This poster has significance as a record of music in youth culture around the turn of the 21st century. It helps to illustrate how poster art was used to communicate information to a mass audience about rock music performers and specifically to promote concerts and CDs.
Magic Dirt formed in 1992 in Geelong. The intensity of their performances brought about a bidding war between several major record companies, with the band initially signing with the Melbourne-based indie label Au Go Go. They recorded their first EP 'Signs of Satanic Youth', which was released in January 1994. They have pursued an experimental, grunge/alternative style of guitar rock that was frequently fast, loud and furious.
Coming from a collection of posters that Peta Wilcox accumulated through her extensive contacts in the music business, this poster helps to document the work of the Australian Rock Company (ARC), which Wilcox established in 1984 as a not-for-profit cultural organisation, to develop cultural activities for young people. The ARC has promoted general access performances by professional Australian rock music artists, often in isolated suburban and regional centres that are deprived of cultural activities for youth. Since the 1980s the ARC has presented up to 500 shows and workshops, many for under 18s and all-age audiences, providing entertainment that is both contemporary and relevant. These have taken place in community venues around the country, in association with schools, community groups and local councils. Wilcox worked with a public-spirited, entrepreneurial passion to create entertainment opportunities for young people and to generate gigs for local bands. The ARC's initiatives developed leisure activities for young people in a non-alcohol environment. This has helped many young music fans experience the excitement of rock 'n' roll concerts without the presence of alcohol as a signifier of cultural status.
Peter Cox
Curator
May 2008
Artwork by design@devilscandy.com.au. In the late 1990s Eva Collado and Leigh Jenner formed the design team Devils Candy in Melbourne. They designed posters for artists like Michael Franti and for music events such as the ARIA awards.
This is part of a collection of posters, stickers and promotional cards accumulated by Peta Wilcox, of the Australian Rock Company, from bands, bookers and record companies through her extensive contacts within the music industry.
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