'Face to Face' was originally released in August 1978 after which it spent 79 weeks in the Australian charts. The album included numerous Australian rock clasics such as 'Straightjacket', 'Take a Long Line', 'Marseilles' and 'Comin' Down'.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of this legendary release, 'Face to Face' has been re-mastered from the original source tapes and features award wining artwork, an 8 page booklet and 5 bonus live recordings.

Track Listing

1. Straightjacket
2. After The Rain
3. Love Takes Care
4. Take A Long Line
5. Marseilles
6. Live It Up
7. Be With You
8. Outcast
9. I Ain't The One
10. Comin' Down
11. Straightjacket (Live At La Trobe)
12. After The Rain (Live At La Trobe)
13. Marseilles (Live At La Trobe)
14. Be With You (Live At La Trobe)
15. Comin' Down (Live At La Trobe)

Release Date: 14 June 2008

Catalogue: 88697323162

Closes : 25 June 2008

The Angels have returned with their first tour since they officially split up more then a decade ago. To celebrate their reunion, MAX is giving you a chance to win a massive prize pack that includes a Gibson guitar and a chance to see The Angels LIVE. Fourteen runners up will also win a copy of The Angels CD "Face to Face" and a double pass to see The Angels LIVE.

Prize

The Major Prize consists of:
· Gibson Guitar – Les Paul
· Copy of "Face to Face" CD
· Double pass to an Angels concert
· Meet the band experience at the concert of your choice, watch the band soundcheck!

How to Win

To win all you have to do is video yourself pulling off your best air guitar moves to the soundtrack of The Angels song “Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again”. The winner will be decided by The Angels themselves.

Send us the video in any one of the following ways:
· Attach file as any commonly used video format and send via email to: theangels@maxtv.com.au
· Upload video to YouTube and send the link via email to theangels@maxtv.com.au
· Send footage on VHS, DVD or CD with video file via post to The Angels Competition, MAX Promotions, GPO Box 2692, Sydney, NSW, 2001

In your response be sure to include your contact details and which of the following concerts you would like to attend:
· Thursday July 3rd Souths Junior Leagues Club, Sydney
· Friday July 4th Blacktown RSL, Sydney
· Saturday July 5th Revesby Workers Club, Sydney
· Wednesday July 9th Hallam Hotel Hallam VIC
· Thursday July 10th Ferntree Gully Hotel Melbourne VIC
· Friday July 11th Doncaster Shopping Town Hotel- Melbourne VIC
· Saturday July 12th Chelsea Heights Hotel Melbourne VIC
· Friday July 18th Governor Hindmarsh- Adelaide SA
· Thursday July 24th Caloundra RSL Sunshine Coast QLD
· Friday July 25th Southport RSL Gold Coast QLD
· Saturday July 26th Norths Leagues and Services Club Brisbane QLD
· Thursday July 31st Wyong Leagues Club Central Coast NSW
· Friday August 1st Waves Wollongong NSW
· Saturday August 2nd Wyong Leagues Club Central Coast NSW

THE Angels buried hatchets yesterday and, for the first time in a while, no one got hurt.

After years of legal disputes about who owned the rights to the name of one of Australia's most lauded rock bands, yesterday the five members of the Angels who shot to fame in the late 1970s re-united to prepare for a national tour.

It was the first time singer Doc Neeson, guitarists John and Rick Brewster, bassist Chris Bailey and drummer Buzz Bidstrup had been in the same room since 1981.

The band are touring to mark the re-release and 30th anniversary of their landmark album Face to Face.

As they came face to face at a Sydney rehearsal studio yesterday, Neeson was prepared to forget the issues that caused him to bring legal action against his former colleagues.

"We've been through a few legal ructions and we've decided to put that behind us and concentrate on the music," he said.

The dispute began eight years ago after Neeson was involved in a serious car accident. Since then, both Neeson and the Brewster brothers have toured using variants on the Angels name. Now, after a judge advised them to find a solution to their legal issues, they have.

"We got tired of arguing, sending letters back and forth, so we got smart about it and left the issues outside the door," said Rick Brewster.

The band will be playing their best known songs, such as Am I Ever Going To See Your Face Again? and No Secrets alongside other material from the Face to Face album.

"If today's rehearsal is anything like how we're going to work together that's fantastic," Neeson said.

Aussie rock legends The Angels have reunited for the 30th anniversary Face To Face Tour!

It was ten years ago that The Angels called it quits, after the horrific car accident of their charismatic frontman, Doc Neeson. After being out of action for several years, Neeson formed a new band, Doc Neeson's Angels, and the rest of the band performed as The Angels Band. Last August, tensions rose between the two groups and spilled over into court. At long last, all rifts have been mended and the full original lineup are back together.

The Angels' live show has always been the stuff of legend. From their famous Whisky shows in LA with Guns ‘N Roses to the ‘riotous’ free concert on the Sydney Opera House steps on New Year’s Eve in 1979, these guys have built a fierce rock reputation.

