The earthquake made Newcastle question itself.
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My band, Housequake played 6 nights a week in pubs and clubs around Newcastle.
Our name came from a Prince song.
When the quake struck, I was in Bar Beach. I heard a roar then everything started to shake. It was so strong that I fell over in the shower.
I ran outside wearing nothing but a Coca-Cola towel and waited for an aftershock. I had a family picnic on so I drove through the city and could see people wandering and confused.
We were going down Wharf Road, when I saw that the roof of the Workers Club had collapsed.
I then realised just how bad it was and knew that people would be hurt.
Our gig at the Family Hotel was cancelled that night but we played Souths the next night. They were pulling down the brick façade as we were loading in which was a bit off putting.
The gig at the Cambridge Hotel was cancelled on Saturday. We were booked to play the Workers Club on Sunday and the poster stuck on the rubble was mentioned in the paper.
When the BHP closed 10 years later, it felt like another quake had struck.
This combination made us reassess and change from an industrial city to a vibrant and different place.
I am still a singer but am now married with 3 kids.
Justin Collins
Then 30 year old singer, Bar Beach