to everyone who contributed to this book, the exhibition, the accompanying CD, the split 7”s, and the various associated events • to the Wollongong Art Gallery for taking a punt on an 1 THE WANDERERS, Dot unknown • to the curatorial team for providing me with guidance, 2 THE MARKSMEN, Moonshine 3 THE EXECUTIVES, support and laughter • to the co-curators who created displays My Aim Is To Please You from a collection of passion and memories • to the artists who 4 LIBERTY, I Really Don’t Mind 5 TARQUIN, Joker interpreted our musical history in a visual way • to those from 6 HARD GRIND, Mile Away 7 SVEGIE’S VEGIES, Lonely Trail afar who placed their faith in me sight unseen • to those close 8 THE PROTON ENERGY PILLS, by who placed their faith in me even after seeing me • to the (Less Than I) Spend 9 SOCIAL OUTCASTS, people who opened up their homes, archives, memorabilia boxes, and Wasted Youth hearts • to the musicians, venue operators, retailers, managers, 10 MAN BITES DOG, The Picture 11 TUMBLEWEED, Stoned promoters, booking agents, photographers, writers and DJ’s who 12 ZAMBIAN GOAT HERDERS, Starshine shared their memories so readily • to the local businesses who 13 STEVEN ROBINSON, helped with practical stuff • to the management committee back I Don’t Need This 14 INFUSION, Rattlewasp at my ‘real job’ who gave me time off to work on this project • 15 DROPPING HONEY, Lethologica to my mum who gave me the love of music • to my family who 16 FUGG, I’m Psyched Tonight, Mike 17 SEGRESSION, Cage of Nails encouraged me even though it often meant I was sometimes absent 18 THE ARGONAUTS, On a Journey 19 BRACODE, Cutting Room Floor from the conversation at the dinner table • to the friends I have 20 BABYMACHINE, Wollongong made along the way. 21 TOPNOVIL, Let It Boom 22 BRUCE!, Shapes & Numbers 23 HOCKEY DAD, I Need A Woman Warren Wheeler All tracks mastered by Ben Davies, Silver Sound Studios, Wollongong Copyright Wollongong Art Gallery, 2014 Editor: Warren Wheeler Designer: Mark Dalla Pozza Wollongong Art Gallery has made every effort to locate and acknowledge the copyright holders of the images reproduced within this catalogue. In the event of an incorrect or missing acknowledgement please contact the Gallery. 1 Wollongong’s proximity to Sydney’s vibrant music scene created a sense of a secondary The arts provide an important outlet and city somewhat isolated from other music scenes and too often overlooked in terms of potent voice to the experiences of individuals Various community halls, clubs and coffee its creative, original and unique music and communities. Music in particular is both a shops around the Illawarra were frequently heritage and voice. While Wollongong has broadly accessible and compelling force in used for live entertainment before this and arguably never reached the same level of It is the temptation of many, in a bid to disseminating the thoughts and feelings that there were even a few attempts to establish influence as some of its sister cities and retain the ashes of a misspent youth, to underpin our understanding of who we are and live music venues in the region, such as The towns it too has nurtured a long, tenacious, romanticise the past with a bit of spit and where and when we live. Mocambo and The Folk Den, but Zondrae’s was rich, and important music scene within its polish. It reminds us who we were, the dreams the first space outside of the clubs to succeed. regional boundaries. A port city with a we had, and the promise we made to ourselves It is no coincidence that some of the most to not grow old. It’s a promise far too few of powerful music created over the past century strong identity and famous for its working Zondrae’s vision was not that different to class culture, Wollongong has been shaped by us manage to keep as we slowly succumb to the has come out of working class towns and cities burdens and responsibilities of adulthood. many small venue operators in the region around the world. Cities and towns possess a unique and delicate balance of human today. Disturbingly, the challenges she faced something like a soul – insubstantial vessels endeavour, industrial enterprise and natural Still, the danger of neglecting our memories are also very much the same that venue that contain the essence of time, memory and beauty while never shaking off its working- is that we forget how wonderfully innocent operators face in 2014: noise complaints, community identity and spirit. Within these class traditions. and wildly adventurous youth and young parking restrictions, curfews, and so on. places it is the everyday struggles to survive, Though it is heartening that, with the The exhibition Steel City Sound celebrates adulthood can be. The seemingly endless a general disenchantment with the state of establishment of