The Saints ’73-’78

Event Details

$44 ADV | $49 DOOR

Thurs. 11/6: Doors 7 pm | Show 8 pm

Fri. 11/7: Doors 8 pm | Show 9 pm

The Saints

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Following a hugely successful debut Australian tour in 2024 (12,000 payers over 12 shows) The Saints ’73-’78 will make their UK debut this November.

Featuring founding Saints members, guitarist Ed Kuepper and drummer Ivor Hay alongside honorary Saints; singer Mark Arm of Seattle rockers Mudhoney, former The Birthday Party / Bad Seeds guitarist Mick Harvey and bassist Peter Oxley of Australia’s legendary Sunnyboys, The Saints ’73 -’78 carry on where the original band left off in 1978 performing the material from their three incendiary albums (I’m) Stranded (1977), Eternally Yours (1978) and Prehistoric Sounds (1978).

 “The Saints first three albums rank among the best records ever made. They have been a part of my life since stumbling upon them in the early 80s. Their influence looms large in Mudhoney world. I am stoked, stunned, and humbled that I get to join in on this Rock ‘n’ Roll Reality Camp with Ed, Ivor, Peter and Mick!”– Mark Arm

The tour also comes off the back of a recent 4 LP box set of 1977’s ground breaking debut (I’m) Stranded which features the original album remastered for vinyl for the first time in over 40 years, the previously unreleased 1976 mix of the album, a 5-song live performance from April 1977 at Sydney’s Paddington Town Hall, a full live show from the London’s Hope and Anchor in November 1977 plus all recordings from the 1977 Top 40 charting This Perfect Day and 1-2-3-4 ep sessions.

“… 10 tracks of fast and angry rock music that – unlike the Ramones and their copyists – used tension and release to heighten the effect of the mid-tempo Story Of Love and the shredding feedback jam Nights In Venice. An essential document this, from one of the era’s fiercest and greatest groups” – Jon Savage (Mojo)

All off it still sounds nearly as rowdy, feral and cheerfully full of itself as it must have at the time: between Bailey’s eloquent swagger and Kuepper’s furious gravity lay a total confidence in how utterly astonishing The Saints were.’’ – Andrew Mueller (Uncut)

For the Australian tour The Saints ’73-’78 fleshed themselves out to an 8-piece line-up which included a 3-piece brass section bringing to life all those previously unheard Prehistoric Sounds tracks, the classic Know Your Product and more.

“This wasn’t a tribute to the Saints … it was something else. It was eight guys on stage reaching for magic, devoted to the moment and delivering one of the greatest final furlongs I’ve seen in four decades of watching live music.” Sean Sennett Time Off 

“The towering impressions left by the nights proceedings? That Kuepper is a motherfucker of a guitar-player, his sound just as molten and unrelenting as back in the day”. – UNCUT

“So…..this was no tribute band…..no hackneyed cabaret act. This was a band on fire. From the first few bars of opening song, This Perfect Day, through to the last drops of the chaotic frenzy that is Nights In Venice, The Saints pummelled our senses with 20 songs of jaw-dropping intensity” – Backseat Mafia

In their original guise The Saints existed from 1973 -1978 self-releasing the legendary (I’m) Stranded single in September 1976 in the process pre-dating releases from Sex Pistols, Damned, Buzzocks and The Clash. Following the release of their debut album, also titled (I’m) Stranded, in February 1977, The Saints moved to the UK in May playing their first show with Ramones. Over the next twelve months the band would release their only UK charting record, the exquisite 7” This Perfect Day, record and release the 1-2-3-4 ep and record two further albums, the critically acclaimed Eternally Yours (1978) and Prehistoric Sounds (1978) before calling it quits.

Following their demise guitarist Ed Kuepper resisted the urge to perform under the banner of The Saints and instead returned to Australia to begin his new group, the equalling as ground-breaking Laughing Clowns who would prove a significant influence on the post-punk scene and in particular on Nick Cave and The Birthday Party and even residing in the UK for a spell. Eventually Kuepper would turn to his own name producing over 15 solo albums earning him numerous ARIA awards at home. He would continue to record instrumental soundtracks, revert to his more rock mode via albums with The Aints and The Aints! enjoy a spell as guitarist with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (replacing Mick Harvey) join forces with the experimental jazz outfit the Alister Spence Trio under the banner Asteroid Ekosystem and has just released After the Flood, an album with the brilliant Jim White, drummer for Dirty Three, The Hard Quartet and The Double.

Saints singer Chris Bailey would carry on with the name The Saints continuing to move more into his first love of folk and r’n’b, finding some chart success in Australia during the mid-eighties. The Boss Bruce Springsteen even recording the Bailey track (Just Like) Firewould for his 2014 live album High Hopes.

Saints founding members Bailey, Kuepper and drummer Ivor Hay would eventually reform for Brisbane’s Pig City concert in 2007 releasing a live album of the same name and then again in 2009 at the behest of Mr. Cave and Mick Harvey for the Australian All Tomorrow’s Parties Festivals. These would be the last shows the original three would perform together.

In 2023 with the announcement of The Saints (I’m) Stranded box set and following the 2022 death of Chris Bailey, the decision was made to assemble a band who could most represent the songs performed on those first three incendiary albums. Not choosing to replicate Bailey, in Mark Arm, the band found a singer who could deliver with intensity and a real passion for the material. Allrounder Mick Harvey (ex-Bad Seeds) was a natural choice to help replicate the parts played on the albums, be it guitar or keyboard, and also as he was one of the rare few to have seen the band perform in 1977 on home soil. Bassist Peter Oxley of Sydney’s legendary Sunnyboys has been a long-time foil of Kuepper’s across various solo and band entities and remains a firm disciple of 1977-78 era Saints bassist Algy Ward. Rounding out The Saints ’73-’78 is a three-piece brass section featuring both tenor and baritone sax, trumpet and French horn and includes masters of their craft, Eamon Dilworth and Julien Wilson.

The Saints ’73-’78 November tour will be the first time the material from the original band and their three albums plus respective eps and singles will have ever been performed in the USA.

And joining The Saints ’73-’78 on all dates are fast-rising Australia duo Chimers. Recipients of numerous ‘best of 2024’ album nods for their sophomore effort Through Today released locally by 12XU records. 10 tracks of laser focussed intensity that has seen them receive friends and favour from Henry Rollins to Built to Spill to Mudhoney to The Saints ’73-’78. Indeed; Gerard Cosloy of Matador Records notoriety signed them to his 12XU label having witnessed them just once. Crikey!

Praise for The Saints

“Of all the places for one of the best bands to come from, it’s Brisbane, Australia. And they were doing it way before anybody else. They were playing live in like, ‘73. They were just an amazing band. Sort of like the Australian version of the Ramones but they didn’t look the part. I remember at the time thinking, those guys need to go to the barber. But that’s how shallow a lot of people were about bands at the time and they didn’t get the recognition they deserved. And I feel it was because of the way they looked. Never was a more punky record made but for some reason, well, for the reasons I’ve just said, they were criminally overlooked. I’d love to have seen them live but never did.” – Jim Reid (The Jesus & Mary Chain) 

“The Saints came down from Brisbane (to Melbourne) with a sound that they had worked out entirely on their own which really sat before the punk thing happened in Britain. They got there first. There was one prevailing emotion that came from those live shows and that was complete contempt, about everything, and that was really unbelievably exciting. They had it all down. We were just flailing around” – Nick Cave

(I’m) Stranded is one of the hottest walking, incendiary, original rock albums ever recorded. This record is still as relevant to ne now as it was back then – Henry Rollins

chimers

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