To celebrate this historical moment, this July the band are re-releasing their Face To Face album and The Angels ‘08 Tour EP featuring the previously unreleased song Open That Door, a live version of Who Rings the Bell plus exclusive bonus tracks. Not long after fans can expect re-mastered versions of No Exit, The Angels and Their Finest Hour plus This is it Folks, the DVD of The Angels infamous 1979 concert at La Trobe University.

Legends of the Australian rock scene, The Angels, will play at Blacktown RSL Club as part of heir upcoming reunion tour.

The original lineup of Doc Neeson, John Brewster, Rick Brewster, Chris Bailey and Graham Bidstrup will take to the club's stage on Friday, July 4.

It was a decade ago that The Angels decided to call it a day.

Neeson was involved in a horrific car accident that prevented him from performing for several years.

But after several years of rehabilitation, he went on to form Doc Neeson's Angels, while the rest of the band went on to perform as The Angels Band.

Tensions boiled over and in August 2007 details of The Angels' court case was splashed across newspapers around the country.

Finally, after months of mediation, the former band mates decided to re-form.

When they hit the road, it will be to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their Face To Face album.

The 20-date run will see them revisit the venues that helped make them a household name.

The Angels have more than earned their place in the ARIA Hall of Fame (members since 1998) and the partnership of Neeson/Brewster/Brewster is responsible for some of the most well-oiled Aussie rock songs of all time, including Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again, Marseilles, After The Rain, No Exit, Take A Long Line, Comin' Down and Shadow Boxer.

Of the reunion, Neeson said he looked forward to stepping out once again.

``Who would have thought it?'' he said. ``After all these bitter years, we would look like sharing the same stage again together. I'm excited about the idea. I guess it's proof of my belief that music crosses all frontiers. The tour is going to be a blast.''

Tickets for the show are available from Blacktown RSL.

FOR almost a decade, the members of The Angels wondered if they would ever see their frontman Doc Neeson's face again.

After eight years of separation and regular legal stoushes over the rights to use their name, Neeson and his bandmates have decided to reunite.

Neeson left The Angels in 2000 after a near-fatal car accident which almost ended his performance career.

The remaining members of the classic Angels line-up - John and Rick Brewster, Chris Bailey and Buzz Bidstrup - continued to perform the hits under a few different monikers which included their trademark.

When Neeson recovered sufficiently to tour, he formed the band Doc Neeson's Angels and the legal battle over the title began in 2004.

The charismatic frontman lodged an injunction in the NSW Supreme Court in August last year to stop his former bandmates promoting themselves under the original appellation.

Both parties agreed to mediation and after finally sitting in a room together after several years of "estrangement", decided to get the old band back together.

Iconic Australian rock group The Angels have put aside years of legal battles, and a confusing period where there were two versions of the band, and have decided to reform as their original line up.

After singer Doc Neeson left the group in 2000 after a horific car accident which nearly ended his career, the remaining members continued to perform under several monikers which incorporated their original 'Angels' name.

Neeson later went on to front Red Phoenix, and later, Doc Neeson's Angels - and at the time was involved in several legal battles, some reaching the Supreme Court, with his former band mates over usage of the name.

But recently, both sides have had meetings, and agreed to get the old band back together, and will be touring in July.

It is not known yet if the group will be releasing new material, or if the group will be touring only.

Iconic Aussie pub band The Angels are back after frontman Doc Neeson and the remaining four original members resolved their differences.

The band, whose biggest hit is Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again? , has not performed in its entirety for eight years after Doc Neeson left The Angels (John and Rick Brewster, Chris Bailey and Buzz Bidstrup) and then subsequently struggled health wise following a car accident.

A bitter legal battle erupted between Doc and the four original members in 2004 over the name of the band.

The Brewster brothers, Buzz and Chris formed The Original Angels band, while Doc, when his heath picked-up, started Doc Neeson's Angels, which performed at the second Countdown Spectacular last year.

However, John Brewster told 4KQ that there has never been bitterness between Doc and the remaining members and the only difficulties were over who owned the name and how it was used.

He said the band has had different members throughout the years, but the original line-up was clearly the most successful.

``This was the best line-up we ever had,'' John said.

``There actually really never was a war between us except when we weren't together.

``There was a legal kind of battling going on....but there was no hatred going on between individuals.''

The Angels will re-release its most successful album Face to Face which was in the charts for 76 weeks in 1978.

Tour dates:

JUNE
27th - Golden Stave Charity Luncheon, Hordern Pavilion

JULY
3: Souths Junior Leagues Club, NSW
4: Blacktown RSL, NSW
5: Revesby Workers Club, NSW
9: Hallam Hotel, Vic
10: Ferntree Gully Hotel, Vic
11: Doncaster Shopping Town Hotel, Vic
12: Chelsea Hotel, Vic
18: Governor Hindmarsh, SA
19: Governor Hindmarsh, SA
24: Caloundra RSL, Qld
25: Southport RSL, Qld
26: North Leagues and Services Club, Qld
31: Wyong Leagues Club, NSW

AUGUST
1: Waves, NSW
2: Panthers, NSW

After more than a decade, one of the bitterest separations in Australian rock ever has been resolved. Doc Neeson will return to The Angels.

