Vale : Doc Neeson

[Ford Fairlane]

As an unabashed fan of The Angels since the 1970s I was saddened to learn of front man Doc Neeson's battle with a life-threatening brain tumour on Australian Story (see link below). The prognosis following his latest relapse did not sound good. I hoped for the best but it was not to be. Take a long line, you were meant to be with us for a long time.

Australian Rock Legend Doc Neeson's bittersweet personal story

Australian Story: A Very Good Rascal

 

[Ford Fairlane]

The Demons in the Angel

 

[Ron The Bear]

The Demons in the Angel

A good article in which animosities are barely disguised.

"Doc was always kind of on the outer; he was a bit remote from the rest of us"..."Doc's never been a great musician"..."He wrote some great lyrics...very rarely a whole song"..."It looks like the guy that's singing the songs is driving it; it looks like it's his band. And that's what happens, they get all the attention; people automatically assume that Doc wrote all the words of the songs but it's not true, it's not true. Rick and I wrote a hell of a lot of the words of the songs."

Years back I bought a DVD titled Live At The Basement, with John Brewster on vocals. Got halfway through the second song and have never played it since. Sorry fellas - no Doc, no Angels. The stage persona is too deeply tied to the band's identity.

 

[JUBJUB]

Just watching a bit of The Angels on Max Masters [Foxtel] reminded me that Doc is the 2nd Angels member to die in recent times.Chris Bailey died on May 4th last year.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Have wondered whether it's possible that the infamous bottle-throwing incident somehow contributed to his illness.

 

[lyall]

Saw the Angels a few times but only once with Doc, it was easily the best of the Angels gigs I went to.

RIP

 

[Harry Yorkie]

Thanks Doc for some of the best nights of my life. Legend.
RIP

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Loved this line I read in the Sydney Morning Herald

When other pub rock bands were blokey and beer-stained, the Angels had a frontman who dressed like a cross between a 19th century funeral director and a riverboat gambler.

 

[DoggyStyle]

RIP Doc Neeson.

Your songs were the anthem of my youth. May there be a long line as well as Amanda the actress at your funeral. Sadly, there will be no face seen again

 

[benji2]

Have wondered whether it's possible that the infamous bottle-throwing incident somehow contributed to his illness.

That and the car accident he had in 1999

 

[Damp Squarie]

Superb front man - Saw the Angels in the 70's at Castle Hill RSL ripped bent.

 

[andrew coombs]

The Angels were a classic example of what made Australian music so exciting in the 1980's and early to mid 90"s. They were one of the most popular bands in the country but because of our small record buying economy were forced to tour on an almost full time basis. The result of this was a road hardened, spectacular live outfit who gave their loyal audience a great concert experience whenever they hit the stage. Neeson was hardly the worlds greatest singer in the pure sense but more than made up for this with his charismatic showmanship and ability to drive those great Brewster brothers guitar riffs into iconic rock anthems. Both as a songwriter and live frontman Doc Neeson"s place at the pointy end of Australian rock legend is assured and richly deserved.

 

[RobbieMuir]

The first time saw the Angels was in the winter of 1980 at the Pier Hotel in Frankston. They blew me away that night. I saw them plenty more times after that, until the last time I saw them at the Chelsea Heights in August 2009. They were well into their 60s by then but they still rocked the joint and garnered the same crowd reaction that they had 30 years earlier. Doc always had that undefinable stage presence that helped make the Angels Australia's greatest ever live band.

 

[Barbieup]

Saw them mid-80's, can't remember the venue, Noiseworks in support. Doc had broken his leg the previous week and rather than cancel, he did the entire show sitting on a gigantic throne. To the band's credit it was still a great gig.

Ronnie it was Springvale Town Hall. Mum drove us because I was under-age and you didn't drive. He had a bar next to him and a lamp behind the chair, it looked like an old fashioned barbers chair. And at the the end Doc stood up and raised his crutches in the air like wings, crowd went nuts.