastern coast[citation needed], meant that a band could tour extensively, often playing every night for long periods. This would allow bands such as AC/DC, Cold Chisel, INXS, Midnight Oil, Rose Tattoo and others to build their reputation and take their live skills into large venues in the US and Europe with ease.
See also
- Music of Australia
- List of public house topics
- Roots rock
- Grunge
References
- ^ a b McFarlane, 'Billy Thorpe' entry. Archived from the original on 19 April 2004. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ a b c McFarlane, 'Blackfeather' entry. Archived from the original on 6 August 2004. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ a b McFarlane, 'Buffalo' entry. Archived from the original on 15 June 2004. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-86403-361-8. Note: On-line copy has limited view.
- ^ Nimmervoll, Ed. "Top Records for the Year of 1971". Go-Set. Waverley Press. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ Nimmervoll, Ed. "Rose Tattoo". Howlspace. White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 4 August 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
- ^ a b McFarlane, 'AC/DC' entry. Archived from the original on 6 August 2004. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ a b McFarlane, 'Cold Chisel' entry. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ a b McFarlane, 'The Angels' entry. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ a b McFarlane, 'The Dingoes' entry. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ McFarlane, 'Hunters & Collectors' entry. Archived from the original on 7 June 2004. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- General references
- ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the originalon 5 April 2004. Retrieved 15 July 2013. Note: Archived [on-line] version has limited functionality.