Arch Angel Trivia Quiz

Answer: Kids in the Kitchen

The first incarnation of The Angels came in the form of The Moonshine Jug and String Band that was set up by Rick and John Brewster. When Bernard Neeson joined the duo they became a group that played a mixture of 1920s blues and jazz and had a range of instruments that included washboards, banjo, harmonica, kazoo and the washtub bass. Despite releasing an EP in 1973 ("Keep You on the Move") and a single in 1974 ("That's All Right With Me") their success remained localised to Adelaide in South Australia.
It was at this point that they changed their name to The Keystone Angels, changed the direction of their music, and introduced electric instruments. A tour of South Australia with the "behemoths-in-waiting" AC/DC proved a boon for the band when Malcolm Young and Bon Scott recommended them to their music label, the legendary Alberts Music. They were signed up, dropped Keystone from their name and relocated to Sydney.
As their fame grew locally they sought to spread their wings internationally and soon found name changes forced upon them to avoid conflicts and confusion with existing and some defunct acts, hence the monikers Angel City and, later, The Angels From Angel City. In their golden years line-up changes and internal disputes would give rise to host of new names including DNA, The Angels with Dave Gleeson, The Original Angels Band and The Angels 2006.

Answer: Doc

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Neeson's bloodline can be traced back to the Irish High Kings of Tara and incorporates descendents of Australia's most notorious bushranger Ned Kelly. Doc moved to Australia at an early age, studied as a teacher and was conscripted into the Australian Army's Education Corps during the 1960s.

After serving 18 months as a sergeant in Papua New Guinea he returned to Flinders University to complete an Arts degree, majoring in Drama and Film. It was here that he met the Brewster brothers, Rick and John, who invited him to join their band, The Moonshine Jug and String Band, which would eventually become The Angels.

When Chris Bailey joined the band he was able to release Neeson from his duties on the bass to concentrate solely on lead vocals.

As a frontman Doc was commanding and compelling. Dressed in tuxedo, white scarf and with arms outstretched he presented a powerful aura. He developed a stage presence notable for its hyperactivity, theatrics and interplay with the audience that would influence performers for generations.

Answer: Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again

Hopefully the word "questionable" steered you toward the only song title above that asked a question. The song however, is far from questionable and despite its lack of commercial success holds a special place in Australian rock music. First recorded in 1976 it was the band's debut single as The Angels and is one of their beloved live show songs.

In 1979 the band released an EP entitled "Out of the Blue" which featured another version of the track but this one was not released as a single. The band put together a double live album in 1987, which was recorded at the Bankstown RSL.

A live version of "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again" was released to promote the disc and whilst the album reached number two on the Australian album charts the single failed to break into the Top Forty.

The following year the band released another live version of the song which, finally, charted, reaching number six on the ARIA charts.

Answer: The response cannot be printed here

The iconic chant/response goes along the lines of "No Way, (two words that say "Are you serious") followed by (two words that say "Take a hike")" has become a part of Australian folklore in much the same way as Vegemite, pie and sauce and Holden cars.

The origins of the chant however, are now lost in Angels' mythology. One legend indicates that it started at a gig at Christie's Beach High School during the mid to late 1970s. In an interview in 2007 Doc Neeson indicated that the response arose at a Blue Light Disco in Mount Isa though the validity of this is tested by an article that appeared in the Australian music magazine Smash Hits during the 1980s that indicated it surfaced at a concert in the mining town of Broken Hill in Western New South Wales. Neeson had also indicated in the (2007) interview that the first time they heard the response they thought that it had been directed at them personally and that the crowd had turned on them.

Answer: The Animals

"We Gotta Get Out of This Place" is one of rock and roll's milestone songs. Iconic and ubiquitous upon release it sits comfortably on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll list. It also sits well with The Angels' sound and upbringing.

Its anthem-like qualities and driving bass lines are a perfect fit to Doc Neeson's raw and snarling vocals. In the summer of 1986 it struck a perfect chord with their Australian audience pushing the song into the top five of the local charts and giving impetus to their album "The Howling", helping it jump into the top ten of the Australian album charts.

