The first Narara Music Festival was held over the Australia Day long weekend in 1983 on the Central Coast of NSW. It wasn’t actually held at Narara but at nearby Somersby.
The concert featured an all-Australian all-star lineup as follows
Friday
- Zoo
- Choirboys
- Jon English
- Divinyls
- Moving Pictures
- Australian Crawl
Saturday
- Zarsoff Bros
- Goldrush
- Mark Gillespie
- Dynamic Hepnotics
- Mental As Anything
- Radiators
- The Church
- INXS
- The Angels
- Men At Work
Sunday
- Mighty Guys
- Uncanny X-Men
- Allniters
- Jo Jo Zep
- Dragon
- Mi-Sex
- Goanna
- Richard Clapton
- Cold Chisel
- Rose Tattoo
Monday
- Rupert B
- Bulamakanka
- No Fixed Address
- Bushwackers
Technical
- Mainstage Sound – ACT-Jands
- Lights – Jands Concert Productions
- Second Stage Sound & Lights – Soundco P/L
Crew
- Howard Page – Audio Director
- Jon Lemon – Audio Engineer
- Monitors – Kevin Farrant
- Graham Hicks – Third Man
- Jeff Merryweather – Lighting Director
Images from Narara 1983
Jeff Whites Narara photo’s
Video
The Angels at Narara
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I was working for Goldrush at the 83 event as their foldback engineer. Goldrush played very early on the Saturday. It was a most spectacular summers day and as I remember the 50,000 or so punters in attendance had a great time. Towards the end of the Goldrush set I dropped a tab of acid, a brown barrell as I recall. I remember talking to Andrew Farris and Michael Hutchence back stage and feeling terribly alarmed when Andrew’s head exploded. I was greatly relieved some hours later when I saw INXS take the stage with Andrew who’s head was completely intact. After experiencing many great days in my 30 plus years in the music business, this one stands out as one of the weirdest. The musical highlights were definately INXS and the Angels…awesome day, why this concept died is beyond me.
Wow I remember Narara. What I do remember is the Saturday night and being mesmerised by Talking Heads (a band I had never taken any notice of) starting their set with Psyhco Killer. I was hooked! This was folowed by Eurythmics, Eurogliders and them as well.
I was at 83 & 84. I was 17, I remember seeing the Angels and everyone holding up their lighters as a flame show. I also remember being the only one dancing amongst the hungover hoards on the sunday morning to Hoodoo Guru’s. 83 was the best, lots of weed and even a weed raffle. It made me a festival lover, now I frequent Woodford Folk festival and this years nimbin mardigrass.
hey Rick I dont suppose you were doing monitors in 81 at Tanelorn for Goldrush as well? I am pretty sure it was their drum kit that got blown off stage during a freak wind storm on the Saturday night?? What a classic that was as the whole kit and drummer fell off teh back of the stage. Amazing stuff. Matt Finish played that night as well and the .
Don’t forget Sunday arvo 1984, John English doing Six Ribbons and starting to laugh as the rain poured down. “What the f*** am I doing” or such he said and stopped the song. hahaha That followed by the roadies doing a 30 minute sound check for Def Leppard as we filled up plastic bottles and hurled them at the stage. Man we were annoyed – they reckoned it was unsafe on stage – well were we unsafe as we were drowning!! 4 inches in an hour from memory and every ounce of food scraps and crap suddenly rose from the ground and circled our ankles.
there’s a great write up of Jeff Merryweather in the current issue of CX (June 2009) if anyone gets a chance to see it.
Hey Jeff…no I only worked for Goldrush between January and June 83…its more than likely the foldback guy for Goldrush at that gig was Rick Cain who was a good mate of mine and last seen working at the Arts centre in Brisbane.
drove up from Sydney in 83 with my best mate Thorpey in my 67 valiant.We pulled off the lining of the back door and stashed it with a couple of flagons and some other stuff and smuggled it in past the searchers at the entrance.
We were 21 years old and the music was just relentlessly brilliant.I seem to recall one of the acts(maybe chisel)arriving in a chopper,but then again I might have dreamt it.The Angels never played better I reckon.
On the last day heaps of people had bailed out and Bullamakanka and the Bushwackers and the other guys put on a show that I’ve never forgotten.It was “Australiana” at its very best.
Put me in a time machine and take me back!!!
To all you bands and crew,thanks for the memories.
