Three of Australia’s most legendary bands come together for a huge night of entertainment at Geelong’s Costa Hall tomorrow night (Friday, May 31).
Chain, Stars and The Bushwackers have all left their stamp on Australian music history over the past five decades, uniting for the Heritage Legends show.
Australia’s most influential blues/rock band, Chain formed in the late sixties and released their top twenty hit Black and Blue in 1971.
Managed early on by a teenage Michael Gudinski and later signed by him to Mushroom Records, the band has continued since in various incarnations, but original members Matt Taylor (vocals/harmonica) and Phil Manning (guitar/vocals) are still going strong.
Taylor said their on-stage chemistry had only strengthened over the years.
“Someone said to me the other day, when you two play something in unison, neither of you look at each other, you just know that the other one’s going to be there,” Taylor said.
“Myself and Phil could sit down anywhere and someone could say, play something in D, and we’d knock out a song, that’s how close we are.
“In the blues you’re using notes to talk to each other. You throw out musical questions to each other and answer them, and we’ve been doing it for so long it just comes natural to us.”
Country-rock band Stars, formed in Adelaide in 1974, are still one of Australia’s hardest working bands.
Original member Mick Pealing (vocals) and Roger McLachlan (bass) are joined by Australian guitar legend Geoff Achison, Ed Bates on pedal steel, Nick Charles on guitar and Erik Chess on drums.
Aussie bush band The Bushwackers will bring their unmistakable brand of traditional folk and working songs and larrikin attitude to the show, led by the lagerphone of Dobe Newton (co-writer of I Am Australian with Bruce Woodley).
Visit geelongartscentre.org.au/whats-on/ for tickets and more information.
