With the recent acknowledgement of the 5th Anniversary of Billy’s passing, I was reminded of a couple of ‘Thorpie’ Stories & thought they would make an appropriate 3rd blog.
Billy was a Rock n Roll hero to me & my mates – he’d thrown off the nice boy Pop image & become a hard core rocker with all the trimmings & he was the biggest thing in Aussie rock for most of the early 70’s. We’d see him live all the time. Back in those days top name bands would play gigs together all over Melbourne. Almost every night of the week. At some local Hall or High School on weekends you’d see Billy & the Aztecs, Lobby Lloyd’s Coloured Balls, Doug Parkinson In Focus, Spectrum, Madder Lake & Carson County Band with Brod Smith – all on the same bill & this, just to name a few. Billy would play on Sundays down in the Basement of Berties disco (cnr of Spring & Flinders) & we rarely missed it. I’ll save the Sunbury festival stories for another time, but suffice to say, he was everywhere back then.
I was living in Mackay Nth. Qld after this period ( I was going to England & our car broke down so that’s where I ended up staying for 18 mths!), I’d got myself into a band called ‘Otis’ who were Nth Qld’s top band of the day – I can’t recall working with them much & they probably sacked me because I was a slack, dole-bludging hippy, but, for a short period I did a few shows & more importantly supports of touring acts. Back then, bands would do a whistle stop tour up the N. East coast from Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville & Cairns. I didn’t so much work at these gigs as use my status as Otis’ new singer to get backstage. Country great Graeme Connors was getting started back then & I’d slip in with his band when they did the supports (sorry Mr.Lewis).
Anyway, I was beside myself when I found out Thorpie was coming to town, I think Otis actually did the support, but I’d just started rehearsing with them & wasn’t ready to do the show (aah the memory’s a bit dim). I still managed to ensconce myself backstage for the gig & ended up hanging with The Aztecs on the premise that I would procure them some ‘fun tickets’ - in observance of the ‘Code of the Road’ (what happens on the road, stays on the road), I won’t elaborate, but suffice to say I came good, up to a point.
I’ll digress for a moment to paint a brief picture of the show. The Aztecs in this incarnation were, Gil Matthews – drums, Warren ‘Pig’ Morgan – keys & Teddy Toi – bass. Probably my favourite lineup (with the possible exception of Paul Wheeler on bass).
The show was in Mackay Town Hall – your typical cavernous country Hall - & was packed with a hooting, throbbing crowd all bent on some of Billy’s new trademark Loud Rock & anarchy. He didn’t disappoint. The crew spent a good part of the day emptying 1 of 2 Pantechs onto the stage (they could only fit about half the rig) & I counted 4 x double Strauss Quad stacks for Bill, 2 each for Teddy & Pig. They only plugged 1 each in otherwise they would’ve blown the corrugated iron roof off, but it looked waaay impressive.
So, the show was in full tilt mode when the follow spots swung round to the back of the room to catch the Mackay Chief of Police, in full braided, medalled, brass-buttoned dress fig, striding down the centre aisle. Billy signalled the band to stop playing just as the Copper arrived at a waiting mic. on a stand in the middle of the room. To the howling, baying, booing crowd he announced that it was too loud & if the “gentlemen in the... er... group didn’t turn their musical amplifiers down”, he would close the show (or words to that effect). The crowd were frenzied – Billy’s reply? He counted the band in to “ “ to the crowds’ absolute delight. The officer realising he’d been had, turned & slunk back from whence he’d come (still in the full glare of the follow spots), the show took off like a runaway train. & I got an early lesson in crowd control, Billy Thorpe style.
OK, end of digression & back to the advertised program. After the show I was hanging around backstage, had organised some after work ‘refreshment’ for the boys & somehow scored an invite back to the Hotel the band was staying at The best Hotel in Mackay which shall remain nameless – they’d booked the entire top floor, but on arrival were greeted by the owner (a card carrying member of Joh’s long white sock brigade) who refused them entry when he realised who it was. Billy was incensed, but the Tour Manager smoothed things over, with promises of decorum & guarantees of covering any damages caused by this Rock n Roll riff-raff!
As it turned out, this was a red rag to the 4 Aztec bulls who proceeded, upon return to the hotel, to party one of the rooms & much of the corridor & balcony to trash. They ordered up some food & a ‘pellet’ of booze! Then the fun began – after some warming up, the party went into overdrive - there was about 2 inches of beer covering the balcony which ran along one side of the hotel with various Aztecs sliding up & down on their arses. There were various fittings & chattels destroyed & at one point you couldn’t see across the room for the amount of beer being sprayed from long necks. The laughter & noise generated naturally brought security to the door, but they were dealt with summarily &, in fact, when a case of Scotch, beer or extra food was ordered room service would just push it through the door & scarper.
What was my involvement in all this? Well may you ask! I was sitting on the bed with Bill, just taking it all in & talking about music!!!
I was 19 years old, talking intimately with one of my heroes about my favourite thing in the world watching a riotous party unfold &, if I hadn’t made up my mind before, I was now certain that this was the life for me!!!
BTW this party was just the 4 Aztecs & me! Billy was so cool, he sort of presided over the mayhem but never got actively involved, just letting the lads ‘blow off a bit of steam’
& ducking the odd bottle.
I didn’t see him for years, but in the 90’s we did some shows together & after a while I plucked up the courage to remind him of this happening. He didn’t seem too impressed so I let it drop – maybe he was still smarting at the damage bill!
I got to know him in later years when he came on board with Support Act (the musician’s charity) & I think he found an Allie in me in trying to bring a more performer’s aspect to the board (not that they don’t do great work). I can’t tell you what a thrill I got every time I picked up the phone to hear, “G’day Bob, it’s Bill” – like you’d never recognise THAT voice.
My huge regret is that our friendship never got a chance to grow & I missed one of his last shows – solo at Capers in Melbourne – because I had to work. It was by all accounts a tour de force! Oh & I never got so much as a photo with him.
I was riding a chair lift on Black Comb Mt., in Whistler, Canada on a perfect ski day – not a cloud, 4 feet of fresh, when my phone rang. It was a friend to tell me Billy had died. We were skiing on a glacial run called “Heaven”. I like to think this was fitting, but it probably should’ve been “Hell” ...raiser R.I.P. Billy
I never did get a pic with Billy, so this one'll have to do. At Lobby LLoyd's benefit I think.