Saturday 19th June 2010
THE RADIATORS
KATOOMBA RSL CLUB
86 Lurline St, Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Australia
Prior to 1978 Brian Nichol was bass guitar/lead vocals and Fess Parker was lead guitar in “Big Swifty”. At the same time Geoff Turner was bass guitarist with RCA signed “Twister”. After the two bands performed together a couple of times “Twister” disbanded and “Big Swifty” decided on a change of musical direction. Times were changing and major advances had been made in the music industry so the two bands and their music styles merged and drummer Chris Tagg was added to the mix .
Brendan Callinan brought keyboards to The Radiators in 1979 and the individual members of the Band began their prolific song writing careers. By the time Chris Tagg left the Band in 1984 three albums had been released and The Radiators had been awarded Gold Records for “Scream of the Real” and “Up For Grabs”. A little further down the track their Albums “Feel the Heat” and “You Have the Right to Remain Silent” scored double Platinum.
The Radiators was now an incorporated Company.
When 1990 rolled around Mick Buckley moved on, had overseas success and keyboardist Brendan departed. Drummer extraordinaire Mark Lucas signed up and it was decided thereafter to forego keyboards.
That was the lineup of the mighty Radiators in 1990 and so it remains to this day!
FAST FORWARD 30 YEARS TO 2008 –
Little did anyone realise back in 1978 that The Radiators would still be together, still hugely popular and still producing quality music with no signs of slowing down.
Travelling thousands upon thousands of kilometres up, down and across the length and breadth of this vast country, The Radiators have carved a niche in the annals of Aussie Rock history. They have headlined and shared the stage with other great Aussie acts such as AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, Dragon and INXS.
2004 saw the release of The Radiators’ 25th Anniversary Album, a compilation of their most popular singles. While this Album sold well and had chart success, the boys were keen to try something new.
In 2008 their controversial single “Gimme Head” was re-recorded and remixed by The Cut in Sydney, and picked up by Melbourne Recording Company, Vicious. The single debuted at No. 25 on the ARIA Club Charts, quickly climbing to No. 9 in the first 5 days.
The new “Gimme Head” was snapped up by Australian Fashion Week and featured on their television advertisements shown on Channel 10.
Despite the rigors of touring and the passing of years the spark and energy of The Radiators has not diminished. They continue to do what they do best – tour extensively, play an average of 150 times per year and delight the legions of fans both young and old who still flock to grab a slice of living Aussie Rock history, rocking the night away to the great catchy songs and classic hits that have made The Radiators a household name in Australia.
Not bad for four boys from humble beginnings with big dreams and one wonders what this powerhouse band is capable of producing next.
THE RADIATORS – 30 years old and still going strong!
Doors Open 8pm. Show Starts 8:30pm.
Tickets $22.50