AustLit

'The first-ever in-depth biography of iconoclastic Sydney punk band Radio Birdman – drawn from more than 130 interviews with the band members, their closest associates and fans.

'Regarded as one of the earliest punk bands of the seventies – before the world had heard of the Sex Pistols or The Saints – Radio Birdman were feared and loathed by many, but adored by fiercely loyal fans.

'Tales of Radio Birdman will be handed down through generations. Singer Rob Younger drinking from a human skull filled with sheep brains; fans unknowingly breaking limbs while dancing wildly at gigs; fighting venue bouncers with microphone stands, and having publicans cut the power in a desperate bid to halt their force-of-nature-like performances.

While Birdman split after a disastrous UK and European tour in 1978, hunger for a reunion grew by the day, and their eventual regrouping was met with wild acclaim. In a series of electrifying shows at the 1996 Big Day Out, they overshadowed the likes of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Rage Against the Machine and The Prodigy. Birdman continued to play sell-out gigs to devoted crowds both in Australia and across the globe. In 2007, the group were inducted into the ARIA Australian Music Hall of Fame.

'The Radio Birdman story is one of inspiration, confrontation and commitment, as well as the creation of a subculture that continues to this day. However, their story has never been told – in depth – until now.' (Publication summary)