It seems these days everything good happens by accident, nobody ever planned for them to be as iconic as they become. Rage is no outlier to this theory.
The show started when the ABC wanted to improve weekend ratings. The cheapest way to fill broadcasts passed midnight? Music clips.
“Rage was born of necessity”, then producer of ABC tells us.
Doesn’t sound so sexy now, does it?
Thirty years ago, Video Hits and MTV were also laying their music-video format foundations, vying for attention of Aussie youth.
I don’t know about you, (but i’m pretty sure) the Saturday mornings of your formative years in the ‘noughties’ were marked by listening to the curiously cultured Rage, too.
But what made Rage different?
For starters, the show name was initially ‘Rage Til You Puke’ which sounds wayyyy less banal than VH. The logo, inspired by vomit (for realz) is the one remaining relic of this idea.
And what about that opening scream? It belongs to Deni Gordon, who was paid the sum for $40. Meagre considering it’s now Australian ephemera. Watch as she screams again for Aussie podcast, The Real Thing.
It was low budget, wall to wall music without as much as a regular producer. Instead, the ‘guest presenter’ spot became coveted in the industry. It was headed by the likes of Andrew Denton, Richard Kingsmill and a litany of established musicians. In Rage’s 30th year the guest present was announced as Tyson Koh, who also heads Keep Sydney Open.
If the show doesn’t symbolize youth culture, we don’t know what does. R-r-r-r-r-r-r-raaaageeeee on kids, and don’t stop until you chunder.
Since you’re ultra modern, you’ll know episodes are available anytime, anywhere on ABC iView.
