Rob Younger

He is a founding mainstay of the punk rock group Radio Birdman, and he is a pioneer of the local independent music scene.

[3] Younger, Keeley, Rourke and Tek on lead guitar formed a punk rock group, Radio Birdman, in Sydney in November 1974 with Philip "Pip" Hoyle on keyboards.

[1] Fellow Australian musician, and some-time rock music journalist, Vince Lovegrove, observed, "[they] turned the volume up full bore on their amplifiers, screamed out about revolution into the microphones, raised clenched fists in the air and in the process heralded in a brand new era for Australian rock'n'roll music.

The band's iconoclastic approach, uncompromising do-it-yourself ethos and outsider status in the face of overwhelming hostility remain the stuff of legend.

[2] In 1980 Younger was involved in production work on a four-track extended play, The Visitors, by local punk group of the same name – which included former band mates Hoyle, Keeley and Tek.

Early in 1981 Younger, Gilbert and Tek formed a short-term punk super-group, New Race, with Ron Asheton (of the Stooges, Iggy Pop Band) on guitar, and Dennis "Machine Gun" Thompson (of MC5) on drums.

[2][9] They toured Australia's east coast during April and May and recorded a live album, The First and Last, which was issued posthumously in the following year.

[2][7] The group, according to AllMusic's Geoff Ginsberg, "have managed to persevere through many personnel changes, as well as Younger's many commitments producing other bands.

He had joined them on stage to provide vocals for cover versions of "I-94" (originally by Radio Birdman), "She's so Fine" (The Easybeats), "Shakin' All Over" (Johnny Kidd & the Pirates) and "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" (AC/DC).

[13] They had refused an earlier nomination in the previous year but relented according to Shane Pinnegar, "to pacify friends & family who wanted to see them acknowledged for their contribution to Australian rock n’ roll.