The Freeloaders were a Melbourne based group who played intense, passionate and melodic rock and roll with a strong debt to classic 60's garage punk, psychedelia, folk rock and the great rockers of the 70s like The Flamin' Groovies, Real Kids, New York Dolls, the Saints and Television. The group formed in Melbourne some time in mid '91. Three of the four original members - singer/guitarist Guy Lucas, Drummer Stewart Tabert and bassist/singer Ian Wettenhall had previously been three quarters of Australia's original rock'n'roll nomads, the Philistines, an internationally acclaimed garage/psych band who relocated from Hobart to Adelaide to Sydney to Melbourne in a brief life span that produced two classic mini LPs and one fine album.
The fourth original member singer/guitarist Sean Greenway, was previously in Melbourne teen-punk band God, a seminal group that also gave members to Hoss and The Powder Monkeys. This original lineup recorded the ''Something for Nothing'' single, a couple of compilation cuts and the bulk of the 'Sqalifacations' album, which was completed after Ian's departure in early 1994.
Shortly after the LPs release in late '94, Sean quit, forcing Guy and Stewie to regroup with bassist Dave Grey from numerous Adelaide bands, and guitarist Damien Smith from defunct Sydney band Beard. It was this superior lineup that cut the killer EP 'Dead Before My Time'. It featured five tracks ranging from the bona fide punk rock classic that is the title track, to the closing stooges style workout , ''Get Some Sin''. The EP highlights the killer dual guitars of Guy and Damien, the great songwriting of Guy and Dave and the despair ridden lyrics - of which Guy is the chief source.
Since the EPs release in February 1996, the band has toured extensively in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. They've had the honour of supporting spiritual forefather Fred Coles's band Dead Moon , opened for You Am I and supported Radio Birdman legend Deniz Tek as well as being stalwarts in the ever healthy Melbourne rock 'n' roll scene. On March 1st of 1998, Guy Lucas the singer, songwriter and guitarist for band died aged 31. Sean Greenway died of a heroin overdose on 21 January 2001. Stewart Tabert died in 2023.
Members
Guy Lucas (vocals guitar), Stewart Tabert (drums) Ian Wettenhall (bass)
Sean Greenway (guitar), Dave Grey (bass) Damien Smith (guitar)
http://madparade.blogspot.com.au/2007_12_30_archive.html
RIP Stewy
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough many, many years later to play in a band with Stewie for a little while. I was too young and dumb at the time to really get it, but he'd tell me all of these stories about all the bands he'd been in, all the places he'd lived and toured. He was really smart, kind-hearted, funny and unique. He lived and played by his own rules. Now that he's gone, I think the main thing I didn't really appreciate at the time was how hard it is when your friends start dying around you, and you're left to figure out what to do with the rest of your life. RIP.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that
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