Melbourne celebrates the 50th anniversary of its response to Woodstock – the very first Sunbury Pop Festival. A three-day festival of music, fun, love, and peace. Spectrum, Madder Lake, and The Indelible Murtceps will play at the Archies Creek Hotel.

Featuring the cream of Australian Artists Sunbury was touted as “The Rock Happening of 1972”. Close to thirty acts played, one of them being Queen from the UK, the only overseas act; but they were booed off stage in favour of our own Madder Lake. The crowd weren’t ready for the glam of Queen yet.

Madder Lake opened the festival to a rapturous response. They went on to support the Rolling Stones on their Australian Tour later that year and were the first act to be signed to Mushroom Records- delivering the company their first Gold Record with the brilliant album ‘StillPoint’. This album spawned the singles ‘12lb. Toothbrush’ and ‘Goodbye Lollipop’.

Next, up were Spectrum who were Australia’s most popular Progressive Rock Act, the catalyst for the genius of Mike Rudd. Their Number One National Hit ‘I’ll Be Gone’ released a year earlier had already become an anthem with the Australian public ‘I’ll Be Gone’ has been covered by many artists from Manfred Mann’s Earth Band to local act Lost Ragas. . Later in his career Mike with new band was privy to record at the famous Abbey Road Studios in England.

The Indelible Murtceps another of Mike Rudd’s bands also played at Sunbury They were the vehicle for more dance oriented songs in contrast to Spectrum’s more in-concert style. Songs like: ‘Red Hot Mumma’, ‘We Are Indelible and ‘Esmerelda’ were a hit at Sunbury and soon became crowd favourites.

Producer of the concerts Steve Georgiou said, “ So come, 50 years later, re-live, celebrate the nostalgia and great music with these three bands that remain today and who were part of the so called ‘Golden Era of Australian Rock Music”.