By Luke Voogt
The Ted Mulry Gang and its late founding member’s 90-year-old mother are still rocking ’til late after 45 years on the Australian airwaves.
Ted Mulry’s mum watched the band at a Sydney gig on the deceased singer’s 70th birthday, according to drummer Herm Kovac.
“That was kind of special,” he said. “She was up later than me!”
The band, famous for the song Jump in My Car, reunited for the first time in 25 years to tour in celebration of Mulry’s birthday.
Kovac remembered playing a fund-raising gig alongside Sherbet and INXS for Mulry before he died of brain cancer in 2001.
“I told him ‘unless you get better that’s last I’m playing drums,’” he said.
“Up until he died, we were the longest running band in rock history in Australia.”
Mulry smiled at him because “he didn’t want to miss the band’s future gigs”, Kovac said.
“I sort of kept that word for 18 years.”
But now the band is playing again with Ted’s younger brother Steve at the helm.
“If it wasn’t his brother he might be p****d off,” Kovac said. “But he’d probably say ‘they’re looking after my brother so that’s cool.’”
Kovac knew Steve, who sang for Australian group Black Label, since he was six and said he sounded a lot like his older brother.
“Although he’s probably more of a front man because he’s not stuck to a bass like Ted was.”
Original AC/DC member Mark Evans took up Ted’s bass guitar alongside band originals Les Hall and Gary Dixon.
“We knew Mark before he started AC/DC,” Kovac said.
“Having a bass player that Ted loved and who influenced his playing – he would not object to that all.”
Their connection with AC/DC goes back to when they babysitted the legendary Angus Young.
The then 12-year-old would come along when his older brother Malcolm had band practice with Kovac.
“Angus to this day still calls me Uncle Herm,” he said.
Kovac said it was brilliant getting back with the band and rehearsing in the studio.
“The band was together for 28 years because we got on, and we still get on.
“I’m reading a book on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the moment, I’m thinking ‘bloody hell I’d hate to be in that band.’”
Kovac’s son was amazed when he saw his 67-year-old dad in the demanding role of drummer for the first time at a recent gig.
“He says ‘geez I didn’t think you were that fit’.”
The Ted Mulry Gang will play all their classic hits plus a few choice Australian covers at the Sphinx on 13 October.
“You’re not going to see a whole stack of over-aged guys who can’t play – that would be pathetic,” Kovac said.
“We’ve all aged gracefully like the Stones, although none of us look like Jagger.”
