Still Rockin' It - Cheryl Lee
Join Cheryl Lee That Radio Chick on Still Rockin' It for news, reviews and interviews with some of our favourite Australian musicians.
What are they up to at the moment? Let's find out .......
Still Rockin' It - Cheryl Lee
What's Damien Kelly from Almost Human and Kelly's Wake been up to lately? OR How many whiskies does it take an Irishman to change a lightbulb?
Join Cheryl Lee - That Radio Chick on STILL ROCKIN' IT for news, reviews, music and interviews with some of our favourite Australian musicians.
Today we are a fly on the wall during the filming of an interview I held recently with Damien Kelly for the tele.
Damien was lead singer of heavy rock pub band from the 80s Almost Human who supported Judas Priest, Whitesnake and Cheap Trick
Was Jimmy Barnes’s tour manager, drove AC/DC AND INXS , and is now lead singer for Irish folk band Kelly’s Wayke.
We ‘ll hear about his journey from heavy rock to Irish music and back again as Almost Human near releasing an album un previously unpublished works.
Includes Songs:
Almost Human - Hold On
AC/DC - highway to Hell
Kelly's Wayke - Whiskey You're The Devil
Almost Human - Do or Die
What’s Damien Kelly been up to lately … let’s find out
Get out when you can, support local music and I'll see you down the front!!
Visit: ThatRadioChick.com.au
That radio chick, cheryl Lee, here with you. Welcome to the Still Rocking it podcast, where we'll have music news, reviews and interviews with some of your favourite Australian musicians and artists. Today we are a fly on the wall during the filming of an interview I held recently with Damien Kelly for the telly. Damien was lead singer of heavy rock pub band from the 80s, almost, who supported Judas Priest, white Snake, cheap Trick. He was Jimmy Barnes' tour manager. He drove ACDC and InXS and is now lead singer for Irish folk band Kelly's Wake, whose sellout shows wherever they appear. We'll hear about Damien's journey from heavy rock to Irish music and back again as Almost Human, near releasing an album of previously unpublished works. What's Damien Kelly been up to lately? Let's find out. You're with Cheryl Lee, that radio chick. Welcome to Mega Music TV. We're here in a beautiful rehearsal space belonging to 80s, 90s Almost human megastar, damian Kelly. Thank you for having us today.
Speaker 2:Oh, thanks for having me. Yeah, this is my space.
Speaker 1:We've got a lot to talk about. You have had some sort of rock and roll life, have you not?
Speaker 2:It has. It's been quite an incredible journey. Really, it's been awesome.
Speaker 1:Well, let's start at the start. In the 80s and 90s, almost Human, you supported Whitesnake Cheap Trick. Judas Priest, you were legends in your own lunchtime?
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, Well, I mean, you know, it initially started in about 1979, just late 79, early 80s, and it was just a bunch of us got together and we were just Kiss fans and Cheap Tricks, salus Quo, all that sort of stuff, and then we decided, oh, let's put a band together around it. Actually, the band was already existed. Louis started the band and then we all sort of just started playing together and it sort of just clicked. Then we started playing and then we started writing music and we became quite prolific at writing. And then we started writing music and we became quite prolific at writing and over those first three years, about 80 to about 83, the band just got this incredible following. You know, we started out just like playing little pubs, you know, to 20 or 30 people and then ended up at the Bridgeway with, like you know, 15, 1,800 people.
Speaker 1:You know I think I was one of them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was just like headbangers and it was just, but it was the time for live music. The 80s was just so, wasn't it so incredible, you know?
Speaker 1:and also I remember this great video I've seen on YouTube of 83 you guys performing a gig on the riverbank there at Elder Park at Elder Park.
Speaker 2:yeah, that was filmed by a guy from Melbourne called Lee Lemmy Wilson. I think he came over to see Almost Human that year. He came over from Melbourne 25 times and filmed us. He was a bit obsessed with the band, bit of a super fan. He was absolutely a super fan, but a lovely guy, and he filmed that day and he actually caught something quite magical that day. I think there was around about 5,000 people there. It was just, and I don't know it just everything just seemed to click. You know, and those gigs are I mean, bands play all the time, but every now and again a gig clicks and that gig was one of them. It was God. It was just such a great day.