Answer: Seattle

During the 1980s one of the biggest mysteries for television viewers was "who shot JR". For Australian rock and roll aficionados the mystery was why hadn't The Angels managed to crack the lucrative US music market. With a dynamic live show and an arsenal of thumping rock tracks fuelled by muscular guitar riffs and a pile-driving rhythm section the band had won themselves many friends including Guns n' Roses, Cheap Trick and David Bowie but not the American public. Having to change their name to avoid conflict with a minor American glam band called Angel and the, then defunct, 1960s girl group with the same name didn't help.

They somehow managed to attach themselves to US labels that soon after experienced some major personnel adjustments (read that as sackings), which destroyed some valuable associations and alliances that they had built up to promote their cause.

The Kinks famously fired the band on the eve of their (The Angels) debut at Madison Square Gardens as the Davies brothers had concerns that they would be upstaged by their support act.

The Angels also made a critical error by returning to Australia early in 1980 to fulfill a local commitment just as one of their show stopping hits, "Marseilles", was beginning to get significant airplay on US radio stations.

Answer: He remained motionless

Rick Brewster originally trained as a classical pianist and was winning music competitions as a sixteen year old in senior categories. Influenced by the punk rock explosion of the mid 1970s he figured he could use his classical background to draw greater depth and inject more drama into a guitar driven rock sound.

This is well emphasised on tracks such as "Take a Long Line", "Save Me" and "Mr Damage". On stage, however, he was the antithesis to Doc Neeson's gyrations, pogo stick like bouncing and live wire movements. Clad entirely in black clothing Rick stood stone still like some foreboding presence throughout the performance. No smile creased his face and, thanks to a pair of impenetrably dark glasses, you couldn't tell if his eyes were moving.

The only motion from the man came from his fingers as they dexterously worked his instrument.

Answer: Sydney Opera House

By the end of 1979 The Angels had released their third album, had enjoyed great success with a string of muscle bound hits such as "I Ain't the One", "Straightjacket" and "After the Rain" and were setting new standards with their high energy shows. They were almost on the crest of a wave and their popularity was enormous. So much so that the organisers of the New Year's gig severely underestimated it and provided inadequate facilities for the crowd of more than 100,000 people that showed up at the Opera House steps.

When the band hit the stage at midnight there was an immediate surge forward that threatened to crush the punters at the front. Missiles started to be hurled and the band was not immune. Doc Neeson was struck on the head by a sign and Chris Bailey was knocked unconscious by a flung bottle and needed to be hospitalised. Fortunately there were no serious injuries however, the mayhem led to a banning of rock concerts at the venue for a little more than a decade.

Answer: Chuck Berry

The word from the 1975 Sunbury Festival was that this new band of young upstarts, The Angels, were going to be something special at live shows. For a band in their infancy their brand of raucous rock and roll bought them a standing ovation at the festival and the demand for three encores. Being employed, immediately after, as Chuck Berry's support act and backing band was almost like finding the motherlode.

Despite having to deal with one of rock and roll's crankiest individuals the band received an education in stagecraft and minimalism from a master.

This was experience that could not be quantified in terms of dollars and cents. To cap off a memorable year and to round off their apprenticeship The Angels then embarked on a tour of the South Australian outback with a band that was leave an indelible impression upon them - AC/DC.

Answer: Face to Face

The Angels' self titled debut album was patchy at best. Despite revealing the beast that was "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again" the disc was, primarily, that of a young band earnestly looking for the sound that would define them. In "Face to Face" they found it.

They found it in bucket loads as they unleashed a blitzkrieg of ten tightly packed songs laced with driving guitars, urgent rhythms and maniacal vocals from Doc Neeson. Produced by Mark Opitz who managed to keep everything direct and ensured that there was nothing superfluous on the record, the album produced seven tracks that were capable of being released as singles. "Marseilles" became a show stopper, "Comin' Down" would not have been out of place on an AC/DC album and "Take a Long Line", with Neeson's deliciously understated intro "This is it folks ... over the top", would take its place in the pantheon of great Australian rock songs. "Face to Face" marked the start of a four year period where The Angels' star would shine at its brightest and the band would burn out a legacy that would make them almost untouchable on the Australian pub rock scene for decades to come.

A testament to the album's brilliance was that it managed to stay in the charts for a year and a half despite only peaking at number 18 on the list. It would be another twenty years before Powderfinger's "Internationalist" album would enter the charts and remain there for 101 weeks to surpass The Angels' record.