Little Band scene

The Champion Hotel in Fitzroy was a popular venue among the little bands, hosting monthly "Little Band Nights" throughout much of 1979 and 1980.[1]

The Little Band scene was an experimental post-punk scene which flourished in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia from late 1978 until early 1981.[2] Instigated by groups Primitive Calculators and Whirlywhirld, this scene was concentrated in the inner suburbs of Fitzroy and St Kilda, and involved many short-lived bands that played live only once or twice before changing names and swapping members.

The little bands played in small venues, often pubs, and their shows were recorded and broadcast by radio announcer Alan Bamford on community station 3RRR. In the scene, the distinctions between performers and audience were blurred, with many little bands made up of non-musicians on borrowed equipment and encouraging spontaneous participation during their shows.

The scene gave rise to several notable bands, including Dead Can Dance and Hunters & Collectors, and also served as the backdrop for the 1986 cult film Dogs in Space, starring INXS frontman Michael Hutchence. The little band concept has been intermittently revived into the 21st century, with the Melbourne Fringe Festival and a number of Melbourne pubs hosting Little Band Nights.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Potts was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Knowles, Julian (2008). "Liminal Electronic Musics: Post-Punk Experimentation in Australia in the 1970s–1980s". Proceedings 'Sound : Space', Australasian Computer Music Conference, 2008, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney. p. 40-41