The sixties: an independent beat

In the mid '60s, British pop music dominated the Australian charts and inspired a new breed of local recording artists. Festival scored some of its biggest hits when it formed partnerships with new, locally owned, independent record companies. Usually these independent labels contracted the artists and made the original master recordings. Festival manufactured the records and handled the distribution, promotion and marketing of the product. Affiliation with small labels like Sunshine, Clarion and Spin brought many of the biggest Australian recording stars of the time, such as Normie Rowe, Johnny Young, Ronnie Burns and the Bee Gees, under the Festival banner.

Images left to right: Pop riots, photo by Lee Pearce, courtesy Australian Consolidated Press; Festival label, courtesy Festival Mushroom Records; Normie Rowe, Andrew Harris collection; Pop riots, photo by Lee Pearce, courtesy Australian Consolidated Press

500 Harris Street Ultimo, PO Box K346 Haymarket, Sydney NSW 1238, Australia.
NSW Government | About this website | Privacy statement

all contents © copyright Powerhouse Museum
Powerhouse Museum collection index