John Waters, a veteran of Australian screens, had already identified the first stage entertainment obstacle by scene-setting the concept of Radio Luxembourg Live.
It's important. If you don't get this from the get-go, you're likely to miss picking up the thread that weaves this mystery into musical history.
By the second or third song in, the tunes became a semi-muted backdrop to a larger flickering cinematic mental picture that Waters was creating in our minds. They were singing about The Who's 'My Generation', and all I'm thinking about is the effect on all subsequent ones.
The real Radio Luxembourg was a station started around 1933, in its landlocked little country bordered by Germany, Belgium and France. To give some perspective, it's about the size of the ACT.
Image © Michelle Cop
It ceased transmission during WW2 to keep its neutrality, the Germans took it over anyway, and the US grabbed it back in 1944. In the 1950s, the signal was so strong that it was heard in the UK (best at night) with the radio waves bouncing off the ionosphere using Medium and Long Wave transmission.
Some more perspective? Luxembourg to London is like tuning your car radio here in Brisbane to listen to a station in Rockhampton and succeeding.
The distance John Waters was alluding to was not only being 516kms away, but the cultural and musical gap with the clever sidestepping of BBC's (UK Ggvernment) crushing broadcasting laws (think pirate radio).
With the aging of Britain's post-war Blitz kids born in the early 1940s – children who were now teenagers – the exposure to 'gosh-wow, amazing new sounds' that the BBC wouldn't/ couldn't play, was a record company's ever so slightly damp dream.
Image © Michelle Cop
With rubble-strewn towns still evident from the V1 and V2 rocket bombings of WWII, it was no wonder Eric Burdon from The Animals sang in 1965: "We gotta get out of this place, if it's the last thing we ever do, 'cause girl, there's a better life for me and you."
The era was rock, and it was rolling out internationally very quickly. Tuning in at night to pick up the broadcasts, UK teens got a taste of the world outside of their boring 'fish & chip' musical diet of Val Doonican, classical content and yawn-able novelty acts. So, the RPAC concert (3 October) continued with superb examples of the huge variety of those biggest hits and greatest memories.
Groundbreaking songs tying in with the new electronic breakthroughs; like the flanging sound heard in 'Itchycoo Park' by Steve Marriott of Small Faces. It wasn't just the tech specs they altered, but the sort of sonic fingerprint they left on all pop music. As in, you're free to do whatever you want now.
Stewart D'Arrietta on vocals and keys added a new dimension to the R.L. hits show with Klaus Bussmann on a classy Fender Mustang electric guitar. Jo Elms added her glorious harmonies and acoustic guitar playing to round out the sound, especially the Stones' 'Ruby Tuesday'.
Image © Michelle Cop
By the way, the audience went very quiet during this, as if mesmerised; and speaking of rounds. . . Victor Rounds took care of the bass end of business and Greg Henson on drums added thump to each tune like Manfred Mann's '67 hit 'I've Been A Bad, Bad Boy', 'Gloria', which was released as a B-side from Van Morrison's group Them in '64, Ray Davies and The Kinks' 1967 #2 chart hit 'Waterloo Sunset'.
Melodically it was a relaxed approach to the delivery. Tight musically, in the pocket, but not so slick you became just another audience to complete, tick off the tour list and bump out. John, having been a major part of ABC's 'Play School' for 18 years knew how to keep naughty kids' attention; in this case, bigger kids reliving a welcome history experience.
Friendly and affable, just like John, Redlands Performing Art Centre is one of a handful of well-equipped, council-owned suburban function hubs around southeast Queensland. It lacks for nothing as far technical gear goes, so generally at any of these centres, they give the city and Valley venues some top competition.
More photos from the concert.
