Call us sentimental or just plain backward, but we can recall a time, in the 1970s, when the Stooges were virtually unknown in Australia.

A band called Radio Birdman changed that, doing their level best to move heart, feet and minds and wise up Aussie rock and roll punters to the sounds of the Dolls, the Coop, the Five and, of course, Iggy and the Stooges.

The Stooges were no more by '77 but Ig certainly was, finally copping his rightful dues as one of the progenitors of that thing called punk. When it came to arranging a national tour of Australia by Mr Pop, who do you think they lined up as support? Radio Birdman.

Of course the tour came to nought - Ig pulled the pin but you can grab a poster for the Tour That Never Was on eBay if you're lucky. Birdman ended up doing a run of shows themselves, went to Europe, recorded and broke up, staying that way for 23 years.

Stooges consciousness never left Australia. Legions of bands followed who sought to be Real O Mind. The influence lived on - in no small part due to Radio Birdman.

Fast-forward to January 1996 and the Return of the Radios. Big Day Out provided the lure to get the band back on the boards, and Radio Birdman is still a going concern today with a new album pending.

Now, the unthinkable has happened. The Stooges, too, have reformed and are coming to Australia, as part of the Big Day Out caravan of rock and roll (and other stuff musical but less palatable).

But no room for Radio Birdman.

You see, the BDO people think they've filled their quota of "oldie" bands, and putting another act on the bill that has a common fanbase as The Stooges won't bring extra heads through the door. Well, we lobbied hard to get the Stooges here:

www.petitionspot.com/petitions/stoogesdownunder

...and we're going to do the same to get Birdman onto the line-up.

So don't attack the BDO people. They're the reason we're (finally) getting the Stooges, god bless their entrepeneurial hearts. But somewhere along the way you'd think there's room to recognise the reason we're drooling about a Stoogetour, to make the circle complete and even to earn a little instant karma.

So if you agree, leave your mark here. Maybe, just maybe, they'll listen.

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