Speaker 1:I loved it. I loved watching it. And you know what else I noticed? You and I both have our same hairdo from the 80s.
Speaker 2:I know, I know. But you know I always thought people always say to me you know, why don't you get your hair cut? And they said it to me for years and I thought to myself you know, if I get my hair cut, I'm just going to look like everybody else and I've thrown long hair. You know, it's my identity and I felt comfortable with it, regardless of the time frame, and you know different trends and stuff like that. You know it doesn't bother me that sort of stuff.
Speaker 1:Same yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:I'm comfortable.
Speaker 1:Now you guys had a great hit, an EP Hold On that was like 10 weeks in the top 40.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we wrote the song and Louis' father did the artwork. Pedro, he was an artist did the artwork for the EP and we released it and it debuted at I think about 38 or 5 or something and then went to. I think it got to about 28 and stayed in the charts for 10 weeks in the top 40. It was even in the top 100. I think it got to about 81 and stayed in the charts for 10 weeks in the top 40. It was even in the top 100. I think it got to about 81 in the top 100 in Australia in the ARIA charts. So it was great and we did the film clip for it at the Bridgeway Hotel. So I mean you can see that when you see the clip.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was great, it was a real achievement for us you know Still rocking that podcast with that radio chick, cheryl lee. Let's have a listen to that hit now. Hold on, almost human. We'll chat a little bit more with damian kelly about what he's up to now in a little bit. You yourself, personally, damian, have been in a couple of other bands as well States and Big Secret and Big Secret had a top ten hit in the top ten too.
Speaker 2:Yes, that was For ten weeks. Yeah, in 91, I reckon 1991, Big Secret released their first single, which was Big Secret's self-titled single, and right when we released it we managed to get the support for ACDC, the Balls to the Wall tour, Because we were playing to like 10,000 people a night. It really just elevated the song and we once again had a top 40 hit and it stayed in the charts for about 10 weeks.
Speaker 1:Any secrets you can tell us about the ACDC tour that you won't get killed for spilling?
Speaker 2:Well, you know, actually I must say they were very gracious because a lot of bands, a lot of big bands, will just give you a certain amount of stuff. But ACDC were one of these bands where they gave us all the sound. And I think they were a little bit thrown off because the front of house guy, the front of house technician guy we used, was actually a lady and I came and introduced her to them and they sort of went it's a girl.
Speaker 2:It's a chick, yeah, it's a chick and that sort of threw them off a bit and they just gave her everything.
Speaker 1:Oh, and that sort of threw them off a bit and they just gave her everything. Oh, you're ahead of your time. Yeah, yeah, absolutely Both girls, yeah.
Speaker 2:She was a wonderful front of house tech and so, yeah, big Secret used her for all our gigs, and then, of course, big Secret. They also supported Jimmy Barnes, mick Fleetwood Zoo. With Billy Thorpe and Mick Fleetwood we did Noiseworks. It was like this big purple patch of bands we supported and it was great. It was a really good time. You are listening to Still Rocking it the podcast with Cheryl Lee.
Speaker 1:Just a reminder. We are a fly on the wall today at the filming of an interview with Almost Human's lead singer, damian Kelly, coming up soon. We'll hear all about the band he plays with to sell out crowds all over the state. And what's the scoop with Almost Human? Take five, four, three. Just move your hand.
Speaker 2:I always do. I always talk with my hand like that. I don't know why. I just do it Exactly. Can you tell by the accent? It's a little Italian knit.
Speaker 1:Five, four, three. We're back with Damian Kelly on Mega Music TV. Apart from the fabulous bands that you've been involved in and we've got to talk about kill his weight coming up too. But you also had a very exciting life as a rock band super driver yeah, absolutely a super driver.
