The eighties and after: a new wave of independents

Punk rock revolutionised the recording industry in the late ’70s with its do-it-yourself approach to music production. By 1980 many new local independent labels had appeared in its wake. Some joined forces with Festival Records, which adopted the slogan – ‘home of the independents’. One of the most successful was Regular Records, with artists Mental as Anything, Kate Ceberano, Icehouse and the Reels. As the 1990s dawned significant changes were occurring in the record industry. Festival faced new challenges and began to rethink its approach to manufacturing and distribution. This section also looked at some of Festival’s top artists over the years who were outside the mainstream of rock and pop.

Images left to right: Mental as Anything, photo by Philip Morris, courtesy Festival Mushroom Records; Regular Records label, courtesy Martin Fabinyi collection; Festival staff with awards, courtesy Festival Mushroom Records; Iva Davies and Donnie Sutherland, courtesy 7 Network

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