Now in its 4th year, WSFM Presents Pure Gold Live is one of the hottest tickets in town with a stellar line-up set to hit the stage at the Enmore Theatre headlined by Jon Stevens and featuring 1927, GangGajang, Glenn Shorrock, Pseudo Echo and many more Aussie rock legends playing their hits live on Saturday 27th October 2018. Pure Gold Live concert event will be a full night of favourite hits with 10 of Australia’s most well-loved ’80s artists taking the audience back to a time when rock ‘n roll was a way of life and there wasn’t a camera phone in sight.
Without further ado, the legendary artists set to rock the iconic stage at the Enmore (drum roll please) …
For over 20 years, JON STEVENS has maintained a remarkable career as a singer, songwriter and performer, first coming to prominence as the lead singer of ARIA chart-topping, Sydney band, Noiseworks. The band experienced major success in the 1980s and early ’90s with hits like ‘Love Somebody’, ‘Take Me Back’, ‘Touch’, ‘Hot Chilli Woman’ and ‘Miles and Miles’. The next 10 years were a whirlwind for JON STEVENS, appearing in three Australian productions of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar before fronting INXS from 2000 to 2003. JON STEVENS has established himself as one of Australia’s finest performers, and one only needs to listen to a record or see him in his element – his live shows – to realise what has made STEVENS a spirited and gifted musical talent.
Known for enduring hits such as ‘That’s When I Think of You’, ‘Compulsory Hero’, ‘To Love Me’, ‘Scars’, ‘Don’t Forget Me’, and, of course, ‘If I Could’, 1927 made a devastating entry into the ears of its listeners with the Quintuple Platinum selling album …ish in 1988, which earned the band a slew of ARIA Awards as well as a lot of fans along the way. Following up …ish with the multi-platinum second album The Otherside, a self-titled third album, and countless live shows at home and abroad, the last couple of decades have certainly earned 1927 legendary status. Not content to rest on their laurels, after more than 10 years, 1927 released a new studio album Generation-i in 2013. It may just be the band’s finest album yet.
When GANGgajang‘s beloved friend and bass player Chris Bailey passed away in 2013, four original members Cal Callaghan, Buzz Bidstrup, Geoff Stapleton and Robbie James made a pact to continue on as Chris had wished to celebrate 30 years since the band began. GANGgajang released its first single, ‘Gimme Some Lovin’’ in November 1984, reaching the top of the charts in early 1985. Shortly after, their self-titled debut album gained the number one spot in Perth and Brisbane with their quirky anthem ‘Sounds of Then (This Is Australia)’ quickly finding a place on mainstream radio across Australia. Four classic albums followed including the cult Quiksilver surf film Mad Wax soundtrack, a retrospective DVD, and countless tours of Australia and Brazil. The band eagerly looks forward to its 30th year celebration.
GLENN SHORROCK is a founding member of pop groups and Little River Band, The Twilights and Axiom as well as being a solo performer. The Twilights had eight consecutive national hit singles including ‘Needle in a Haystack’ and ‘What’s Wrong with the Way I Live’. Axiom’s top 10 hits were ‘Arkansas Grass’, ‘Little Ray of Sunshine’ and ‘My Baby’s Gone’. Little River Band had national and international chart success, including the Shorrock-penned ‘Emma’, ‘Help is on its Way’ and ‘Cool Change’. Shorrock was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1991 and as a member of Little River Band in 2004. In May 2001 the Australasian Performing Rights Association, as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, named ‘Cool Change’ as one of the APRA Top 30 Australian songs of all time.
PSEUDO ECHO formed in 1982, releasing their first album, Autumnal Park, in 1984 which skyrocketed the band to household name status across the country. Their second album, Love an Adventure, spawned another string of hits including its title track, ‘Don’t Go’, ‘Try’, ‘Living in a Dream’ and their remake of the Lipps, Inc. song ‘Funkytown’, which brought the group their biggest international success and spent seven weeks at No. 1 in Australia from December 1986. In 2012 PSEUDO ECHO celebrated their 30th anniversary and this year released their sixth studio album, Ultraviolet.
