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ROCKNROLLWALKOFFAME

NSHAME

OXFORDSTREET

ONTHISROCKANDROLLWA

LKOFFAMEANDSHAMEWET

AKEYOUUP

OXFORDSTREET-FROMDARL

INGHURSTALLTHEWAYTOP

ADDINGTON

-TOVISITTHEVENUESAND

SOUNDSOFTHEPASTDECAD

ES,WITHA

PODCASTFEATURIN

GRADIOBIRDMAN,MENTALA

SANYTHING,

THEMISSINGLINKSANDMANYMORE

rememberthefam

e,causetheshame

LASTSFOREVER!TE

6

Inthelate60s,70sand80sOXFORDSTREETWASTHEVERYHUBOFANEMERGINGROCKNROLLSCENETHATCHANGEDTHEFACEOFARTISTICSYDNEYFOREVER.

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ROCK N ROLL WALK OF FAME N SHAME

OXFORD STREET

Aswewalkup past clubslikethe QBar, acrosstheroad on thesouthside, onthecornerofOxfordandRileySt,sitsthemusicstorecalledHum.ItwasabovethatstorethatsomeofAustraliasmostimaginativemusiciansusedtogatherandplay. The venuewasAdamsApple, aso-calleddiscothatbecamethe haunt ofhippies,hipsters,jazz crossovers andfolkleftovers.

Moreaboutthatparticularscene laterwhenwegetto Whittys Winebar.Althoughtheresnothingleftofthe AdamsApplevenue,oneofthekeybands tolistentofromtheerawasTully:aprogressiveand psychedelic gatheringofmusiciansfeaturingMichaelCarlos,whowentontobecomeoneofAustraliasgreat musicaldirectorsandarrangers.

3 TheHauntofHippiesandHipsters

Travellingupthelefthandornorthern

side

ofOxfordSt,wepasstheBurdekinHo

teland,

oppositePelicanSt,wefndsome

contemporarymusicspacesincluding

Spectrumatnumber34andtheOxfor

dArt

Factoryatnumber38-46.Onourpodc

ast,

artsandmusicmaestroMarkGerber

exploresthesevenues.

2Art+musicm

eeton

Oxford

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8 9

10

11 12

13

OxfordStDarlinghurstreallybeginsatWhitlamSquare,itselfanameredolentwithmemoriesofhappy,oftenexcessivetimes.

1 Squarebeginningstohipstreet

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ROCK N ROLL WALK OF FAME N SHAME

OXFORD STREET

MovingupOxfordSttowardsTaylorSquare,andcrossingCrownSt,wecometoBettysSoupKitchenatnumber84,abuildingthathousedFrenchsTavern,awinebarthatgavesomanybandsapayinggigearlyon.MidnightOil,ColdChiselandTheReelswerethereearlyintheircareers,evenOl55playedtheirrstgigthere.Adark,sweatyvenuewithastrongbluesinuenceitboastedresidentbandssuchastheForedayRidersandtheMangroveBoogieKings.

4InthebeginningtherewasFrenchs

Manyofthevenueso

fthedayweredryzo

nes

oralcoholfreeenvir

onments.Themost

notableofthemwas

unimaginativelyna

med

BeatleVillageat124Oxfo

rdSt,nowagay

venueknownasPalms.

Althoughsupposedl

yadryzone,Beatle

Village

featuredmanyofthe

wildestbandsofthe

60sincludingTheCr

eatures,TheThrob,

TheShowmen,The

soon-to-beworld

famousEasybeats-

andthewildestofth

emall:

TheMissingLinks.

TheMissingLinksw

erereallywild.They

have

beendescribedasth

eMissingLinkbetw

een

rocknroll,blues,R&

B,punkandpsyched

elia.

Moredangerouslyth

eywerealsodescrib

edas

tooloud,toooutrage

ous,toounstable,too

dirty,

tooscaryjusttoomuch

entirely.

