When I fell in love with music (Part 1) 

Like many of you I’m sure, music was always around the house. For me it was usually the local radio station (an AM station specialising in not-modern songs) or, when I got a bit older, getting up to watch and tape Rage on a Saturday morning. 

I also used to get a typewriter and type out the songs as they came on. Yes, at 7am on a Saturday… sorry, parents. 

This story is pretty well told in the One Proud Monkey track, Olden Days. 

I always related to music but I don’t think I really loved it until March 11, 1995. 

None of us knew what we were getting into, a bunch of country kids jumping in a van to venture to the big smoke. 

I’d seen live music before, loud stuff too - the annual pool concerts at the Dubbo pool were a highlight. I remember being blown away by Liquid Chicken (what a name!) and some of the people who played at my school assembly were temporary musical heroes. 

But this was next level, this was THE band. This was with 40,000 people. This was what music should mean. 

In a way I’ve been chasing it ever since and I’ve always thought how good it would be to give that feeling to someone else - that feeling I got when I realised that the bloke standing by himself on stage, singing “Throw Your Arms Around Me” in the afternoon sun… was Eddie Vedder. 

I hope music has made you feel this way. I’d love to hear your story. 

The setlist, if you’re interested https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/pearl-jam/1995/eastern-creek-international-raceway-sydney-australia-13d64d15.html

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