Live Review: Bon But Not Forgotten, Hailmary

The Bon But Not Forgotten mission statement is clear: gather up some of the biggest names in Aussie rock n’ roll, and head out on the road playing tribute to the Big Three of Oz hard rock: Rose Tattoo, The Angels and AC/DC.

Had this been any old covers band, support act Hailmary would have blown them away with an opening set of original songs that was as professional and electric as it was powerful and engaging. Hailmary play every show like they’re headlining an arena, and tonight’s form shows that they’ve evolved way past their somewhat obvious early Alice In Chains roots.

Through Wake Up, My Song, Monday Monday and more their tunes now bulge with hard rocking muscle and more hooks and head shaking opportunities than a headbanger’s fishing competition.

Featuring the incomparable talents of Bob Spencer (Skyhooks, The Angels), James Morley (Angels), Mark Evans (AC/DC), Angry Anderson and Dai Pritchard (Rose Tattoo), Yak Sherritt (Johnny Diesel) and Sy McCullough (Destroy She Said), the headliners are a no-nonsense crew. That’s a shitload of talent and experience - and one hell of a setlist - right there.

Spencer, Morley, Pritchard and Sherritt take the first shift, running through some Angels songs from the former two’s tenure with the band. Dogs Are Talking, Did You Hurt Somebody and the psych-Beatles Don’t Waste My Time all sound great after far too long not being played live, and stand tall next to the likes of No Secrets.

Angry Anderson swaggers on stage to rip and roar through a set of Rose Tattoo classics, but first this pitbull of a man surprises everyone – including, it appears, most of his band mates – when he follows Spencer’s teasing riff and launches into an impromptu Rod Stewart’s Maggie May.

Then it’s heads down into rough, tough hard boogie territory with One Of The Boys, Rock'n’Roll Is King and We Can’t Be Beaten. The band are fantastic, and Angry roars, swigs from his wine bottle, cackles, rants and – most importantly – sings like the bastard son of Billy Thorpe of a vocalist he is.

Black Eyed Bruiser is dedicated to Stevie Wright, before Anderson deputises for the long-departed Bon Scott on Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be and Highway To Hell.

After a break the band come back with Mark Evans and Sy McCullough accompanying Morley, Sherritt and Pritchard on bass and vocals respectively for Down Payment Blues. It’s suitably winning fare to kick off the second half, and wouldn’t Bon be looking down with his trouble-maker’s gap-toothed grin.

Girl’s Got Rhythm, Shot Down In Flames, Sin City and many more follow, with first Wayne Curnow and then Anderson joining the band for some laughs with these old mates and more great rock.

Bon But Not Forgotten are the real deal, the real guys who made and played on these songs, and for that reason alone they’re doing us all a favour by keeping the flame alive. Now, if only we could persuade them to write and record some new tunes?

Originally published in X-Press Magazine