the Live Music Taskforce, fifty years of Wollongong’s music heritage. summers where days were long but love was society, as well as a discomfort with social Council is finally recognising the economic It takes an intimate look at the venues, fleeting; the Friday night parties that prejudices and the disaffection it engenders and cultural value of small live music venues, bands and music that helped give voice to extended into Sunday; meeting with friends that provide a perfect foundation for an it has taken 50 years for them to reach this generations of people living in this city and over a few drinks down at the local, the band explosion of a new creative energy. point, and it will take a few more before we its surrounds and pays tribute to those drunkenly stumbling through their set. see the outcomes of the unlikeliest of unions. The music created in these cities and towns musicians and artists whose creativity have It is against this soundtrack that Steel City often reflects the spirit of the age and makes added to our understanding of our city and Sound was first brought into existence almost Over these five decades many venues have come a virtue of the working class. Lyrics are helped delineate who we are as a community. five years ago. Inspired by a colleague who and gone. Some have left an indelible imprint typically plaintive, raw, angry or angst-filled. in our memories with lifelong friendships The idea behind this exhibition had been in would regale me with her tales of the It is the poetry of the masses often addressing forming to the beat of those performing on discussion and development at Wollongong Art Wollongong punk scene in the early 80s, and themes such as social inequality, alienation, stage. Countless bands have formed and split Gallery for many years and it is a pleasure bastardising the title of Clinton Walker’s apathy, confinement, and a desire to break free during this same time. Some of these acts have to finally present it to you. I would like to historical treatise on the national punk scene from the societal constraints of class. been talented, hard working and fortunate take this opportunity to thank all the of the same time, I set about researching and enough (for it undoubtedly takes a combination artists and contributors for their important collecting stories, memorabilia and music from Bands that form out of these fertile social of all three) to attain some level of success participation in this project. I would also the region without limiting myself to hotbeds invariably sing in regional voices beyond our postcodes. But the music business particularly like to thank Warren Wheeler arbitrary boundaries of genre or time periods. making references to local places and culture, can be cruel and unfair, and many more who was engaged as exhibition curator particularly working class culture. On the Operating without boundaries however presented equally deserving bands have disappeared, through the Gallery’s Visiting Curator world stage working class cities such as its own limitations as I had no anchor point having been heard by local ears only. Program. Warren’s extensive knowledge of the Liverpool, Detroit, Manchester and Seattle from which to explore. That was until I met Despite these odds, generation after generation local music scene and its history, as well as became the epicentre of some of the most Zondrae King. As a young woman in the 60s, have taken to the stage to entertain us. his boundless energy and passion for this important and revolutionary music scenes. Zondrae fearlessly stepped into the world of This exhibition, this book attempts to tell project, has been both appreciated and Closer to home the immigrant working class rock n’ roll and started her own live music that story. town of Elisabeth in South Australia, the instrumental to its success. venue at the tender age of 19. grungy West End of Newcastle, Brisbane’s seedy Warren Wheeler, September 2014 Fortitude Valley and the music hubs in We hope you enjoy the exhibition. Rock On! Sydney’s inner west and Melbourne’s St. Kilda John Monteleone Program Director became equally important and influential. 2 3 The Orbits c. 1961. Photographer unknown. (Mick Chamberlain collection) The Coffin Cheaters (L-R) Benny Imperatto, Dennis Worthy, Arnie Olbrich, John Crasnich. Photographer unknown. (Arnie Olbrich collection) The Coffin Cheaters first got together at the Berkeley Hostel in 1963 and continued to play together for the following 5 years. Though this book and the exhibition it In the wake of Little Richard’s explosive accompanies places post ‘65 rock n’ roll sharply performance, bands began to form in bedrooms in its focus, it would be remiss of us to and garages across suburban Wollongong with overlook the groundwork laid prior to this date.