GOLDEN OLDIES SET FOR SUPERCONCERT
Rock legends roll back the years on the Coast
IF you remember how much fun it was, you weren’t doing it properly ...
A who’s who of Oz rock will unite for a special one-off super concert on the Gold Coast this summer: Gold FM Live at NightQuarter, Helensvale, on December 3.
The big gig’s stars – Ross Wilson, Rose Tattoo, Eurogliders, The Radiators, Richard Clapton, Wendy Matthews, The Church’s Steve Kilbey, Shannon Noll, 1927 and Glenn Shorrock – have played thousands of venues across the country during their decadeslong careers.
While their memories of many of the bars, clubs and pubs they’ve performed in have blurred – and in same cases, completely faded – our golden oldies all fondly recall great times on the Gold Coast.
These artists have played – and outlived – numerous venues on the Coast, many of them since as far back as the 1970s.
While iconic live music hubs such as The Playroom, Bombay Rock, The Patch and the Chevron Skyline Lounge have made way for new developments, the shows they hosted are not forgotten.
We asked the Gold FM Live stars to dig deep and share
their favourite Gold Coast venues with us ahead of their all-star return.
Drum roll please ...
STEVE KILBEY, THE CHURCH: THE JET CLUB “My favourite venue on the Gold Coast ever was the Jet Club.
“I had heard a lot about it before even playing there.
“All the Sydney bands would return from the Gold Coast saying ‘Wait until you play the Jet Club’ – and sure enough when we first played there it lived it up to all expectations.
“It was violent and wild. This is back in the days when groupies were rabid, punters were violent and the bouncers had just been released from prison!”
RICHARD CLAPTON: THE PLAYROOM AND THE PATCH “This was the golden age of Oz rock and pretty much every gig I have ever played on the Gold Coast has been a pearler.” MARK LUCAS (DRUMMER), THE RADIATORS: THE PLAYROOM “Massive nights at The Playroom! Backstage catering was always exceptional and the best barmaids!
“The other great thing about the Coast was the fact you could play smaller venues on a Thursday or Sunday, which for touring bands was a great thing.
“You could play the Coast three to four times a year in different venues and still have a great night.
“But sheesh, those wild nights at The Playroom I’ll
never forget.” GRACE KNIGHT, EUROGLIDERS: Q1 AND TWIN TOWNS SERVICES CLUB “Unlike many of the smaller Gold Coast venues, Twin Towns is a theatre, with curtains and backdrops and stage props.
“When we were doing our sound check I noticed a ‘moon swing’ hanging high in the rafters. I imagine it was a prop used for another show that was on at around that time.
“I asked the Twin Towns sound crew if I could have a go on it, so they dropped it down.
“It was a massive sparkling half moon suspended inside a hoop with a seat inside the moon, all attached to a wire so that it could be raised and lowered.
“I thought it would be a great idea if I could be lowered in this contraption singing the opening “OOOohs” of Heaven (Must Be There).
“We did a quick runthrough. I held on to the hoop which supported the moon with both hands and had my feet planted firmly on the step as the stage guys lowered me down to the stage.
“No problem, this was going to be quite the entrance.
“During the actual gig I got hoisted up on the moon high into the rafters, ready to be lowered to the sounds of the bells chiming at the start of Heaven. I then realised I’d have