Audience #1

In the early 1970s David Porter was a contributing photographer for some of the most influential Australian Rock music and underground publications (Go-Set, Daily/Planet, Rolling Stone (Australian Edition), The Digger. Porter was based in Melbourne, his subject the zeitgeist of its Rock/Pop music, underground theatre, and Counterculture scenes, sometimes working as ‘David Porter’, sometimes ‘Jacques L’Affrique’, sometimes ‘Jack Africa’. In 1973 he left Melbourne, stopped working in commercial photography, and pursued a teaching career.

This photograph was taken at MONTSALVAT ‘SYRIUS’ BENEFIT CONCERT (3 October 1971)
An artist colony established in 1934. Montsalvat is in the Melbourne suburb of Eltham (boasting gardens, houses, halls, studios, galleries designed and built by residents). Montsalvat continues to present exhibitions, performances, and events (with artists residing and creating on site). In the 1970s bands such as Spectrum and Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band regularly performed there.

On 3 October 1971 a benefit concert for the penniless and stranded Hungarian band Syrius was at Montsalvat by the lake. Organised by John Pinder and Let it Be the ‘benefit’ raised over $3,000 to enable the band to return home. The event bill featured Carson, Captain Matchbox, Daddy Cool, Highway, Pilgrimage, Syrius and Tribe Theatre. However, torrential rain caused chaos. Captain Matchbox was cut short when the sound system packed it in, and Daddy Cool citing equipment and safety concerns refused to play. However, a drenched Pilgrimage soldiered on. Theatrical radicals Tribe provided ‘good clean, obscene fun’. Carson, Syrius and Highway played during breaks in the weather.

Daily Planet (6 October 1971) reported … the weather was shithouse…everything else was, the place, the bands, the people and the vibes were really good…the hillside was a quagmire, and the people were so wet they were beyond caring (there was plenty of booze around), that they were sliding down the hill in the mud and splashing into the pool in front of the stage...despite the rain, and the cold and the mud and the slush and the beer, it had been a good day. Syrius (1962-77) Hungarian jazz-fusion, progressive rock group. Miklos ‘Jackie’ Orszaczky (bass guitar, guitar and vocals), Zoltan Baronits (piano, oboe, saxophone), Latsi Pataki (organ, piano, drums), Mihaly Raduly (saxophone, flute, violin), Andras Veszelinov (drums, guitar, trombone).

Published Syrius Benefit was Wet Fun!! Go-Set, 9 October 1971