Speaker 2:That's the first time I've been called a super driver. No, uh, yeah, I just sort of stumbled across it initially. And the first band I ever drove was ACDC, believe it or not. I drove them out at Globe, derby where they had the riots after they finished playing. And I always remember after the show we got in this 12-seater and they were in the back and I was driving through all this dust and crowd and everything. We had a police escort out onto Port Wakefield Road. It was amazing. Yeah, I always remember it. So yeah, that was my first gig ever. And then the last artist I ever drove was Ozzy Osbourne. I drove him in Adelaide when he came through with Black Sabbath, which was great because I'd driven Ozzy three times before, but in between those two acts I pretty much have driven or worked for nearly every artist.
Speaker 1:Who's everyone?
Speaker 2:Every artist that's come through and you know it's remarkable, but some of them do remember you when they come through second or third time. And then some you know, some they don't. But I've made so many great, great friends who still tour to this day and you know, when you go overseas, sometimes you'll meet them overseas and hang out and it's friendships. I've made a lot of friendships out of rock and roll.
Speaker 1:Rock and roll friendships yeah, and it's been a wonderful journey in that aspect.
Speaker 2:But, yeah, I've loved it, you know, because you're always talking to people, like-minded people. You know they've got similar interests. You know music is such a great thing to bring people together, Unifier, and it does you know?
Speaker 1:Well, have a little look at your amazing collection of tour passes, backstage passes. But it was like In Excess and ZZ Top Die Straight. You're right, the list is phenomenal.
Speaker 2:It just goes on and on. I don't know. You know it's funny because when I show people the passes, they sort of, you know it is quite confronting because they sort of go, wow, what the hell's going on here, you know. But for me I just sort of it sort of just sits in the back of my mind. I don't really realise what I've done, because at the time it was just like work, you know, and it was just a different job, a job I really did enjoy. Sometimes I bet, but sometimes, God, I hated it, like you know, four o'clock in the morning, you know. But it was good, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I loved it still rocking that podcast with that radio chick cheryl lee. Let's have a break now. And a song from acdc. Big secret supported them on the balls to the wall tour and they were the first band that damien drove around when they came to adelaide. Let's have the 1979 title track of the highway to hell album. Highway to hell. And did that then lead into the tour managing?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So then I started working. I was the assistant tour manager for Jimmy Barnes on the Jimmy Works Live Tour. Then I started working for a company called ATM and was tour managing their stuff for them back in the early 90s. That was the Angels Ice House. And then I did the last band I tour, managed or went on the road with that was a band called Jesus Jones who were a British band at the time. They were pretty big with Right here, right there or whatever it's called, and that was the last time I really toured with bands. You know, just drive them from then on.
Speaker 1:I've interviewed quite a lot of people on the radio, including you, but I haven't interviewed Jimmy Barnes yet. I would like to do that before I die, so can you get your people to speak to my people to speak to his people and fix that up for?
Speaker 2:me. Wow, jimmy, he's normally pretty accessible though. Yeah, no, look, I mean you know You've got the contact.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, I did have Now moving along, the fabulous band that you're in at the moment is completely different, really, to Almost Human, but just as wonderful to watch and listen to and see live. Tell us about Kelly's Wake, oh, wow.
Speaker 2:Where do you start? Well, where do I start? I mean, this is is the true story and this is how it came together, because I had actually stepped back from playing live music for a while, you know, after almost Schumann's second go there in 2009, and I thought, no, I'll sort of give it a break. And then we had a wake for a friend of a family friend called Mick Murphy, and he was a friend of the Kellys, kellys and the Murphys, and normally at a wake, an Irish wake, you'd sing songs you know, songs that parents taught us when we were kids, and then favourite songs, you know could be Beatles or whatever, but you know you would. It's a celebrating celebration.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:And then we were just in this little function room next to the front bar of this in this hotel and we're just strumming away, you know, for hours, you know drinking and strumming, and then the publican came in and we thought he was going to kick us out and we said oh sorry, sorry, sorry, he goes. Oh no, no, he said. He said we've turned off the jukebox hours ago.
Speaker 1:He said we've been listening, we've been listening, you guys all night.