The classic line-up of Neeson on lead vocals with John Brewster (Rhythm Guitar, b/v), Rick Brewster (Lead guitar), Chris Bailey (Bass,) and Graham 'Buzz' Bidstrup (Drums) will headline the 30th Anniversary Golden Stave Foundation Charity Luncheon at the Hordern in Sydney on June 27th.

The Angels will then head out around the country for the Face to Face Anniversary tour.

To coincide with the reunion and tour, Albert Productions will re-issue a remastered edition of the classic 'Face To Face' album, which is also having a 30th Anniversary this year.

'Face To Face' featured The Angels classics 'Take A Long Line', 'Shadow Boxer', 'Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again', 'Coming Down', 'After The Rain' and 'Marseilles'.

In recent years, the band has been in a constant state of legal battles with lead singer Neeson who was suing them over the use of the name.

FACE TO FACE ANNIVERSARY TOUR

JUNE
27th - Golden Stave Charity Luncheon, Hordern Pavilion

JULY
3rd - Souths Junior Leagues Club - Syd NSW
4th - Blacktown RSL - Syd NSW
5th - Revesby Workers Club - Syd NSW
9th - Hallam Hotel- Hallam VIC
10th - Ferntree Gully Hotel - Melb VIC
11th - Doncaster Shopping Town Hotel - Melb VIC
13th - Chelsea Hotel- Melb VIC
18th - Governor Hindmarshv- Ade SA
19th - Governor Hindmarshv- Ade SA
24th - Caloundra RSL - Sunshine Coast QLD
25th - Southport RSL - Gold Coast QLD
26th - North Leagues and Services Club - Bris QLD
31st - Wyong Leagues Club - Central Coast NSW

AUGUST
1st- Waves - Wollongong NSW
2nd- Panthers - Newcastle NSW

Present at partial unveiling were former drummer with The Angels, Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup (left of statue), Fremantle Dockers coach, Mark Harvey (seated centre), and Fremantle Mayor Peter Tagliaferri. (ABC: David Petale)

* Map: Fremantle 6160

A bronze statue of the former lead singer of rock band AC/DC will be erected at Fremantle's fishing boat harbour.

Bon Scott grew up in the Western Australian port city after emigrating from Scotland in 1952.

He became AC/DC's lead singer in 1974.

Scott died of alcohol poisoning in London in 1980.

For years, fans and former band mates have been pushing for a public memorial and a statue of Scott was partially unveiled in Fremantle this morning.

It will be fully revealed to the public at a concert on Sunday.

Australia’s greatest hard rock extravaganza will be held at the Claremont showgrounds on Sunday 24 February at 3pm. A Classic line-up of Australian hard rock legends including Rose Tattoo, The Original Angels Band, Noiseworks, Dave Hole and The Screaming Jets will support The Party Boys all star line up playing all of the Bon Scott era AC/DC classics and their own hits. Come witness this hard rock celebration and of course the unveiling of the statue of the legend !!

Playing in The Party Boys will be former Status Quo bass guitarist Alan Lancaster and former Status Quo drummer John Coghan, Australia’s two greatest rock guitarists Kevin Borich and Randall Waller, Angels’ drummer Graham “Buzz” Bidstrup, original AC/DC lead singer, Dave Evans, Mondo Rock bass player, Paul Christie, and original AC/DC bass player Mark Evans. Angry Anderson, Jon Stevens and Dave Gleeson will also be singing with The Party Boys.

All Rock 'n' Roll Heaven bands play for 40 to 45 minutes each as follows in order of appearance:-

The Radiators

Choirboys (featuring frontman and songwriter Mark Gable)

GANGgajang

The Screaming Jets

The Party Boys featuring Kevin Borich, Alan Lancaster (Status Quo), Randall Waller (Shania Twain Band), Paul Christie (Mondo Rock)

The Angels Band featuring John Brewster, Rick Brewster, Chris Bailey and Graham 'Buzz' Bidstrup

Rose Tattoo

A STRONG cup of black tea was just what the doctor ordered for The Angels frontman Doc Neeson yesterday morning.

Recovering from the night before – the Countdown Spectacular 2 – Doc says the Adelaide audience was very vocal during that song, namely Am I Ever Going to See Your Face Again. "The Angels didn't invent that chant, as we call it," he says.

"We got the biggest response (to the song) in Melbourne and Adelaide in terms of enthusiasm."

Doc also reveals meeting The Motels' Martha Davis, who travelled from the U.S. for the Countdown tour, had been a career highlight. "There's a fan in all of us," he says. "She was very friendly and supportive . . . the tour mother."

As for former Page 3 girl Samantha Fox, who has reportedly been less than media-friendly interstate, Doc describes her as a "real trooper".

Samantha, who had a one-hit wonder with Touch Me in the late '80s, has been suffering from a throat infection, he says.

"Samantha keeps a lot to herself."

Australian rock icon Doc Neeson is back on the road with his new band, Doc Neeson's Angels. And this time he's doing it with the friends who saw him through a difficult period in his life, when he contemplated taking his own life.

Neeson, former Angel's member Jim Hilbun and one time Baby Animals guitarist Dave Leslie, dropped into the ABC's Newcastle studios earlier this month as the Countdown Spectacular 2 concert rolled into town. During the interview the Irish-born Neeson spoke about his 1999 car accident that caused a lot of "physical and emotional" damage.

