Daryl Braithwaite was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on Tuesday night, November 28, in recognition for a career of more than four decades.

We spoke at 10am on Wednesday, and I was expecting him to be a little worse for wear. “At my age, you’re a bit wiser. I feel alright, I had about two beers afterwards and went home,” the former lead singer of one of Australia’s premier bands, Sherbet, says.

He found the whole night quite an experience. “All the young bands there, so enthusiastic and exuberant, it was like a deja vu moment, taking me back to Sherbert days.”

Induction into the Aria Hall of Fame was “very special”. “It was fantastic to be accepted alongside all those others before me. It will take a little time to take on board. It’s like 47 or 50 years ago [when I started], wow, to think I would be doing this.”

Braithwaite says it was a bright light on a sad day as many in the industry farewelled AC/DC co-founder Malcolm Young. “You think everyone will go on forever,” he says. 

And it was only a year ago when his own mortality hit home. A tumour was found in his stomach, and although it was benign, he suffered serious infection, which forced him to cancel his appearance at Port Macquarie’s Red Hot Summer gig. “It makes you think, it’s a realisation you’re human.”

Now fit and well, he is looking forward to the One Night Stand gig at Panthers, and to getting in some surfing while he is in Port Macquarie. “I couldn’t surf for four or five months after my operation.”

He hopes a lot of people will come along to the concert. “We haven’t played together in that configuration before. I love the Mentals, and I haven’t seen Russell for a couple of months.  

Braithwaite will perform a couple of Sherbert favourites and songs from his hugely successful solo albums Edge and Rise, which boasts five hit singles including the internationally admired The Horses.

Mental As Anything has been performing and recording their quirky music for about four decades, and like Daryl, are in the Hall of Fame. You will hear hits Live It Up and If You Leave Me Can I Come To, The Nips are Getting Bigger, and Too Many Times.

Russell Morris, another Aria Hall of Fame inductee, continues to tour nationally and internationally. His 1969 No.1 hit The Real Thing is still heard on television and radio. His career has spanned five decades, with his 2013 Aria for Best Blues ‘n’ Roots Album.

The Badloves is one of Australia’s leading soul and RnB bands. They are famous for hits such as Green Limousine, Lost and The Weight with Jimmy Barnes.

A right royal gathering.