Fairgrounds may have pulled a crowd on the weekend but 52 years ago people were quite literally fainting when rocker Billy Thorpe came to town.
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His appearance at the Nowra School of Arts on March 7, 1966 rates among the most significant pop music events ever hosted in the region.
Backed by his band The Aztecs, Thorpe boasted several number one hits including Poison Ivy, Over The Rainbow and I Told The Brook.
Supporting acts were Tony Barber, Lyn Randell, Colin Cook and Little Gulliver.
Tickets were $1.55 and $1.25 and bookings could be made at Legge’s Record Bar in Junction Street.
It was reported in the Shoalhaven Telegraph that at the end of the concert, crowds of screaming teenagers besieged the hall, trying to get a close up glimpse of their idols on their way out.
Tickets were $1.55 and $1.25 and bookings could be made at Legge’s Record Bar in Junction Street.
Originally members of the group planned to come to the door to sign autographs but in the end decided to stay inside until the crowds had dispersed.
Earlier in the night the School of Arts was packed to capacity and people tried to climb up to the open windows to watch on.
Doorkeepers had a busy time trying to keep them back and eventually, in spite of the heat, the windows were shut.
Excited concert goers tried to climb up onto the stage but were hauled back down by police who had been called in to assist.
Excitement rose during the afternoon when in a personal appearance to Legge’s store, crowds of teenagers again mobbed the members of the band in an attempt to get their autograph or just get close enough to touch them.
While at this time of the year the Nowra School of Arts is predominately home to community Christmas performances, it’s hosted many a well-known performer in its time.
A bright future was predicted for Jimmy Little after his appearance in a Bomaderry concert at age 15. During the 1950s and early 1960s he appeared at the Nowra School of Arts with other artists including Frank Ifield and Johnny Devlin.
Slim Dusty had a hit with A Pub With No Beer in 1958 but it was still a hit when he brought his show to Nowra in February 1964.
Another major pop music event for the Shoalhaven saw Sherbet perform at the Ulladulla Civic Centre and the Bomaderry Basketball Stadium in 1976.
In more recent times, licensed clubs have taken over the sponsorship of performances by big names, but many resident recall with fondness the concerts held in the historic School of Arts.