"I was thinking of doing a Brian Jones a couple of times," Neeson said, referring to the tragic demise of the Rolling Stones guitarist who was found dead in 1969.

When the chips are down you find who your friends really are. . .it's been a really positive thing in the long run, but it's a hell of a way to learn the lesson

"It was just not really wanting to die but I did want the pain to stop - incredibly constant intense pain."

Neeson said he decided against suicide after considering the effect such a futile act would have on his family.

"I think the thing that pulled me through was thinking about . . . my two sons, brilliant guys, and I love them," he said.

"I thought well that's a useless legacy to leave to your children, when things get tough you just, you know, top yourself."

Neeson also talked about a "few very good friends" who would call around or who stayed in contact during the difficult period. At this point in the interview he slaps his mates Jim Hilbun and Dave Leslie on the back.

"I guess I learned the value of friendship and relationships," he said. "When the chips are down you find who your friends really are. But that was good, it's been a really positive thing in the long run, but it's a hell of a way to learn the lesson."

For more information about how Dave Leslie and Jim Hilbun helped get Doc Neeson back on the road, see the Related Audio links that accompany this story.

The accident

Neeson recalls the accident from 1999 that left him with crippling pain.

"I was at a tollgate on the M4 (freeway in Sydney), I was living in the Blue Mountains at the time, I'd just come back from a rehearsal with John Farnham's band to go with the troops up to East Timor, and I was feeling great," he said.

"A car in front of me braked really hard, so I braked hard, and the truck behind didn't brake at all, so I got this bad whiplash injury and some spinal damage that made it very difficult for me to walk for the first few years."

Many music fans firmly believe that Australian rock has never exceeded the heights of the pub rock scene in the 70s and early 80s . . . and no one rocked harder than the Angels

Neeson's back specialist, an Angel's fan, delivered the bad news to the performer who is known for his very physical live performances.

"(He) told me 'I know how you perform, and I'm sorry to break the news to you Doc, but if you don't stop you're going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of your life, so consider yourself retired,'" he said.

Since then members of The Angels have split into two camps, and have fought legal battles over the right to tour as The Angels. At this point, there is the Original Angels band, minus Doc Neeson, and Doc Neeson's Angels, with whom Doc Neeson is touring and has just finished an album called Acoustic Sessions.

Many music fans firmly believe that Australian rock has never exceeded the heights of the "pub rock" scene in the 70s and early 80s. Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil, Mental as Anything, INXS and many others wore a path up and down the east coast as they toured relentlessly. But no one rocked harder than the Angels.

Their original incarnation was the Moonshine Jug and String Band, formed when the members met at university. Drama student, Bernard Neeson, who had been performing as Doc Talbot, joined brothers John and Rick Brewster and friends. In 1974 they changed their name to the Keystone Angels, and in 1976 relocated from Adelaide to Sydney.

That year was the start of a roller coaster of success for the band, with the release of their first, and now iconic single, Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again. It became an Australian pub-rock anthem with a notorious chorus and answerback from the audience. During the band's 1979 New Year's Eve concert from the steps of the Sydney Opera House, a crowd riot led to Doc Neeson and Chris Bailey being hit in the head by flying bottles, requiring stitches.

During a tour of the United States the band was forced to adopt the name Angel City, but after a dozen or so albums, and having won a permanent place as one of the legendary Aussie rock bands, a car accident in 1999 finally led to the demise of the original line-up.

Doc Neeson: "I defined myself in some ways by what I did, so when what I did was taken away, I was lost..."

"She keeps no, she keeps no, she keeps no secrets from you"

IT'S 1980. There's a tall, rangy man with intense, slightly maniacal blue eyes waving a white scarf from side to side and then splaying his fingers from two outstretched hands. Between two immobile guitarists in sunglasses, he's like an outsize-Pierrot, climbing the scaffolding on the stage at a time when blousey white shirts, black leather pants, building site chic and a bit of German expressionism would take an Aussie pop star a long way.

That was then. It seems 1000 years ago for Doc Neeson, one-time lead singer with the Angels. For the past seven years, Neeson has virtually disappeared from view, which felt strange because Neeson was famous for his work ethic, for 25 years frenetically working the pubs and clubs of Australia.

Neeson has spent seven years suffering daily pain from spinal and other injuries and later depression after a car accident in 1999. The accident threatened to destroy him, slowly. It damaged his body, then his mind. One day he was leaping around a stage, the most physical of performers; the next he could barely walk to the bathroom.

But Neeson found a way forward, and now it's the beginning of his long journey back. He's about to participate in the Countdown Spectacular 2 in August and will release two albums in the next few months. If not for his own courage and persistence, the support of a close friend and his love for his two sons, it's a comeback Neeson says he would never have achieved.

He walks in to tell his story. Wearing all black, he's a big man, folding himself into a chair in the office of his Sydney touring company. While the rest of us are allowed to age normally, familiarity with the famous tends to freeze an image of their young selves into your brain — in his case, the pale Irish face with a thicket of raven hair and slightly menacing blue eyes which served him so well as a punk hero — so it's just fleetingly and illogically surprising to meet Doc Neeson with all the wear and tear of middle age. But considering what he's been through, he's in remarkable shape.

