The Sunbury Rock Festival was first held in 1972 on a 620 acre farm between Sunbury and Diggers Rest, Victoria. It attracted around 35,000 people and was promoted by Odessa Promotions, which was formed by a group of television professionals, including John Fowler and Jim McKay, from GTV 9 Melbourne.
The festival ran from 29 to 31 January and the ticket price was $6.00 for all 3 days, $5.00 for 2 days and $1.00 for a single day.
Sound System
2 x RCA W Bin with 2 x 15″ JBL K140
4 x Jands U Bin with 2 x 15″ JBL K130
2 x JBL 2350 90° horns with 2480 2″ drivers
2 x JBL 2356 long-throw horns with 2480 2″ drivers
8 x JBL 2405 high frequency drivers
10 x Jands 150w Power Amplifiers
1 x 20 Channel Jands Mixing Console
Jands Crew
David Mulholland
Howard Page
Eric Robinson
Philip Story
Click images to enlarge
Acts
Blackfeather
The Bushwhackers & Bullockies Bush Band
The Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band
Glenn Cardier
Carson
Chain
Company Caine
Greg Quill & Country Radio
Friends
Healing Force
Highway
Gerry Humphrys (MC)
Indelible Murtceps
The La De Das
MacKenzie Theory
Madder Lake
Phil Manning
Max Merritt & the Meteors
Mulga Bill’s Bicycle Band
Barrie McAskill & Levi Smith’s Clefs
Pilgrimage
Pirana
Wendy Saddington
SCRA
Spectrum
Tamam Shud
Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs
Total Fire Band
Wild Cherries
This was Elton John’s first tour of Australia and New Zealand. He played outdoors and Jands provided what was then the largest sound system every assembled in Australia. Elton’s personal monitoring system consisted of JBL studio monitors supplied by Clair Brothers.
Sound System
2 x RCA W Bin with 2 x 15″ JBL K140
4 x Jands U Bin with 2 x 15″ JBL K130
2 x RCA Multi-cell Horns with Altec drivers
8 x JBL 075 high frequency drivers
10 x Jands 150w Power Amplifiers
1 x 16 Channel Jands Mixing Console
Jands Crew
Howard Page
Phillip Storey
Eric Robinson
Promoters / Sponsors:
I.B.C./Rock Concert Club of Australia/Go-Set/ 6KY, 5KA, 3AK, 4BC, 2SM
1971 Tour Dates and Venues:
17 October – Perth, Subiaco Stadium
22 October – Adelaide, Memorial Drive Tennis Centre
24 October – Melbourne, Kooyong Tennis Centre
26. October – Brisbane, Festival Hall
31 October – Sydney, Randwick Racecourse
Support Groups:
The Birds (Perth)
Mark IV (Perth)
Headband (Adelaide)
Ilo (Adelaide)
Chain (Melbourne)
Aztecs (Melbourne)
Pilgrimage (Melbourne)
Gentle Art (Brisbane)
Leroy (Brisbane)
Country Radio (Sydney)
Melissa (Sydney)
Asleep At the Wheel (Sydney)
Melbourne, Kooyong Tennis Centre
All images © Jands Pty Limited – Click to enlarge
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Melbourne, Kooyong Tennis Centre
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Melbourne, Kooyong Tennis Centre
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Melbourne, Kooyong Tennis Centre
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Melbourne, Kooyong Tennis Centre
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Melbourne, Kooyong Tennis Centre
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Melbourne, Kooyong Tennis Centre
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Melbourne, Kooyong Tennis Centre
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Melbourne, Kooyong Tennis Centre
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Melbourne, Kooyong Tennis Centre
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Melbourne, Kooyong Tennis Centre
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Melbourne, Kooyong Tennis Centre
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Melbourne, Kooyong Tennis Centre
Perth and Adelaide
All images © Jands Pty Limited – Click to enlarge
In the late 1960 and early 1970s radio station 2SM and confectionary maker Hoadleys staged an annual Battle of the Sounds to discover Australia’s best band. In 1970 the bands competing include Flying Circus, Freshwater, the Cleves, Pyramid, NZ Fantasy Band, Autumn, the La De Das, Pirana, Elm Tree, and Clik.
Jands provided a column PA system and lighting for the heats and finals of the Sydney events.
In an essay on the ABC website Ed Nimmervoll wrote:
“As long ago as Johnny O’Keefe, Australian rock and roll had hoped for international recognition. Now it became an obsession, catered to by a national competition called the Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds. The prize was a boat trip to London.
It’s impossible to imagine anything like the Battle happening now or ever again. Each year the nation’s biggest bands – and quite a few just looking to be noticed – pitted themselves against each other in a national contest sponsored by Hoadley’s and organised by host radio stations in each capital city. Every band was given three minutes on stage. The judges awarded points. The final saw all the state winners run the same gauntlet. Another three minutes to show their wares. Another set of judges.
The Twilights won the 1966 Battle, even though one of their two singers couldn’t perform with them. The rules only allowed five members.”
Links
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hoadleys-Battle-of-the-Sounds/103281169726010#
http://www.abc.net.au/arts/rocksnaps/essay/battle.htm