Flowers (Icehouse) Sweetwaters Festival Ngaruawahia New Zealand 1981

[@Pipsterpuss]

Iva's vocals are superb. Hadn't seen this before.

[@tonycoz2309]

This was an amazing debut album for the Aussie band Flowers. So many stand out songs. As soon as I heard some songs getting airplay on 3RRR back then I think it was I went out and bought it at Brashs. Got me through my Uni years.

[@GimliNZ]

Heard a snippet of an interview with Iva Davies on the radio on my way to work this morning talking about their Sweetwaters gig and he mentioned this video, so had to quickly find it once I was in front of my screen. Such a great, iconic sound he had!

[@thegreatstrogannofski3418]

That festival line-up, just wow

[@frazerwilliams1368]

I was there....Came out to NZ on a working holiday from Wales UK- 1980-1982. Stayed with my sister and bro in law in Hamilton. Met heaps of colorful beautiful human beings. As a 17 year old village boy from Wales, Sweetwater's will always remain one of the best experiences for me ever. Must of been that NZ green stuff that was inhaled. Highlights for me...Mud fights / swimming in the Waikato river, Bryan Ferry (Roxy Music) JO JO Zep, Split Enz and more NZ green.

[@groovedohg]

@frazerwilliams1368 Yeah. The Green was very nice, but even better in the 70s. However, the festivals weren't really my cuppa. A couple of bands here and there. There was too much Indie pop for me. I emigrated to London 6 years later and caught the last decent rock Reading festival with Alice Cooper, Status Quo, Georgia Satellites. Also went to the next couple of Donington Frstivals, but thd choice of solo gigs to me was like a kid in a candy store

[@alannaland]

Today years old. New Wave is a gift that keeps on giving...

[@andysmith6218]

Jesus, what a cracking lineup!!!

[@glenchapman3899]

Absolutely - I almost hit puberty reading that line bill lol

[@sandrogastaldello]

For me it is interesting to observe the changes, over time, in the style of Iva, in the music and in the formation of the Icehouse. My name is Giada,I am writing from Venice, I have discovered the Icehouse for a few months, I appreciate them very much, I am happy with this discovery.

[@MaitreMark]

I heard Iva interviewed a few days ago. They stated out playing Sex Pistol covers! Before that he was in the ABC youth orchestra but he put his obo to be serviced and they broke it... the only one he could get was terrible and the conductor picked on him so much he left. The song 'Icehouse' is about the boarding house for the orchestra.

[@robmanueb.]

2:29 Boulevarde 5:48 Waiting for the man 10:45 Sister 14:00 Icehouse 18:30 Walls

[@dannymiles6503]

I loved early Flowers/Icehouse and those 2 superb first albums. I saw Flowers here and at Mainstreet club in Auck. I was around 22 then, and having witnessed Bowies incredible 1978 Isolar/Heroes show at Western Springs, i felt Iva must of seen Bowie too and inspired by Bowie's 76-80 era, like me. Geez, the lysergide was so potent in those years.. A surreal time in music there were magnificent bands and albums flooding in from UK and US.

[@sam8192]

what a time to be alive

[@groovedohg]

Best time to be alive would have been as a mature 16 year old in London in 1967. Well , mature enough to get in the pub anyway. To witness the Blues Boom of the late 60s. The Prog Explosion of the early 70s the amount of Classic Rock underground bands, not to mention that the likes of Masters Appre times made a trip to London in the early 70s. Oh you could also have caught Beatles, Stones, Who etc.

[@andysmith6218]

Agreed! From around 1976 thru till the mid 80’s the Australian pub rock music scene was producing the best music on the planet.

[@stevemahoney9149]

I was onsite for this Festival and Icehouse. It was incredible. So were Icehouse.

[@HerAeolianHarp]

Iva is such a talent.

[@free-turin]

Had never heard of them before but glad we went to the main stage early and got a good spot….as this was the last night of the festival loads of people had travelled home but those who stayed got their moneys worth, Cold Chisel played after these guys too..good times

[@spoonhead1231]

Went to 81, 82 and 83. Remember some of the big acts, Roxy Music and Ultavox. The Angels were so loud, pretty blasted most of the time.

[@jeanbrook7229]

This is bloody brilliant mad band Icehouse

[@davebanks7435]

A great bit of Flowers (then Icehouse) history: thanks for posting this bit of Kiwi music memorabilia

[@jonjbradley]

Great band, great live sound, brilliant festival.

[@kimberleyfreeth8054]

Saw them live in Palmerston North fronting Split Enz, years ago. They were amazing! Back in the good old 80's, shame what we have today.

[@nullvoid001]

Was on one of the small stages. Had to seriously change our set list to take out We Can Get Together as well as some MiSex numbers.

[@MajorDrama1]

We didnt know quite how brilliant these young guys were at the time

[@WestAucksNZ]

Brilliant!🙌

[@mementomori2540]

As gorgeous as ever

[@brianross2308]

My all time favourite album!

[@wildviolet3973]

Great live performance! I like early Icehouse. Thank you for uploading this!

[@baymanaustralia]

I remember seeing them at the old Cloudland Ballroom in Brisbane around this time. I far as I remember they played much the same set. RIP Cloudland, a great venue and historic building sadly gone now.

