Still rockin’ the Coast like royalty
Plenty of local memories along the way in Hoad’s long road to the top
WHAT’S in a name? In the case of Gold Coast band The Rich and Famous, plenty of rocking irony.
As GC as a local can be, Miami frontman celebre Jeffrey Hoad has lived his rock’n’roll dreams.
As the frontman of glamish rock greats Kings of the Sun (KOTS) – the band he and his brother and drummer Clifford Hoad formed in 1986 – Hoad took his smart-alec rock swank around the world, playing everything from inthe-know club shows to stadiums in Australia, the US and Europe.
Like many of the country’s most renowned live acts, when it comes to great gigs Hoad says summer nights at fabled Coast venue The Playroom were hard to top.
“I loved The Playroom. It just had everything that a rock gig needs – blood, sweat, beers and great sound,” he said.
“The DogHouse (in Broadbeach, in the building that until recently housed East) was another venue that I wish was still bringing in international weirdo acts.
“I saw Link Wray there – a night to remember.”
While the Doghouse and Playroom are long gone, one of live music’s best friendly local venues, remarkably, has somehow survived.
“The Miami Shark Bar must be mentioned. It was the first gig I ever played. It was the Bennelong Lounge back then,” Hoad says.
Since calling time on KOTS in 2009, Hoad, now a father of two, has fronted whipsmart original rockers The Rich and Famous with Dean Turner on bass and, most recently, Dean Reeson on drums.
The trio open new outdoor music festival Under the Southern Stars at Broadwater Parklands tomorrow, a welcome addition to the local live music calendar that also features Ash Grunwald, Diesel, Tex Perkins, Richard Clapton, Ian Moss and Jimmy Barnes.
Despite a sad decline in the number of grand live music
THE MIAMI SHARK BAR ... WAS THE FIRST GIG I EVER PLAYED. IT WAS THE BENNELONG LOUNGE BACK THEN. JEFFREY HOAD
venues on the Coast (no Bombay Rock, no Playroom, no Troccadero, no Patch), Hoad says there’s a lot to be said for the resilience of the city’s rebounding music scene.
“I love that even though the powers of incredible stupidity have tried everything to eradicate all rock’n’roll venues, new enthusiasm prevails and brings us stuff like NightQuarter and this waterfront gig in Southport to fruition,” he says.
Hoad says local gigs are some of the most memorable he’s played.
“Gigs I performed at? Being the last band to ever play the Chevron Skyline Lounge in Surfers Paradise (in 1988) is a localised claim to fame,” he says, smiling.
“Great gigs I attended and loved would be The Ramones at The Playroom (with Aussie greats the Hard Ons) and Bo Diddley at Bombay Rock.”
Yes kids. That happened.
As fanboy as he is pure rock frontman, Hoad says some of his favourite musical moments have occurred when his two worlds collide.
“One would be The Cathouse, in Los Angeles – us being the main act, right in the heart of the ’80s hard rock mayhem,” he says.
“I was singing in the crowd and saw Ronnie James Dio laughing and clapping along. This made me feel good – to know he was getting it.
“Some KISS shows in Europe (with KOTS) really stand out as the crowds were so devoted to rock.
“Early Kings Cross Sydney gigs too. I don’t know why. I guess it makes you feel like you have played some of the brutal rock gigs that hold some Oz pub rock credibility – makes you feel ‘rock tuff’. Ha ha,” he says, chuckling to himself.
“The Monsters of Rock in Italy – we had a police escort to the gig. It was like a bad Pink Panther movie with Italian cops on motorbikes with sirens.
“We were laughing our heads off. I heard a bootleg the other day and we rocked although the crowd was throwing stuff at us.”
Hoad (he’s 50-ish) has toured with Under the Southern Stars star Barnes before –