November is Ausmusic month. For most people that means some talk on Triple J and a day where you wear a band T-shirt. So I want to do a thread on the practically-forgotten, very first Ausmusic event that was held 30 years ago next week.

Ausmusic ‘90 is pretty hard to find on the internet, but it was a big deal at the time: on 24 November 1990, there were five simultaneous concerts in different cities showcasing the biggest in Australian music.

It was broadcast live on Channel 7 and simulcast on radio stations like B105 and TripleM. Molly Meldrum (who was on a long-term Channel 9 contract) was given special permission to appear on Channel 7 for one night and host the five-hour program.

Perth had an afternoon concert so that it could be simulcast with other states. Performers included Nick Barker & the Reptiles (stream “Make Me Smile”), Jimmy Barnes, and Noiseworks (whose vid from the concert is included here for sexy Jon Stevens reasons)

Adelaide had Angry Anderson (stream “Suddenly” from Scott and Charlene’s wedding), Boom Ceash Opera, and Skyhooks. They also had Girl Overboard (seen in this video), one of only THREE women-fronted acts out of the 29 acts who performed across Australia.

Sydney had Mondo Rock, Kate Ceberano (& the Ministry of Fun), and Icehouse. And in the grand tradition of stealing Kiwi things and calling them Australian, Ausmusic ‘90 Sydney also had Crowded House.

Melbourne had Crowded House first, after which they jumped on a plane to Sydney. They also had Yothu Yindi (yay Aboriginal people), Jenny Morris (yay women), and white men including Paul Kelly, Hunters & Collectors, and Mental as Anything (video below)

I went to the Brisbane concert. I was 14 years old and this was my first concert without my parents. Years of going John Farnham and Wickety Wak concerts with my family had prepared me for this first night of delicious independence.

I was driven and accompanied by the older neighbour girl from next door. (I forget her name but it in the same emotional realm as a Narelle or a Raelene.)

She had a door-to-door terrarium selling business. (It was not a successful business.)

Brisbane’s concert was indoors at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Boondall. 12,000 people attended. The Entertainment Centre had only opened four years earlier—its first event was an ice show starring Torvill and Dean.

The first performers at Brisbane’s Ausmusic ‘90 concert were Southern Sons. They were a band of long-haired boys, but the sort you could take to meet your mum. Go and stream “Hold Me in Your Arms” but also watch them here singing “Always and Ever”

The second band were Indecent Obsession who were Brisbane lads with the reputation for being a bit too pop and naff. Like New Kids on the Block or Bruce Samazan from E Street. You were gay if you were a boy who liked Indecent Obsession.

Spoiler alert: I *loved* Indecent Obsession. They absolutely slapped live and had the biggest stage presence. Also the lead-singer/twink David Dixon had “fashion rips” in his acid-wash jeans and I could see his red undies. No live video, but this is fun:

Many millennials use this picture of Chris O’Donnell to talk about their gay sexual awakening. But I’m Gen X, and my gay was definitely already awake well before these nipples appeared.

My gay sexual awakenings were:

(1) the Nazi messenger boy’s butt in THE SOUND OF MUSIC;

(2) adult Peter Brady wearing a nightgown in A VERY BRADY CHRISTMAS; and

(3) David Dixon’s red underpants peeking through the butt of his torn jeans at AusMusic ‘90.

After David Dixon’s underpants, the Black Sorrows performed next. They were fine. “Chained to the Wheel” is very good. At the time, Vika and Linda Bull were in the band and they were very good.

Daryl Braithwaite performed fourth. His iconic album RISE featuring “The Horses” had only been released the day before the concert. There was an entire arena of people who didn’t know the lyrics to “The Horses.” Imagine!

Daryl definitely would have performed the first single from the album, “Rise.” I can also remember him performing “As the Days Go By” and “One Summer.” I can’t remember whether he sang “The Horses” which wasn’t released as a single for another 2 months.

Ian Moss was second last on stage. He would have done a bit of “Tucker’s Daughter,” a bit of “Choir Girl,” and “Telephone Booth” as featured in the video below. No woman-fronted acts in Brisbane.

John Farnham was the headliner in Brisbane. Thanks to a lustful mother, I had already been to four John Farnham concerts by then. I knew exactly how long he paused before singing the word “appreciate” in his cover of “Help.” He sang his big hits. And this:

Ausmusic ‘90 kept giving the vibe that it would happen every year. Like, there would be an Ausmusic ‘91 and the big simultaneous concert thing would happen every year. But it didn’t.

The big Australian music festivals started kicking off after Ausmusic ‘90. The Big Day Out started in 1992. Falls Festival started in 1993. Woodford started in 1994.

Now you only hear about Ausmusic month on Triple J, and the huge simultaneous Ausmusic ‘90 concerts are long gone and mostly forgotten.

Ausmusic has become synonymous with the T-shirt day. (It’s on this Friday 20 November.) Gays pop on their Kylie shirt. Grumpy Gen X-ers dig out their You Am I shirt. And everyone donates to support Australian music artists and crew: http://www.ausmusictshirtday.org.au 

Anyway, while you’re off at your Kylie listening parties, or going through your wardrobe for that old Whitlams t-shirt, think about the very start of Ausmusic month 30 years ago. There were 5 simultaneous concerts in 5 cities with 29 acts. It was fun. Some of us were there.

END