Cream Of Aussie Talent Celebrates Triple J

For 40 years, the triple j national youth radio network helped break new acts; many like Silverchair, Gotye, Vance Joy, The Presets and You Am I found global success. These names performed at the network’s Beat The Drum 40th anniversary concert to 25,000, Jan. 16 at Sydney’s open-air Domain.

Other names performed in one-off team-ups or covers of iconic Aussie songs. Highlights include chart-topping Hilltop Hoods bringing on fellow rappers Illy, Horrorshow, Drapht, Seth Sentry, Tkay Maidza and Thundamentals for their current hit “Cosby Sweater.”

The Cat Empire invited Owl Eyes for Kylie Minogue’s 1994 “Confide In Me” while singer-songwriters Sarah Blasko and Paul Dempsey jointly performed Crowded House’s “Distant Sun.”

Former Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning and Vance Joy did Australian Crawl’s chart-topping “Reckless.” Hoodoo Gurus’ Dave Faulkner joined Ball Park Music for the Gurus’ “Like Wow – Wipeout” while The Divinyls’ guitarist Mark McEntee joined The Preatures for “Boys In Town” as a tribute to the late Divinyls singer Chrissy Amphlett.

Surprise of the night was Silverchair leader Daniel Johns’ piano-and-harp ballad rendition of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” which topped the triple j’s Hottest 100 Of All Time.