Anyone old enough to have been around the thriving Wollongong music scene during the 1990s would probably remember the Rex Hotel in Thirroul. It was a slightly dingy, small-town pub that hosted gigs from most of the local punk and alternative bands of the time. Beer flowed freely, and security was lax enough to allow the occasional underage punter a chance to see a show that they legally shouldn’t have been able to.
The Rex is now The Beaches Hotel, a much classier establishment that still gives local bands a chance to perform (but they tend to be cover bands, who are far less likely to spray a mouthful of their schooner into the front row of the audience).
This is one example of the theme of the first single Rock, Rot and Thirroul off the new album by our band Birdsville.
Originally inspired by an overheard conversation outside of another Thirroul bar named Frank’s Wild Years, Rock, Rot and Thirroul is a song about how Thirroul has changed from a unique working-class artist haven to a very hip suburb with housing prices way above the wildest dreams of most aspiring artists.
It’s not really about gentrification – we are deeply cynical Gen X kids, but we are also aware that places change and there is nothing necessarily wrong about that. Two of the three of us grew up in the area and as we walked around the town making the film clip for the song, it was obvious that as much as it has changed, there are still signs of the old Thirroul. The mini jungle at the nursery is still going strong; Thirroul Plaza still looks like it houses a Franklin’s; and on most streets, you can see a '60s fibro beach shack next to a modern architect-designed mansion.
The thing is, Thirroul itself hasn’t lost its character. It has just been discovered by people who have a bit more money but want to maintain the character that drew them there in the first place. Nowhere is this more evident than the recent pushback against developing the above-mentioned shopping plaza and the subsequent victory against reckless overdevelopment.
As much as some people might write Thirroul off as a hipster enclave, it’s still a great spot for a good feed and a night out. Sure, it’s almost impossible to walk 100 metres in any direction and not see a coffee machine helmed by someone with $1500 worth of tattoos, but I don’t know anyone who would have a problem with that.
We will be releasing Rock, Rot and Thirroul on all streaming platforms on May 5, and the film clip will be on YouTube on May 12.
I highly recommend watching the film clip as chances are someone you know is in it. Also, if you recognise the kids riding a bike across the footy field, let them know, but don’t put their names out on social media. They seemed like they would be the types of kids that would have snuck into the Rex 25 years ago to watch FUgG rip through a set, and while we don’t necessarily endorse that kind of thing, we can definitely relate to it.
We can be contacted at @birdsvilleband on Facebook and Instagram