Bernard "Doc" Neeson was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, "in the Chinese Year of The Dog", he says (he declined to specify a date but it's probably 1946). His father spent 22 years in the British army so Neeson's family lived variously in Singapore, Malaysia, Germany, Austria and England — he remembers he and his two younger brothers writing "Dear Daddy, We love you" on an envelope and placing two and six inside — before emigrating to Adelaide as a boy. In 1968 Neeson became a reluctant soldier himself, conscripted into the Australian army and serving for two years as a sergeant. His father told him he would support his decision to become a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War. "I thought it was a huge bore," Neeson says of the army. "I didn't want to go and kill innocent people. They knew I was a recovering Catholic so they got ministers from every denomination to come and speak to me, saying 'Why won't you go up there and do your duty?'. With some joy, I said to the padres: 'The fifth commandment said Thou shall not kill. I didn't see any bracket saying But it's OK in Vietnam.' "

Studying drama and English at university in Adelaide, Neeson joined the Keystone Angels with the Brewster brothers, John and Rick. They became the Angels, whose wide-eyed New Wave aesthetic and power chord rock anthems came to perfectly suit the times. They had a string of big hits — Take A Long Line, Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again, No Secrets — and took an energetic live show around the country.

It was the complete rock life, Neeson says, of "women, drugs and alcohol", and endless motel rooms. "The routine was to be woken up by someone yelling 'Doris, have you got the towels?' and you'd only gone to bed a few hours before, then you'd drive four-six hours, go to sound check, do the show, your adrenaline takes you right up, the lights go out, you have to come down some way, and sometimes it's by doing something a bit crazy."

Sometimes that bordered on rock'n'roll cliche. One night on tour with the Baby Animals, the Angels emptied lead singer Suze DeMarchi's room and "re-created" it in the car park outside, bedside tables, lamps, everything. "The manager came out screaming 'What are you guys doing? I'll call the cops!'," Neeson says. "Our manager said, 'It's a little game, we'll pay for any damage', not that there was any. We let off steam like that."

Before the Angels became a headline act, they toured as the support act for Chuck Berry (as the Keystone Angels in 1974), Meatloaf, David Bowie in 1978 and the Kinks and Cheap Trick in 1980. "It's funny living in your own fantasy," he says. On tour, Neeson saw different sides of the human character. "Bowie was so giving," he says. "He insisted we be called 'special guests' rather than the support act. He said we could have his lights and did we want to borrow his guitars? He showed how to treat a support band."

When the Angels' van containing all their equipment was stolen in Chicago, Rick Nielsen — the guy with the bow tie in Cheap Trick, the band the Angels were supporting — heard the news on the radio, piled some guitars into a car and drove 140 kilometres to their aid. After the Angels were mistakenly given Meatloaf's larger dressing room and asked by the stadium's manager to move, Meatloaf said: "These are great guys. If you throw them out there's no show." AC/DC recommended them to their record label Alberts, which resulted in a three-album deal. "This is the good side of the business," Neeson says.

But not all acts were as generous. When the Angels toured the US with the Kinks, frontman Ray Davies was, Neeson says, "very paranoid, wouldn't say hello". "He didn't like that we were getting so much attention." Neeson says Davies got so upset he asked the roadies to place tape on the stage to indicate the boundaries for the energetic Neeson's stage wanderings, and instructed him not to go out into the audience.

When Neeson's band continued to blow the main act away, Davies sacked them off the tour. "I was distraught," Neeson says. "That's when I discovered Cold Turkey bourbon."

The Angels kept touring long after their hot moment was over. Then, in 1999, with the band in their 26th year, Neeson's luck ran out. On December 1, a few days before a scheduled concert in Dili Neeson had organised to support the Australian troops stationed in East Timor — with Kylie Minogue and John Farnham also on the bill — Neeson stopped his car at a tollgate in Sydney on his way home to the Blue Mountains. While cars jostled for position in various lanes, a truck ploughed into him from behind. "It was the loudest crash I've ever heard, this huge crashing, crunching sound," he says.

I thought I was OK, but the next day I ached — my back, legs, neck." His doctor sent him to get X-rays and to a back specialist. His right shoulder was dislocated and he sustained considerable neck and spinal injuries. "He said, 'You've had a really bad injury here. I'm going to need to see you frequently.' " Neeson told him about the concert. "I don't think you'll be able to make that."

For Neeson, with his father's military background, it was the show of a lifetime. So, pumped up with anti-inflammatory drugs to manage the pain, he flew to Dili and did the show, even experiencing the unlikely sight of Kylie Minogue chanting the famous "No way, get f---ed, f--- off", which crowds for years had answered when Neeson sang Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again. He told the troops he knew what it was like to have your father away for Christmas. "I was very proud to be doing it," Neeson says. General Peter Cosgrove thanked him from the stage, telling the troops "he used to be one of us".

