ROARING JACK

Roaring Jack was a Celtic folk punk band of the 1980s and 1990s. The band formed in 1985 and played their first shows in Sydney in 1986. The band built a cult following by playing the Sydney pub circuit eventually scoring regular slots at the Harold Park Hotel in Glebe and the Sandringham Hotel in Newtown. Their music had a strong political focus with emphasis on Scottish sectarianism, Aboriginal Rights and union activism. In keeping with this the band gave many benefit performances for a diverse range of left wing causes with fellow rebel rousers The Urban Guerillas, including the workers of Cockatoo Island, accused Sydney Hilton bomber Tim Anderson and opposition to the first Gulf War. The band went on to support the likes of Billy Bragg, the Pogues and The Men They Couldn't Hang during their Australian tours.

Roaring Jack recorded for independent Sydney label Mighty Boy Records. They released the 'Street Celtability' mini-LP in 1987, 'The Cat Among The Pigeons' LP (1988) and 'Through The Smoke Of Innocence' LP (1990). German label Jump Up Records released all of these as 'The Complete Works', a double CD package, in 2002. Some of their best remembered songs include ''Buy Us A Drink'', ''The Old Divide And Rule'', ''Destitution Road'' and ''We Don’t Play No Elton Fucking John''. A video was made for the single ''Framed'', the song which raised awareness of the Campaign Exposing the Frame-Up of Tim Anderson. The band split in 1992. Rod Gilchrist died in 1998 and Steve Thompson in 2000. Alistair Hulett died of liver failure and cancer on 28 January 2010.

Members

Alistair Hulett (guitar/vocals), Dave Williams (bass), Steve Thompson (drums), Bob (Rab) Mannell (guitar/bouzouki), Hunter Owens (accordion/mandolin/vocals), Steven (Steph) Miller (accordion/mandolin/vocals) Rod Gilchrist (drums) Steve Thompson (drums)

SINGLES
''Destitution Road / Just Like Cigarettes'' 1988 Mighty Boy 
''Thin Red Line / Honky Tonk's In Heaven'' 1988 Mighty Boy 
''The Swaggies Have All Waltzed Matilda Away / Story Of A Drinking Man's Wife'' 1989 Mighty Boy 
''Framed / Criminal Justice'' Mighty Boy

ALBUMS
''Street Celtability' 1987 Mighty Boy
'The Cat Among The Pigeons' 1988 Mighty Boy 
'Through The Smoke Of Innocence' 1990 Mighty Boy 

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roaring_Jack