Beare & Smith

Beare & Smith ~ Friday 27 September 

The Coolroom at The Northern Arts Hotel

Men At Work’s Colin Hay and Rodney Freeman Smith had a band in the mid-1970s called Solid Sailing, which also included actor-musician, Kym Gyngell. The band played at the iconic Sunbury Pop/Rock Festivals 1972 - 1975. Rod also played Sunbury with actor-singer, Jane Clifton and Janie Conway (Myriad). In 1984 Rod & Kym released the album, Cinema Qua with their band, Le Club Foote, releasing two singles, ‘Party’ and ‘Warning’. The group supported the illustrious international acts, Elvis Costello, U2, Joe Jackson and Men At Work. I first met Rodney 50 years ago when putting on hippie extravaganzas in the Adelaide hills. Entitled the Sunstone Super Concert & Back To Earth Fair, the shows featured Rod with Leon “Moses” Carmen in Green Warriors.

Like many of the musicians who played Sunstone, Rod soon moved on to Melbourne, where bands like Mondo Rock, Sports, Broderick Smith’s Big Combo and Stars absorbed the Adelaide players. Rod sadly declined the offer to join the fledgling Skyhooks, when Steve Hill left and was eventually replaced by Graham “Shirley” Strachan. Centred on the Pram Factory Arts Co-op many of the musos coagulated into bands, or like Rod, played for theatrical shows like Steve Spears’ Africa and Stud or the Whittle Family cabarets at the Flying Trapeze.

Bassist, Noel Beare has had an equally celebrated career having played with numerous acts, including Animal Farm, Misfits, The Routinos and Lisa Blade. Highlights were touring Europe with Bryan Adams and ZZ Top. In 1983 he recorded with Wendy & The Rockets on the album, Dazed For Days and had played on the band’s 1982 Live album. Noel is also an enthusiastic motorcycle sidecar racer, having recently competed in the Isle of Man TT. With a swag of new compositions Beare & Smith hope Castlemaniacs will be out in force for the duo.