The legendary Johno’s Gong Show began at the Barbary Coast in Cairns after Johno and his blues band came up with a fun way to manage the growing number of musicians wanting to jam on stage. Contestants would sign up, perform with the band, be scored by judges, and, if they weren’t up to scratch, risk being “gonged” off the stage. Hosted by Johno himself, the show became an iconic Sunday night tradition that ran for over 20 years, attracting everyone from aspiring performers to well-known personalities including Jimmy Barnes.