Speaker 2:But I thought so, I thought about it and then the next day I rang up Pad and Brian and that, and I said maybe we should put a band together around these old songs, you know, and just Kelly's Wake just sprang out of nowhere and I think it's actually a wonderful, wonderful band for just bringing joy to people and happiness. You know, I know it's completely the opposite to what I do or what I did prior, like the heavy metal stuff, but I I still think the the overall message is just enjoy yourself, you know, and live in the moment, live in the moment and and love life you know and drink whiskey, yeah drink whiskey, drink well whatever it takes a
Speaker 2:fancy, yeah, red wine but yeah, no, kelly's is great you know like it's a fancy yeah, red wine, but yeah, no, kelly's is great. You know like it's a. You know, rehearsal is a couple of pizzas and two or three bottles of wine. I mean, yeah, when we record the first album, it was, you know, the first session was five bottles of red and the second session was four bottles of red, then a bottle of whiskey, and it was just, you know, the dogs in the recording studio and it's a very, very family, community-based band, you know, and there's no egos, there's no agendas, it's just people loving to play music.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's really organic. I remember Kelly Swaker, actually the very first band that I interviewed for Mega Music TV, way back in Series 1. And you guys just made it so much fun. You're such a great bunch of guys. We had a couple of Barrys, a couple of extra fill-in Barrys.
Speaker 2:I know because the gig we played on the weekend. Paddy had an eye operation on Thursday so he couldn't play. So then the fiddle player's boyfriend, he came up and he played bass and we had Gary Burrows playing drums because Barry's got a Gary Barry. Oh, it was serious, it was like whoa and sometimes it was like a runaway train, you know, it was like where is this going? But it was great, but that's the best, isn't it?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:And people loved it, you know.
Speaker 1:I think that's true, because wherever you play, all over Adelaide, you sell out every time. So Adelaide does love you yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, I don't know how it is, but it's happened and I suppose people just want to. I mean, it's been a tough couple of years, you know, and people just want to forget about all the shit, you know, and they just want to enjoy themselves again, go out and see a live act, but feel good about it, you know, not have to sort of feel inhibited. Just, you know, if they want to sing along, sing, If they want to dance, dance, I mean, you know, because for a couple of years there they weren't allowed to do anything, you know. So people are. They've really responded to, you know, really responded to bands just playing again, Not just Kelly's Wake, but lots of bands.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's for sure. I think we're loving being able to see live music again as much as you guys the performers are loving getting out there and performing again.
Speaker 2:And playing again. Yeah, absolutely. And not only that. I think when you get that sort of reward from people, it inspires you to write new music as well and learn new music. It's a really great revolving door, you know, because the more positive feedback you get from people and the audience, the more it inspires you to do more, and make it more and make it more. Absolutely, it's great. Yeah, you are listening to Still Rocking it the podcast with Cheryl.
Speaker 1:Lee Time, I think, for a song from Kelly Swake. How about Whiskey or the Devil? Ain't that the truth? We'll listen to more of the Mega Music TV interview with Damien Kelly, lead singer of Kelly Swake and Almost Human, again shortly, speaking of new music, that's a pretty good segue.
Speaker 2:Yeah, look at that. Well done, David.
Speaker 1:Into the new improved or the new Almost Human. Oh yes, well, there's another one, yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay. So yeah, there are two projects on the go at the moment. There's the new Almost Human album, which will be called Full Fight. It'll have 24 tracks. It'll probably be a double album. These are songs that we wrote when we were about 17, 18, right up to about mid-20s. So these are like about 24 songs that we've re-recorded.
Speaker 1:And they've never been released before.
Speaker 2:Never been released, so it's going to be great.
Speaker 1:We've got the scoop. You've heard it first here.
Speaker 2:So that's cool, I mean. And so I went back in the studio and did that with Almost Human. But I tell you that was hard to do. Singing heavy metal after singing Irish stuff, the vocal is quite different. That was pretty interesting itself. It was exciting because I was singing all these old songs. I mean, half the lyrics are quite politically incorrect.
Speaker 1:Now you know because we were only kids, you know, we were just like singing whatever we wanted to, and it was a different time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I can guarantee that I haven't changed any of the words because I want people to realise that that was what was going on right then and there. Good, you know, and you know there's nothing. There's nothing too gnarly anyway, you know.
Speaker 1:Who are the members now?
