Scene Magazine celebrates 20 years on the streets in 2013. Each week this year, in this column, we're looking back at what we, and you, were doing.

Birthed as an electronic street press title, Scene’s live music credentials in 1997 were embryonic but there was still plenty of meat to chew on.

In another first for street press in Australia, our ‘Live Scene’ section, was at one stage in the late 90s printed on green paper to help it stand out (20 years later Scene Mag’s live guide listing e-mail address remains greenguide [at] scenemagazine.com.au even the though the green paper is long gone).

The gig guide itself was a full tabloid page of listings in tiny type. The section featured luminaries such as Tumbleweed, Regurgitator, Tylea, Everclear, The Whitlams, Henry Rollins, Custard, Ratcat, My Friend The Chocolate Cake and Jebediah.

There was even a dual U2/ The Cardigans front cover in March. The Zoo, The Gig (22 Market St), Our Valley (Brunswick St rotunda) and Mary Street Nightclub (138 Mary St) were regular advertisers.

Notable advertised gigs included Silverchair/ Magic Dirt at the Riverstage, Presidents of the United States of America at Festival Hall (Vale), Sixth Annual Bluesfest, Keb Mo at The Capitol (Van Gogh’s Earlobe) on Stanley Street, Mater Hill, and Alice Cooper at The Gig.

The Healer (a soul, rhythm and blues room), where Electric Playground is today, celebrated its first birthday, while Valley Fiesta was headlined by The Earthmen and D.I.G..

Allergy Spring Music Festival was produced by the QUT Student Guild and featured the future federal Education Minister’s Midnight Oil, Skunkhour, Magic Dirt and Grinspoon (who were to grace Scene’s cover 15 years later.

Q Music was up and running promoting the local and live music with ‘Get Real Industry Showcase’. 15 years later, the organisation commands the national industry’s attention with BigSound.