[@leopardskintube]

Throw this in the middle of a Best of Roxy Music album and you'd never know! Fab tune.

[@cheshunt5597]

Absolutely stunning version of Waiting For The Man. Lou Reed and Velvet Underground.

[@pauljones8438]

Cool. Was there. Ate a lot of trips. Great event

[@dikless222]

I saw this performance! I played in Kiwi band The Crocodiles. Jenny Morris was lead singer and Barton Price (Models) was the drummer. The interviewer is Dylan Taite (RIP). Iva Davies, great songwriter.

[@christopherjamessimmons3781]

I did sound for the Narc's at this concert .I see they didn't have on the poster Midnight oil ,Men at work or the Narc's . Thats strange ,.. Ubless they were put in at the last moment .. I went on to do lighting for Ice House and the Oils a few years later .. Chris Simmons

[@groovedohg]

I always get the years mixed up, but the only Ngarawahia Fest I went to was the one headlined by Ultravox that alsi had Midnight Oil and Men at Work on the bill. I vividly remember Pete Garretts opening words when he got on stage after following Ultravox.. It went something like 'Thank F@ck that boring shit is over'. How the hell could you do that lol. Only saw the Narcs once in a Pub in Napier. Not sure but I think Th' Dudes were main act. Both not really my scene, but the Narcs were tight and the sound that night was very good

[@neilbrydges6271]

I went to that one at the beginning of 1982 just before the start of 7th form

[@Katzeyes65]

Thanks whoever uploaded this. Icehouse my fav aussie band

[@Neondognz]

Thanks for the upload! Sweetwaters was such a great festival, I went with a bunch of mates and my god we had such an awesome time, so much talent on show!

[@aleonflux1138]

@@groovedohg Classic memory! At the Sweetwaters you're referring to, me and my mates got bored with Ultravox so we went and watched Danse Macabre on the Aerial Railway stage instead. They were great. After that, we caught Midnight Oil on the main stage who were phenomenal.

[@stevemann3080]

SUPERB UPLOAD MATE. 🕪 🎧 🔊 🎸 🤘🤘 🙏

[@torstenrichter169]

Einfach nur geil!!!

[@neilbrydges6271]

I remember watching this a lifetime ago on Radio With Pictures

[@groovedohg]

I usually never misses RWP but I never recalled them showing it, unless it was aired from 1987 onwards as I emigrated then

[@scottwylie9407]

Yeah I remember seeing this on RWP

[@christinelangman3688]

Was great to see him live at sweetwaters..great days

[@leeannehudson7314]

Love Iva Davies . Sadly I missed this one went to 1983 Sweetwaters.

[@suzieque3300]

I was there was a great lineup.

[@PeteChatteris]

I was there

[@trevorcoppock5621]

Gotta say that Iva at times, in terms of intonation, sounded like a cross between the great Thin White Duke, Bowie and the awesome Lou Reid (7mins+) especially as Waiting for the Man is a Lou Reed cover.

[@groovedohg]

I always knew of the Bowie connection but ignored the Lou Reed comparison until, yeah, Waiting for my man. Coincendtly my first ever convert in 1974 was Lou Reed at Wellington Town Hall. Loved Sweet Jane, and they opened the concert with a note for note rendition of the studio version. His next time at the Town Hall is in the top 5 worst concerts ever in NZ. Oasis first

[@trevorcoppock5621]

@@groovedohg Can't comment as I wasn't in NZ at the time.

[@yardelli]

Great stuff!

[@gavinparsons5150]

This is great. Very Bowie like.

[@lukemckean6155]

Aussie Royalty

[@CliftonHamlin]

Went 2 one o theses split ends played round midnight

[@johnpitihira7455]

Mi sex,Renae Geyer same night

[@EricFritz-u4n]

Unknow band until I red the last Ellis novel. I wonder why Icehouse was that much invisible in France in the early 80. Je présente à tous mes excuses pour mon anglais approximatif.

[@andysmith6218]

Much slower tempo on ‘Icehouse’ than they do nowadays.

[@gonetoheaven7478]

what a performance! the weakest moment is Lou Reed's cover

[@fordlova8]

Amazing line up. That is the Gibson some prat stole.😡

[@Drakon9]

👋👍🔊🎵🎤🎸🎹🥁📽📺

[@WilliamKinsey-dx2dn]

I don't think iva was very happy with his band back then He was very young and really didn't know what he was doing Iva puts alot of emphasis on friendship.

[@EricFritz-u4n]

Jérome ?

[@andrewreed1329]

much prefer the early icehouse, warm analogue synths of the early 80s, by the time mid 80s came, overuse of drum machines and poor sampling, over production ruined the sound of many early 80s bands

[@groovedohg]

Agree entirely. I lived in Australia when the debut Flowers album came out. The only real album of theirs I fully enjoyed due mainly to the sound of real music. Even some of their early video promos were too overproduced, OTT and naff

[@MrMoth0102]

Their best album,,,, as lcehouse moved away from the cutting-edge New Wave and towards mainstream, l think they lost some of their spark and their music became bland.

[@alistairmelhuish2168]

was there. Amazing.

[@mippim8765]

....for some reason this reminds me of Hawkwind.

[@straydog1996]

Iva shuda backd himself more on gtr,, he had it all there,,, he didn't realy need another gtr player,, shame i rekon