Bob ‘Bongo' Starkie Celebration Concert At Archie's Creek Hotel Goes Live Online

Bob ‘Bongo’ Starkie is celebrated in newly released concert footage from Archie’s Creek Hotel, capturing the music and community that defined the Skyhooks guitarist’s life.

by Paul Cashmere

Footage from the Bob ‘Bongo’ Starkie Celebration Concert at Archie’s Creek Hotel on 8 February 2026 has now been released, preserving an afternoon that paid tribute to one of Australian rock’s most influential guitarists.

Uploaded by Peter Green, the newly available vision is presented across two parts and features five performances from the sold-out event honouring the late Skyhooks guitarist, who passed away in November 2025 at the age of 73 following a long battle with leukaemia. The concert drew around 450 people to the regional Victorian venue, with many more unable to secure tickets.

The first instalment, titled Bob ‘Bongo’ Starkie Celebration Part 1, captures a formidable line-up of musicians including Imants Strauks, Pip Joyce, Kim May, Wilbur Wilde, John Grant, Bob Spencer, Frankie J Holden and Ross Wilson. Together they revisit key songs from the Skyhooks catalogue, a body of work that reshaped Australian popular music in the 1970s.

Frankie J Holden takes the microphone for Living In The 70s, the title track of Skyhooks’ 1974 debut album. Produced by Ross Wilson, the album went on to become one of the highest-selling Australian records of its era, cementing the band’s role in shifting the focus of local rock from imported themes to distinctly Australian stories and suburban references.

Wilson then steps forward for Hey What’s The Matter and Ego (Is Not A Dirty Word), both emblematic of the band’s sharp social observation and melodic craft. As producer of the first three Skyhooks albums, Wilson played a pivotal role in shaping the sound that propelled the group to national prominence. Those records, Living In The 70s, Ego Is Not A Dirty Word and Straight In A Gay Gay World, collectively defined an era in which Australian acts began to dominate their own charts.

The second release, Bob ‘Bongo’ Starkie Celebration Part 2, features John Grant, Frankie J Holden, Pip Joyce, Kim May, Bob Spencer, Imants Strauks and Wilbur Wilde on stage, with guest vocalists adding further depth to the tribute.

Sasha Theunissen delivers You Just Like Me ‘Cos I’m Good In Bed, one of the more provocative tracks from the Skyhooks repertoire, while Laura Davidson performs Women In Uniform, a song that extended the band’s impact internationally when it was later covered by IRON MAIDEN in 1980. These performances underline the durability of the material and its continued resonance across generations.

The house band for the celebration brought together long-time collaborators and respected figures from the Australian music community. Imants “Freddie” Strauks, a founding member of Skyhooks, anchored the rhythm section, joined by John Grant on keyboards, Pip Joyce on guitar, Kim May on bass and Bob Spencer on guitar. Wilbur Wilde served as master of ceremonies, guiding proceedings with a mix of humour and insight drawn from decades within the same musical fraternity.

Starkie joined Skyhooks in August 1973, replacing his brother Peter Starkie and completing the classic twin-guitar partnership alongside Red Symons. His arrival came just months before the release of Living In The 70s, and his playing became integral to the band’s sound during their most commercially successful period. The group’s theatrical presentation and unapologetically local lyrical perspective marked a turning point for Australian rock, influencing subsequent generations of performers.

Beyond Skyhooks, Starkie maintained an active presence on the live circuit, participating in reunion tours, tribute shows and special events that celebrated the Australian songbook. Even as illness curtailed plans for a proposed 50th anniversary Skyhooks tour in early 2025, his connection to the stage and to audiences remained strong.

The Archie’s Creek event was conceived as a celebration rather than a sombre farewell. Organised by Starkie’s daughters, Indiana and Arabella, it reflected the communal ethos that characterised his career. Friends, family and fellow musicians gathered not only to honour a guitarist, but to acknowledge a contributor to a defining chapter in Australian cultural history.

With the release of these performances online, that afternoon now extends beyond the walls of Archie’s Creek Hotel. For those who were present, the footage serves as a document of shared memory. For those who missed out, it offers a chance to witness the songs, the musicianship and the enduring influence of Bob ‘Bongo’ Starkie.

Peter Green will upload more footage soon.

Bongo’s final Noise11 interview: