EXCERPT
FROM "It's Our Music" by David Day, Tim Parker and Glen
A Baker
One
band which assumed a very high profile around Adelaide
during the early eighties and dissolved soon afterwards was Safari
Set.
The
highly accomplished trio - bass player/singer/songwriter Rob
O'Connor, drummer John Appleby, and
guitarist Lindsay Norris - quickly won a reputation
as a strong live unit and the end of 1980 and soon found themselves
playing support gigs at the larger suburban rock venues.
Safari
Set came to prominence in March 1981 when it became a
finalist in the Summer Search Competition of
local performing bands, run by radio station SAFM.
Amid
mild controversy, it was judged winner and awarded $5,000 cash
and 30 hours of studio recording time.
Although always billed as a "trio", Safari Set really
had a vital forth member, Steve "Magic Ears"
Benger. Steve was a gifted sound engineer who sorted
the mix and nailed the sound within the first 30 seconds of the
first song.
Sadly,
Steve passed away in 2009 but no history of Safari Set could be
complete without crediting him and recognising his talent.
