What's this site all about:

This is a database of Newcastle bands from the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's, with those who are still treading the boards listed in the still playing section.
All those weird and wonderful people that made up the local music scene at the time are hopefully recorded here.

So far I have been heartened by the response from people with information about the groups listed, (see Sources Page). Between us, we have probably compiled the most accurate list of groups and players from 'our town' in the sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties, ever assembled in one spot.

This is a non profit site, you might call it a labour of love, you might call it an act of folly, you may even call it a total waste of space, but it is a documentation of Newcastle's music history that you won't find anywhere else on the net, or in print.

I reply to all people who submit information and thank them.
If you submit stuff and I don't get back to you, it means that your e-mail address is a dud, and did not work.

john

I need information about the following bands, stuff like:

• did they really exist
• decade of existence
• lineups
• band photo's (jpeg)
• gig posters (jpeg)
• biography
• discography
• web site address

Air Attack
Bank
Battery Cage
BHas
Big Chill
Bishop
Brown Shorts
Celtic City Sons
Cold Sweat
Country Feelings
Cymbal
Damaged Goods
Dance Futura
Devour
Endangered
Evolluap
F.M.D.
Fabulous Sycos
Fat Human Filth
Fire Truth
Fleshvent
Four Play
Freudian Trip
Fruitcake
Harsha
Haywire
Human Wishbone
Jazz Orcastra
J'Dee
Kanvass
Kaktus
Kelp
Kindred Spirit
Koresh's Cadavers
Levon Tramp
Looking Glass
Loose Ends
Mad Methuselah
Magnum Opus
Menagerie
Microscopic Circles
My Wicked Room

• Peter Papas (60's photographer)
• Ronny Becker (Mata Hari drummer)
• Bob Hudson (Newcastle Song)

Roadies were the heart and soul of most bands.
If you can remember their names let me know.

• What band's was Billy Weston a roadie for ??

Info and photo required:
Does anyone have a photo or information about the Parthenon milk bar / cafe that was referred to in Bob Hudsons 'Newcastle Song'.
Answer: From Greg Sullivan .............
Anyway, The parthenon milk bar was next to the CAMBRIDGE HOTEL and the guy named NORM used to drink there, and worked at Broadmeadow railway station as a sweeper on the platform, and finished what he called work at 10am just in time for opening drinks. Most people in Newcastle knew him as our local drunk, and in the Hudson song he was pretty close to the way he was ,(GEDDAY).

More from Charles Williams ................
Bob Hudson's "Normie" was a real good mate of mine. His real name is Kevin Brennan and from memory, I think he went to school with Bob, who wrote the song when he played at the back bar of the Star hotel with a group called the Electric Jug. I wonder who else was in that band. This was just before a group called Jukebox took over residency in that Saturday afternoon time slot.

Norm did work for the railway, but was in fact, a waggon examiner at Broadmeadow Railway Yards. He sure did enjoy a beer or ten at the Cambridge Hotel but not till the afternoon (Saturdays excepted). The speech part is right though. " G'day Chicka, how's it goin'" was his standard greeting to me, and the aaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwww! when observing a good sort, (or even an ugly one with large breasts), was the real Norm. A notoriously shy bloke, Norm couldn't be found when The Sunday Mirror's reporters came to photograph him, for the front page of the Sunday paper when the Newcastle Song was number one, so a mate called Jimmy Archibald was substituted and graced the Mirror's pages. Norm and Jim are still flatmates today.

As for The Rubber Band, they did play in Newcastle I think but they were a Sydney band.Their lead singer was SBS football supremo and Sports editor Les Murray. A photo of this band can be found in Les's book By The Balls .

Info required:
Does anyone have any info on Lindsay Bjerre's bands 'Shu Shu' and 'NFX'. Were they Newcastle or Sydney bands.

Name required:
This is a mystery band, we know who the players were but we don't know the name of the band. They were around in 1968 / 69 and had a residency at the Beachcomber in Toukley for a while. This info came from Rob Coxon and even he can't remember the name of the band ....... Oh well it was the sixties after all.

Sue Leas {Coxon} (v)
Ron Coxon (g, v)
Greg Schrieber (b)
Rob Coxon (d, v)

Here is a bit more info I got from Rob.
Slowly, one by one, over a period of time, they replaced the original members of the band till there were no originals left to replace. They continued on with the name ( whatever the hell it was ) till they all moved on to other projects. The original line up was:

John Jeffries (g, v)
Lee Merchant (g, v)
John Cleverly (b)
Ron Mills (d)
Dave McCormach (v, g)

Answer: The band at the Beachcomber during 68/69 was simply called "the Beachcombers" or "the Beachcomber Band".

Also had a comment that it may have been Nodes Levity.

Name required: Probably 60's

Terry Foster (b)
Kenny Bullen (g)
Ray Meehan (d)

Answer: Darrell Dee & the Deemen, they were initially known as 'The Silhouettes'.

Name required: Probably 60's

 Terry Foster (b)
Bluey Blair (v)
Ross Wattus (g)
Donnie Preston (g)
Wally Smith (d)

Personal details required:
There was a guy called Zack ????, (not Sunsets), who played guitar in the early sixties at Latec House. He had a Mexican appearance. Any idea of his groups or last name?

Real names wanted:
Two drummers.
a) 'Bluey' From 'Vacant Lot' (70's)
Answer: Steve 'Bluey' Goulder
and
b) 'George (Chookie) ??, also could have gone under the name 'George L Cool'. Answer: George Coutsouco

Info wanted:
Does anyone know what John J Francis has been up to for the last 20 years.
Answer: He set up a computer store on the north coast in the 80's and is reluctant to talk about his music career.

Info wanted:
Does anyone know the year Paul Matters was in AC/DC, who he replaced as bass player and who replaced him.
Answer: 1975, around the time where George Young is listed as the bass player.

Info wanted:
Neale 'Bluey' Blair played in 'The Three Little Pigs'.
Could it be number (3) above.

If anyone remembers anything drop me an e-mail.
There are still no prizes. (lol)
But you may get your name put in the 'Hall of Fame'.