The Angels (Australian band)
The Angels are an Australian rock band that formed in 1974 in Adelaide as the Keystone Angels with Bernard "Doc" Neeson on lead vocals and bass guitar, John Brewster on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, his brother Rick Brewster on lead guitar and backing vocals, and Peter "Charlie" King on drums. In 1976, King was replaced by Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup on drums, Chris Bailey took over bass duties so Neeson could focus solely on vocals, and they changed their name to just 'the Angels'. Their studio albums that peaked in the Australian top 10 are No Exit (1979), Dark Room (1980), Night Attack (1981), Two Minute Warning (1984), Howling (1986) and Beyond Salvation (1990). Their top 20 singles are "No Secrets" (1980), "Into the Heat" (1981), "We Gotta Get out of This Place" (1987), "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again" (live, 1988), "Let the Night Roll On" and "Dogs Are Talking" (both 1990).
The Angels
- The Keystone Angels
- Angel City
- The Angels from Angel City
Adelaide, South Australia
1974–2000, 2008–present
- Rick Brewster
- John Brewster
- Nick Norton
- Sam Brewster
- Tom Brewster
See Personnel
To avoid legal problems with similarly named acts in the international market, their records have been released under the names Angel City and later the Angels from Angel City, although the group has said numerous times that they dislike these names. Bands that have cited the Angels as having influenced their music include Guns N' Roses and Cheap Trick, who became friends and touring buddies, Great White, who have covered two of their songs, and Seattle grunge band Pearl Jam, among many others.[1] Neeson left the group in 1999 due to spinal injuries sustained in a car accident and they disbanded the following year. Competing versions of the group subsequently performed using the Angels name, until April 2008 when the original 1970s line-up reformed for a series of tours until 2011, when Neeson and Bidstrup left again. Alternative versions continued with new members, with the current line-up featuring the founding Brewster brothers, John Brewster's sons Sam (bass) and Tom (drums) and lead vocalist Nick Norton.
The Angels were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in October 1998 with the line-up of Bailey, John and Rick Brewster, Eccles and Neeson. Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane declared that "The Angels had a profound effect on the Australian live music scene of the late 1970s/early 1980s. [They] helped redefine the Australian pub rock tradition... [their] brand of no-frills, hard-driving boogie rock attracted pub goers in unprecedented numbers. In turn, The Angels' shows raised the standard expected of live music. After 20 years on the road, the band showed little sign of easing up on the hard rock fever."[2] Chris Bailey died of throat cancer on 4 April 2013, aged 62. Doc Neeson died of a brain tumour on 4 June 2014, aged 67.
History[edit]
Early 1970s[edit]
In November 1970, future member of the Angels, John Brewster on guitar, banjo, harp, backing vocals and washboard, and his younger brother Rick on violin, washboard, jug, backing vocals and percussion formed the Moonshine Jug and String Band, an acoustic ensemble, in Adelaide.[2][3] Fellow members were Craig Holden on guitar, Bob Petchell on banjo and harp, and Pete Thorpe on tea chest bass, bass guitar, wash tub and backing vocals.[2][3] In 1971 they were joined by Belfast-born immigrant, Bernard "Doc" Neeson, on guitar and lead vocals (ex-the Innocents), an arts student and former army sergeant, who already performed locally as Doc Talbot.[4] The folk band gigged at local university campuses and cafes.[2][4] Holden left in 1972.[3]
In 1973, Spencer Tregloan joined Moonshine Jug and String Band on banjo, kazoo, jug, tuba and backing vocals.[3] They released their debut four-track extended play, Keep You on the Move,[3] which made the top 5 in Adelaide.[2][4] It contained a cover version of Canned Heat's "On the Road Again" and three original tracks: one written by John, one by John and Rick, and one by Neeson.[5] It was followed in 1974 by a single, "That's All Right with Me".[6] Both releases were on the Sphere Organisation label owned by John Woodruff, who later became the Angels' talent manager for two decades.[2][4] In 2015 the group were inducted into the Adelaide Music Collective Hall of Fame.[7]
In mid-1974, Moonshine Jug and String Band changed their name to the Keystone Angels, with the line up of John Brewster on lead vocals and bass guitar, Rick on guitar, Neeson on bass guitar and vocals, Peter Christopolous (a.k.a. Charlie King) on drums and Laurie Lever on keyboards.[2][3] They had switched to electric instruments and began playing 1950s rock and roll on the pub circuit.[2][4] Rick later recalled "There was a cult following with The Jug Band but if we wanted any real success we had to start an electric band. So we threw ourselves in the deep end. I went from playing washboard to playing lead guitar. I hadn't even played an electric guitar before then!"[8]
