The Angels
The Angels are a truly iconic band for people of my generation. They burst onto the scene in the mid-1970s and went from strength to strength. I first saw them at an all-ages gig at Cabramatta Town Hall in 1978 where they absolutely blew the place apart. Each subsequent time I saw them they had the same drive and strength of performance. They really did shine on stage.
Recently I’ve had the pleasure of seeing some of their reunion gigs and they still have it. The crowds are still flocking in and rocking out. Like many Australian Pub rock bands, they didn’t really do that well overseas which is astonishing to me, but at home, they are truly loved.
The Angels in the 70s
The Angels have been through a number of distinct incarnations over their lifetime. They started life in Adelaide as The Moonshine Jug and String Band, originally formed by the Brewster brothers around 1970. By 1974 they’d become the Keystone Angels and were starting to come to the attention of a wider audience. In 1975 they dropped the “keystone” to become The Angels and had released their first single “Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again” in April 1976. At that time they were performing as a 4 piece band with Doc Neeson handling vocals and bass, Charlie King on drums and John & Rick Brewster on guitars.
Around this time Graham “Buzz” Bidstrup had replaced Charlie King on drums and Chris Bailey joined soon after on bass to make the band a 5 piece. This is really the first “classic” lineup of the band. Their big break came with 1978’s Face to Face album, reaching number 16 in November and staying on the Australian charts for 79 weeks. This album also gave them their first big hit with “Take a long line”.
The 80s & 90s
Buzz Bidstrup left in early 1981 and was replaced by Brent Eccles & about 12 months later Chris Bailey also left to be replaced by Jim Hilbun. They had a number of successful albums during this period including “Night Attack”, “Watch The Red” & “Two Minute Warning”.
The next significant lineup change was when John Brewster left and the job went to ex-Skyhooks guitarist Bob Spencer in March 1986. By the mid to late 1990s, the band had tried to crack the US market with limited success but support in Australia had remained fairly solid. All this time the band toured relentlessly and were famed for their energetic live performances and on 20 October 1998, The Angels were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
They performed their “last” gig on New Year’s Eve of 1999. Doc Neeson, having suffered spinal & neck injuries in a car accident, announced he was leaving.
For most of the 2000s, there was some animosity between various members and a few disputes over the name. Doc Neeson toured for a while under the name “Doc Neeson’s Angels” with a band containing Jim Hilbun, Dave Leslie, Paul Wheeler, and others. The Brewster brothers teamed up with Buzz Bidstrup & Chris Bailey to form “The Original Angels Band” but in 2008 differences were sorted and the band reformed again as The Angels.
Around 2011 Dave Gleeson and Nick Norton joined the band. Following the passing of Chris Bailey in 2013, Sam Brewster took over the bass playing duties.
The Angels Members
- Chris Bailey – Bass
- Graham “Buzz” Bidstrup – Drums
- John Brewster – Guitar, Vocals
- Rick Brewster – Guitar
- Brent Eccles – Drums
- Jim Hilbun – Bass, Sax
- Charlie King – Drums
- James Morley – Bass
- Bernard “Doc” Neeson Doc – Vocals, Bass
- Bob Spencer – Guitar, Vocals
- Nick Norton – Drums
- Dave Gleeson – Vocals
- Same Brewster – Bass
Images
Known gigs for The Angels
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 09/12/77 | Moore Park, NSW | Hordern Pavilion |
| 11/08/79 | Caringbah | Caringbah Inn |
| + The Lonely Hearts | ||
| 02/09/79 | Wollongong | Wollongong Leagues Club |
| + The Lonely Hearts | ||
| 05/09/79 | Blacktown | Comb And Cutter Hotel |
| + The Lonely Hearts | ||
| 06/09/79 | Fairfield | Millers Hotel |
| + The Lonely Hearts | ||
| 07/09/79 | Sydney | Stagedoor Tavern |
| + Mental As Anything, The Lonely Hearts | ||
| 22/09/79 | Newcastle | Newcastle Workers Club |
| + The Lonely Hearts | ||
| 01/12/79 | Edensor Park | Marconi Club |
| + Cold Chisel, Flowers, Dave Warner, The Hitmen, Rose Tattoo | ||
| 21/06/80 | Sydney | Chequers |
| with Flowers and Ward 13 | ||
| 23/02/81 | Moore Park (NSW) | Sydney Showground |
| 27/02/81 | Melbourne | Myer Music Bowl |
| + AC/DC + Swanee | ||
| 15/05/83 | Bankstown | Bankstown Paceway |
| + The Radiators, The Church, The Expression | ||
| 09/07/83 | Moore Park, NSW | Hordern Pavilion |
| + Rose Tattoo | ||
| 27/11/86 | Dee Why, NSW | The Venue |
| 30/07/09 | Wyong, NSW | Wyong Leagues Club |
| + Black Label | ||
| 21/10/10 | Kingsford, NSW | South Sydney Juniors |
| supported by Black Label | ||
| 22/10/10 | Rooty Hill | Rooty Hill RSL Club |
| supported by Black Label | ||
| 30/06/11 | Annandale | Annandale Hotel |
| + Black Label | ||
| 21/09/12 | Rozelle, NSW | The Bridge Hotel |
| Address: Victoria Rd. | ||
| 22/09/12 | Rozelle, NSW | The Bridge Hotel |
| Address: Victoria Rd. | ||
Albums
- The Angels – 1977
- Face To Face – 1978
- No Exit – 1979
- The Angels Greatest – 1980
- Dark Room – 1980
- Night Attack – 1981
- Watch The Red – 1983
- Two Minute Warning – 1984
- The Angels Greatest Vol 2 – 1985
- Howling – 1986
- Live Line – 1987
- Beyond Salvation – 1989
- Red Back Fever – 1991
- Their Finest Hour… and then some – 1992
- Evidence – 1994
- Skin and Bone – 1998
- No Secrets – 1998
- Greatest hits – 1999
- Left Hand drive – 2000
- The Complete Sessions 1980-1983 – 2002
- Live at The Basement – 2005
- Wasted Sleepless Nights – The Definitive Best Of – 2006
There was a big buzz about these guys doing pub gigs & me & my mates were wondering how they’d go when they were supporting Meatloaf on the Bat out of Hell tour at the Horden. They blitzed it! Very rarely do you see a support band get a reaction like they did that night. But they worked hard, very tight & intense. Next time I saw them on a big stage was supporting David Bowie at the Sydney showgrounds, Moore park. It was late afternoon so they didn’t have the advantage of the great lighting that they’d become renowned for. They went full on right from the first note, a great set. The punters loved it. Bowie was good don’t get me wrong but for me The Angels were the ones that day. Saw them many times and I never saw a bad show. I’m not a fanatic like a lot of their fans but many bands could’ve learned from watching them on stage. I know I watched their setup & lighting closely when I got the chance, very proffessional.
Best memory was the Keystone Angels playing at Glengowrie High School Adelaide SA in1975 they were fantastic . Great SA Band
Saw The Angels with Doc Neeson at Vikings Club Tuggeranong ACT in 1999. Just says to me that they are a dedicated band who continue to perform around the traps to us aussies who love the music. They are always “electric” and really get me up and dancing to the beat. Can’t say enough about how great they are.
I rember the angles when they wore called the Key stone cops at taperoo high school .I have always loved there music.
Miss Ya Doc Thanks For The Poster For 8yr old The Dogs Are Talkin And She Still Has it At 30Yrs Old And For Doing The Dogs Are Talkin Twice In One Night For Her Thanks And Miss Ya
I have seen the Angels many times and I have to say there has never been a front man with so much presence on stage. From the moment he walks on stage he owns it. You almost become oblivious that there are other band members on stage. The best Aussie band ever.
RIP Doc, you were one of a kind and there will never be any one like you. Who rings the bell?? You do Doc.
I went to see the Angels play at the Ferntree Gully (Middle) Hotel in 1992..In the gig history there is a big jump in years at this time. It would have been June July or August when i went. Does anybody remember the exact dates? Or have images of the angels at this hotel. Thanks.. R.I.P Doc
I too remember the Keystone Angels playing at Glengowrie High School in 1975 when I was doing year 12 (Matric). I distinctly remember them rolling up in a chopped roof Mini! Aah, those were the days hey Softs?
I too saw The Angels at Cabramatta Civic Centre. It was my first concert and they absolutely blew my mind. The music, lighting and Doc’s stage presence and theatrics where phenomenal. I also seen them at The Marconi club with other bands (listed above) soon after. I have followed them ever since and been to many high energy gigs coming out drench in sweat from rocking on with all the other fans. Still a fan of the solid rock and roll they produced. Sad that Doc’s not with but those concerts have a very special place in my soul.
