Almost five decades of rock and rolling only scratches Aussie band The Angels’ itch for more.
First spreading their wings in 1974, the Adelaide-born band, known for hits like We’ve Got To Get Out Of This Place, Take a Long Line and Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again, is set to grace the stage at Gibbston Valley Summer Concert this Saturday, alongside American rockers ZZ Top, iconic singer-songwriter Pat Benetar with Neil Giraldo, and California’s Stone Temple Pilots.
The Angels’ guitarist and vocalist John Brewster says performing at Gibbston is a great ambition, as they’ve never played in Queenstown, “as far as I can recall”.
He plans to visit his good friends living here and play a spot of golf in what he describes as “one of the greatest cities in the world”.
He says part of him can’t believe the band is still performing and going how they are.
Brewster has been in-and-out of the rock and rolling, leaving the band twice, first in ’85 for seven years and again in 2000 for an eight-year break before returning to the stage.
He’s joined by his son, Sam, who took over bass in 2012 when Chris Bailey passed away, and brother Rick, with whom he says he’s now “joined at the hip”.
Brewster’s pretty proud of what his son’s brought to the tunes, coming in as a guitarist and stepping into Bailey’s bassist shoes.
“You can hear a fair bit of Chris Bailey in what Sam does,” he laughs.
Despite the ups and downs of the last few decades, he reckons The Angels, completed by lead vocalist Dave Gleeson and drummer Nick Norton, are at the top of their game.
“Even though some songs were written years ago, they still sound cutting edge.”
Brewster says those lucky enough to head to the summer concert can expect the Aussies to “do what we’ve always done,” and the band’s really looking forward to it.
They premiered their documentary, The Angels, Kicking Down the Door, at the end of last year and are gearing up for another packed year ahead, including mapping out plans for the 50th anniversary in 2024, which Brewster reckons they’re pretty lucky to get to.
Gibbston Valley Summer Concert, Saturday, February 11, 9am till 6.15pm. Final release tickets available via Moshtix
- Additional reporting: MELISSA READY
