Midnight Oil's Legendary 1980 Tathra Pub Gig: A Tribute to Lennon and Unforgettable Memories
As the music world mourns the recent death of Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst, a former Tathra hotelier has shared poignant memories of the band's legendary 1980 performance at his pub. Andrew "Macca" McPherson, the former bar manager of Tathra Hotel on the NSW Far South Coast, recalls the likeable band members who played and partied there, creating moments that would forever be etched in local history.
A Spontaneous Tribute to John Lennon
On Tuesday, December 9, 1980, Midnight Oil was driving to a gig at Tathra pub when they heard over the radio that John Lennon had been tragically assassinated. The Australian rock band, deeply affected by the news, honoured the founder of The Beatles in two spontaneous ways over the following night and day. For Macca, these tributes became core memories of his time managing the pub.
The connection to Tathra began months earlier when Macca had lunch at the pub with his schoolmate, Oils guitarist Martin Rotsey, and Rotsey's flatmate, the band's lighting technician John "Willow" Williamson. At the time, the pub's owners, Rob "Frog" and Val Little, were extending the venue and had hung a large carpet from the ceiling to separate the construction area.
"If you can get them to put a stage in, I'll get the boys down here," Rotsey reportedly said after peering through the carpet and seeing the size of the extension. This casual remark sparked the beginning of Tathra's pub rock era.
The Birth of Tathra's Pub Rock Scene
Local carpenters, nicknamed "Sheep" and the late "Snoopy," hastily built a stage, with roadies tapping their fingers impatiently as they waited to set up the gear. Midnight Oil performed two 40-minute sets that night, kicking off a wave of top-line entertainment that would later include acts like INXS, Men at Work, Daryl Braithwaite, Cold Chisel, Dragon, Moving Pictures, and Icehouse by the end of the 1990s.
Former pub owner Val Little reminisced about the era, noting there were no restrictions on pub numbers back then. "They could be falling out the windows, but if they wanted to be there, you're not going to tell them no," she said. The gigs, often held on Mondays and Tuesdays, became a staple for the community. "If I can see The Angels, and I live in the Bega Valley, I'm going to Tathra for it, or you're not going to see them otherwise," Macca explained.
An All-Night Beatles Tribute
After the pub closed at 12:30am, the party continued at Macca's tiny fisherman's cottage. Peter Garrett took on the role of resident disc jockey, rewinding and playing Beatles songs for hours until dawn using a makeshift stereo made from a car battery and a Pioneer car cassette player. "It was unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime stuff," Macca said, visibly emotional as he shared the memory.
The next morning, as the sun rose around 5am, Midnight Oil paid homage to The Beatles' iconic 1969 rooftop concert at Apple Corps in London. The band members climbed onto the roof of the Tathra Motel and performed an acoustic version of "Here Comes The Sun," with Garrett singing. This beautiful nod to the past amid the tragedy of Lennon's death left a lasting impression on all who witnessed it.
Legacy of the Tathra Hotel Gigs
Val Little reflected on the impact of these early gigs, noting that while they didn't make a fortune, they kept the pub running and put Tathra on the map. "We realised that gigs were a goer for the pub, and you might have had four rooms of a lot of people having fun, but by the time the night was over, it wasn't as though you'd made a fortune. But it did keep the pub running and put Tathra on the map," she said.
Macca's memories, shared in the wake of Rob Hirst's passing, highlight a pivotal moment in Australian rock history. The 1980 Tathra gig not only launched a vibrant pub rock scene on the Far South Coast but also served as a heartfelt tribute to John Lennon, blending music, community, and spontaneity into an enduring legacy.
