Episode 1: Dannie Davidson – Drummer of The Strangers 

Jack Hodgins kicked off his 8-part Newcastle Vinyl Vibes series talking with Dannie Davidson, drummer of The Strangers and Tamam Shud.

Dannie’s first group was a local Newcastle band called The Strangers, which he helped form in Cooks Hill in 1962. With Dannie on drums, The Strangers would go on to be Newcastle’s top group of the early ‘60s. In 1964, The Strangers became the first Newcastle band to have a single released nationally when their single The Rip came out. The band would leave for Sydney in 1965 and become The Sunsets, where they would play more Beach Boys-type music. While in Sydney, they would meet filmmaker Paul Witzig, who would get the band to provide soundtrack music for his surf films. In 1967, the band’s music was changing yet again due to the influx of American sounds from the likes of The Doors and Jefferson Airplane, and so the band changed their name to Tamam Shud.

As with their days in The Sunsets, Paul Witzig got Tamam Shud to provide the soundtrack music for his surf movie Evolution. In return for their services for Witzig, the band was able to record a studio album. Tamam Shud would record their debut album, Evolution, in one session. The album would sell out its initial pressing of 10,000 copies within weeks; however, due to the master tape being erased, it would not see another pressing for many years to come. In early 1970, Tamam Shud would begin recording their second album, The Goolutionites and The Real People. Continuing their innovative ways, the album was environmentally themed, an unusual topic for a rock record in Australia at the time. Dannie left the Shud after the band’s second album and throughout the 70s would go on to perform in bands such as Karvus Jute and Band of Light.

Aired on 2NURFM:  6pm Sunday 2nd of February 2025

Episode 2: Rick Pointon – Vocalist and Bass Player of The Second Thoughts 

Rick is best known for his time in the local 1970s band Benny and The Jets; however, in this episode, Rick and Jack discuss his musical work throughout the ‘60s. Rick joined his first band, The Mystics, in late 1963 during the instrumental music craze of the early ‘60s. By the time The Beatles stepped onto Aussie shores in 1964, Rick had joined another local group, The Mystery Men. Possibly Rick’s greatest success during the ‘60s was his time in The Second Thoughts. In July 1966, The Second Thoughts would record a single at Nat Kipner’s St. Clare Studios in Hurstville. The Second Thoughts would record three songs with Kipner in one session. Two of them, Run Back Home and The World Keeps Going Round, would be pressed onto a 45 single and become a number one hit in Newcastle for The Second Thoughts. However, the third song from that session, a cover of The Kinks’ song Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight, has never seen the light of day. At first Jack thought this recording was lost to time having never been released; however, Nat Kipner gave Rick a copy of the recording on cassette some time ago. Rick, at some point, had the song on the cassette transferred to CD and has dug out that CD to be played in this Vinyl Vibes episode. This song has never been heard anywhere since being recorded by Rick and The Second Thoughts in 1966.

After The Second Thoughts, Rick would form Butter Suite in 1969, the band which he would stay with for the remainder of the ‘60s. More recently, Rick has written a book called Hey Rock and Roll, which reflects on his time in music and the Newcastle music scene of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Airing on 2NURFM:  6pm Sunday 16th of February 2025

Episode 3: Les Hall – Guitarist Of The Velvet Underground 

Les grew up in Maitland, joining his first band, The Cavemen, when he was still in high school. After playing in his second Maitland band, The Influence of Cessal Roads, in 1968 Les would join Newcastle band The Velvet Underground. The Velvet Underground would go on to be very popular around Newcastle in the late ‘60s playing vanues such as The Bus Stop Disco. The band became known for their stage act which included lead singer Steve Phillipson lighting his bomber jacket on fire when the band would cover Jimi Hendrix’s Fire. In 1970 The Velvet Underground recorded its first and only single. It featured on its A-side a cover of Jefferson Airplane’s Somebody to Love and on the B-side a cover of Love’s She Comes in Colors. Later in the same year, on suggestion by Stevie Wright, the band would be joined by future AC/DC member, Malcolm Young, on guitar. In 1972, The Velvet Underground, who briefly were called Pony, became the backing band for Ted Mulry. During 1972 Velvet Underground would disband and Ted Mulry Gang would form with Velvet members Les Hall and Herman Kovacs. Velvet member Malcolm Young would go off and form AC/DC in 1973. TMG would go on to be one of Australia’s biggest bands of the ’70s with songs such as “Jump In My Car” and “Darktown Strutters Ball”. AC/DC would go on to become one of the biggest bands in the world. In this episode, Les talks about how this Newcastle band, The Velvet Underground, went on to be the predecessor to these two massive Aussie bands of the ‘70s.

