Dave Warner's From The Suburbs
Astor Theatre, 659 Beaufort St, 6050 Perth Kort
lau. 24.10.2026 18:45
This October marks the fiftieth anniversary of Dave Warner’s from the Suburbs one of Australia’s most unique bands, and the first West Australian band to fill pubs and have chart success with songs about Perth. `Suburban Boy’ Dave Warner, named by Bob Dylan as one of his favourite Australian artists, launched out of Perth with his 1972 proto-punk band Pus, then refined the concept into ‘suburban rock’ . In the late 70s Dave Warner’s from the Suburbs crash-tackled a largely imitative Australian rock scene with unbridled energy and originality with album ‘Mugs Game’ going gold within eight weeks. Tracks like “Convict Streak’ and ‘Half Time at the Football’, precursors to rap, and sung in an Australian accent sliced and diced the country’s culture and led to Warner’s arrest for singing “obscene songs”. Now to celebrate that glorious era DWFTS play the Astor Theatre in Perth with Howie, Tony and Paul from the original ‘Mugs Game’ Suburbs in the lineup and some even earlier Warner collaborators like Haydn Pickersgill the first bass player of the Suburbs, plus later regulars Phil Bailey and Lloyd Gyi as well as a couple of newbies in Phil Bennett and Sam Musca. Hopefully a couple of Pus members will also join in. The extensive set that includes Pus songs, early Suburbs, Mugs Game era and more recent WHEN songs, Dave will show why he was the prime mover in creating original music out of Perth. This will be a very special night, possibly the last time you’ll get a chance to see this band deliver its history from womb to tomb. Don’t miss your chance to be part of it.
Flytjendur
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Dave Warner's From The Suburbs
In 1973 in Perth Warner formed Australia's first punk band Pus with a heavy emphasis on in your face satire in the tradition of Zappa and the Fugs. In 1975 Warner disbanded Pus and went to Europe looking to make a career as a songwriter and performer. He left without success in 1976 however in the interim had formulated a new style of music `suburban rock' that would be based on ultimate veracity, singing from the perspective of a suburban, low-to middle class Australian. By mid 1977 Warner and his band Dave Warner's from the Suburbs was filling venues in Perth six nights a week playing up to sixty original songs. It was unheard of for original music to succeed in Perth. In 1977 the band recorded gigs live at local hotels on an eight track and began to distribute and sell these cassettes in unmarked blank packaging. The cassettes found their way east and record labels in Sydney and Melbourne were keen to sign the band. In 1978 Warner signed with Mushroom Records and the first album `Mugs Game' went gold within weeks. There were four Suburbs albums released from 1977-81 with various lineup changes. Feeling that he was getting no radio support and with no record current contract, Warner turned his attention to other creative areas writing plays, musicals and ultimately novels while continuing to record and tour intermittently. He has written over 15 crime novels, winning various awards, and continues to record in different genres but always with a heavy emphasis on lyrics and narrative.