Pittwater Life January 2019 Issue

Dining Clubs & Guide Pubs
Clubs & Pubs
January's best functions, music gigs, events and dining news...
SWELL TIME AHEAD: GANGgajang (Geoff Stapleton, Buzz Bidstrup, Robbie James, Mark Callaghan and Peter Willersdorf).
GANGgajang riding
a new wave of success
Rock and pop music have been hand in
glove with the surfing sub-culture for
decades; in Australia in the late 1970s it
was Midnight Oil who led the way, before
the baton was picked up in the ’80s by
GANGgajang, renowned for their iconic
anthem ‘Sounds of Then (This Is Australia)’.
Makes sense then that the band – cofounded
by Mark ‘Cal’ Callaghan (ex-
Riptides), Graham ‘Buzz’ Bidstrup and the
late Chris Bailey (both ex-The Angels) – are
bringing their distinctive sound to a Northern
Beaches audience at Narrabeen RSL on
January 18 (along with fellow popular ’80s
hitmakers Machinations) as part of their new
‘Surfing Round The World’ Tour.
Bidstrup said the tour was to promote
the band’s new single, released last month
after several years of germination, and which
included the bass line of their friend Bailey
who lost his battle with throat cancer in 2013.
“The song began life as a jam in the
encore of our live set – we played it for
several years before we were asked to record
it for a special film called ‘Delightful Rain’
that featured many other bands and artists
who have had a connection to surf culture,”
he told Pittwater Life.
Earlier this year they revisited the original
files of the recording and now have edited a
new version of the song.
“Of course, Chris is playing bass and it
has been an emotional journey listening to
his playing as I edited the new rhythm track
together,” Bidstrup continued.
“Thanks to modern technology, I’ve
cobbled together a track with new vocals,
guitars, backing vocals and keyboards the
band members have recorded at home.”
Bidstrup explained how GANGgajang’s
music became synonymous with surfing.
“I was the music director for a mid-’80s
Quiksilver film called ‘Mad Wax’ which
featured many of the top surfers of the time
including Tom Carroll, Kong Elkington and
Ross Clarke Jones.
“During the initial meeting to work out
the music for the film, Peter Webb, a friend
of mine who was an artist at Quiksilver, kept
suggesting tracks off GANGgajang’s debut
album for each spot.
“By the time we had finished, all the music
in the film was from GANGgajang! The film
became a cult classic in worldwide surf
areas and this introduced our music to ‘surf
culture’ all around the world.”
As a special bonus, ‘Mad Wax’ will also
screen on the night.
Bidstrup said nowadays the age
demographic at their gigs was “really wide”.
“We have been together for over 30 years
and our music keeps getting played on radio,”
he said. “There has definitely been a situation
where our music has been handed down to a
younger generation, firstly by older siblings
in the ’80s and ’90s and then through older
parents and now grandparents!”
Their ‘Surfing Round The World’ single
was recorded in studios at Freshwater Beach,
where in 1915 the father of modern surfing
– Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku – brought
surfing to Australia.
“The tour and single is dedicated to the
surfers and free spirits of the world – from
the grommets to the pros and to anyone who
has ever waxed a board,” Bidstrup said.
– Nigel Wall
* Catch GANGgajang and Machinations at
Narrabeen RSL on January 18; tickets oztix.
com.au
Avalon
Beach RSL
Bistro 61
1 Bowling Green Lane
Avalon Beach
Avalon Beach RSL’s Bistro 61
is a great place to head for
a local meal, offering tasty
modern Australian dishes at
affordable prices.
In January, catch the Kerry
Erwin Celebrity Psychic Medium
Show on Wednesday 23rd.
On Australia Day eve catch
the Chisel Barnes tribute show;
free entry, kicks off 8.30pm.
On Australia Day January 26
there's live music with Aussie
Boy & mates (3pm to 6pm) –
and enjoy 1/2 dozen oysters
for $10 all day!
And now available for free
download – the new Avalon
Beach RSL Club App. Earn
rewards, prizes and member
points by logging in daily.
See what's on, check out
events, view menus and more!
Don't miss the Super Sunday
raffle on the first Sunday of
the month – there's more than
$1500 in prizes.
Bistro 61 is open for breakfast
from 9am to 11.30am.
Open for lunch and dinner
seven days, with extensive
outdoor dining areas, Bistro
61 offers a variety of specials
(lunch and dinner) during the
week, including $12 tacos
(Tues), $15 Chicken Schnitzels
(Wed), 2-4-1 pizzas (Thurs), and
a $20 burger + beer (Fri).
Seniors are well catered
60 JANUARY 2019
The Local Voice Since 1991