IF you come off stage and you are not wringing wet then you haven’t tried, according to Aussie rock legend Dave “Gleeso” Gleeson.
“That’s just one of my mottos and it came from Doc,” he said.
“He sweated like he’d stolen something from the mafia up there and that’s what I try to do.”
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READ NOWThe affable Screaming Jets front man idolised Doc Neeson of The Angels.
He had watched the late iconic rocker perform many times as a young fan and later in the ’90s when his band toured with the group.
“I learned a lot from Doc: he had amazing stage presence and never lost focus – he always stayed in Doc mode up there,” Gleeson said.
“He taught me that the more you move around on stage the less likely you are of being hit by something thrown at you. It’s hard to hit a moving target, that’s for sure.
“Another time Doc gave me some sage words of wisdom. I was fuming over something at the airport when we were finishing the tour and he put his arm around me and said: ‘Dave, leave it on the road’.
“And I thought: ‘Yeah, leave it on the road. Don’t take your anger home, it’s done now’.”
The Adelaide father of two became front man of The Angels in 2011 after Neeson left to pursue a solo career.
The band will tour sophomore album Face to Face in June, paying homage to the now 40-year-old release.
“I was 10 when I first heard Face to Face. I remember my brother being very excited, coming home with the cassette: we listened to it relentlessly,” Gleeson said.
“I idolised the band: I grew up hearing the stories of my brothers and their friends going to see The Angels – the fighting and the drinking and stuff like that – and I couldn’t wait to grow up and see what all the fuss was about.
“I saw them for the first time in ’86 when I was 18 and they were still awesome then and Doc was on fire.”
The two-hour show features two sets, the complete Face To Face album and all The Angels classics.
The Screaming Jets are about to start recording a new album of covers and will release a new original album next year, celebrating their 30-year history.
THE ESSENTIALS
What: Face To Face – 40 Years On
When and where: Charles Hotel, North Perth on June 23 and Ravenswood Hotel, Ravenswood Friday on June 22
Tickets: oztix.com.au