The Maddens and Music Memories

November 8, 2014
by Rodney Olsen
1 Comment

maddens

How times have changed. (This is code for, “I’m getting old.”)

Back in the day when I used to go to many, many concerts, I could never have imagined sitting near a couple of young girls texting and Facebooking their way through a live show. Mainly because those things didn’t exist back in the day, but I just couldn’t imagine paying to see a concert and then not watching the stage for 90% of the night.

Anyway, enough reminiscing …. at least for a couple of paragraphs.

Last night Pauline and I headed to Crown Theatre to see The Madden Brothers. It was a great show with heaps of humour, fun, great musicianship and some amazing vocals. It was great to hear a bunch of Good Charlotte songs as well as the brothers’ more recent music.

Seeing a great band playing live was a great reminder of some of the dozens of concerts I’ve seen over many years. I’ve put a bit of a list together of some acts I’ve seen. I know that I’ve forgotten several over the decades but here’s a large selection of the live music I’ve experienced. Most were concerts but some, like Tina Arena’s 3 songs in a shopping centre, were shorter performances.

Not all have been personal favourites. Some were support bands for other acts that are listed here. Sometimes the support acts were better than the main act. Some I’ve seen several times with others only once. As you’ll see there are even a couple of ‘kids’ bands that I saw with Emily and James when they were very young.

I don’t get to as many concerts as I’d like these days so the list is a bit ‘retro’.

Adam Hall and the Velvet Playboys, Amy Grant, Aneiki, Angry Anderson, Australian Crawl, Billy Joel, Birtles, Shorrock Goble, Bob Carlisle, Bob Dylan, Bogarnis, Carman, Clannad, Cliff Richard, Colleen Hewett, Daryl Braithwaite, David Bowie, David Meece, DC Talk, Diana Krall, Dion, Dire Straits, Divinyls, Elton John (with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra), Elvis Costello, Feargal Sharkey, Gangajang, Garth Hewitt, Genesis, Glen Campbell, Grace Knight, Hi-5, Hoi Polloi, Hoodoo Gurus, Hothouse Flowers, Human Nature, INXS, James Morrison, James Reyne, James Taylor, Jimmy Barnes, Joan Armatrading, Joe Jackson, John Farnham, Jon English, Kate Ceberano, Keith Green, Kenny Marks, Larry Norman, Leslie Phillips (now Sam Phillips), Linda Ronstadt, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, Lou Reed, The Madden Brothers, Margaret Becker, Mental as Anything, Motels, Neil Diamond, Newsboys, Olivia Newton-John, Paul Kelly, Perfect Strangers, Phil Collins, Randy Stonehill, Ray Charles, Ray Davies, Rez Band, Robert Cray Band, Rogue Traders, Ross Wilson, Roxette, Sade, Sensitive New Age Cowpersons, Simple Minds, Spandau Ballet, Split Enz, T-Bone Burnett, The Angels, The Saints, The Wiggles, Tina Arena, Tom Burlinson, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, U2, Van Morrison, Vijay Benedict, Violent Femmes, WA Symphony Orchestra, Wendy Matthews, Whiteheart

I’d be interested in hearing about a few of the concerts you’ve seen. How many do we have in common? How many of the acts that I’ve listed here have you seen live?

I tried to list a few of my favourites but it was too hard to narrow down.

By the way, if you went to any concerts with me that I’ve missed, please let me know. I’ll probably update the list from time to time as I remember more.



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Memories Crashing Down

December 7, 2010
by Rodney Olsen
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It’s the end of an era. If all goes to plan, the place that I created so many memories will come crashing down early next year.

The Perth Entertainment Centre, originally named the Channel 7 Edgley Entertainment Centre, is about to be knocked down. When it was built it was like nothing Perth had ever seen. It was Perth’s primary large concert venue, with seating for over 8000 people, from 1974 until it closed its doors in 2002.

Demolition work will begin on the Perth Entertainment Centre next month after a land swap deal between the building’s owner, Seven Group, and the State Government.

The Entertainment Centre, disused and a growing eyesore since it was closed in August 2002, will be demolished to make way for a new mixed use development likely to include office space and apartments.

Seven Group chief executive Peter Gammell said the company was yet to finalise its plans but at this stage there was no intention to move Channel 7 Perth’s operations from their studios in Dianella. – thewest.com.au

Some of the concerts I remember seeing at the centre included Amy Grant, Australian Crawl, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Cliff Richard , David Bowie,  DC Talk, Dire Straits, Elton John (with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra),  Feargal Sharkey, Gangajang, Genesis,  Hoi Polloi, Hoodoo Gurus, James Taylor, Joan Armatrading, Joe Jackson , John Farnham, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, Motels,  Olivia Newton-John, Phil Collins, Roxette, Sade, Simple Minds, Spandau Ballet, Split Enz, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, U2, Van Morrison, and Whiteheart.

I’m sure there were other shows I saw there as well. I know that I was at the Entertainment Centre for a conference or two, to watch basketball, and even to see Disney on Ice many, many years ago. I also remember sleeping on the pavement outside the Entertainment Centre to get the best possible tickets to a couple of shows.

If you’re a Perth local I’d love to hear some of your memories of the Perth Entertainment Centre. What shows did you see there? Will you be sad to see the old place knocked down?



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Sorry? Can you say that again?

February 28, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
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Train HornsAfter all the abuse I’ve dished out to my ears over the past few decades, I have no idea how a 45 year old man should be hearing what only young people should hear.

I would have been certain that the Hoodoo Gurus concerts, especially that one at the Old Melbourne, suffering through a night of U2 live, hearing David Bowie rock the Entertainment Centre and all those other musical treats would have done irreparable damage, but maybe not.

If only my eyes were still the eyes of a young man.

(By the way, I think maybe I need to update this post sometime with the concerts I’ve seen in the last few years. Check it out and tell me how many of those acts you’ve seen live.)

Thanks to Brian Eberly for the link to the audio test.



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