Speaker 2:what this is is look at an anthology, really, of of all the members you know, uh, like david and myself, louis, who was the founding member, uh, chris tucker. Chris tennant spent some time with super jesus, yeah, um. Howard kell, who's passed away now he's the drummer, and then we had michael dryden. We just go through all these people who have been involved in it.
Speaker 2:So basically it, dryden, we just go through all these people who have been involved in it, so basically, it'll be basically a collaboration of all these people you know, and their, their contributions, so we'll sort of try and make it inclusive of everybody, but not only them as well, but people like Sue, uh, people like, uh, lemmy Lee, lemmy Wilson, uh, greta, you know, these are people who are involved on the side, who really made the band bring it up a level or a notch to what it was.
Speaker 2:So there's a lot of people involved and I sort of want to, you know, recognise all those people that helped or were involved and just part of it, because it was a special time. You know, it was a really cool time to be alive and in a band like that, where the energy was just like incredible, it was electric, it was. So it was one of those times that you just can't explain it, you know. It's like it's like, uh, trying to say, having a conversation with someone you know, when you say, oh, getting on stage and singing is quite a great thing, and then you try and sort of equivalent to a drug that you can take that would have the same effect, and you can't.
Speaker 1:It's like that meme we might be old, but we saw all the best bands, it's true. It's true, yeah, we sure did. I remember seeing Dave Kennedy on stage at the Bridgeway not that long ago, when the boys were stuck in town during.
Speaker 2:COVID. It was great to see him back on the stage again.
Speaker 1:Is there any possibility of a live after the album?
Speaker 2:We might do one show just for old time's sake. It's high energy music and that's the problem. But we have been asked to play a festival next year, so we're sort of thinking about maybe just because they sort of bring us on as a vintage metal band, you know. But the band the guy who's running the festival is really keen because he wants to show what you know an old 80s heavy metal band was like in the back of the day.
Speaker 1:Will they truck you in on the back of a truck, like at the?
Speaker 2:wheelchair walking frames you need like a disabled ramp. A mobility scooter Awesome, that would be great.
Speaker 1:I'm there. I'll be there with my walking stick.
Speaker 2:No, it's really great. I'd like to do it great, I'd like to do it. I'd like to do it. So it's just a matter of getting all the puzzle together. When you're dealing with bands, you're always dealing with different individuals, so it's always like a bit of a jigsaw puzzle.
Speaker 1:Jigsaw, yeah, but you know well, good luck getting all that together. Well, we'll see what happens. We'd love to see it. I just wanted to say thank you for all that music over all those years and thank you for coming along today and chatting for us. I haven't finished yet?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I haven't finished yet. Oh no, no, I mean I'm still going to go, I'm still going to write music. It's a wonderful journey, you know. It's only just starting and I'm finding actually now that, because I'm older, I'm finding actually now that, because I'm older, I'm trying to fit more in and I think the more you try and fit in when you're older, the less time Time seems to go faster. You know what I mean? Yeah, it does, because when you're younger it's just like, you know, I don't give a shit. You know, time just goes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'll get it till tomorrow. We've not got forever Anymore, yeah.
Speaker 2:You know like you're over the speed hump now. You know.
Speaker 1:Although we were talking earlier, we're still only 21. Times two plus.
Speaker 2:Well, that's right, it's true, you know. I mean, I remember talking to an old guy once, you know, and he's telling me, you know, I might be 80, he said, but you know, he said, remember, the penis is always 21.
Speaker 1:I'll drink to that. Thanks so much for coming and chatting with us and filling us in on everything almost human and Kelly's Wake today.
Speaker 2:Thanks, cheryl, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:Do you want to throw to the clip? Do you want to throw to the clip? Still on the podcast with that radio chick, cheryl Lee. Thank you for joining me. I hope you've enjoyed being a fly on the wall during the filming of this Mega Music TV episode. We're going to go out with one of Damien's favourite almost human songs from the self-titled almost human album Do or Die. You're with Cheryl Lee, that radio chick. Thank you so much for joining me on the Still Rocking it podcast. Hope to catch you again next time. Get out when you can support Aussie music and I'll see you down the front.