The story................ from ninemsn
The Countdown years. September 17, 2006 Reporter :Red Symons Producer : Marianne Latham
Red SymonsBack 30 years ago, before rock 'n' roll became video wallpaper, it was a badge of honour to stand out. Wild hair, outrageous costumes and attitude all helped. And in Australia, the best place to stand out was on the ABC television show, Countdown that went to air each Sunday night between 1974 and 1987.
The performers were sometimes a bit raw, the audience unsophisticated and the host down mumbled but once you'd made it to Countdown you could make it anywhere. In Australia that is.
"Oh, if you get to Countdown you're well on your way," says Brian Mannix, of the Uncanny X-men. "It was life changing going on Countdown."
Now, the stars of Countdown have got together to perform at stadiums around the country to celebrate that after thirty years they are still rocking. They're all a bit older and in some cases no wiser, but they are all having a great time,
Former Skyhooks guitarist, Red Symons, visited backstage at the Countdown Spectacular in Sydney for the Sunday program. He noted: "Three decades after Countdown brought young gentlemen into your living room that your mother wouldn't let in the front door, it is interesting to see who has survived and how, like veterans on Anzac Day, perhaps they should be applauded just for being here."
Among those performing at the travelling reunion are Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons, Mondo Rock, Renee Geyer, Sherbet and of course, Molly Meldrum. Red asked Molly if he was the only one who used to pick the acts.
"I guess for a major part I would sort of have to go and hunt for the acts, but basically we would have a big production meeting on a Tuesday and people could forward things," says Molly. "There are acts that I may not have particularly thought we're the greatest act or were in my genre of what I like in music, but thought 'why not give them a go', you know, and we did."
One of the regular performers on Countdown was John Paul Young. "We both have something in common perhaps," commented Red to JPY. "We both have songs that pin us in a kind of retro sense. We have 'Living in the 70's' and you have of all things, 'Yesterday's Hero'. What does it feel to play 'Yesterday's Hero' out there?"
"Well, it's great" replied John Paul Young. "I remember being in the studio and recording that thing and I'm thinking with a bit of luck that's going to apply to me. One day."
"For many of the performers," says Red, "it is a bit like being in a cover band, performing a tribute to the person you once were."
Anyone under the age of 20 wouldn't recognise many of the musicians and singers. While some like Joe Camilleri and Ross Wilson have reinvented themselves with new bands others, like Sherbet, will most likely not perform together again. Alex Smith, meanwhile, is seeing his most popular song 'What About Me?' have a revival by a new kid on the block, Australian Idol contestant, Shannon Noll.
Molly Meldrum credits Countdown with creating the popularity of the '70s pop group ABBA. They were little known around the world before their song 'Mama Mia' appeared on the program. He claims the same credit for the popularity of Peter Allen's 'I Go to Rio'.
But all good things must come to an end. Red Symons quips that, "like a 15-year-old girl who grows out of pop star photos, perhaps the Countdown years were Australia's artistic puberty."
Molly Meldrum says, "I think there was a mistake made. I mean two mistakes that I pin-point as being things we shouldn't have done. One was changing the Countdown theme. I mean why? The other one was the waving and the crowd. They said, 'no we can't have that anymore'. And it was really quite silly to sort of knock that you know."
Some say old rock 'n' rollers never die, but unfortunately that's not the case. The concert plays a video tribute to those who are no longer plucking a guitar or holding the microphone. Amongst them are Shirley Strachan from Skyhooks, Michael Hutchence from INXS and Bon Scott of AC/DC.
SherbetBut those who have survived are having the time of their lives, reliving old times.
"Do you get, 'my mum used to love you'?" Red asked John Paul Young.
"I'm now at the stage where some people have actually said 'my grandma loves you'," he replied. "So there you go, and that's fair enough. I'm a grandfather myself."
"Look I just feel I'm really lucky to be part of it and I look at it more like this," says Brian Mannix. "We used to be pop stars, now we're historical figures."