THE RADIATORS formed in 1978, led by Brian Nichol the band are renowned for delivering a night of pub rock anthems. The albums Feel the Heat (March 1980) and Scream of the Real (May 1983), both topped the charts. The singles ‘Coming Home’, ‘No Tragedy’ and ‘Gimme Head’ are Aussie classics. Rock music historian, Ian McFarlane described the group as “an archetypal, hard-working pub-rock band capable of delivering tightly crafted, well-executed, hard-hitting metal-pop anthems backed by a playful sense of humour.” The band tour constantly, racking up over 3500 gigs. The Rads really know how to deliver a fun filled night of Aussie Pub Rock.
STEPHEN CUMMINGS first achieved success in Australia as lead singer with The Sports, a pop band that had a number of hits in the late ’70s including the classic ‘Who Listens To The Radio?’ Never completely comfortable with the rigours of touring with a band, he decided to embark on a solo career after their demise. His first solo offering was the album, Senso, which charted impressively due to the Top 5 success of the single ‘Gynmasium’ and received considerable attention from the public. His third album Lovetown, saw Cummings hit his creative stride – critical praise was showered on the album, and it is now revered as a classic amongst fans and followers of the Australian music scene. Stephen has now released 20 albums, consisting of 15 studio albums, two ‘’best of’’ compilations, a live disc, an album of acoustic re-workings of his songs and a rarities collection. His fourth album, A New Kind Of Blue, won an ARIA for “best adult contemporary album’’ and his eighth album, Falling Swinger, was included in Australian Rolling Stone’s list of “100 essential Australian albums”.
WENDY MATTHEWS is an honorary Aussie, born in Canada and relocating to Australia to sing back-up vocals at the invitation of Glenn Shorrock for his ’83 Australian tour. That six week visit became a rather extended visit as Wendy found herself in demand as a session vocalist. She sang on albums by Jimmy Barnes, Richard Clapton, Tim Finn and Icehouse. After singing backing vocals on Models’ 1985 album Out of Mind, Out of Sight, she became a regular vocalist for the band. Wendy, along with The Models’ Sean Kelly and James Valentine, Gary Beers of INXS, Roger Mason and Mick King formed the all-star Absent Friends and Wendy featured as lead vocalist on ‘I Don’t Wanna Be With Nobody But You’ which reached No 4 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Wendy now enjoys a solo career. Her soulful sound and crystal clear vocals helped make tracks like ‘Token Angels’, ‘Let’s Kiss (Like Angels Do)’ and ‘The Day You Went Away’ become huge hits for this multiple ARIA Award winner.
THIRSTY MERC are an Australian pop rock band formed in 2002 by Rai Thistlethwayte (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Phil Stack (bass guitar), Karl Robertson (drums), and Matthew Baker (guitar). Thirsty Merc have released four albums: Thirsty Merc (August 2004), Slideshows (April 2007), Mousetrap Heart (June 2010) and Shifting Gears (September 2015). The band have sold over 200,000 albums, toured extensively around Australia, and received national radio airplay for their tracks. Their smash hit In the ‘Summertime’ is the theme song of TV Show Bondi Rescue and hits like ’20 Good Reasons’, ‘The Hard Way’ and now their latest hit ‘The Good Life’ are radio and fan favourites.
Best known for their hit songs ‘Short Note’, ‘Mancini Shuffle’, ‘Hot Cover’ and ‘Fade Away’, classic Australian rock band MATT FINISH are one of the most independent, inventive, powerful and popular live bands from the ’80s, influencing and influenced by friends and contemporaries Midnight Oil, INXS, Cold Chisel, Icehouse, The Ramones, XTC and U2. Matt Finish 2018 features founding member and multi-award winning composer and producer John Prior, star of stage and screen Ric Herbert, Steve Williams from Wa Wa Nee and Phil Hall from The Lime Spiders.
Tickets are expected to sell quickly so don’t miss this opportunity!
WSFM PURE GOLD LIVE
Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Saturday 27th October 2018
JON STEVENS | 1927 | GANGgajang | GLENN SHORROCK
PSEUDO ECHO | THE RADIATORS | STEPHEN CUMMINGS
WENDY MATTHEWS | THIRSTY MERC | MATT FINISH