Capital Cool

Outsiders tend to give Canberra a bad rap: sterile, plagued by politicians, a comatose capital for professionals and academics. Those naysayers might find it hard to believe that Nick Cave once said he didn’t like the city because there were too many punks. But the history is unequivocal: in the 70s and 80s Canberra had a diverse and vibrant live music scene, punk rock and otherwise, with touring bands often stopping for midweek gigs on the byway between big smokes Sydney and Melbourne.

Enthusiasts from the era would well remember sweat-soaked nights at the ANU Bar and Refectory, or later sessions at Kingston’s Boot and Flogger (those memories may be hazier for some). Days were spent with the radio tuned to Double J or 2XX, and hanging out at Impact Records. The ANU proved a melting pot for talent; Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett, who studied law at the campus, said he learnt his craft playing cold winter nights in the capital.

The 1980s scene in Canberra was fastidiously documented by photographer ’pling (Kevin Prideaux). From the psychedelic punk energy of The Young Docteurs to the feral-country-indie sound of The Lighthouse Keepers, and all the touring bands in between – The Saints, Ramones, Men at Work, INXS – ’pling was there to quietly and generously capture the multitude of live performances, and the rapturous community that supported them.

"Stop in all the byways, playin' rock 'n roll" taken from ‘It’s A Long Way To The Top’. Words and music by Ronald Scott, Malcolm Young and Angus Young. © Copyright BMG AM Pty Ltd/Australian Music Corporation Pty Ltd. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Unauthorised reproduction is illegal.