167:. In the meantime, Russell Morris enjoyed a surprise hit with singles such as "The Real Thing". Produced by music legend Ian Molly Meldrum, and written by singing star Johnny Young, the single encompassed high production values and a psychedelic approach in its use of instruments such as a sitar, sampling of a children's choir, and its 6-minute running time (unusually long for the time). While released by EMI, this domestic production inspired a generation of bands, singers and songwriters that home-grown Aussie talent could produce world-beating music. The single charted well in New York, Houston and Chicago.
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444:-style grunge; loud, rebellious, and easily marketable to a generation of teenagers. Bands who did not fit this manifest were largely left behind by this process, and did attract smaller audiences (predominantly in their 20s and based in bohemian inner urban areas). In inner Melbourne, a considerable
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were an
Australian Indie rock band from the Gold Coast, active from 1981 to 1984. They are a significant contributor to the alternative rock music scene on the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney, being one of the first bands from the Gold Coast to perform original material to audiences Australia wide.
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The
Ballerinas was formed in 1981 on the Gold Coast from an amalgamation of two pre-existing new-wave bands, Ratpak and The Strand. At the time, there was a mood for change on the Gold Coast music scene, as seen at the Macintosh Island concert, attended by around 2,000 people was headlined by The
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soon followed expanding opportunities for bands to record and release domestically. The number of venues exploded, and fueled by the expansion of FM radio and a prosperous economy, Sydney begun to prove that independent bands could make a healthy living on the amazing pub music circuit at home,
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Strand, and also included Ratpak and several other local bands. The
Macintosh Island concert was a turning point in Gold Coast music. As noted at the time, it was a move away from disco, and towards a local sound that expressed the values and attitudes of Gold Coast youth.
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Isolated from the diversity of genres in the northern hemisphere, Australian mainstream record labels tried to replicate the success of trends imported from overseas and produce radio friendly singles by successful artists such as John
Farnham and
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in
Australia, though did signal a shift in its focus. The form of 'alternative' music that the major labels and commercial radio stations were interested in was predominantly three-chord rock informed by
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sound dominated, though in the mid-1960s, the beat genre from the UK had become established. Numerous garage bands formed in the cities and suburbs, and a vibrant musical culture began.
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By the early 1980s Sydney had begun to eclipse the post-punk explosion of gloomy drug-addled
Melbourne with its beach culture, summery pub music scene, and hubris.
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operated outside the mainstream radio stations and began playing various independent music from around the world. Double J (an AM station) eventually turned into
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Melbourne's post-punk scene was much more experimental than any of the other capital cities. The city spawned a lot of experimental and gothic rock, of which
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without having to first strike out to tour overseas and release internationally acclaimed albums. Other legendary live indie bands from the 80's era include
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Dalton, Mike (September 1979). "Friday Focus: The bands of hope, Coast kids seek a lost chord and a new cause as they wax lyrical and satirical".
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playing more subdued music using the traditional guitar/bass/drums structure; bands in this scene often played at inner-city venues such as the
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explored the more cinematic scope of string sections combined with guitar/bass/drums, especially on debut recordings such as
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The Seven
Ballerinas, February 1982; from left to right, Mario Spina, John Smethurst, Michael Palmer, and John Hippocrates.
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movement began in the mid-1970s, and resulted in an explosion of musical activity. Numerous bands formed, as did many
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history but has a distinct history somewhat separate from mainstream rock in
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A vibrant and interesting punk and post-punk scene also developed in Perth, Western Australia. Bands such as
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A small but active Indie Rock movement was evident on the Gold Coast in the late 1970s and early 80's.
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but later relocated to Melbourne, released recordings on both
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Entertainment Section (1981). "It's plain ballet mad".
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of note have operated in Australia around this time.
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The mainstreaming of alternative music did not kill
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46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
700:Who's Who of Australian Rock, 3rd Edition Revised
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578:. More recently, Tasmanian-cum-Melbourne label
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654:"Russell Morris - The Real Thing (1969)"
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171:Regional developments: 1970s to 1980s
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448:scene flourished, with bands like
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969:Country Music Awards of Australia
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1009:Queensland Music Awards
697:Spencer, Chris (1993).
472:. Other bands, such as
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1318:Advance Australia Fair
1143:(1992–1997; 1999–2014)
1110:Splendour in the Grass
1105:National Folk Festival
959:Australian Music Prize
576:Life Without Buildings
478:Left Over Life To Kill
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383:. A few bands, like
119:Australian indie rock
1403:Australia portal
1195:Sunbury Pop Festival
1055:Triple J Hottest 100
580:Unstable Ape Records
427:1990s to the present
416:The Seven Ballerinas
316:, and the legendary
40:improve this article
1434:Musical subcultures
1226:Channel V Australia
1147:Byron Bay Bluesfest
747:Gold Coast Bulletin
729:Gold Coast Bulletin
1355:Northern Territory
1328:Cities and regions
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96:December 2012
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485:indie labels
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438:punk rock
373:Melbourne
365:post punk
358:Nick Cave
352:Melbourne
212:Sydney's
198:post-punk
157:surf rock
127:punk rock
1379:Timeline
1345:Canberra
1340:Brisbane
1335:Adelaide
1289:Triple J
1165:Homebake
984:J Awards
662:Archived
598:See also
590:and the
548:Trifekta
483:Several
468:and the
326:Mudhoney
238:Triple J
234:Double J
176:Brisbane
1073:Current
835:Hip-hop
810:Country
546:-based
544:Fitzroy
515:titled
442:Seattle
265:Citadel
200:group,
133:History
80:scholar
1365:Sydney
1249:Go-Set
1134:Former
1028:Charts
937:Awards
885:Thrash
845:Reggae
798:Genres
707:
568:Gersey
533:Spdfgh
529:Sneeze
462:Gersey
396:grunge
385:Models
334:grunge
273:RooArt
208:Sydney
82:
75:
68:
61:
53:
1360:Perth
1209:Media
865:Metal
860:Indie
820:Grime
540:Swirl
497:vinyl
493:Perth
454:Laura
300:Perth
87:JSTOR
73:books
1271:Rage
1221:4ZZZ
1216:3RRR
928:CMAA
923:ARIA
908:AGSC
875:Punk
850:Rock
840:Jazz
815:Folk
705:ISBN
570:and
507:and
499:and
460:and
440:and
381:3RRR
328:and
308:and
292:and
255:and
230:INXS
228:and
220:and
182:punk
180:The
59:news
1260:MTV
1255:Max
1231:CMC
913:AIR
892:Ska
870:Pub
588:Sir
218:MC5
42:by
1420::
737:^
719:^
678:.
660:.
656:.
594:.
586:,
566:,
562:,
558:,
542:.
531:,
501:CD
456:,
452:,
348:.
296:.
288:,
284:,
280:,
251:,
153:UK
1320:"
1316:"
783:e
776:t
769:v
749:.
731:.
713:.
109:)
103:(
98:)
94:(
84:·
77:·
70:·
63:·
36:.
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