Airing on 2NURFM:  6pm Sunday 2nd of March 2025

Episode 4: Les Gully – Drummer of Armageddon 

Les grew up in Toronto, joining his first band Yesterday’s Orphans in the mid ‘60s. The band would play a few gigs throughout Les’ time in high school but would come to an end in 1968 after Les graduated. While still in high school, future Armageddon vocalist and guitarist Peter De Jong approached Les one lunchtime asking if he could play Happy Jack by The Who on the drums. Les obliged, and it impressed De Jong greatly. When Les’ first band Yesterday’s Orphans came to an end, De Jong and bassist Paul Matters were in a band called The Pak at the time. Their drummer had just left and so, possibly remembering Les’s drumming of Happy Jack, they asked Les to join the band. The band would go through name changes such as Frog Hollow and Gully Erosion before settling on Armageddon by 1970.

The first year of Armageddon’s existence would see the band start to build a following around Newcastle. In 1971 The band would enter the Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds, at the time Australia’s biggest music contest. The group would win the Newcastle heat of the contest with their two original songs, Song for Happy and Suite Blind Eye. The band went down to Sydney for the finals but did not make it to the end of the contest, with finalists Fraternity winning the ’71 Hoadleys overall. Following their ’71 Hoadleys Newcastle win, the group would become the most popular group around Newcastle throughout the early ’70s. Armageddon would come to an end in 1975, with Peter De Jong forming Heroes the year after and Paul Matters joining AC/DC for a short period. Les would keep Armageddon going in the form of Geddon, which would play locally throughout 1976. 

Airing on 2NURFM:  6pm Sunday 16th of March 2025

Episode 5: Mark Tinson – Guitarist of Rabbit and Heroes 

Mark grew up in Maitland amidst the music of the ‘60s listening to the likes of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. While still in High School, Mark would form his first professional band, Bluegrass, in 1968. Along with Bluegrass, Mark would enter Newcastle heat of the 1971 Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds, at that time the biggest music contest in Australia. Although the band would loose the heat to fellow Newcastle band Armageddon, for Mark it would bring an important moment in his musical journey as he would meet Peter De Jong, a future long-time music collaborator. After seeing acts live such as The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, Mark had the idea to form a group that could make records and also tour. This would lead to the formation of glam rock band, A Rabbit in 1973. At the Insistence of Ted Mulry, In 1975 the band would be joined on lead vocals by original AC/DC Dave Evans. Soon after this the band would be singed to CBS records and become known simply as Rabbit. 

After recording their debut self titled album, Rabbit would moved from Newcastle to Sydney. Their first efforts in Sydney included recording their single Wild Fire, which saw the band gain some national recognition when the single reached 86 on the national Kent Music Charts. After recording this Wild Fire single, the band would record their second album, Too Much Rock ‘n’ Roll. The single and title track off the album, Too Much Rock ‘n’ Roll, would reach 64 on the national charts and was written by Mark. 

During Ted Murly Gang’s national 1976 Stepping Out tour, Mark would leave Rabbit and return to Newcastle. He would first join a jam band called Bandits before forming Heroes in the same year. Heroes would play constantly throughout Newcastle and would rise to national prominence following the 1979 Star Hotel Riot.

More recently, Mark has written a book called Too Much Rock and Roll, which covers his time in music. 

Airing on 2NURFM:  6pm Sunday 30th of March 2025

Episode 6: Rick Pointon – Founder of Benny And The Jets 

Prior to forming Benny and The Jets in 1973, Rick was in a local group called Keg. While in Keg, Rick had the idea of performing a 20-minute medley of rock and roll songs from the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. Toward the end of Keg, while at the Star Hotel watching Bob Hudson one day in 1973, Rick had the idea to form a band based around the rock and roll of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. Rick aspired to launch this new band, Benny and The Jets, at The Star Hotel. This was no easy task at the time, as The Star was primarily a jazz pub. However, after much persistence, Rick convinced the publican, Don Graham, to let Benny and The Jets play a free night at the Star. This first performance was a success, and the band soon rose to prominence around Newcastle. Upon their first gig, the band became Australia’s first rock and roll revival group.

