When the world’s biggest bands rocked Sydney
FROM the KISS army storming Town Hall to Pink Floyd and Deep Purple at Randwick Racecourse, once upon a time Sydney knew how to rock, and these are the photos to prove it.
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WHEN it comes to photographs, they don’t get more mind-blowing than this.
A 3000-strong KISS Army surrounding Sydney’s Town Hall paying homage to New York rockers Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Carr and Ace Frehley.
It was Sunday, November 2, 1980, and KISS mania was at its height in Australia. A special civic welcome had been arranged for the band ahead of their Australian tour and it was unforgettable.
Part of George St was shut down and thousands of fans poured into the city, many in costume and full makeup, to catch a glimpse of KISS on the balcony of Sydney Town Hall.
Organised by then lord mayor of Sydney, Doug Sutherland, he’d copped flak for staging the official welcome on behalf of “the young and the young at heart”.
A sign of the times, the band was asked the obligatory “are you allied with Satan” questions at their press conference afterwards before heading off on tour.
DEEP PURPLE 1971
On May 9, 1971, English rock band Deep Purple performed for more than 30,000 fans at Randwick Racecourse, alongside Free, Manfred Mann and local band Pirana.
For just $3, concertgoers got to witness the epic rock show, which set attendance records during its four-state tour.
Deep Purple was by all accounts earth-shattering, and gave many Sydneysiders their first real experience of the heavy rock style being pioneered by British bands including Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin.
PINK FLOYD 1971
Just a few months later, on August 15, Pink Floyd arrived with five tonnes of gear, including a quadriphonic sound system and synchronised light show, to play under a huge orange dome at Randwick Racecourse.
The Rock Concert Club of Australia put on the show, which copped criticism for being poorly organised, and the weather was also against them, with winds blasting through the venue.
But David Gilmour, Roger Waters and the rest of the band pushed through on the makeshift stage, performing to a crowd of just a few thousand — something fans will probably never see the likes of again.
LED ZEPPELIN 1972
On February 2, 1972, on a warm Sunday afternoon, Led Zeppelin played a three-hour gig that brought close to 30,000 fans into the grounds of Sydney Showground, although the crowd was probably far larger as thousands more climbed the fence to get in.
The band was at the height of their fame but, being one of the biggest acts on the planet, the band members, renowned for being shy, shunned media attention during their visit, meaning few press images were taken during the show.
AC/DC CAMPERDOWN, 1975
On Sunday, September 7, AC/DC played a live show at Victoria Park, Camperdown, which sealed their popularity in Sydney and sent them on their way to become one of the greatest bands in the world.
Part of a free concert, organised by radio station 2SM, Angus Young in his now-famous school uniform went wild, climbing on amps and, at one stage, the rooftop of the swimming pool building.
ABBA, SYDNEY, 1977
In 1977, Australia was in the grip of an ABBA obsession, so when the Swedish pop stars touched down in Sydney on February 27, it was pandemonium.
Newspapers had warned people to stay away from the airport with fears crowds would swamp the stars, and in the end only 2000 fans turned out to greet them.
ABBA had brought a mammoth stadium-size show to Australia, with cutting-edge sound and light systems, hydraulics, plus a whole crew including doctors, masseurs, hairdressers.
The first of their 11 shows was on March 3 at Sydney Showground, an outdoor venue (there was no Entertainment Centre), and ticket prices were about $9 — a lot for that time.
There’d been a week of torrential rain and all the towels from the Sebel Townhouse, where the band was staying, were dragged to the gig to wipe down water from the stage.
Frida took a tumble but the band played through the rain, performing their biggest hits including Waterloo, SOS, Mamma Mia, Fernando, So Long and Dancing Queen.
BEATLES, SYDNEY, JUNE 1964
On June 18, 1964, Beatlemania was in overdrive in Sydney. Thousands of fans had staked out the airport to greet the boys when they touched down, hundreds camped outside the Chevron Hotel where they were staying, and 72,000 ecstatic fans saw them perform at their six shows over three days at the Sydney Stadium in Rushcutters Bay.
Known as the “Tin Shed”, the stadium was packed with screaming teenage girls every night, many of whom were carried off for first aid after becoming overexcited.
The stadium was the only large-capacity venue at the time before it was demolished in 1973.
CROWDED HOUSE 1996
After announcing their retirement, one of Australia’s most beloved bands Crowded House staged their Farewell to the World concert on the steps of the Sydney Opera House on November 24, 1996.
The show went down in Australian music folklore as one of the greatest of all time, with more than 100,000 people squeezing into the Opera House forecourt and estimates of another 150,000 in the surrounding area.
