Surf City/Don't Look Back/Time Won't Let Me/Transmaniacom MC
One of the pillars of Australian punk, RADIO BIRDMAN was formed at French’s Wine Bar, one of Sydney’s legendary lost venues, mid 1974 by Rob Younger, Ron Keeley and Deniz Tek after the collapse of two other bands the Rats and TV Jones.
Throughout 1975 the band was rejected or banned from just about every venue in Sydney, which led to the departure of original members Pip Hoyle and Carl Rorke, and the formation of what many fans argue is the definitive version of the band with the enlistment of Warwick Gilbert and Chris Masuak.
Finding themselves at a dead end, a fateful meeting with Lou Reed at one of his infamous Sydney airport press conferences resulted in the band conning the owner of the Oxford Tavern into putting on a gig in his honor, and with the show’s success the establishment of their own venue the Fun House which laid the groundwork for Sydney’s burgeoning punk scene.
The controversy and sub-culture surrounding the band gained the attention of then radical left-wing radio station Double JJ who extended an invitation for the band to perform live on air. Recorded six months before the recording of their debut EP “Burn My Eye” this set finds them showcasing that original material alongside early versions of songs that would appear on later releases and covers of the Stooges, MC5, Blue Oyster Cult, the Doors and the Rivieras.
One of the few known documents of their early era “DOUBLE JJ MARCH 1976” is an essential listen for any fan of Australian punk.
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