But the high didn't last long. On his return his specialist said his back was getting worse and said: "I'm sorry to give you the bad news but consider yourself retired, or you'll be in a wheelchair the rest of your life". "I was in shock," Neeson says. "Now I can understand how people feel when they've been told they have a terminal disease."

Neeson's condition deteriorated to the point where he was virtually confined to bed for three years, hardly able to walk. "It was just miserable. I felt pain every day … The pain can be exhausting. Your body's not at ease at all."

Having been such a physical performer made it harder. "Compare that (jumping around a stage) with having trouble getting from my room across the hallway to the bathroom, which was like a trek of 1000 miles." A big part of his life had been ripped away from him. "I defined myself in some ways by what I did, so when what I did was taken away, I was lost and I guess that's when the depression hit."

Neeson remembers terrible days when "I would crack up and start crying, without knowing why". Some days were so bad he considered taking his own life. "Probably a couple of times I looked at the swimming pool and thought I'd do a Brian Jones (the Rolling Stones guitarist who in 1969 was found dead in his pool). Then I looked at my two sons and thought, 'No, there's more to life'."

His love for his boys saved him. "I didn't see that much other inspiration around," he says. "It wasn't that I wanted to die, I just wanted to stop the pain and the hopelessness."

Neeson and his first wife had divorced when Daniel was six and Kieran was four. A second five-year marriage ended in divorce in the mid-1990s. Daniel, 23, now lives in London "trying to find his path" and Kieran, 21, lives in Sydney with his mother.

Neeson knew that if his injury prevented him from performing, he had to have an alternative plan. "Had I ended up in a wheelchair I would have done a Jeff St John (the singer who performed in the '70s and '80s in a wheelchair) and kept going."

The other plan was to go back to study. Neeson enrolled at Western Sydney TAFE college to study technical production, with a view to working as a music producer. He took a train from the Blue Mountains to the city, but his injuries meant that sitting on the train for the 45-minute trip, and then in the lecture theatre, was too painful. After six months he quit.

The other members of the Angels were, he says, unsupportive. He says he received emails from them urging him to go on tour. "I thought 'Hang on, are we musical brothers here?' We'd spent 25 years together. I thought there'd be at least 'I'm sorry you can't keep going with us'."

Neeson had remained on friendly terms with his second wife who mentioned a friend who had a spare room in her apartment. The friend was Anne Souter, daughter of journalist and Fairfax historian Gavin Souter. In 1997, Neeson moved in with her. She took care of "just about everything", cooking for him, looking after mail and phone calls; she was his rock. Neeson credits her with saving his life. "If she hadn't been there to care for me during the first few years after my accident I don't think I would have survived."

HE SAYS that while in the depths of despair, he learned the value of true friendship. "I had friends I didn't know I had in the industry," he says. "I thought they were acquaintances." People such as Mushroom boss Michael Gudinski, who sent Neeson messages of support. "I was a bit surprised — in our early days we had a lot more in common but we'd drifted apart."

Then, a few months ago, Gudinski approached Neeson. "In his very Melbourne way he said, 'Doc, I've got something you might be interested in'." He mentioned the Countdown Spectacular 2, the follow-up to last year's successful stage show featuring performers who'd appeared on the television program in the '70s and '80s. "I was very excited to know I was going to be part of it."

Later this year Neeson will release an album of his songs performed as part of Liberation's acoustic series (James Reyne, Mark Seymour and the Reel's Dave Mason have done one) and early next year will release an album of new songs with his band Doc Neeson's Angels (not the line-up currently playing as the Angels).

He's excited to be back on tour for the Countdown shows and goes to the gym four times a week to get fit enough to perform. It's an emotional time for him. "I'm relieved, I'm proud, I'm grateful. It's been a long time since I've been able to enjoy music."

The life and times of Doc Neeson

• Emigrates from Ireland to Adelaide as a boy
• Conscripted into Australian Army in 1968, serves for two years
• In November 1970, brothers Rick and John Brewster form the Moonshine Jug and String Band. In 1971, Neeson joins
• In 1974, name changed to the Keystone Angels
• In 1975, on the recommendation of Bon Scott and Malcolm Young from AC/DC, the band is offered a recording deal with the Albert label. The Angels' first single, Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again, is released in April 1976
• In 2004, he forms the band Doc Neeson's Angels
• In 2007, prepares for a comeback at the Countdown Spectacular

Doc Neeson's Angels will tour Australia as part of the Countdown Spectacular 2, which plays Rod Laver Arena on August 30.

KERRY O'BRIEN: Statues in public places are usually reserved for former prime ministers and ill fated explorers, not hard-living heavy rock singers, even if they do become great national exports.

But in the west, in Fremantle, a proposal for a statue of the former AC/DC singer, Bon Scott, has the backing of his friends and the local council.

Scott died from alcohol poisoning in 1980 and his grave outside Fremantle draws thousands of visitors a year.

His friends say Scott's contribution to the arts demands something like a statue and the Fremantle council can see the tourism potential of the plan.

GRAHAM "BUZZ" BIDSTRUP, THE ANGLES: Bon's lyrics the way he delivered them, all that. And it's so succinct and it's true and it's real.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Though he died 27 years ago, his legacy lives on. Nowhere more than in his adopted home town of Fremantle.

