Laneway Talks with Vince & Rob

Billy Miller is an Australian musician who started singing and playing guitar back in the 1960s. After a 3 year stint in the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar, he formed The Ferrets, who in 1977 had a no1 hit ("Don't Fall In Love") and gold album ("Dreams of a Love").

Billy then played around Australia with his band Billy Millers Great Blokes. He then had another hit with his band The Spaniards who together with Mick Pealing from Stars became a local supergroup.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Turner is a London born guitarist. He started playing guitar in 1961 around the London rock scene. His first band appeared on the same bill as Bowie, Frampton and The Small Faces with Steve Marriot. His band also did shows with John Mayall, Manfred Mann and Johnny Dankworth’s Orchestra to name just a few. He played the Mecca Ballroom Circuit with this band, The Consorts, until 1965. The late sixties saw the Chris Turner Group and 'The Wranglers' emerge in Auckland, New Zealand where he toured the North Island learning his trade not only as a guitarist but also as a band leader. He did a brief stint with hit band 'Summer Wine' and played with 'The Soundelles', Auckland's only professional band at the infamous Oriental Ballroom.

The Seventies

In 1970 Chris moved to Sydney, Australia. He signed up with a package show called The Action and set off on a tour of The Philippines and Vietnam. After an exhaustive three month stint, three shows a day, seven days a week, he was jailed on drug charges. He escaped and had an epic life-threatening adventure. He eventually made it back to Sydney. On his return from overseas Chris once again formed his own Chris Turner Band and toured New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, one tour lasting over 18 months. In 1973 Chris formed an eight-piece band and called it Drain! (cos that’s where all his money, energy and time went!!), it featured two drummers and a horn section, it worked around the Sydney hard rock clubs, including the world famous Chequers night club, The Bondi Lifesaver, Whisky a Go Go and dozens of the other clubs and gigs. In 1975 Chris was asked to join heavy rock band Buffalo, recording and writing the title track on the fifth album, Average Rock n' Roller. Buffalo did numerous radio and television spots and toured Australia with Richie Blackmore's Rainbow. Throughout this time Pete Wells and Digger Royal (Rose Tattoo) were stable members of The Chris Turner Band which could be seen every Monday night at the infamous Chequers night club from late till dawn. The band continued to play all the hot night spots on the circuit as well as out of towners (OOT’s). Chris was touring with Rose Tattoo on and off from 77 thru to 81 as the band changed and settled on its line-up. Chris was ‘Mr. Fix It’ for Tattoo as the members came and went; in fact Turner, Wells and Royal did a national tour as ‘Little Tattoo’ when Angry Anderson left the band for a while.

The Chris Turner Band continued to work and tour throughout the late seventies with Chris taking time out to work with Rose Tattoo, F J Holden and the Easybeats' Stevie Wright. Literally hundreds of musicians passed through Turner's band as it relentlessly toured Australia. The Chris Turner Band backed and toured with Jeff St John on a double header package for a time. Chris was asked to record a track for The Australian Guitar Album and was also featured on the Concert Of The Decade with F J Holden.

The story rolls on from there..........

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve Lucas is the last surviving founding member of infamous Aussie punk band X. He is also a producer singer/songwriter and has fronted various other bands of note. Steve became an ambassador for Childwise in 2012.

Steve Lucas was recently honoured as a part of the Living Legend Series at The Tote this year.

Steve has played as far afield as Kathmandu (for a fundraiser to treat the poverty stricken populace for cancer with Glenn Tilbrook (UK SQUEEZE) and Slim Jim (STRAY CATS) an outdoor event broadcast live to several million viewers.toured the West Coast of the USA and all round Australia.

The sentimental punk, known as the 'guy who never sold out' has become an integral part of Melbourne's live music scene, still recording, still gigging and keeping it real.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Violetine formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1995. After building a strong live following, Violetine signed a deal with Mushroom Records' White label. Their first EP titled 'Violetine' was released that same year and was followed by the single "Gutless Feeling" in June 1996. By the time their next single, "Red," was released in March 1997, drummer Steve Leicester had been replaced by Glenn Maynard, who was in turn replaced by Damian Pratt.

The band supported Everclear in April 1998 and issued a single, ''You Know'' in May 1998. Following the success of the single, Violetine went on to release the EP 'Birmingham' in August of 1998. The commercially successful debut album 'Small Speaker Joyland' was released in September of 1998. By the end of the year; Violetine left Mushroom for Epic/Sony.

Their first release on their new label was the single "Any Day" (April 1999), followed by a reissue of 'Small Speaker Joyland' (remixed). Their next single, "Crush," was released in October 1999. Following a lengthy hiatus, various side projects Violetine signed to distribution label Laneway Music and reformed to support The Celibate Rifles on their national tour in December of 2017.

