Choirboys

Shortly after Cold Chisel both defined and popularized the sound of Australian pub rock, Choirboys formed in Sydney's Northern Beaches. Singer Mark Gable, guitarist Brad Carr, and drummer Lindsay Tebbutt performed around Sydney's pub scene for several years through the early '80s before one of their demos fell into the hands of George Young of the Easybeats. Together with Harry Vanda he produced Choirboys' self-titled debut album in 1983. "Never Gonna Die," their first single, made it to the Top 20 of the national charts. While touring, Gable ruptured his vocal chords and the band were forced into hiatus, unable to capitalize on their sudden popularity for three years.

When they re-emerged in 1987 with new guitarist Brett Williams and a new album called Big Bad Noise things continued as if they'd never been gone. The album eventually went double platinum and its lead single "Run to Paradise" became the biggest hit of their career, remaining a soundtrack for football games and backyard barbecues for decades to come. Big Bad Noise's other singles, "Struggletown" and "Boys Will Be Boys" both charted as well. This success afforded them the chance to travel to Los Angeles in 1991 to record their follow-up album, Midnight Sun, but like all of their later releases it didn't repeat the success of Big Bad Noise. That year they also recorded a live album, Dead Drunk Live Hangovers, at a concert in Melbourne. Richard Lara of the Screaming Jets and Barton Price of the Models joined the band on guitar and drums respectively in 1996, when they released two albums, Dancing on the Grave of Rock 'N' Roll and Yo Yo. Price left to be replaced by Paul Wheeler of fellow pub rock legends Icehouse before their 2004 album, Evolver. That year they had a bigger hit when Mark Gable contributed a new vocal take for a remix of "Run to Paradise" by Nick Skitz, a DJ known for making minimal changes to pop hits of yesteryear to turn them into dance hits of today. The single, credited to Nick Skitz vs. Choirboys, went platinum. In 2007 they released their tenth album, So Easy. ~ Jody Macgregor, Rovi