I met Louise Loft in Hamilton in 1978 and we started singing together under the name Negative Theatre. We played a few parties and supported Sam Hunt and Gary McCormack at a gig.

Through some sort of hippie grapevine we got the word that it was OK and we hitchhiked to organiser Peter Terry’s home near the future festival site…

In his lounge we auditioned for a spot at Nambassa #2 .  Hoping to get on the small stage I guess. We sang the 7 songs I’d written up to that point…

He loved us.  I was writing these mini dramas for two characters and Louise acted them out and had the voice of an angel. Dialogue songs and It was in your face. I had a couple of ballads and he loved those too.

“I want you two to open the festival!  Mainstage!”

Yikes!!

He later changed his mind and we were on second after Sheerlux…

We arrived the afternoon before in my mate Mac’s Humber 80 and set up tent in the performer’s area.  Already a huge crowd was growing. That night Peter Terry invited us to a fireside singalong with various musos and organizers. When the guitar got to me I asked if anyone had a guitar pick and they all looked at me as if I was a half-wit – the only nonfingerpicker .

Next day

I remember meeting a Wellington band backstage just before we went on and the bass player helped us tune up and told jokes to keep us calm. He turned out to be Rob Mahoney who became the Spines first bassist a year later.

Then we walk out there in front of 60,000 people…

Second song in I snap a string on the Ovation. I get though the song and take Louise’s guitar. Weathered Lines goes down pretty well and it just builds. We finish with Witchwood – classic Negative Theatre and Louise casts her spell and it goes off…

There’s a pause – then…

The 60,000 applaud and mean it….they saw something they got

Boom!!! In the pit of the stomach and all through the nervous system like a giant wash. I Scream – THANK YOU!!! – but I can’t hear it

We are dragged off and get separated.  I’m stumbling around backstage- weak at the knees clutching my 5 string guitar. A Jesus girl comes up to me and asks if I’ve seen god. I make it back to the tent and weep.

Louise returns bemused.

By then I’m already writing a song called Mainstage.

The Ghost of Electricity – War Stories by Jon McLeary is a new initiative at Off The Tracks, a series of stories and reflections from painter, writer and musician Jon McLeary

To read War Stories # 1 click here