Page 128 - Metro

COUNTDOWN

being given access to popular music icons of this calibre reveals
THE RETURN OF ".4-3#.6-:
REMEMBERING AUSTRALIA’S that this woman was certainly a big deal once.
MUSICAL DIVERSITY Meanwhile, "NTMSCNVM SURGXFHUV OLNH 0LFKDHO 6KULPSWRQ DQG
5REELH :HHNHV KDYH EHHQ LPPRUWDOLVHG MXVW DERXW HYHU\ZKHUH DQG
/L] *LXIIUH unsurprisingly, the cult of Meldrum only continues to swell. This is
not to understate the importance of these men, but rather to high
The ABC’s "K@RRHB "NTMSCNVM VHULHV DSSHDUV DW ĺUVW WR MXVW EH light how "K@RRHB "NTMSCNVMpV LQFOXVLRQ RI WKH ORVW ĺJXUH RI &KHUU\
a nostalgia piece. Broadcast during "NTMSCNVM’s original timeslot 5LSH VHUYHV DV D UHPLQGHU WR ORRN EH\RQG H[LVWLQJ PDLQVWUHDP
RI 6XQGD\ DW SP WKH VHULHV LV FOHDUO\ WDUJHWHG DW $XVWUDOLDQV ZKR narratives of Australian history. With just a few little clips, all of a
remember what it was like sitting in front a television at a particu sudden the contemporary viewer is shown that there were women
ODU WLPH RI GD\ ZLWKRXW WKH FRQYHQLHQFH RI FDWFK XS VHUYLFHV RU contributing to the music scene at the time – even if they have sub
YouTube. It also prominently features nods to those who like to ‘re sequently been left out of the history books.
member when’ – each episode is themed around a year of the clas 6LPLODU UHGLVFRYHULHV DUH PDGH SRVVLEOH E\ WKH PXVLFDO SHUIRU
VLF VKRZpV EURDGFDVW DQG SXQFWXDWHG E\ RQ VFUHHQ IDFWRLGV DERXW mances shown in "K@RRHB "NTMSCNVM. While icons of Australian
the bands featured and voiceovers providing context about Australia FRFN URFN DUH FHUWDLQO\ SUHVHQW FXH $& '& 7KH $QJHOV DQG
at the time. Interestingly, when you look up the "K@RRHB "NTMSCNVM 6N\KRRNV WKH LQFOXVLRQ RI DUWLVWV OLNH DOO JLUO SRS JURXS 3HDFKHV
listing on the ABC’s website, the show is categorised as ‘comedy’ and solo entertainer Peter Allen show the diversity in Australian
rather than ‘music’ – seemingly nodding to the idea that this quaint audiences’ music taste. Allen’s appeal has been widely acknowl
little show is, today, something to be embraced with humour rather edged, of course, particularly in a recent biographical miniseries
than taken too seriously. E\ WKH 6HYHQ 1HWZRUN EXW KLV DSSHDUDQFH RQ "NTMSCNVM comes
To see "NTMSCNVM purely as something of a funny museum RII DOPRVW DV DQ DQRPDO\ DW ĺUVW &DPS DQG MR\RXV KLV DSSURDFK
piece is to miss the point, however. Although lighthearted in its was then, like now, a musical and ideological challenge to what has
construction, the series goes a long way to reminding contempo FRQYHQWLRQDOO\ EHHQ D FRQVHUYDWLYH $XVWUDOLD /LNHZLVH 3HDFKHV
rary viewers just how progressive the Australian music industry, showed a daring that, these days, still has the capacity to shock.
and Australian broadcasting more generally, once was. Importantly, ,Q "K@RRHB "NTMSCNVM WKHLU PXVLF VWDQGV VWURQJ EHVLGH EHWWHU
"K@RRHB "NTMSCNVM has been carefully curated to include clips, links known singles also revisited in the episode – making it even more
and notes about musicians and segments of the industry that, so far, curious that the band has not been remembered in the same way
have not made headlines or featured in the many ‘best of’ compila DV LWV FRQWHPSRUDULHV
tions. For example, the ‘1980’ episode shows a segment featur All of this poses questions regarding the industry as it stands
LQJ IHPDOH FULWLF &KHUU\ 5LSH DV "NTMSCNVMpV o8. FRUUHVSRQGHQWp today. The beauty of the contemporary music scene is that it is
You might think this is relatively unimportant, and that her pres fragmented and able to cater for a variety of niches – but this is
ence – compared to that of the iconic and rightly adored Ian ‘Molly’ the scene’s weakness, too. Audiences who are not already familiar
Meldrum – was mere garnish. This presumption, however, is imme with an artist may have trouble just ‘stumbling across’ them, and, in
diately challenged when we see her talking to Paul McCartney, then WXUQ DUWLVWV ZKR DUH VWLOO ĺQGLQJ WKHLU IHHW DUH ZLWKRXW D FHQWUDOLVHG
0LFN -DJJHU $OWKRXJK ,pYH ZULWWHQ VHYHUDO DFDGHPLF DQG MRXUQDO incubation hub like "NTMSCNVM to help develop their work. Much
LVWLF DUWLFOHV DERXW "NTMSCNVM, thoroughly researching the show’s like we saw after the ,NKKX miniseries concluded its broadcast run,
FRQVWUXFWLRQ DQG VXEVHTXHQW OHJDF\ WKLV ZDV WKH ĺUVW WLPH ,pG HYHU there are many now asking when Australian television will again get
KHDUG RI &KHUU\ 5LSH :KLOH VKH PD\ QRW KDYH KDG WKH ORQJHYLW\ D GHGLFDWHG PXVLF SHUIRUPDQFH DQG UHYLHZ RXWOHW /HWpV KRSH LWpV
RI}0HOGUXP LQ WHUPV RI HPSOR\PHQW DQG oQDWLRQDO WUHDVXUHp VWDWXV sooner rather than later.

126 • Metro Magazine 195 | © ATOM