OVER THE YEARS I have written quite a bit about Johnny Dole & The Scabs and added a lot of information to other websites so I think it's just as easy to let you look at those to get what you can from them.

 

Please see the links below.

 

Johnny Dole & The Scabs is my favourite band of all the bands I have been in and there are a number of reasons for me feeling this way. I was young, just 19 and the times were very exciting. I had just gotten married to my girlfriend of 5 years Kaye and we were starting our new life together. I was lucky enough to have her live through this time with me and we share all the same memories of the gigs and other bands of that time. It was something unique, a style of music that was new and I was lucky enough to be part of it when it first started.

​

There was a lot that happened with the band too, we were interviewed on A Current Affair, articles in all the newspapers and music magazines, The Daily Mirror, The Daily Telegraph, RAM and JUKE to name just some. A recording session with one of Australia's top producers Keith Walker. A film clip to one of our songs (see below). Radio interviews (Listen HERE) on Sydney radio station 2JJ, now Triple J. We opened up a venue when there was no other for Punk Rock to play, The Grand Hotel - Broadway. A publishing contract with Penjane Music Publishing and we were on the cusp of a recording contract.

​

Unfortunately it all went to crap when Johnny sadly succumbed to drugs and alcohol and his performances started to suffer. Not long after this I was kicked out.

​

I was told I was no longer wanted on Thursday 16th February 1978, a few weeks short of 12 months. The band lasted another 6 months going through 3 more drummers.

​

That's not to say I was irreplaceable, far from it, it's just how damaging Johnny's problem had become and for all involved it was lost.

​

I still look back on those days with great pride and my hope is one day the four of us will have the rightful place in the history of Punk Rock in Sydney, the band is still overlooked for it's accomplishments and that is a real shame.

​

Luckily over time the songs we recorded were finally released and that is something I'm very proud of too, see below for details of all know releases.

​

So here they are, as I said earlier, Dare I say the most important band I have been in?

​

Johnny Dole & The Scabs
Terry Walsh (a.k.a. Johnny Dole) - Lead Vocals
Peter Mullany - Guitar
Dave Berry - Bass/Vocals 
Greg Morris - Drums/Vocals

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, so I'm now kicked out of Johnny Dole & The Scabs so where to from here? Easy, call my good friend Bill Webb from my early days of jamming after school and see if he needs a drummer for his Punk Rock band Rocks.

__________________________________________________________________________

​

*** UPDATE 2013 ***

 

AN INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT occurred early 2013.

​

Des Devlin, the Bass Player from Sydney band Sekret Sekret was doing a documentary called Distorted: Reflections On Early Sydney Punk. It was going to be about the Sydney Punk Rock scene and in particular the Grand Hotel that Johnny Dole & The Scabs had started and were responsible for booking the bands. He contacted me and we arranged an interview and he even interviewed Kaye as she had gone there many times and he wanted information from the perspective of an audience member too. He had been working on it for a number of years and as his finances were tight it was looking like it might not be finished at all.

​

However, some time later he contacted me to say it was finished and it was going to have it's first screening at the Bald Faced Stag Hotel - Leichardt NSW. There was talk that some of the bands that used to play at the Grand Hotel were going to re-form for a one off show after the screening. Peter Mullany contacted me and asked if I would be interested in playing and I was in like a shot. He then contacted Dave Berry and he was also very interested in doing something.

​

Now, this was going to be a logistical nightmare as far as pulling off any rehearsals. Peter lives about 5 hours from me up the coast and Dave lives about 3 hours from me down the coast!! But, after lots of phone calls to discuss firstly if we could do it without Johnny or should we use another singer and what songs to do it was decided we would do it as a three piece with Dave singing most of the songs and Peter and I singing one each. We were only doing a 15 minute set of 6 songs so we figured it's do-able.

​

We set about re-learning the songs at home and we scheduled a rehearsal for the Wednesday before the gig with both Peter and Dave coming to Studio 57 - Taren Point. Well to say it sounded great is an understatement, it sounded sensational. It was so much fun being back with these two guys that I hadn't seen for so long and once again having the pleasure to play these great songs.

​

Then on Friday 19th April 2013 we did the gig (see video below) and it was the best thing I have done in a very long time. We nailed it with just the one rehearsal. We were tight and it sounded great. From the comments we received people were surprised we had only had the one rehearsal. It was weird to be playing songs I had last done when I was 20 years old and remembering the reactions of the audience at the time. Some of the people that used to come to the Grand Hotel were there as well and the reaction this time was just the same, it's just we were ALL a little older.

​

════════════════════════ The Scabs Live ════════════════════════

 

Warts & All Productions Presents: The Scabs Live

As part of the celebrations for the showing of the documentary film

Distorted: Reflections On Early Sydney Punk

by Des Devlin
 

'A Grand Night Of Original Punk'
Bald Faced Stag Hotel, Leichhardt NSW
Friday 19th April 2013

The surviving members of Sydney Punk Rock band

Johnny Dole & The Scabs re-formed for a one off show.

This marked the first time they had appeared together on stage since 1978!!! 

The Scabs are:

Peter Mullany - Guitar/Vocals

Dave Berry - Bass/Vocals

Greg Morris - Drums/Vocals 

Credits 

Songs:

Aggro (Terry Walsh/Peter Mullany)

Stuff Your Rules (Terry Walsh/Peter Mullany)

Living Like An Animal (Terry Walsh/Peter Mullany)

Blow My Nose (Dave Berry)

I Don't Wanna Work (Terry Walsh/Peter Mullany/Dave Berry/Greg Morris)

Lucky Country (Terry Walsh/Peter Mullany) 
 

Dedicated to Terry Walsh (Johnny Dole) (6th November 1953 - 9th August 1983) R.I.P.