Soundtrack to your studies - 1980

The University of Auckland’s orientation week in 1980 included Chris Knox’s Toy Love, pub rockers Citizen Band, and punks The Spelling Mistakes and The Primmers. There were also other fun activities such as the “Holding Your Head in a Bucket of Water” competition. Justin Keen was a Fine Arts student at the university that year and managed to arrange his own TV channel to cover the event, along with a helpful group of volunteers. Footage from the channel has since been uploaded to YouTube. Here’s Toy Love playing ‘Rebel’ at the event:

This was also the first year of Sweetwaters music festival. Elvis Costello and The Attractions were the headliner, along with a line-up of New Zealand’s best bands: Split Enz, Mi-sex, Street Talk, Th’ Dudes, and Toy Love. Here’s Mi-sex’s big hit ‘Computer Games’:

The most popular international album of the year was Pink Floyd’s The Wall.

What was on the turntable while you were on campus? Suggest songs to add to our 1980s playlist, and you could win $100 Flying Out voucher.