Countdown Spectacular

Countdown was THE Australian rock music bible of my youth. Well, the televised rock music bible. At 6pm every Sunday night from 1974 to 1987 we tuned into the ABC to watch gyrating, satin clad bands such as Hush, Sherbet, Misex, Skyhooks just to name a few, strut their stuff on the Coundown stage. We lived for that hour of television. It clashed with the newshour on the other channel (we only had two) and my parents called it 'rubbish' but mostly they would relent and try to get their news fix some other way. Without Countdown many Australian bands and some internationals would never have gone further than their back yard garages.

Last night Ben and I, along with my sister went to the Countdown Spectacular. What a spectacular it was. I was warned by Maya before we even left not to dance because dancing at my age was "just embarrassing". Dancing proved almost impossible anyway because it was held at the Boondall Entertainment Centre which can hold many thousands of people and it's all sit down. No standing. My sister and I attempted to stand at our seats at one point but were quickly poked in the back by those behind us. I was really quite amazed at how conservative and quiet the crowd were. It was impossible not to be excited and enthusiastic as the performance was incredibly vibrant. Many couldn't even be bothered clapping. There were of course the odd couple of people who couldn't help themselves and they went wild occasionally screaming at the top of their lungs.

It's hard to pinpoint a favourite of the evening but I have to say Hush were pretty spectacular. They're all looking decidedly middle aged now but they still knew how to entertain the crowd. They were dressed as they were in the seventies, waving fire breathing guitars. My oldest sister went to one of their concerts when she was about 10 years old and Les Gock, leading guitarist, managed to set himelf on fire and had to get carted off to the Maryborough Base Hospital where he spent the night.

Frontmen for many of the most popular bands of that era are dead now; Mark Hunter from Dragon, Bon Scott from ACDC, Shirley Strachan from Skyhooks, Michael Hutchence from INXS, and Ted Mulry from the Ted Mulry Gang. Some from lifestyle related illnesses and others from sheer bad luck. There was of course a tribute to them all.

It was a last minute decision for us to go as we had access to eleventh hour drastically reduced tickets. I'm glad we did because I had a really kick-ass time.