The following is a transcript to the audio above.

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This segment appeared on the Channel 9 program A Current Affair which was televised January 1978. The interviewer was Mike Carlton and the host was Michael Schildberger. I wish I had the video to this!!

Going to commercial break.
(In the studio) Michael Schildberger: Well though just how civilised we are, is a question Mike Carlton asks when he takes a close look at Punk Rock, in a moment.

Back from commercial break.
(In the studio) Michael Schildberger: INTRODUCTION: Remember when people thought Elvis Presley was bad because he swivelled his hips, Elvis the Pelvis? Or, remember when parents were paranoid about The Beatles because they had long hair or frightened by The Rolling Stones because they didn't seem to wash all that often. Those groups pale in comparison with the new wave of rock groups, the punk rockers. Punk Rock began in England with bands like The Sex Pistols and now it's spread to Australia. No ones quite sure what it is, so Mike Carlton takes a look at the life and times of Australia's king of Punk Rock.

(Cut to woman vacuuming floor)
Mike Carlton: (voice over): Just your very ordinary, normal, no nonsense, suburban mum she is. Keeps the house nice and tidy, plays with the cat this is Mrs. Vicki Dole, sort of lady you meet down the shops. Family grown up Mrs. Dole is pleased with the elder boy Johnny, doing well he is, with a good steady rewarding job.

(Cut to live performance of Johnny Dole & The Scabs at the Grand Hotel)
Mike Carlton: (voice over): And this is Johnny, at work, lead singer for Johnny Dole & The Scabs, the best known of Australia’s Punk Rock bands. Saturday night Tommy & The Dipsticks been on since eight, Johnny & The Scabs, nine till ten.

Isn’t that enough to make any mum proud?

(Cut to Vicki Dole)
Vicki Dole: Well I had hopes because when he was fourteen he started .... he was interested in show business. And he had the guitar lessons, you know; he plays the guitar pretty well, and he started singing. He was dreadfully flat in the beginning and he developed a very nice voice, marvellous voice, he can sing nearly as good as Elvis.

(Cut to live performance of Johnny Dole & The Scabs at the Grand Hotel)
Mike Carlton (voice over): Johnny & The Scabs write a lot of their own material and I have to take their word for that because I couldn’t hear a damn word of what they said. They have songs like um Little Lord Punk, Aggro, Hurts My Brain and as I said I have to take their word for that because I didn’t hear one of the lyrics.

It’s sort of like a tag wrestling match with music.

If this sounds terrible on your television set then you should hear it in the flesh. It’s called Punk Rock because that’s what it is; nobody really cares what it sounds like.

It’s just one: Volume, the loudest noise you’ve ever heard and two: It’s violent, it has to look dirty and scary, you must feel that chill of fear when you’re near a punk rock band never quite knowing whether you’ll get a beer glass in your face or not.

(Cut to interview with Johnny Dole & The Scabs at the Grand Hotel)
Johnny Dole: Yeah, I’m so successful, I’m gonna get King Of Pop next year.
Mike Carlton: You’re going to be the new Sherbet?
Johnny Dole: No no, I’m gonna get the King Of Pop.
Mike Carlton: Are you?
Johnny Dole: There’ll never be a new Sherbet (laughs) there’ll never be a new Sherbet.
Mike Carlton: How long have you been doing this?
Johnny Dole: Who?
Peter Mullany: About twelve months.
Johnny Dole: About twelve months.
Mike Carlton: About twelve months, what were you doing before you started to do this?
Johnny Dole: Living on the dole.
Mike Carlton: Where did you get the name from? Is that why you have the name Johnny Dole?
Johnny Dole: No I got it in the phone book.

(Cut to Vicki Dole)
Vicki Dole: They’re good kids, I like them.

(Cut to interview with Johnny Dole & The Scabs at the Grand Hotel)
Mike Carlton: Why is it so destructive?
Johnny Dole: Destructive? It’s not destructive.
Mike Carlton: Yeah?
Johnny Dole: It’s not.
Mike Carlton: Yes it is and you’ve ....
Johnny Dole: That’s bullshit it’s not destructive, look at the place, it looks great. You know, you know it’s just a nice place there’s nothing destroyed here, much, a light and glass, a head!

(Cut to Vicki Dole)
Vicki Dole: All the kids just get going when they hear his music, they love it. It’s beautiful!

(Cut to interview with Johnny Dole & The Scabs at the Grand Hotel)
Mike Carlton: But why is it so vulgar? You know, why is it .... why is it spitting, why is it throwing ....
Johnny Dole: What! Look, look ok ....
Peter Mullany: It’s not vulgar it’s fun, it’s something to do.
Johnny Dole: …. why does Kamahl get away with wearing a dress?
(Laughter) Mike Carlton: That’s a very good point I suppose, thinking about that, yeah. But why, you know why break things up. Why not just get up there and sing a few songs?
Johnny Dole: That’s all I do.

(Cut to live performance of Johnny Dole & The Scabs at the Grand Hotel)
Mike Carlton (voice over): Funny way to make a living shouting, swearing, spitting. Johnny & The Scabs seem to enjoy it and so does mum.

(Cut to Vicki Dole)
Vicki Dole: I’ve seen violence much worse than that, you go to an RSL or a leagues club and see a wrestling match going on there. And you see the oldies there absolutely drunk right up to here. And the obscene language they throw out at the wrestlers. And the old dears with their blue hair and their brightly coloured well, yellow hair. Big fat things, they get glasses of beer and bonk at the wrestlers that’s violence, that’s old violence.

(Cut to Mike Carlton at the Grand Hotel, wrapping up)
Mike Carlton: Well, I don’t know about Johnny Dole & The Scabs. Maybe it’s naked violence, maybe it’s pure animal, I just don’t know. You wouldn’t want them in your lounge room and you certainly wouldn’t want your daughter to marry one. But as away of you know letting off steam it seems harm …. (Johnny Dole smashes an empty bottle over Mike Carlton’s head) …. (Falling to the floor) harmless enough!

(Cut to Johnny Dole at the Grand Hotel)
Johnny Dole: Ah, what’s his name Mike Schildberger, you got him.

(Cut back to Michael Schildberger in the studio)
Michael Schildberger: Well we …. I was about to welcome back Mike Carlton, I hope he’s ok. He’ll be looking at lifestyles of ’78 in A Current Affair and we look forward to further reports from Mike, if he’s still with us? Back in a moment.