Bands
From Jeff St John to The Hawks via Bandanna and Grog ‘n Grumble
Amazed at the photo’s that my old mate from Grog ‘n Grumble days, Bob Montgomery was posting to Facebook, I asked him to put a few of them together with a (far too brief) summary of his career. I’m extremely grateful for what he sent me. Hi Mark.I have put together a brief (as poss…
Read MoreExhumed 2014 Band Competition
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure to attend a function that, until recently, had never heard of. Sydney ABC’s radio presenter James Valentine, formerly of The Models, is the mastermind of this competition which is in its third year of production and is bringing out the best of garage band talent. Exhumed was…
Read MoreThe Thought Criminals
The Thought Criminals were one of those unique bands whose popularity was based on their quirkiness as well as having great songs. Emerging from Sydney in late 1977 they found themselves wrapped up in the burgeoning Punk Rock scene, not a bad thing if you wanted to be part of it …… and luckily they…
Read MoreBlackfeather
Blackfeather was a band that went through a number of distinct phases, starting out as a progressive/heavy rock band and ending up as more of a boogie/rock band. As you can see by the list of musicians below, they also went through a very large amount of lineup changes which probably prevented them from having…
Read MoreNew Zealand Fantasy Band
New Zealand Fantasy Band 1970; Picture from left to right. John Carroll Vocals; Ron “Bert” Harris Lead Guitar; Michael Brown Bass; Mike Cassidy Drums (Editors note: This contribution was made possible by Mike Cassidy and John Carroll who both contributed information on this band. Massive thanks to them both.) A band out of nowhere. Won a Sydney…
Read MoreSherbet
Sherbet was a band I didn’t rate very highly for a while until I saw them live. I suppose they were considered a little bit lightweight if you only went on the stuff the radio was playing but when you saw them live, they were the real deal. Great musicians, well-written songs and a brilliant…
Read MoreCold Chisel – The Early Years
Cold Chisel are one of the most important bands of the seventies and eighties pub rock scene. They dominated the charts and venues all over the Country from the time they hit the charts in 1978 till their triumphant finale, the Last Stand Tour. I had the absolute pleasure of seeing them multiple times in…
Read MoreThe Lost Husky
The Lost Husky began in 1998 as a solo acoustic side-project for Chris Newton, the bass player for 1990s Sydney alternative rock bands Psyclone Smyle, Tooth and User. It started out as a country-infused folk act, honed at open mic nights, pubs and local cafes in his hometown of Balmain, and Sydney’s inner west, as…
Read MoreTooth
In early 1993, after the split of indie funk metal stalwarts Psyclone Smyle, guitarist Ben Nightingale and bassist Chris Newton were looking to start a new project with a decidedly heavier edge. Several song writing sessions gleaned a stoner-metal template that would ultimately become the new band’s signature sound. Requiring a new singer and drummer…
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