2011 Unknown Blues Reunion - The Southland Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame Workingmen’s Club Sat 25 Sep Unknown Blues

After the Romanian RWC team departed the province scoreless, the Unknown Blues arrived ready to plug in the amps and lay it down. Following an absence of 43 years, the long-awaited reunion of the full-line-up of the Unknown Blues came to fruition on Saturday night.

The reunion gig was largely due to the willingness of the band members to get together once again and by the hard work put in by the Southland Musicians Club organisers and those others behind the scenes.

Although various members of the band had played with each other in reunion mode before Saturday night, the full reconstituted band had only rehearsed as a unit over that week. The short Friday night stint at the Appleby was essentially did double as a warm-up gig, but its prime purpose was to support the Southern Blues Club band night and the occasion of Marty Astone’s visit from Perth.

The significance of the Unknown Blues reunion gig cannot be overstated. While Southland has produced a number of good musicians who have gone onto fame and fortune, the Unknown Blues story of wild gigs and the even wilder parties has generated a reputation and mystique that has interested music writers both in NZ and overseas. Anyone who went to an Unknown Blues show or who knew them has a story.

A film documentary project currently being pursued by Simon Ogston of Bellbird Pictures will try and bring us the truth (but hopefully not too much of it) behind the stories and maybe separate fact from fiction. It will examine the Unknown Blues association with local biker gang the Antarctic Angels led by Roy Reid and what prompted Vaughan Mackay to play at a local dance wearing a WWII German uniform.  The band is still debating whether it was the RSA or some other venue. When finished the Ogston documentary will be a cracker.

On the night the Unknown Blues delivered a memorable set comprised of songs they played when first starting out. From the outset it was evident that the Unknown Blues had not lost any of the zeal and off-the-cuff cheekines, that characterised their shows.

Led by Dave Hogan, the charismatic and witty ring-master the band blasted through a range of 60’s rhythm and blues songs to the delight of those old-timers who came to experience the return of the most controversial that Southland has produced. In typical witty style Vaughan Mackay, stopped playing to request bourbon, and as an afterthought, six people to carry him off the stage afterwards. Dave Hogan made it clear he wasn’t volunteering. The interplay between Hogan and Mackay is classic.

It was no accident that the last song played was the Rolling Stone’s “Last Time” which may or may not be an indication about any future Unknown Blues reunion. I can envisage a return by Dave Hogan and possibly Vaughan Mackay for some Appleby gigs, but getting the whole band back together is probably not something that will be foremost on their minds right now.

"Well this could be the last time
This could be the last time
Maybe the last time
I don't know. Oh no. Oh no"

But from me and all of the other old buggers who remember the raucous times in Invercargill in the late 1960’s, thank you guys and to the Southland Musician’s Club organisers for making possible what many would have thought impossible.

 As a wrap-up the list of the old faces that I ran into, or were spotted, over the weekend is: Tony Bennett, Jackie Cooper, Bob Daley, Trevor Daley, Mana Davis, Ray Eade, Terry Fitzgerald, Maaki Goodwillie, Ken Jones, John Kennedy, Paul Kirkwood, Neil McDermott, Bob Newbury, Taff Hewton, Basil Quinlan, Ray Quinlan

More photos of the Unknown Blues