More rare live recordings from Split Enz’s pivotal 1979 Australian visit have emerged, capturing the band at a creative peak just as Frenzy was reshaping their trajectory on both sides of the Tasman.
The newly surfaced tracks, Semi Detached and Give It A Whirl, were recorded live at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre on 9 September 1979 and preserved by longtime fan Peter Green, who has now shared the tapes with Noise11. The recordings document a night that has since passed into local rock folklore, a free Mushroom Rock concert presented by radio station 2SM, at a time when Split Enz were transitioning from cult favourites into a major regional force.
Peter Green told Noise11 that Radio 2SM presented two nights of Mushroom Rock for free, with Split Enz headlining the second night. He recalled that both nights were recorded on a “trusty tape recorder”, capturing performances that were never intended for official release. The Capitol Theatre show also has an enduring place in the Enz story for another reason, the live audio used in the band’s Murder video featuring the now iconic Split Enz puppets was sourced from this very concert.
Green also recalled a vivid moment during Give It A Whirl, when a giant mirror ball was lowered during Neil Finn’s performance as fans fought ushers to remain standing on their chairs. “Great days,” he said, summing up an era when Split Enz concerts were as theatrical as they were musically precise.
The 9 September 1979 show arrived just weeks after the release of Frenzy, the album that marked the band’s first collaboration with producer David Tickle and their final record featuring founding member Phil Judd. Songs such as Semi Detached, Frenzy and I See Red captured the tension between art rock eccentricity and pop discipline that would soon propel the band to international success. By the time True Colours arrived in 1980, Split Enz were stadium headliners, but these Capitol Theatre recordings preserve the raw edge of a band still hungry and unpredictable.
The full Split Enz setlist from the Capitol Theatre on 9 September 1979 was:
Frenzy (from Frenzy, 1979)
Hermit McDermitt (from Frenzy, 1979)
In the Wars (released as One Step Ahead b-side 1980 and then Rear Enz compilation, 1992)
Betty (from Frenzy, 1979)
Things (single 1979 then Odds and Enz compilation released 1992)
Murder (never released)
Famous People (from Frenzy, 1979)
Semi Detached (from Frenzy, 1979)
Give It a Whirl (from Frenzy, 1981 reissue)
I See Red (from Frenzy, 1979)
Charlie (from Dizrythmia, 1977)
Interest in Split Enz has surged again with confirmation that the legendary New Zealand band will reunite for the first time in two decades. The reunion will debut at Christchurch’s Electric Avenue Festival on 27 and 28 February, a landmark moment for a group whose influence continues to ripple through Australasian music history.
The revival will extend to Australia in 2026 with the Split Enz Forever Enz Tour, giving fans the opportunity to reconnect with a catalogue that helped define an era and launch the careers of Tim and Neil Finn, whose songwriting legacy remains central to the region’s musical identity.
Split Enz Forever Enz Tour, Australia 2026
Wednesday 13 May, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Monday 18 May, ICC Theatre, Sydney
Friday 22 May, RAC Arena, Perth
Monday 25 May, Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YouTube. See things first—Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube
Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Bluesky
Facebook – Comment on the news of the day