Thanks for listing the gigs have brought back a lot of great memories
Hi I can find no information for a Angels concert Olympic park Melbourne 1980s
it was outdoors in winter and Doc looked to the silo clock and said its 6 degrees -and every one was shivering it was a cold day alright.
I don’t know what the line up was maybe zz top ?-
Many people I speak to say they the angels never played there-but I was there with mates
Help would be much appreciated.
I think it was ZZ Top as the main act – I saw them at Olympic Park
No idea if this is any help to you, but i saw ZzTop in Sydney in 1983/4. They were pretty crappy, haha. Wish it had been the Angels.
Oops, make that 1986.
Yep more like ’86 as it would have been the same tour when me and my best mate (15 then) traveled down from BNE on the bus to see them, and Rose Tattoo, support ZZ Top at the Gold Coast Raceway.
Like always they farken killed it with The Doctor climbing all over the scaffolding. Then ZZ Top came on and we all sat down and politely listened.
I saw the Angles every time they were up un north NSW which seem to be every few months. One time they played at an outdoor concert at Fowlers Lane near Byron Bay around ’79. (Drove past it the other day) There were 8 – 10 Aussie bands like Jimmy and the Boys, Radiators, Tommy Emanual. A great concert. So good we caught up with them the next night in Casino RSL and the next night at Ballina. A great band to dance to. Stiff arms and pogoing. The Bass and lead guitars players wearing black Raybans ripping out great riffs and not moving a muscle except for an occasional head turn. Fu%king great.
I can’t see any mention of when The Angles played to 40 or 50 thousand on Bondi Beach. It was a night concert in the early 90s. It was the wildest night of my life. 40,000 odd people chanting. “No way, get……” Id give you the exact date except I don’t think anyone there remembers it. The aftermath was like a zombie apocalypse. There is no easy transport from Bondi Beach at night. No one was driving….
I saw them as the Keystone Angels in 1974 at a concert in Penrith, NSW. I was 13 years old. I clearly remember them singing Chantilly Lace and Doc would shake his head as he sang it. I fell in love. Lol. Despite years of searching I have never found any reference to this concert. I can’t remember who else played. Would love to find someone else who remembers this concert.
I saw the Angels in Auckland, New Zealand. Doc Neeson had a broken ankle and did the whole gig sitting in an elaborate barbers chair. I am still trying to find out what year that was and which venue i.e. The Gluepot, The Powerstation, I can’t remember. It was around mid 80’s.
It would have been 89/90 I saw them at the Crystals night club at Beenleigh tavern south of Brisbane and doc with plastered leg still got around the stage and still climbed to the top of the gantry while singing.
In either 1978 or 1979 The Angels played Marrickville High School. I remember we were given the choice to attend lessons or see The Angels. Really easy decision to make !!.
I recall seeing The Angels play at YMCA Macleod of all places. This would’ve been between 1989-1993. It was an amazing night with young teens and adults alike going nuts and screaming long to their songs, a great night. Hope someone can remember exact date and year.
Lucky enough to see the ” Live by request” tour 2010ish Ferntree Gully Melbourne.Doc was in fine form as were the whole band!!
Their shows at Bankstown RSL in the 80’s are legendary.
I saw them at festival hall melbourne in 1979, it was a 4 band gig, the flowers opened up then the boys next door, they got booed off after 2 songs, then cold chisel, awesome and the angels were last on, I was centre front right at Doc’s feet, I was 16yo and it just blew me away and have been a massive fan ever since.
The Keystone Angels played at a lunchtime concert in the Henley High School hall in 1975. Entry cost – 10 cents. Looking forward to seeing Kickin’ Down the Door at the Odeon, Semaphore.
I have a Plectrum that the lead Guitarist used, from a concert that the “Keystone Angels” appeared at my school in Elizabeth East Girls Technical High School in 1974/73 , South Australia. I think they were living in Elizabeth North at the time. My friends and I made all the arrangements for them to appear. I think the amount we all paid was 20 cents admission fee.
I just want to know if they remember this concert. The lead singer Doc had a pair of stockings around his hips with a tennis ball hanging between his legs. I thought our principal was going to pass out. If they do remember can you let me know. I have the Plectrum to this day . Some people are saying that this didn’t happen, I just want to prove it.
Thank you in anticipation of your reply
Sue
I was lucky enough to see the Doc perform live with Tje Angels at a pub in Frankston I think – would’ve been around 1997 – 1998 maybe ?? Would live if someone could confirm as I lived a pretty wild life back then so the memories a little hazy 🤣