Kanga Kiwi Cool A Go Go

The isolation and playing in a lot of noisy pubs created the Aussie sound in bands, really loud strumming. I suppose if you're a group of struggling musicians in the 60's with an average exchange rate, renting everything, paying a fortune to fly hlf way around the world......... once you get overseas, you're going to have to sell a lot of tickets and albums to get your money back. The Go-Betweens, Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil, Split Enz & The Angels are some that I can think of struggled later on.
Well - you guys are definitely on the map today with indie - Tame Impala, King Gizzard ..., Cloud Control, Bombay Royale, Morning Harvey, Courtney Barnett, Pond, ... etc. When I look for material for this thread and google stuff like Australia, psychedelic, garage, there's a lot of modern stuff that comes back cuz you guys went through a modern psychedelic thing recently. Anyhoo - thanks to modern technology the geographical barriers are gone.
 
I know this is 1970, but I think it fits in. Reminded me of The Hollies. (Plus they have a woman on keyboard!)

Plus they cop some great Sixties cred by playing at Chu Lai Air Base, South Vietnam (1971)

BNM_20-08-2014_HINDSIGHT_01_BUN140814XAN1C.1_fct649x487x147_ct620x465.jpg
 
Behind The Music
As you can see the Easybeats were a pretty big deal in Australia by 1966. They wanted to break out and become world stars. So they're getting ready to move to England and they do a farewell TV special -

"In late June the band did a three-week tour of South Australia, and then flew straight to Sydney to record a 'farewell' television special for the 7 Network on Sunday July 3. The Easybeats Coca Cola Special is one of the icons of Australian pop TV ...Surrounded by a enthusiastic live audience, and augmented by a fab troupe of go-go dancers, The Coca-Cola Special captures the essential excitement that the band generated ..."

Here's a clip -

New South Wales 1966

The blond guitar player is Harry Vanda -

"Everything looked rosy for The Easybeats -- a string of hit records behind them, a TV special in the can, a record deal with a major overseas label in place, and a trip to England imminent - but it was at that moment that tragedy struck. After filming the Special, Harry Vanda returned home to his Sydney flat in the early hours of Monday July 4 to find his wife dead. Distraught that she was not allowed to go to England with him, Pam Vanda had committed suicide by taking an overdose of sleeping pills."

Quoted material from - MILESAGO: Australasian Music & Popular Culture 1964-1975
.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom