Adelaide's Angels rock Australia as the heavy-metal remake of the 1970s Moonshine Jug and String Band
The Angels (as the Keystone Angels) supported AC/DC during their South Australian tour in 1975.
Image courtesy South Australian Music Hall of Fame
The Angels, one of Australia’s most brilliant rock bands in the late 1970s, started life in Adelaide as the Moonshine Jug and String Band, a folk band featuring banjo, violin, harp, jug and tea-chest bass.
The Moonshine band started in 1970 with John Brewster, his brother Rick, Craig Holden, Bob Petchell and Pete Thorpe. They were joined next year by Belfast-born immigrant Bernard “Doc” Neeson on guitar and lead vocals. They played at university campuses and cafes.
Holden left in 1972 and Spencer Tregloan joined on banjo, kazoo, jug, tuba and backing vocals. Their debut four-track extended play, Keep you on the move, made top five in Adelaide. In 1974 came the single “That’s all right with me”.
The change in 1974 to Keystone Angels accompanied a switch to electric instruments and 1950s rock at pubs. The lineup was John Brewster (lead vocals, bass guitar), Rick Brewster (guitar), Neeson (guitar, vocals), Peter Christopolous, aka Charlie King (drums), Laurie Lever (keyboards). Personnel changes and disputes later became a blight on the band.
Beefing up their sound to hard rock, the Keystone Angels (later the Angels) supported AC/DC during their South Australian tour in 1975. Bon Scott and Malcolm Young from AC/DC recommended the Angels to the Alberts record label.
The Angels' first single, “Am I ever gonna see your face again” was released in 1976, produced by Vanda and Young and written by the Brewsters and Neeson.
By 1978, the Angels were Australia's highest paid band, attracting record crowds. Doc Neeson brought a strong theatrical edge to the on-stage antics as the band added punk/new wave element to its high-energy metal.
The Angels’ top 10 albums were No exit (1979), Dark room (1980), Night attack (1981), Two minute warning (1984), Howling (1986) and Beyond salvation (1990). Top 20 singles were “No secrets” (1980), “Into the heat” (1981), “We gotta get out of this place” (1987), “Am I ever gonna see your face again” (1ive, 1988). “Let the night roll on” and “Dogs are talking” (1990).The Angels were inducted into ARIA Hall of Fame in 1998 but effectively ended when Neeson left the band in 2000.
