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’m just curious as to where exactly in Narara the music festival in 1983 was held. I am currently living at Narara and it would be interesting to know. If only I’d been able to attend.
Hi Robyn, I’m pretty sure it was actually held on a farm at Somersby.
Thanks Mark
I’m pretty sure it was at Narara because my ex-fiancee actually attended and he grew up on the Central Coast so I’m sure he wouldn’t have said Narara if it was Somersby. So are there no records of where it was held?
Robyn
Hi Robyn, I’ve had it confirmed now from two sources that it was at Somersby. I’ve included the links to the references in the article now. One of the sites even had an image of the concert tickets (see the top of this article) which give the address as Somersby.
It’s confusing I know. Why would they call it Narara if it wasn’t there?
Thanks for reading.
It was called “Narara” because it sounded good, at tleast the promoters thought so, not the many tourists that got lost, and had to shell for a taxi to Somersby.
Rob Maynard
COAST FM 963
CENTRAL COAST
hi …
I was at Narara 83 & 84 … what an experience … I have been trying to fing information on both years and was pleased to at least find something on 83 here …. is there any information about 84 anywhere ? Trying to remember who played …. I still have my T-shirt from 83 with all bands listed on the back so that was easy …. but nothing from 84 …. I do remember though how annoyed a lot of people were with the fact that they had international artists … anyway, any info would be much appreciated …. very pleased to have found your site …
thanks
Roxanne
Hi Roxanne, nice to hear from you and glad you like the site.
I’ll do an entry soon for Narara 84. Do you reckon you could send me a picture of that Narara T-shirt you’ve got? I’d love to add it to this story. Front and back if you can manage it.
Thanks again for your comments. Hope to see you here again.
Cheers, Gibbo.
Hi Gibbo
I look forward to your 84 entry …. I am turning this house upside down to find my t-shirt …. I thought I knew where it was stored but seems I am wrong … as soon as I find it I will definitely take photos and send them to you ….
thanks
Roxanne
WHY DON’T THEY BRING IT BACK ? – IT THERE NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE ON THE CENTRAL COAST TO MAKE IT HAPPEN ? HALF THE BANDS ARE STILL TOURING !! HA HA…CHEERS
I was at 84. Sat night lineup: Sandi and the Sunsets, the Models, INXS, the Pretenders, Talking Heads, Mental as Anything. First time I saw the Hoodoo Gurus who were standouts. I bought a T shirt but lost it before I ever got to wear it. Would love to see the photos of the T shirt.
Narara was actually held at the back of Old Sydyney Town / Australian Reptile Park site at Somersby. I know this because I was part of the clean up team after.
Yeah, would really like to see the stuff for the 1984 one – images I can remember were Talking Heads doing the full routine with the fat man suit etc, and the song “change in mood” which was absoutely perfect, Def Leopard poncing around like loops and getting bombarded with water bottles, and the endless torrential rain – My tent and companions soaked to the skin, and Austen Tayshus (I think) waling around in the middle of the night shouting “Narrara – the Celebration F@#$%g continues”….
I too would love to see the line ups for 1984. I was also there in 1983 and 1984. Caught a drumstick from Martin Chambers of Pretenders which I still have. Went to a Simple Minds concert at Selina’s after Narara and was up near the front when I felt a person crawling between my legs on the ground. It was Chrissy Hynde trying to get closer to Jim Kerr. It was at Narara where they had first met. I still remember the Angels concert from 1983. There are many who say it was there best ever performance. Saw them again at Revesby Workers on Saturday night. They still have it what it takes.
INXS performing ‘Original Sin’ live at ‘Narara 84′ is included on INXS’s ‘I’m Only Looking’ 2-dvd set…also Garry Beers (bass player) talks about the year before Narara ‘83…where the band went on stage to start their set with Underneath The Colours…and he was out the back on a port-a-loo…and no one noticed he was missing so they started playing without him!
Matt.
I was at both 83 and 84 Narara festivals but I also remember another one earlier either 81 or 82 called something like “Tenterden Festival”. Does anyone have any recollection of this festival?
I remember one around that time called “Tanelorn” or something similar. Does that ring a bell?
‘83 I remember getting off the train and the station being packed ! and heaps of people standing around waiting, we stood a bit and saw people heading off on foot, so trekked after them.
lol no busses ever came from memory, so glad we didn’t wait too long !
Thanks so much for putting this together, I have been searching for ages to fill the gaps of who played there !
Happy to know I got some right anyway lol, must have had something to do with that silver pouch of goon in the pack lol
Was that really 25 years ago? I was only 15 at the time and can remember the chaos on the trains and stations when travelling from Newcastle to Gosford. I never made it to the festival and still feel like I just missed out on a big part of Aussie Music Festival history. I’ve made up for it since though. Just last year, Narara ‘83 came up in a disussion with some other ‘old punters’ at Homebake ‘07 – seems like some people who did go to Narara got ‘hooked’ there and have been ‘doing’ festivals since. I have a Narara ‘83 badge and can send a photo for the site if you like.
“You’re never too old for a Music Festival. It’s just that everyone else is too young.”
Hi Steve, I’d love a picture of that badge, that would be brilliant thanks.
No problem – where should I send it?
Thanks Steve, just send it to:
admin@australianmusichistory.com
hi, was at narara 84 as a sixteen year old.Remember seeing Rodney Rude, who was an up and coming comedian! remember it rained and rained and turned into a big mud park
I have a program for 84, It is a 4 pages brochure and has all artists listed
Thanks BAYJED, would you possibly be able to scan it and send it over to me at admin@australianmusichistory.com ?
Info on the ‘84 concert has been quite hard to come across and this would help enormously. I’ve been able to find a list of the overseas bands but not a full artist listing.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks again, Mark
I was at both 83 & 84, I think I still have the keyring from 83. Hated the rain in 84. I am wondering if anyone remembers a guy called “Alligator”, he was from Sydney and drove a green Monaro.
NARARA 1983 Originally broadcast on Channel 10 and simulcast with 2MMM FM 105 Sydney this is a song from The Angels set “Comin Down”
I recorded this on my old VHS machine back in 1983 so the quality was not that good I have re-enhanced the video and audio and it’s scrubbed up quite good enjoy The Angels live at Narara 1983……
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFdX6OeXlzU
NARARA 1983 Originally broadcast on Channel 10 and simulcast with 2MMM FM 105 Sydney this is a song from The Angels set “Eat City”
I recorded this on my old VHS machine back in 1983 so the quality was not that good I have re-enhanced the video and audio and it’s scrubbed up quite good enjoy The Angels live at Narara 1983……
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2npOgROuIk
Hi Mark,
I have just found my badge from 84. Let me know if you are interested in it.
My t-shirts died from being worn too many times.
84 theme was “the celebration continues”
I’d love a picture of that badge Lee-Anne, that would be brilliant. You can get it to me via:
admin@australianmusichistory.com
Thanks again.
I went to the Tanelorn concert. It was held near Stroud in NSW mid north coast. I was right at the front of the stage when Rodriguez came on stage. He put his music on a stand and then knock it all over on the stage. The roadies came in and helped him clean it up and get started. He was amazing.
I was also at Narara 83 and 84. I remember Talking Heads and chisel were amazing. Barnsey drank at least a full bottle of vokda and then jumped into the crowed, worked his way to the mixing tower climbed up and the crowd went nuts. Then he made his way down and back to the stage. It was an insane weekend. I found some pics of me and our crew who worked at the the 83 festival. Great memories.
Dave
Gosh it is good to remember the Tanelorn and Narara events.
Narara was most memorable I had a Hair Cutting/ Shaves stand. Triple m were the concert organisers if my memory serves me well.Great fun & hard work! I have some pics of the weekend. My daughters wear my Tanelorn t-shirts but sadly lost the Narara t’s. My memories of Tanelorn are the all night traffic que’s and wind storms on the first day, followed by heat.. I thought it was a mini woodstock!
be well julie.
Hi Dave & Julie, thanks for your memories. I’d love a copy of any pictures you might have if that’s possible. Also, any band lists you might have as I have limited info on Narara ‘84 and almost none on Tanelorn.
Thanks again for your contribution.
If you can remember Tanelorn you are doing well!
Great weekend. Specific personal memories; cars queued for hours to get in, Moving Pictures, Midnight Oil, Split Enz, Swanny, fires round the main stage bowl, bikers kegs,warm beer and a single nude madman who told us we were all about to die!
Great stuff, Rammy
Just come across these posts, I was managing a band called ‘The Curly band’ a great bunch of russian rockers, they played second stage at Narara, arrived in a stretch limo, hired a chopper, flew over the site dropping pamphlets advertising their set which blew all over Old Sydney Town, copped a huge fine but what a great memory.
Narara 84, all those years ago, i was there on duty with the local fire brigade overnight from Saturday night to Sunday morning and do remember seeing Mental as Anything before procedings ended for the night. I spent much of the night perched on top of a fire truck keeping an eye out for spotfires/large bon fires or attempted bushfires. Saw some interesting characters, and some that were a bit dusty as in under the weather. Later that day it rained and the concert was abandoned and never to be repeated.Confirming the location it was at Somersby behind Old Sydney town, we entered along a dirt road off Wisemans Ferry Road that ran along behind Old Sydney town, near where the reptile park is today. The Local Gosford bush fire brigades held their annual field days on the site around the early 1990’s, haven’t been there for a while but back then you could still visualise where it all happened and where the stage area was.
Hi, I’d also love and pix/audio/video footage of that 1981 Tanelorn gig ?
I would love to get hold of any pix/audio/video of the Tanelorn gig. It is a part of Australian rock history that seems to have been poorly archived.
