Right, you’ve been warned. I woke up on Sunday morning to something that I knew would be the cause of great debate in my household – a list of the top 50 Australian bands of all time. My first words to my mother were “am I going to call bullshit?” Because I’m often weary of how these lists are constructed. I’m also aware of how subjective music tastes are and how much a top 50 can vary from person to person. For example, in my house you have three different people with three very different opinions – there were, however a few things we agreed on, including a few glaring omissions:
No Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs? Excuse me?
Particularly of those Aztecs are of the Sunbury variety. I call bullshit.
Now I will say this with full disclosure and no shame – I love Billy. He was loud, confident and made me feel like it was okay to be a bit different. Seeing Billy Thorpe live gave me an introduction to loud, live pub rock – and I fell in love with it. I fell so in love that I have a guitar called Billy. I wear a bracelet with the name billy (also for the other Billy who’s no longer in my life – now that would be a band!)
I remember running away from a friend mid conversation because I could hear Thorpie at a festival once. I didn’t care. Billy was onstage with my uncle Mike – I had to go.
Seeing Billy live was an experience I’ll never forget (I don’t think my hearing will either) Gil Matthews played with Billy, Warren Morgan played with Billy and Lobby Loyde once played with Billy. Lobby influenced Nirvana. This band influenced many with an iconic sound and ethos – nuff said.
Mondo Rock are MIA.
Empire Of The Sun but not Mondo Rock? Mate, please…. I liked Empire Of The Sun but I still can’t remember their big hit. My mum can’t either. Dad just doesn’t care. We can ALL remember the MANY, MANY Mondo Rock hits and it’s not just because I’ve been to more Ross Wilson concerts than I care to recall.
I could honestly quite happily live without hearing Come Said The Boy again and I KNOW they need to be in the top 50 bands of all time. The Ross Wilson/Eric McCusker songwriting machine deserves recognition. I was em recently at One Electric Day and everyone went nuts. There’s a good reason for that. Empire Of The Sun out, Mondo Rock in.
Where the hell are Sherbet?!
One debate has lasted longer than time – that of Skyhooks V’s Sherbet. Skyhooks came in at number 19 and Sherbet? Well they’re not on the list.
There isn’t a summer that goes by where you don’t hear Howzat. Sherbet were the ultimate pop band of their time and they created music that still attracts a strong following today.
It also launched the career of Daryl Braithwaite, a bloke who is still selling out venues all over the shop these days (he’s also still having to occasionally deal with crazy people trying to pull him off the stage – don’t y’all grow out of that, seriously?)
My point is, Sherbet should be in there. They deserve to be. People still go apeshit when they hear that cricket song and there’s a very good reason why.
And finally … Icehouse couldn’t crack the top 20.
What? Sorry, what? Ever seen Icehouse live people? They currently have a line up so impressive that the only sentence I can muster when they announce a gig is “shut up and take my money”. As far as live bands go, they could wipe the floor with so many, many other bands. I’d probably cancel my own wedding if it clashed with one of their gigs (good thing I don’t believe in marriage) because some things are just more important.
Now let’s talk about the music. Icehouse are responsible for so many hits that I would have RSI if I typed them all down, but here are some highlights – great southern land, hey little girl, sister, can’t help myself, love in motion, walls, electric blue, my obsession, cross the border (which needs to come back into the set list by the way, lads. You have the best bass player in aus, don’t waste it).
Okay, so some of those hits were technically Flowers, but they’re the same band (yes, I know my shit and I know I’m right).
Basically, icehouse should be lower. They can’t be number 21 because their song list is too good, the band are too good and their reach is too vast – not to mention the impact Icehouse had on the music scene.
I will go through this list and post my own top fifty when I have a minute, but until then stay tuned. This is not over…
help me, calliope 