Ourpodcastfeature

sleadsingerAndy

Anderson(thenAnd

yJames)recalling

theirmanicandcra

zedperformancesat

BeatleVillage.

5Missing

Link

explainsall

AswenearTaylorSquare,atnumber134tobeexact, wendTheOxfordHotel,avenuedevotedformanyyearstotheoftensordid,sometimesexaltedrocknrollexperiencesthathaveentertainedSydneyfordecades.TodayitsthemoresophisticatedSupperCluborsometimescalledWillandTobys.Butbackinlate1976membersofoneofAustraliasmostextreme,andnowmostlegendarybands, approachedtheownersoftheOxfordTavernasitwasknownthen.Theywantedtotakeoverthevenueonweekendsonthebasisthatthehotelkeepthebartakingsandthebandskeeptheproceedsof

thedoorentry.RadioBirdmannamedtheOxfordTavernvenuetheFunhouse-withanameinspiredbyIggyPopanditbecamethemostmemorableandrevolutionaryvenueoftheera.Andthecostofadmission?Between75candadollaratmost.

OurpodcasttalkstoBirdmansRobYoungeraboutthewildrstdaysattheFunhouse.

6 BlitzBlitzBirdmanBlitz

RobYounger

fromRadioBirdman

TheMissingLinks

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ROCK N ROLL WALK OF FAME N SHAME

OXFORD STREET

At 207 Oxford St is the well-known BookshopDarlinghurst. In the sixties and seventiesnumber 207 was (Mrs) Whittys wine bar,the real heart of this musical scene featuring

bands such as the Starving Wild Dogs andthe Original Batterseas Heroes. TerryDarmody talks about the scene at Whittyson our podcast.

8 Welcome to(Mrs) Whittys

CrossingTaylorSquareourwalkoffameandshametakesuspastwhatoncewasGilligansIsland, anisolatedtrafcislandoutcropwhichbecameasecond(orsometimesonly)homeforthedelirious,thedrunkandthedownandout.WealsowalkpastthehomeofjusticeoftheDarlinghurstCourtHousebuildingwhereAustraliasnationalpoet HenryLawsononcespentaweeke

nd,dubbingitStarvinghurstJail.Butinthelatesixtiestherewasnothingverylegalaboutalotofactivitiesinthisarea.ItwasSydneysownversionofSanFranciscoshippielocaleHaightAshbury.Musicallyfolkmusicwasgivingwaytomorehybridformsofblues,folk,jugandrockallfusingintoahealthyandreallyvibrantlivescene.

7 Afreehourtouroffameandshame

OncetheelegantAlburyHotel,nowasportsstore, thispubwasfamousforitsstatusasSydneystopgaypub.TheAlburyputondragshowsgaloretoentertainSydneyandinternationalvisitorsthroughouttheeightiesandearlynineties.Earlieronitwasalsoamusicvenue

ofnote,

rememberedparticularlyfortheresidentbandTheMangroveBoogieKingsandIan

RilensX, whowerealsolongtimeOxfordStandSydney favourites.

9 Nothingstaysthesame

Thissectionofthewalk

isoppositeVictoria

Barracks,atthebeginn

ingofagentleclimbup

OxfordStandtowardsth

emainretailareaof

Paddington-thetrendie

rsistersuburbofthe

moreworldlyDarlinghu

rststretchofOxfordSt.

TheFringeBarremains

oneoftheareas

popularbarsandbacki

ntheseventiesthe

pubwascalledTheUnic

orn,a1930s,fullytiled

,

goodoldfashionedP&O

stylepublichouse.

TheUnicornbecamethe

launchingpadforone

ofAustraliascontinu

ingandmostpopular

musicalsuccesses-MentalasAny

thing.

SingerandguitaristMar

tinPlazasharestheir

collectivememoryonou

rpodcast.

10

Mentalssharet

he

secretoftheUNIcorn

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