So much so that the city has just launched a project to celebrate his life in art, with calls for submissions from around the world. But for now the only way fans can pay homage to Bon Scott is to visit his grave site three kilometres from Fremantle's centre.

AC/DC FAN: That one's for you and one for the boys. And this one is in memory of loss and absent friends.

PETER TAGLIAFERRE, FREMANTLE MAYOR: His grave site is now one of the most visited destinations in Western Australia. If we have the seventh fleet come here and there's 6,000 people on board or 7,000 you'll basically have 99 per cent of those will go and visit that grave site.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: The Scott family migrated from Scotland and arrived in Fremantle when Bon was 10. He grew up in the rough and tumble of the port town. A troubled childhood led to stints in juvenile detention and a series of dead end jobs, but the one stabilising factor in his life was music.

Bon Scott with life long friend and former bandmate Vince Lovegrove dreamt this passion would take them places.

VINCE LOVEGROVE, FORMER MANAGER OF AC/DC: He was a loving guy, he was a really loving guy but there was something about him that was impish, there was a bit of larrikin about him.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Bon finally escaped the musical confines of Perth joining Angus and Malcolm Young's AC/DC in 1974 which stormed the international rock scene.

BON SCOTT: It's been excellent. All the gigs we've done have been received better than we expected and some of them, at least more than half have been incredible. At least like back home.

VINCE LOVEGROVE: He was certainly no saint and that's something that we should never forget here. He was a flawed character like us all.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: But Bon Scott's legendary lifestyle caught up with him and he died in London in 1980 after an all night bender.

GRAHAM "BUZZ" BIDSTRUP: Some people say that he had said that he, you know, that he's probably not going to hang around. That's probably why he lived his life the way he did. I wish he'd been a bit more careful.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Despite his unsavoury end, Bon Scott's fans still flock to Fremantle to see where his story began.

Darren Collins and his daughter Molly made the trip from Victoria and would like to see a more significant tribute to one of rock's great frontmen.

DARREN COLLINS, AC/DC FAN: If they can do it for horses and greyhounds why not for a rock'n'roll singer, you know.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Along with the art exhibition, there's a plan for a cast iron commemoration of Bon Scott. Leading the campaign for a permanent statue of the singer is Buzz Bidstrup, a drummer for the band The Angels and a close friend of the singer's.

GRAHAM "BUZZ" BIDSTRUP: I think it's just important that Australians recognise more than explorers and ex prime ministers and people like that in statues.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: The proposal for a statue and a park to house it in has the backing of the local council which is all too aware of the tourism potential of the project.

PETER TAGLIAFERRE: It's not just about it being good for business. It will be good for branding of what makes Fremantle different to most other places.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: But before the metal is even cast there's scepticism about the idea of a memorial for a dead rock star. It doesn't sit well with those who still cherish the idea of rock'n'roll as rebellion.

VINCE LOVEGROVE: If anybody in the rock'n'roll industry in Australia deserves one he does, but do we need one for rock'n'roll music? Who knows. That's a very good question.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: His friends think Bon Scott's contribution to the arts outweigh any questions about his lifestyle.

VINCE LOVEGROVE: Rock 'n' roll still today as always has never been seen by the mainstream of our arbiters of art to be legitimate art.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: To raise money for the statue Buzz Bidstrup staged a concert bringing together contemporaries and friends of Bon Scott.

If the project goes ahead, it will be the first monument to a rock star in Australia and one of the few in the world. While the old rockers go through their paces in memory of their friend, some think Bon Scott would be the first one to find the whole idea somewhat absurd.

VINCE LOVEGROVE: Bon wasn't a statue man and he would be the first one to thumb his nose at a statue of anyone let alone himself.

AC/DC FAN: Thank you very much again for coming. We'll see you next year for the unveiling of the statue.

KERRY O'BRIEN: There are some pretty ordinary statues around the world. Hamish Fitzsimmons reporting.

We know you've been waiting for this one and if possible it's even more exciting than last year! That's right, it's time to pull out the leg-warmers, polish up the platforms and pump out the hair gel. In 2007 the Countdown Spectacular will feature not only Australian favourites but we're flying in a stack of international stars!

The Countdown Spectacular 2 concert tour will feature: Rick Springfield, Martha Davis of The Motels, Doug Fieger Of The Knack, Katrina Leskanich formerly of Katrina & The Waves, Plastic Bertrand, Les McKeown formerly of The Bay City Rollers, Richard Gower of Racey, David Paton of Pilot, Robin Scott alias 'M', Samantha Fox and Graham Bonnet.

Our international stars will be joined by a veritable host of Australian Countdown favorites: BSG (founding members of Little River Band), Richard Clapton, Kate Ceberano (I'm Talking), Supernaut (reforming especially), The Radiators, Sharon O'Neill, John Schumann of Redgum, Dave Mason of The Reels, Ignatius Jones of Jimmy & The Boys, Paul Gray of Wa Wa Nee and the rockin' Doc Neeson's Angels.

