Australian Crawl | The Motels | Paul Kelly

Back in the early 80s, Australian Crawl were about as hot as an Aussie summer. Their debut album, The Boys Light Up(1980), had gone five-times platinum, camped on the charts for 101 weeks, and pumped out classics like “Beautiful People,” “Downhearted,” and of course, the title track.

With their surf-tinged rock sound, Crawl hit a nerve with a generation. They followed up with Sirocco (1981), Sons of Beaches (1982), and the Semantics EP (1983), which gave us their biggest anthem, “Reckless (Don’t Be So).” By 1985, they weren’t just a band anymore — they were a staple of Australian music.

So when they announced a gig at the Sports & Entertainment Centre (what’s now Collingwood’s training base), my cousin Andrew and I knew we had to be there. To sweeten the deal, the support acts that night were none other than Paul Kelly — still on his way to becoming a national treasure — and The Motels, who were riding their own wave of popularity. It promised to be a night of serious music.

For me, it also turned into a rite of passage. Somewhere between Surrey Hills and the city, I made the life-changing decision to crack my “alcohol virgin” bubble. The weapon of choice? UDL Vodka and Orange cans. Classy, I know. I sank them all the way in on the train, and by the time we rocked up to the gig, I was well and truly smashed.

The details of the night are a little blurry for obvious reasons, but what I do remember is a cracking lineup and the electric feeling of seeing Aussie Crawl at their peak. For a kid just breaking into adulthood, it was the perfect storm — music, mates, and a night I’ll never forget (even if I can’t remember all of it).