During July and August 1974, they ran a series of ads in Go-Set, the national teen pop music magazine, announcing that "The Keystone Angels are coming".[9] Lever left during that year.[3] In January 1975, the remaining members performed, as a four-piece, at the Sunbury Pop Festival, then they supported AC/DC during a South Australian tour, and later that year they were the backing band for Chuck Berry.[2][4][10] The Keystone Angels issued a sole single, "Keep on Dancin'", on Sphere during that year.[2][3][4]
Late 1970s: First three albums[edit]
In 1976, the Angels signed a recording deal with the Albert Productions label,[2][4] upon the recommendation of Bon Scott and Malcolm Young (from AC/DC). The group dropped "Keystone" from their name to become the Angels and relocated to Sydney with the line-up of Neeson on lead vocals and bass guitar, King on drums, Rick on lead guitar and John Brewster on lead vocals and rhythm guitar.[2][3][4] According to Ian McFarlane, an Australian musicologist, the group "had toughened its sound into a unique brand of beefy hard rock."[2]
The Angels' first single, "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again", was released in March 1976, which was produced by Vanda & Young.[2][3][4] It was co-written by the Brewsters and Neeson;[11] which is the first of three versions of that they released as singles during their career. They made their TV debut on national pop music show, Countdown. Later that year, King was replaced by Graham "Buzz Throckman" Bidstrup on drums[2][3] and Chris Bailey (ex-Red Angel Panic, Headband) joined on bass guitar, which allowed Neeson to concentrate on lead vocals.[2][3] Bailey had also been a member of Mount Lofty Rangers, with Bon Scott, in 1974.[3]
The band's second single, "You're a Lady Now", was released in July 1977, which was followed a month later by their self-titled debut album, The Angels – also produced and recorded by Vanda & Young at Albert Studios, Sydney.[2][3][12] It included a re-recorded version of "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again". Most of its ten tracks were co-written by Neeson and the Brewster brothers.[12] Neeson's work as front man allowed the band to develop an energetic and theatrical live presence; he typically appeared on stage as a wild extrovert, dressed in a dinner suit, and sometimes a bow tie, and shaking maracas. As a foil Rick remained motionless and wore sunglasses; he has stated that Beethoven convinced him not to move on stage.
Their second album, Face to Face, was released in June 1978, which reached No. 16 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart in November and stayed on the charts for 79 weeks.[2][3][13] It was accredited as 4× platinum for shipment of 280,000 units.[2] The album was co-produced by the group and Mark Opitz, their sound engineer.[2][3][14] All tracks were co-credited to the Brewsters and Neeson.[14] McFarlane described it as a "watershed" release for both the group and Opitz.[2] At the 1978 TV Week King of Pop awards Peter Ledger won Best Australian Album Cover Design Award for his artwork.[15] In October 2010 Face to Face was listed in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums.[16]
By 1978, they "were Australia's highest paid band, attracting record crowds wherever they played. As the consummate frontman, the charismatic Doc Neeson injected a strong theatrical edge into the band's on-stage antics. The Angels were often seen as a punk/new wave outfit, yet the high energy sound, powerful guitar riffing and muscular yet supple rhythm section took the band beyond such easy categorisations."[2] Ed Nimmervoll of Howlspace website opined that the album "delivered a tough blend of punk and metal. The band brought it home on stage behind their theatrical lead singer, jumping and gesturing maniacally, highlighting the drama in the lyrics. In every way they were one of the most exciting bands in the country, and exhaustive touring brought the band a generation of loyal fans."[4]
Face to Face provided the band's first top 50 appearance on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart with "Take a Long Line", which peaked at No. 29.[2][13] David Crofts of The Canberra Times caught their local gig in October 1978, where they were supported by Midnight Oil:[17]
Film[edit]
A full-length documentary film, The Angels: Kickin’ Down The Door, written and directed by Madeleine Parry, premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in October 2022.[81] It was well-reviewed,[82] and is released in Australian cinemas on 1 December 2022.[83]
Awards[edit]
ARIA Music Awards[edit]
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987. The Angels were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.[84]