As today is the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, it brought back memories of Narara ‘83. That was one of the best musical and social experiences imaginable. Reading the comments from you guys made me smile. Goldrush was always a favourite – ‘Duelling Banjos’. I also remember the lighters and Angels on Saturday night. But what about Jimmy Barnes climbing up on the scaffold on Saturday night! Unreal time!
Hi Jeff, that was my kit that was blown away by freak winds at Tanalorn… It was raining and quite windy that afternoon and the audience were covered in blankets and raincoats. But at sunset, the weather cleared just as Matt Finish started playing. On the last beat of our last song, the wind picked up the two cymbals I’d just hit and carried them away. An amazing day.
Hey John – how goes it? Always loved the band – saw you guys heaps. Actually I started playing guitar just so I could fumble my way thru ‘Respectable’ and ‘Hanging On’ and impress my mates!!!
I met Rick Grossman a few times and had a few beers with him during the Divinyls days (mid 80’s) as well and he always had fond memories of the band. Do you see him much nowadays?
Somewhere I have a few pics of you guys from that gig at Tanelorn. Not great shots but ok. I will dig them out and send them thru. I have sent some other Tanelorn stuff and Narara 84 pics thru to Mark Gibson but as yet he has only put up my 83 Narara pictures. Not sure whats happening there, maybe there are legal issues Mark??
Hi Jeff, sorry for not posting the rest of your images. there are no problems with them, just a lack of time lately to update this site.
Some of my other commitments have recently finished so I will be updating this site again much more frequently now. Your wonderful stuff will be up soon.
Cheers, Mark
Hi Mark
No problems, I understand completely. I see they are up now, so will endeavor to dig out some more when I get time as well.
Thanks
Jeff
Hi Everyone…
I went to both Nararas……..I remember it was $40 to get in, which seemed a lot at the time…..but these days how much would you pay to see these or a similar lineup………its almost impossible to put a dollar value on that experience……..What amazes me is you never hear anything about NARARA 83 or 84!!!!!!!…..it was an amazing time for our generation and Aussie music…….
It was a shame 84 was hit by rain……though the memory of 83 does more than compensate………..
Grace Sissini, if you happen to read this please contact me……
John
Hi Mark
I’m not sure… but did I send thru some pictures of Men at Work and Moving Pictures at all?? I know I scanned them in to my computer?? If I didn’t then let me know and I will redo them for you.
thanks
Jeff
Hi Jeff, yes you did and I will get them up here in the next few days. I’m only just getting back to updating this site after what’s been a REALLY busy year.
The other one you sent me which was interesting was the tanelorn article from Sonics. Any chance you could send me a bigger version? My dodgy old eyes could read the print!!! I’ve picked up a few snippets of info regarding Tanelorn recently & that article would be a big help.
Thanks again for all your contributions to this site. It is very much appreciated.
Hi all……well this site is amazing, I remember both Nararas I never got to go I was only 10 in 83 but my sisters went. They had to hide their weed in my room because the oldies had a feeling that they were up to no good.
I love the photos,unfortunately the music will never be the same as I sit here listening to the latest R&B rubbish coming across the airwaves.
Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
Curt
Can anyone remember Rodriguez playing at Narara? Maybe I smoked too much pot back then, but I was certain he was there.
What a blast reading all the comments. I was also at both. 19 and 20 years old and as good a concert that I have still been to. I make documentaries for a living and am currently looking for any video or film footage of the event. If anyone you know had the home video rolling in the camping area, I’d love an intro. I’ve spoken to one of the promoters and even they agree it was one of the best events they have ever staged…to this day!! Anyway feel free to email me. Cheers Toddy
aquarius33@bigpond.com
Hi Michael
Just to clear up your question, as i have the program with me, Rodriguez played Friday night at Tanelorn and not Narara. The night consisted of Earthstar, No fixed address, Redgum, Rodriguez and N.Z. Spyz
for those interested Sat morning/arvo lineup was:
Eighty Eights, Dave McArtney and the Flamingoes, NZ Pop, Goldrush.
Sat night: The Church, Matt Finish, Max Merritt and Billy Thorpe (till about 3am from memory).
Sun morn/arvo: Un Taboo, Moving Pictures, Kevin Borich, SunnyBoys.
Sun Night: Men at Work, Mi Sex, Midnight Oil, Split Enz (their first song of the night was “hard act to follow” as the Oils went off big time) and lastly Broderick Smiths Big Combo (wow what a night that all was)
Monday morn: the mighty Newcastle Total Fire Band, Buswalkers (Bushwackers?? typo maybe) and Swanee. Dunno I didnt hang around for Monday so could someone clear that one up for me please?
So there ya have it.
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