Cairns Music archive – a brief history of Cairns and Nth QLD Music Scene

This is the Cairns music and North Queensland music archive. Designed to be a depository  of Cairns music. You will both live and studio recordings in the archive. Select from the menu on the left to pick 10 random archive items every time you click.  If you are on a phone or tablet, use the menu at the page footer. Keep browsing, there is plenty to find! You can also use the search function of the web site to look for something in particular.

The Cairns music scene has a long history of breeding unique talent. From Townsville to Cape tribulation there is always something worth checking out. From the mid nineties the Cairns music scene really started taking off.  In the late 90s, Pandamonium Records started putting out annual compilations. Pandamonium also staged weekly original music gigs at johns and other venues. It wasn’t always happening in Cairns.  Around 98, something was definitely going on in Inisfail. Bands like Shuntshovel, Manseed, Valaceed and Bedfellow all showed great promise.

Cairns street press Barfly folded around 2005. Consequently, the cairns music scene went into a bit of a lull. From around 2011, the cairns music scene started picking up again. Pandamonium Records took control of the back room of the Cape York Hotel (which lasted around 18 months). The Mofo Collective and the Arthouse were putting on shows (which continue today). The Union Jack Hotel (ex Rustys Pub) is also hosting touring and local acts. Now with NQ Music Press we have a street press. The future is looking bright for the Cairns music scene.

Have a hunt around the archive. You never know what you may find.

If you have some cairns music you think should be included in the archive do contact us. Original music made in Cairns and Far North Queensland only please.