In 1975, Rick contacted Copperfield Records in Sydney, and the band recorded its first single, a cover of Barry Mann’s We Put the Bomp (In the Bomp Bomp Bomp). For Benny and The Jets, the single became a number one hit on the local Newcastle charts and reached number 90 nationally on the Kent Music charts. This marked the beginning of a string of local hits for the group. In 1976, Benny and The Jets released their well-known album Hey Rock and Roll, which reached number one locally in Newcastle.

Although still popular, in May 1978, Benny and The Jets came to an end after Rick underwent an intensive throat operation. Rick has remained a fixture of the music scene in Newcastle and, more recently, has written a book called Hey Rock and Roll, which reflects on his time in music and the Newcastle music scene of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Airing on 2NURFM:  6pm Sunday 13th of April 2025

Episode 7: Peter De Jong – Lead Singer of Heroes 

Pete started playing in bands during the late ‘60s, but his first professional band was Armageddon, which took shape in 1970. Armageddon initially played around Toronto, performing blues covers by the likes of The Kinks and John Mayall. The band would rise in popularity and in 1971, would enter the Newcastle heat of the Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds, at the time the biggest music competition in Australia. The band played two original songs and won the Newcastle heat of the competition securing Armageddon as Newcastle’s top group of the early ‘70s. Armageddon came to an end in 1975. 

In 1976, Heroes was formed with Pete on lead guitar and co-lead vocals. For the first year of their existence, the band had a residency at the Clinkers Tavern in Belmont before starting to play at other Newcastle venues. The band began by playing covers of songs by 10cc and Thin Lizzy, but they also started writing original music. In 1978, the band’s bass player at the time, Allan Cook, presented a song to the band called Star and the Slaughter. It was a country-pop sounding song at first, but after fellow Heroes member Mark Tinson worked on the song, it became the punchy rock track it is known as today. The song brought the band notoriety after Heroes played it as their encore at the Star Hotel riot gig in September 1979. 

After their Star Hotel riot gig, Heroes were soon signed to Albert Productions by George Young and Harry Vanda. The band released their first single, Baby Got a Taste, in August 1980. The single reached number 2 locally in Newcastle and number 76 nationally on the Kent Music charts. Their self-titled album followed in October 1980, and their second single, The Star and the Slaughter, came out in January 1981. The band continued playing until they disbanded in 1982. 

In 2015, Heroes released their second studio album, So Far. The album was made up of songs both written in the ‘80s for the second Alberts album that never happened, as well as newer songs penned by Peter and Mark Tinson. The band played their final gig at Lizottes in 2019 on the anniversary of the Star Riot, closing the page on one of Newcastle’s greatest bands. 

Airing on 2NURFM:  6pm Sunday 27th of April 2025

Episode 8: Greg Bryce – Founder of DV8 

Jack closes his 8-part Newcastle Vinyl Vibes series by talking with Greg Bryce, Founder of DV8.

Greg bought his first album when he was a teenager, a copy of Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out by the Rolling Stones. The album sparked Greg’s love for raw live rock and roll and began his interest in music. Greg formed his first band, Meccalissa, in 1974. As the years went by, the band started to get paid gigs, and in September 1979, they would open for Heroes the night of the Star Hotel Riot. The month after the riot, the band would record their first and only single. Its A-side was “Darby Street Blues,” and its B-side was “Kill The Warden.” The single was recorded at Anglewood Studios in Newcastle and would become a top 20 hit locally, reaching 17 on the Newcastle charts. Soon after recording the single, in late 1979, Meccalissa would split and transform into DV8.

DV8 was formed to embrace the raw live sound that first got Greg into music. Their first album, Stab in the Dark, was a live album recorded between May and June 1981 at the Bel Air Hotel. It would be a big local hit, reaching number 2 on the Newcastle album charts, being kept off the number one position only by the Rolling Stones’ album Tattoo You. However, there would be a five-year gap between Stab in the Dark and DV8’s second album, Back to Basics. During this five-year gap, the band built up their audience across Newcastle, and Greg wrote a lot of new material. After this album, DV8 would release two more albums: Live! in 1987 and Can You Hear Me? in 1988.

After the Can You Hear Me? album, DV8 went on a long hiatus when Greg left to travel the world. He would not return to Newcastle until 1993. DV8 would play intermittently throughout the ‘90s, even releasing an album in 1998 called Big Green Monsters. Since 2000, the band has not stopped playing and is still doing gigs around Newcastle. More recently, Greg has begun a new music project called All Without a Space SuitAll Without a Space Suit is a funky jam band that Greg formed during the COVID lockdowns. The band is recording songs and has new music on the way.

Airing on 2NURFM:  6pm Sunday 11th of May 2025