The ABC’s late night music television program Rage is chalking up its 30th birthday, and to mark the occasion the broadcaster is screening two special programs about the show’s history.
As a teenager growing up in a remote regional town in Western Australia Rage was a a gift from God when it began screening in 1987. Before this the station would stop broadcasting usually sometime before midnight. Julie Anthony would appear and sing the national anthem, then the test pattern would appear for a bit before it just became static.
Teenagers today will probably been unaware of the existence of the test pattern and static too is probably not part of their digital television world.
In a time before the internet, where the only place you could buy music was K-Mart, and where your local radio station were dedicated to playing the hits of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, discovering new music was quite a challenge. That’s why that ABC’s Countdown was essential viewing but how many tunes could Molly share within his weekly Humdrum segment.
Rage changed all that. Suddenly our world was filled with The Stone Roses, Faith No More, Depeche Mode, Jane’s Addiction and Soul II Soul.
As a teenager I used to stay up to watch the show, a VHS taped poised to record clips I liked. The TV had to be turned down low because the lounge room was adjacent to my parent’s bedroom. Often my father would come in at two in the morning and demand I went to bed.
I’d slip in a three hour VHS tape and leave it recording the rest of the show, in the morning I’d try to get up as early as possible to watch the Top 50 countdown.
Rage also introduced us to expressions of sexuality that were not often seen in the world that existed before the internet and multi-channel television.
In the special Rage 30 musician Missy Higgins recalls seeing Madonna’s Justify My Love on the program and being fascinated by it’s overt sexuality.
The documentary special recalls what the first track ever played on Rage was, reveals what the working title for the show was, and how they came up those iconic opening titles. Plus you find out who was the first guest programmer, and which clips received the most complaints.
It’s also highlighted that the show made a big difference to the profile of female artists, independent musicians and Australian music.
The show features interviews with musicians, video clip directors and people who were inspired by the late night clip-fest.
A second special hosted by Kate Ceberano focuses on all the different guests who’ve hosted the show and picked their favourite clips.
It features D’arcy Wretzky and James Iha from The Smashing Pumpkins arguing over their song choices, Ru Paul discussing songs that could be covered by Cher, and even David Straton and Margaret Pomeranz giving a very critical analysis of the music videos.
Rage 30 airs on Monday April 17th at 10:00pm, while a second episode Stories from the Red Couch will go to air on Friday April 21st at 11:00pm.
Graeme Watson