Of course Molly will be back on board this year and we are delighted to announce that John Paul Young will return to the Countdown Spectacular to perform and co-host with Molly. And of course Countdown would not be Countdown without the voice of Gavin Wood. Plus expect the return of The Countdown Dancers who - rumour has it - are already working on some even more exciting routines.

TOUR DATES:

Sat 18 Aug - Newcastle Entertainment Centre

Tue 21 Aug - Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Fri 24 Aug - Acer Arena, Sydney

Thu 30 Aug - Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park

Sun 2 Sep - Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Frontier Touring has firmed up for its "Countdown Spectacular 2" Rick Springfield, Martha Davis of The Motels, Doug Fieger Of The Knack, Katrina Leskanich formerly of Katrina & The Waves, Plastic Bertrand, Les McKeown formerly of The Bay City Rollers, Richard Gower of Racey, David Paton of Pilot, Robin Scott alias 'M', Samantha Fox and Graham Bonnet.

Molly Meldrum will co-host with John Paul Young, with a return of the show's voice Gavin Wood and the Countdown dancers.

Saturday 18 August Newcastle Entertainment Centre

Tuesday 21 August Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Friday 24 August Acer Arena - Sydney

Tuesday 28 August Derwent Entertainment Centre - Hobart

Thursday 30 August Rod Laver Arena - Melbourne

Sunday 2 September Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Wednesday 5 September Burswood Dome - Perth

The Brewster Brothers

(+ Jim Conway, Paul Burton & Clare O'Mara)

will perform at The Basement on March 23rd 2007

CD Launch of 'Keep Your Woman'

Recorded as a duet with Tamworth 'Golden Guitar' winner (2007)

Anne Kirkpatrick

Free Advance CD of "Keep Your Woman" with every ticket sold.

BOOK NOW

Check out the latest gallery additions

www.brewsterbrothers.com

The Brewster Brothers have launched into 2007 with brilliant shows and reviews.

Rick and John have been busy touring Australia and recently performed with Jim Conway (harmonica) and Paul Robert Burton (stand-up bass and cahon) at the Port Fairy Folk Festival to some magic crowds. They have never been to Port Fairy before and the buzz on the ground moved quickly. Throughout the weekend they touched crowds with their enchanting songs from the highly acclaimed album 'Shadows Fall'. By the last concert the hocker's sides were splitting with new fans. The ABC recorded that very special performance in which they were joined by Anne Kirkpatrick and Eleanor McEvoy (violin) for standout spontaneous renditions of several of their songs.

The show will be broadcast on Paul Petran's 'Music Deli' on ABC radio National in May and the recording may well result in the Brewsters' first live album. Keep your ears peeled for that one!

the Brewster Brothers launched their new single 'Keep Your Woman' at Sydney's prestigious Basement nightclub and it was great to catch up with some of our friends there.  They performed to a full house in one of those rare and mesmerising intimate concerts. They were again accompanied by maestros Jim Conway and Paul R Burton, as well as Clare O'Meara (violin) and their very special guest Anne Kirkpatrick. Anne and John's duet of 'Keep Your Woman' delighted the audience and the band received a standing ovation at the end of the night.

On Sunday May 22, at Balmain's Birchgrove Oval, Rick and John performed in front of a great crowd for a family day out at the annual 'Acoustica festival', again with Jim and Paul. The fabulous Chris Wilson (who featured on the album 'Shadows Fall') jumped up for a spell and the duelling harmonicas of Chris and Jim were a real treat for the audience, not to mention the guys in the band.

May will see the Brewster Brothers back in Sydney, Wollongong and the Central Coast for four shows. The Vanguard will be filmed and recorded for a video of 'Keep Your Woman' and a free copy of the CD will be available.

Here are some testimonials from our media friends:

Anthony O'Grady - SMH - 2007
"Last year the Brewster Brothers achieved visibility with the album 'Shadows Fall'. They toured, constructed a website and found an influential fan in the Sydney ABC radio announcer Richard Glover." They accumulate a repertoire of original songs that exist in a parallel universe to the brooding menace of the Angels classics such as 'Take A Long Line or Mr Damage'. January 6-7, 2007

Richard Glover ABC 702 Sydney - 2007
"I defy anyone to listen to the Brewster Brothers and not be transported somewhere special. They offer a musical trip to a very compelling place.  They are always a huge hit wit listeners when they come on our show and I'm always happy to help in any way."

Michael Smith - Drum Media - 2007
'Their debut album, Shadows Fall'  presents that more thoughtful, atmospheric side of the Brewsters' musical sensibility.

Steve Bell - Time Off Magazine 2006
'Shadows Fall' - a timeless and diverse music with an unabashed love of  the form that few can match.  The potency of John Brewster's voice, an unearthed treasure that has been sadly underused for decades.  2006

Derek Guille - ABC Melbourne 2007
Every year someone at the Port Fairy Folk Festival has everyone talking.  This y    ear it was the Brewster Brothers, with a show packed with great songs, great playing, infectious rhythms and a vibe that filled every venue they performed in.  Their CD 'Shadows Fall' has all those ingredients and showcases the remarkable talents of two of this country's most enduring and endearing musicians.

Come and see these upcoming shows!