I would like to say thank you very much for remembering my brother Jeffrey and not forgetting him on your list of people for Nararra 83…… i remember pleading with him to let me be a part of it and go for the weekend! I was about 13 at the time!! no-way was the answer!!!!… thank you again,. from Lisa Merryweather
just found this site. Waiting to see the Angles at Mudgee sat 18th oct. I went to Narara 83 and also 84 which was washed out. I can still feel how it felt on the night the angles played. What an unreal weekend jan 83. I am watching Angels Live at Narara.
I seem to recall seeing the Hitmen as a four piece on the Friday night on the main stage. as well as the Johnnies with Roddy Radaj, and possibly NZ Pop aka Pop Mechanix. Sadlt it’s all a blur…
What great memories.
I went with a group of mates to both 83 & 84 and they rate as two of the best experiences of my life.
Talking Heads had just finished their “Stop Making Sense” tour and Narara was their last stop.That set and the sight of Jimmy Barnes the year before surfing the crowd and climbing the sound tower will be forever remebered.
Other highlights were the “Mud Men” and buying loads of extra string for the kites.
We were responsible for them being banned as we added an extra hundred metres or so and interfered with the air traffic.
The acid was brilliant too.
I was at both and they were definately awesome events. I do think that the second one with the introduction of the OS bands detracted somewhat from the first one. I agree with Chris about the acid, there was some good stuff around…..ahhh the memories…..
hi just a lil info re the 83 gig @ narara no glass bottles no cans no grog .I was the guy who sold 40.000 bottles of the then new 1.25 plastic bottles of coke the punters were buying them empty half out then fill it with booze bless them the VIP AREA was a blast. I know a million stories but you as always had to be there. the guys who put it on are legends in the rock industry and those who are still are STILL ROCKIN .
Ah, Narara, ‘83 – what memories. The heat, the people, the chemical amusement aids, the MUSIC. I’ll never forget watching the sun set in the West as the full moon rose in the East behind the stage, where The Church launched into one hypnotic song after another. Nothing has come close to that long weekend. Every Oz band gave it their best. Special mention to the Allniters. We returned for ‘84 to see all foreign egos take over, each one wanted to be the headline act, then the rain, more rain, heavier rain, mud, mud, rain washed any remaining magic away.
I was at both Narara events, and they were held in Somersby on a farm.
It was the most amazing event. A huge range of the best in Australian music and the next year with a swag of international artists.
The heat was intolerable, the food awful, the toilets… yuck, but that was all soon forgotten when the bands started.
We drove to the event, so were not stranded at Narara station like so many others were. It seems strange that security allowed so much alcohol and other dangerous goods into the event.
And who could forget the mud people!! After swimming in the dam, mudding up like human chocolates, they went amok into the crowd at the front of the stage (in those days there was no such thing as a mosh-pit, the whole crowd was one).
There was a real charge in the air in that event, and it must live on as one of the seminal events that cemented various bands credentials.
I had the official t-shirt for all these years, and about 1992 had to throw it away as it was cheap Chinese cotton and just dissolved in the washing machine.
Beautiful graphics. The speaker stax had the same graphics on massive silk screened banners. If anyone knows where I can buy them from, I will be the first to take ‘em!!
For many years I enjoyed playing a cassette tape of the 83 Angels recorded by Howard Page in the Jands shipping container. Great concerts. There was also a festival called Wiracimbe or something, on a property near Wauchope. Seeing Barnes and his brother perform togethor there was excellent.
I was there!!! OMG!! Was just looking for a link somewhere to this and found your page! Yes it was a farm at Stroud. WOW!! This is great! Brought back some awesome memories. Thank you!
MJ
Wow,great memorys,Tanelorn i was there,I remember going with my brother and a few mates in his vw ute with canvas back,it took us forever to get in because of all the cars,one road in only,remember the food was good ,the hash was even better,washing in the river nude,the music was first class,the people ,the pritty girl i hooked up with, she even came back to my town after the concert,Jerrie if your out there love to catch up babe,the rest is a blurrrr,lol.Narara 83 remember it was hot, shit food,tents every where,the acid was good ,i also remember every one getting off at Narara train station wondering where the the concert was at only to find out it was no where near Narara it was at somersby back of old sydney town.Narara 84 remember going ,didnt have a ticket tryed to jump the fence with about six mates, got in ok but as soon as we landed inside we were caught bye sercurty and told to climb back over the fence shit,any way had to go and bye a pass in,and then the rain came down and down and down,the mud people were having fun ,the music was good.
Narara 83 was awesome and included Doug Mulray doing “I’m a Punk” on the second stage which I havn’t seen mentioned elsewhered along with classic performaces by The Radiators, INXS, Cold Chisel, The Angels and Rose Tattoo among others. Who could forget the Tent City and the fact that the police were not allowed on site? A long weekend of drug induced kharma with no angst in sight,
‘84 was forgettable due to RAIN and some prima donas from overseas.
Werikimbi Festival, held near Wauchope, was far more laidback.
The concert was at old sydney town