The band that changed Australian music forever is back on the road and taking it to audiences like they have done ever since they formed in the early ‘70s as The Moonshine Jug & String Band.
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Through a career spanning four decades they have proved that live music is at the heart of the band and what has kept them motivated to keep getting out there.
Dave Gleeson has been up front with them for six years and with Brewster brothers John and Rick, and the more youthful members Nick Norton and Sam Brewster, they still bring the house down.
Sam is Rick’s nephew and has been playing guitar with the band for five years. “It’s very fitting Sam has joined us. He started playing with us when Chris Bailey got sick.”
Rick says there is no degree of feeling something is missing since Doc Neeson passed away in 2014. “He left the band six times. We got used to it. Dave brought a breath of fresh air to the band. He grew up with the songs and loved the band, so it was an easy transition.”
Great news for fans is the lads are about half way through recording a new album. Rick says they hope to release it next year.
“I am loving the process of writing and recording. I do a lot of it. I’ve written some with Dave Gleeson, Sam writes, and Nick Norton writes some fantastic lyrics. I tend to write music and lyrics. I like to shut myself away and go for it.”
He says there is no talk of retirement. “I feel like personally I’m in a good place. We do weekend gigs, and then I get to come home and be with my family.”
The brothers have also been doing a book tour. Written by Bob Yates with the Brewsters, The Angels is filled with interview snippets and stories from fellow musos, roadies, agents, fans, friends, and promoters. It spans their 40-year career and Rick says Bob spent time at his home in Tassie to the point they ended up calling it “Uncle Bob’s cabin”.
“We’re very happy with it. It’s factual, balanced and tells the story. It touches on some of the demons.”
The double album the tour takes its name from was released in August. Rick says they left it up to the record company to choose what to include on it.
“We knew we wanted to portray the early stuff with Doc and the Jug Band, and with the Angels and our personal favourites.”
Saturday, November 18, is going to be an amazing night of Aussie rock, and will take you back to the days of the ‘70s and ‘80s when pub rock was at it’s finest.
The band will pump out your favourites - No Secrets, Shadow Boxer, Take a Long Line, After the Rain, Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again – about 20 in all Rick says.
Tickets are $40 pre-sale or $45 at the door. The over-18s only show starts at 8.30pm.
