Expert: Bill V. - 7/14/2009

Question
1. Would you please answer some questions for my school project? It's a 2500 word essay about Australian Music making it into the US. I'll be looking mostly at Mushroom Records and (of course) AcDc.

2. Before AcDc, what did you think of Australian music? Was it as popular as was after AcDc?

3. How much advertisement did you see for AcDc at their first gig with headliners, Moxy?

4. What other Australian artists were breaking into the US, back then, if any?

5. What was your first impression of AcDc?

6. At that first concert you went to, did AcDc talk about where they were from, much?

7. You have one of the world's biggest AcDc memorabilia collections, do you collect any other things?

8. What made you choose AcDc?

9. How big was the crowd at that first concert you went to?

10. Apart from AcDc, What do you think of when you hear the words "Australian Music"?

11. DO you have any other information that might be helpful?

Answer
Hello Maize,

Thank you for your questions.
Sure, I will take some time to answer your questions for your school project.

2- I don't think many people paid much attention to Australian music as much until AC/DC. I think AC/DC opened the doors for not only Australian music in general (all music genres) but to thousands of other rock n roll, hard rock, and heavy metal acts that would otherwise never received the attention they got, especially in the 1980's at the height of AC/DC's popularity. AC/DC were the hottest band on the planet, and record companies were looking for the next AC/DC.

3-This was before I knew of AC/DC, and was quite young still, so this question would not pertain to me.

4- I know that the Beegees were always very popular, especially in the 1970s, but that was the whole disco era thing.

5- Thought they were incredible, still do to this day.

6- No, AC/DC don't make much small talk during the shows.

7- I collect some other music memorabilia on other bands, particularly Iron Maiden, and a few others, but I don't collect anything else.

8- AC/DC is what did it for me, the sound of the guitars, the amazing vocal range and tone of Bon Scott's voice from when I first heard them on the radio struck me and I knew right there that this was the greatest rock band ever.

9- Sold out. I think the capacity was around 16,000-20,000.

10- The Easybeats and Stevie Wright would come to mind first after AC/DC. Aside from them, a lot of AC/DC "related" bands would come to mind for me personally, since I'm familiar with a lot of them, such as Buster Brown, Fraternity, The Valentines, Marcus Hook Roll Band. Some others: The Beegees, The Poor, Rose Tattoo, Buffalo and Airbourne.

11- Here is an informative site: The Australian Rock Database:
http://hem.passagen.se/honga/aussie.html
Though I don't think that it has been updated in a long time.

Best Regards,

Bill