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Airdate: rage30

ABC's iconic music program is marking a milestone over Easter.

Iconic ABC music show rage turns 30 on April 17, marked by a 10 day celebration across television, radio and more.

Rage30: The story of Rage (9.30pm, 17th April ABC and ABC iview)
This one hour documentary celebrates the incredible history of Rage and features a plethora of musical talent from across the decades, musicians whose work has been a mainstay of Rage but who were also viewers themselves. We go back to the beginning to find out where and how it all began and talk to many of the most successful music clip directors for whom Rage directly influenced their careers.

Rage Overnight on Saturday 15th April and Saturday 22nd April (ABC and ABC iview)
Via a nationwide social media campaign Rage viewers have been invited to guest program the show. Thousands have taken up the challenge and the most creative, thoughtful and entertaining will be broadcast over these two special nights. Each viewer playlist selected will display the contributor’s name.

Rage30: Stories from the Red Couch (11.00pm, 22nd April ABC and ABC iview)
Over its three decades on air Rage has hosted hundreds of guest programmers; musicians, comedians and even politicians have been invited to share their favourite music clips and explain why they mean so much to them. In the process, we gain a unique insight into them as people. This special program, hosted by the one and only Kate Ceberano, assembles the very best, from the famous, the funny to the very naughty.

Rage Exhibit, ABC Ultimo – Celebrating thirty years of R-R-R-R-Rage!
Come and sit on the Rage couch, snap a selfie and share.
Free at ABC Ultimo Centre – Main Foyer now until April 23.

There is also a Rage ‘Til you Puke podcast on RN, plus Rage 30 Magazine: Collector’s Edition magazine, Rage 30 CD and T-shirt for sale.

The honour of being the first video to be played on Rage goes to ‘Weirdo Libido’ by Sydney post-punk band Lime Spiders. It says a lot about Rage – especially when you consider that MTV made their debut with The Buggles’ ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’.
The first Rage Guest Programmer was Andrew Denton, who started things off in a very Rage way – in bed, (supposedly) after a big night out.
The Go-Betweens’ Amanda Brown was the first musician to host the show – from her backyard, no less.
And the most requested video? Sabotage, by the Beastie Boys.

7 Responses

  1. I reckon both Windowlicker and Come To Daddy by the Aphex Twin would be amongst the most often played videos by guest programmers. My introduction to Rage was when I first arrived in Australia having emigrated from England in October 1995. They were doing a Kylie Minogue special which wasn’t my cup of tea but I kept watching hoping they’d play something I liked. Next week, they did a New Order special – my all time favourite band – so all was forgiven and I was hooked. Happy birthday Rage!

  2. Amazing isnt it. its a reminder that Video Hits should have made it to 30 yrs too. If TEN hadnt had axed it based on what are now dubious claims considering they “braught it back under a new name”. Still its a lot better than what TEN did with VH when it decided to axe it. As for the Top 50 being discontinued i think it was more of Aria asking more money and ABC wouldnt budge. Still i think TEN should do atleast a doco on VH like ABC have done with rage. but i know they wont. Look forward to this. #Rage30

  3. 30 years of Rage!! How time flies.
    As a long time Rage devotee, have been there from the very beginning.
    Brings back so many good memories. Rage and Triple R in the late 80s/early 90s introduced me to so many amazing obscure bands/artists that I would have never have known of otherwise. Especially loved all those “underground” New Zealand and Australian bands of that era, mostly long forgotten now.
    Really looking forward to the 30th Celebrations…

  4. I can’t believe rage is 30. I’ve already submitted my list. I’m still missing the Triple J simulcast. The second clip played was (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!) by Beastie Boys. T.I.S.M. are the most talked about guest programmers. Veritas the ARIA top 20 comes on Saturday mornings and ABCME replay it Sunday evenings.

  5. I wonder if Rage will acknowledge the role they played in weaning many Baby Boomers and Gen Xers off buying records and CDs. Until around 1997 they played the Top 50 every Sunday morning. People such as I used to tune in, note the songs we liked and go out and buy them. Then they stopped playing it. I personally stopped buying records and CD singles and lost interest in the current music scene altogether as a result. Rage and the ABC were flooded with complaints when the Top 50 was dropped but they stubbornly refused to reinstate it.

    1. Veritas – they actually continued playing the Top 50 every Saturday and Sunday morning until July 2006 (maybe you meant to write 2007 instead of 1997? If not, it was something else that stopped you from buying CDs and listening to current music then, because it definitely wasn’t the absence of the Top 50 on Rage). It wasn’t Rage itself that made the decision to drop the Top 50 – it was ABC management who gave the directive, because ARIA (producers of the chart) entered into a commercial agreement with Telstra to broadcast a weekly radio chart show, and this was a clear breach of ABC guidelines. Hence, they could no longer broadcast the Top 50. It wasn’t a case of the being stubborn – it was a case of following their established protocols. I was devastated (and I still miss the Top 50 countdown).

      I very much doubt that Baby Boomers would have stopped buying music as a result…

      1. I very much doubt that Baby Boomers would have stopped buying music as a result (by 2006, the youngest Baby Boomers were all in their 40s and in any generation, the current music scene is a complete mystery to people of that age, apart from their exposure to whatever their kids are listening to, which is inevitably just “racket” or “noise”!). Gen Xers – the youngest were around 26/27 by 2006, so they might have been impacted, but generally speaking, singles are a teenaged market, so it’s far more likely that Gen Y have been impacted by the absence of the Top 50 on Rage (digital sales were just starting to become massive in 2006 and the CD single was well and truly on its way out).

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