Legendary bass player Chris Bailey (Headband, The Angels, GangGajang) was boarding at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide, when he met singer, guitarist and poet Rob Tillett in 1966 and formed Tattered Sole. This band morphed into Red Angel Panic in 1968 to provide music for the Doug Anders production of Rites Underground, an avant garde dance-drama at Theatre 62. The lineup was Rob Tillett (lead guitar, vocals), Chris Bailey (bass guitar, vocals), John Freeman (drums, vocals), Ken Skinner (keyboards) and Robert Jacobs (guitar). At the end of 1968 Ken Skinner and Robert Jacobs left the band, which played as a trio for most of 1969.
At the end of 1969 Doug Anders directed another show in Adelaide at Union Hall, Viet Rock. The Panic also provided the music for this production, with Ken Skinner on keyboards. Rob Tillett had a serious motorcycle accident in early 1970 and while he was in hospital, John Freeman left to join Levi Smith Clefs (later Fraternity, Mickey Finn) and Ken Skinner also went his own way. When Rob Tillett recovered, the band reformed with Chris Bailey on bass, Moses Carmen on keyboards and Roland Crichton on drums. Roland was replaced by Peter MacCormack and the band became more seriously political, the focal point of the so-called "psychedelic left" in Adelaide.
The Panic's first single ''Viet Rock'', reached #10 locally in 1971. In 1971 Chris Bailey left to form Headband and Peter MacCormack left to join Country Radio. The band reformed with Ron Anderson on bass and Lee Cass (ex Lipp Arthur) on drums. Lee Cass was subsequently replaced by Peter MacCormack. They disbanded in 1972, due to another serious injury to Rob Tillett. Reforming in 1976 the lineup was Mick Jurd on lead guitar, (ex-Levi Smith Clefs, Fraternity), John Freeman on drums, Chris Bailey on bass, Rob Tillett on vocals/guitar. Freeman was replaced by Graham Bidstrup on drums who was himself replaced in 1976 when he joined The Angels by J.J Hackett later of Stars. Russ Johnson (ex-Country Radio) and Graham Davidge also played guitar in the band. Red Angel Panic subsequently recorded a number of so far unreleased tracks at Max Pepper's Peppersound Studios in North Adelaide, and in a later incarnation at Clive Shakespeare's studios in Sydney (Rob Tillett, Chris Bailey, Clive Shakespeare and Graham Bidstrup). Some of these tracks have been remastered recently and placed on SoundCloud.
Red Angel Panic also performed as Mervyn and the Hubcaps (1970), Leper Colony (1970-71), Rocky and the Rockin Red Angels (1971), and Dangerball (1977). Later incarnations led by Rob Tillett and featuring some of the members listed include Gotham City (1980-82) and The Meerkats (1992-95). Both of these bands released albums (Gotham City: RadioActive and The Meerkats: Western Dreaming), which unfortunately made little impact on the world.
In 2012 former Panic members flew in to play in a 40-year reunion at the Gaslight. Musicians featured were Rob Tillett (guitar, vox, Bowral), Moses Carmen (keyboards, Ireland), Graham Davidge (guitar, vox, Melbourne), Ron Anderson (bass guitar, Adelaide), Peter MacCormack (drums, Japan) and Sylvan Elhay (saxophone, Adelaide). In January 2013 Bailey was diagnosed with mouth/throat cancer. The Angels confirmed his condition with a media release in January 2013, "we are deeply saddened to learn that our bass player, Chris Bailey, has an aggressive, life-threatening cancer and is now undergoing palliative chemotherapy". Bailey died of the disease on 4 April 2013, aged 62
The Panic's first single ''Viet Rock'', reached #10 locally in 1971. In 1971 Chris Bailey left to form Headband and Peter MacCormack left to join Country Radio. The band reformed with Ron Anderson on bass and Lee Cass (ex Lipp Arthur) on drums. Lee Cass was subsequently replaced by Peter MacCormack. They disbanded in 1972, due to another serious injury to Rob Tillett. Reforming in 1976 the lineup was Mick Jurd on lead guitar, (ex-Levi Smith Clefs, Fraternity), John Freeman on drums, Chris Bailey on bass, Rob Tillett on vocals/guitar. Freeman was replaced by Graham Bidstrup on drums who was himself replaced in 1976 when he joined The Angels by J.J Hackett later of Stars. Russ Johnson (ex-Country Radio) and Graham Davidge also played guitar in the band. Red Angel Panic subsequently recorded a number of so far unreleased tracks at Max Pepper's Peppersound Studios in North Adelaide, and in a later incarnation at Clive Shakespeare's studios in Sydney (Rob Tillett, Chris Bailey, Clive Shakespeare and Graham Bidstrup). Some of these tracks have been remastered recently and placed on SoundCloud.
Red Angel Panic also performed as Mervyn and the Hubcaps (1970), Leper Colony (1970-71), Rocky and the Rockin Red Angels (1971), and Dangerball (1977). Later incarnations led by Rob Tillett and featuring some of the members listed include Gotham City (1980-82) and The Meerkats (1992-95). Both of these bands released albums (Gotham City: RadioActive and The Meerkats: Western Dreaming), which unfortunately made little impact on the world.
In 2012 former Panic members flew in to play in a 40-year reunion at the Gaslight. Musicians featured were Rob Tillett (guitar, vox, Bowral), Moses Carmen (keyboards, Ireland), Graham Davidge (guitar, vox, Melbourne), Ron Anderson (bass guitar, Adelaide), Peter MacCormack (drums, Japan) and Sylvan Elhay (saxophone, Adelaide). In January 2013 Bailey was diagnosed with mouth/throat cancer. The Angels confirmed his condition with a media release in January 2013, "we are deeply saddened to learn that our bass player, Chris Bailey, has an aggressive, life-threatening cancer and is now undergoing palliative chemotherapy". Bailey died of the disease on 4 April 2013, aged 62
Members
Rob Tillett (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Chris Bailey (bass), John Freeman (drums), Ken Skinner (keyboards), Robert Jacobs (guitar), Moses Carmen (keyboards), Roland Crichton (drums), Peter MacCormack (drums), Lee Cass (drums), Ron Anderson (bass), Mick Jurd (guitar), Russ Johnson (guitar), Graham Davidge (guitar, flute), J.J. Hackett (drums, guitar), Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup (drums)
Rob Tillett (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Chris Bailey (bass), John Freeman (drums), Ken Skinner (keyboards), Robert Jacobs (guitar), Moses Carmen (keyboards), Roland Crichton (drums), Peter MacCormack (drums), Lee Cass (drums), Ron Anderson (bass), Mick Jurd (guitar), Russ Johnson (guitar), Graham Davidge (guitar, flute), J.J. Hackett (drums, guitar), Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup (drums)
SINGLES
''Viet Rock / Private Investigator'' 1971 Nationwide''Good Old Rock 'N Roll / I'm Swinging'' 1971 Nationwide
References
https://adelaidemusic.fandom.com/wiki/Red_Angel_Panic
Recordings by Red Angel Panic on Rob Tillett's Soundcloud:
ReplyDeletehttps://soundcloud.com/rob-tillett/sets/red-angel-panic