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Perth’s best-known record rep on the ‘wildest, most rock n roll night ever'

She’s the local identity you’ve probably never heard of, yet in muso circles, Dixie Battersby is a straight-up legend.

Her start in the music industry started at a record store in the Perth CBD.

"It was called Thompsons,” Battersby told Botica's Bunch.

"It was a Retravision store but, at the time, they had a lot of local bands would hang around in there.

"Like The Triffids would come in and everyone would just hang out."

This is the thing about Dixie.

Not only is she completely low-key, she's utterly unfazed by 'celebrity', a hallmark that would continue throughout her whole career.

After Thompsons, Dixie landed a job with EMI Records, where she stayed for about 35 years.

“I started off doing phone sales, like I was right on the bottom rung.”

Dixie recalled that while she worked her way up, she wasn't particularly ambitious.

“I was happy doing my phone sales, ringing up Kmart Karratha asking them how many Slim Dusty records they’d like to buy.”

It wasn't until Dixie took on the PR side of things in the early ‘90s did she really start making a name for herself in rock circles.

This was evident when Crowded House were being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2016 and Dixie got not just a shout out from Tim Finn, but got this reception from the audience…

Botica's Bunch were keen to know how she felt in that moment.

“I actually missed it,” Dixie deadpanned.

“I was driving down to Fremantle to meet an artist or somebody playing at Mojos.

“My phone kept lighting up, like really lighting up, like something very very serious [had happened].

"My mum was also sick at the time so I was like ‘ughh’, so I stopped the car and was listening to these messages and I’m like ‘...really?’"

Her unassuming demeanor aside, she said she loved working with Neil and Tim Finn, and Crowded House.

"I started worked with them from their very first album… and then when Neil was here with Fleetwood Mac.”

Fred asked Dixie if there was one artist or band that was a standout experience.

“As far as an icon, was obviously being here at 96FM with Paul McCartney,” she said.

“I mean, being in the car with a Beatle and hanging out with a Beatle and being in a lift with a Beatle.”

But she couldn't leave out The Beach Boys.

“...and  I’m talking working with The Beach Boys when Carl Wilson was alive and, you know, sitting and having a cup of tea with Brian Wilson, oh, and a quick meeting with The Rolling Stones.”

Dixie then went straight into the "wildest, most rock n’ roll" night she ever had with a band.

“It was Roxette,” she said.

It was their first tour to Australia.

"Per [Gessle] and Marie [Fredriksson] were drinking and partying in Northbridge until, I dunno, 5am,” Dixie said.

"Per’s a great aficionado of pop music and they knew a lot of Australian bands and we were in a Japanese restaurant and it was just wild.

"I saw them when they were here a few years ago and they’d never forgotten that night, but they were wild, really crazy.

"I mean I’ve had some wild nights but it takes a lot to beat Roxette."