THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF THE SCREAMING JETS

"When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way,
from your first cigarette 'till your last dyin' day……."

The same tenacity and rebellion that made the Jets and the Sharks the cult of youth in 1961's West Side Story, was alive and well in the working class heartland of Newcastle during the early eighties when a couple of mates would talk about forming a great rock band. Heavily influenced by their heroes, AC/DC, The Doors, The Rolling Stones, The Sex Pistols, The Angels and Rose Tattoo, these mates would go on to create one of the most celebrated & controversial live rock bands in Australian music history. Despite 17 years, 6 studio albums, (5 gold and 5 platinum and the latest disc yet to be released), world tours, multiple line up changes and thousands of gigs later……the dyin' day ‘aint here yet!

Dave Gleeson first met Grant Walmsley in 1981 while attending Hamilton Marist Brothers High School, forming their first band "Sudden Impact” later to become "Aspect” in 1985. A few years later with a self-titled EP released and already hundreds of gigs under their belts, Aspect played a concert on Sydney's Goat Island as part of the 1988 Bicentenary Celebrations. This would be the last major outing for Aspect before Gleeson & Walmsley decided to form a new band in 1989 with friend and fellow Aspect bassist Paul Woseen. Joined by Radiators drummer Brad Heaney and guitarist Richard Lara (Belt, The Choirboys), the new band actually performed as "The Love Bombs” before changing their name to the "Screaming Jets”.

That same year saw the Jets take out Triple J's National Battle Of The Bands competition - winning them some recording time, but 1989 would also have a much sadder impact on the band and the population of their beloved "Newy” after a powerful earthquake struck Newcastle with great devastation, killing 13 people and injuring over 150 others. At this time the band would bear witness to the type of power that music played in helping people through tough times when a benefit concert was held in the wake of the disaster. Gleeson recalls the gig at the Newcastle International Sports Centre, (with some 42,000 people in attendance), as one he'll never forget. The concert featured Midnight Oil, Jimmy Barnes, Noiseworks, Spy Vs Spy, Split Enz and Crowded House – the latter 2 of whom were setting up for a gig in Newcastle when the Quake struck. The next 2 years would see the young band carve the fighting and bloody Novacastrian spirit into the hearts of everyone who saw them play. Rock ‘n Roll was their mantle, and they had a black sparkle in their eye!

Riding high on the Triple J success, the Jets hooked up with producer Steve James, (Thin Lizzy, Sex Pistols, Mental As Anything) to record an EP "The Scorching Adventures of the Screaming Jets”, earning the band a rookie ARIA nomination in 1990 and a dream national tour support with The Angels. After moving to Sydney the Jets landed a recording contract with INXS manager Chris Murphy's label "rooArt” (Ratcat, The Hummingbirds). In April1991, the Jet's released their now classic debut album "All For One” with 3 singles entering the national charts, including the iconic smash hit, "Better”, "Shine On” and "Stop The World”, with the single "Better” going gold and the album platinum. This was also when the wider live audience were introduced to the expletive soaked larrikin rants of Gleeson, never an apologist, Gleeson would become infamous for his caustic, yet passionate views on the political and social state of the nation – often causing the band problems such as being dumped as a national tour support for the Divinyls, apparently because Gleeson's mouth was too much.

Hungry for live shows and looking for further success amongst the hard rock hordes of Europe, the Screaming Jets bid farewell to Australia to launch an assault on the UK, basing themselves there for 2 years. The Jets also hit the US where they played with Pearl Jam, Soundgarden & Alice In Chains. While putting together the follow up release to their impressive debut, the band released another killer EP "Living in England” in June 1992, which included covers of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues” and AC/DC's "Aint No Fun (waitin' round to be a millionaire)”. The Jets toured the UK in 1992 with Thunder & Quireboys before closing the Rock Am Ring Festival in Germany in front of 50,000 people.

The band had been back working with Steve James and Micajah Ryan (Guns ‘n Roses) to produce their follow up album "Tear Of Thought” which was released in October 1992, and contained a heavy acoustic cover of Boy's Next Door's Shiver” and another snappy chart single "Helping Hand”. Apart from delivering the band their next hit single, "Shiver” & "Helping Hand” much like "Better” would cement themselves as all time live favourites. "Tear Of Thought” would also go platinum and the band embarked on yet another tour in to the UK, supporting Ugly Kid Joe on their European tour, and then across the US, supporting the likes of Def Leppard, after which guitarist Richard Lara was replaced by Jimmi Hocking (Jimmi Human & Spectre 7). Despite his drumming featuring on the 2nd album, Brad Heaney was replaced mid tour by Judas Priest drummer Dave Holland. After the tour, the sticks were handed to Craig Rosevear (BB Steal)