The band went on to release a new EP in August 2019 titled 'Missed The Start'. Following the release and armed with drummer Andy Strachan; they toured with The Superjesus for 'The Impossible Tour' in September 2019.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Formed in 1979, Rob Griffiths named his band Little Murders after a 1971 film directed by Alan Arkin and starring Elliot Gould. As an English expatriate, Griffiths embraced 1960's English pop culture (The Who, The Troggs, The Kinks, Union Jacks draped over amplifiers) and accordingly Little Murders became the premier Mod band on the late 1970's/early 1980's Melbourne independent scene. 

The band’s debut single, ‘Things will be different’/‘Take me I’m yours’, on Au-go-go Records (December ‘79) was actually recorded by Rob’s old band Fiction, prior to the formation of the first Little Murders line-up. ‘Things will be different’ was an excellent debut single, a blast of punchy, danceable pop, and it rapidly sold out its pressing of 1000 copies. 

‘Things will be different’ ranks alongside The Riptides’ ‘Sunset Strip’ and Young Modern’s ‘She’s got the money’ as one of the classics of Australian new wave power pop. By May 1980 the band had again changed line-ups and two further singles for Au-go-go followed: ‘High School'/'Trouble With Love’ (which featured Clint Small) and ‘She Lets Me Know'/'It’s Over’. 

Line-up changes plagued Little Murders for the next couple of years however, and unable to secure a major record deal for his efforts, Griffiths eventually broke up Little Murders in December 1983. In 1997 a compilation CD titled '... and stuff like that' was released through Cannon Music, in 1998 a CD titled '10,000 Guitars' was released through Swerve Records and in 2009 a retrospective album titled 'Stop! Plus Singles: 1978-1986' was released through Off The Hip Records. The catalogue is now represented by Laneway Music Australia.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australian band Ward 13 started out as a brash 1960s-influenced rock & roll band, working the Sydney pub circuit for 19 months before issuing the EP Robot Wizards in 1980.

The EP sounded like a cross between The Angels and Mi-Sex – albeit with none of the endearing features of either of those bands. The band took a three-month break to contemplate their future and explore new musical avenues.

Their debut LP, Flash As A Rat (1981), was a vast improvement, and the single from the album, See Venice and Die, charted in Sydney. Other singles followed but by the time the band came to record the mini-album Too Much Talk, only Arthurs, Roberts and Mullens remained from the original lineup. Newcomers Steve Lunn (guitar and sax), Andrew Ross (keyboards and sax) and Tim Powles (drums) completed the new lineup. Ward 13 broke up in 1983 with Tim Powles joining The Venetians.

‘Irish’ John Arthurs

Vocals

Ron Roberts

Guitar, keyboards

Leigh Hamilton Johnston

Guitar, vocals

Peter Mullens

Bass

Stephen Walls

Drums

Steve Lunn

Guitar, sax

Andrew Ross

Keyboards, sax

Tim Powles

Drums

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Originating in Newcastle under the name 'Delta', the band moved to Sydney, before relocating to the Melbourne circuit as 'Daniel'.

Showcasing a stunning blend of R'n'B with country overtones and featuring three part harmonies, the band came to the attention of Mike Rudd (Spectrum and Ariel) who produced the bands only studio album.

During their three year career, they released three singles and their debut album. The band had a minor hit single which was also captured live on a second Nightmoves Concert release, and "Two Wrongs" appeared later on the Nightmoves DVD release.

The band were known for their Steely Dan sound, and the musicians were of an exceptional calibre.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Phil Manning is a legendary Australian blues singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has been a member of various groups including Chain, and has had a successful solo career. As a member of Chain, Phil co-wrote the 1971 smash Black & Blue which went to number one on the Melbourne charts, and Judgement, which reached number two in Sydney. The related album, Toward the Blues followed and peaked in the top 10 albums charts.

Phil has been described more as a guitarist than singer and is considered one of the all time greats to emerge from Australia. He has been able to move between different genres, showing his versatility with the guitar. We talk to him about where he started and how the journey has gone right up to 2023.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jim Kelly was a member of Crossfire, an Australian jazz-fusion band active from 1974 to 1991. Crossfire recorded five studio albums and two live albums. The primary composers of the group were founding members Jim Kelly (guitars) and Michael Kenny (keyboards, piano). Other members of Crossfire included Ian Bloxsom (percussion, glockenspiel), Greg Lyon and Phil Scorgie (electric bass), Don Reid and Tony Buchanan (saxophones, flute), John Proud, Doug Gallacher, Steve Hopes, and Mark Riley (drums).

Jim Kelly has since released over 10 solo albums and numerous live DVD sets. This favourite Australian guitarist is a credit to the music industry and has many more releases in him. Have a listen to his story.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.