Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - Live At Sunbury 1972

While by no means the first of Australia's outdoor rock festivals, for better or worse, Sunbury soon assumed the mantle of "Australia's Woodstock". It was held at the end of January, 1972, over the Australia Day long weekend. The venue was a natural amphitheatre site on farmland near Sunbury, a rural town north of Melbourne, Victoria. The Aztecs shared billing with Spectrum/Murtceps, The La De Das, Max Merritt & the Meteors, SCRA, Pirana, Greg Quill's Country Radio and many others.



But the main event of the festival was undoubtedly Thorpie's triumphant appearance! The exhortation from the stage to "suck more piss!" has passed into folklore, as stoned and drunk punters, enjoying the ambience of a weekend of hard music, topless frolicking, easy drugs and free love, adopted Thorpie as the king of Oz Rock, and elevated him and his powerhouse band to the status of legend – a status Billy has never quite lived down.

Part of the Aztecs' incendiary set, plus several of the other performers, was released on the landmark double-album recording Sunbury (EMI-HMV SOXLP 7561/2), and also on the film made of the event, Sunbury (Video release: Siren SIRVID 100). A double-album featuring the Aztecs' full set, Live at Sunbury, was later released by their new label, Havoc (HST 4003/4), complete with a die-cut 3D pop-up cartoon cover, depicting the group and friends in a festival tent, smoking hookas and looking out of it (as you do). This release, with full inserts and in mint condition, is much sought after by collectors today and the recordings have recently been renmastered and reissued by Aztec Music.

Milesago.com

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