In Days of Old...

In January of '87, two rock bands from the Byron/Tweed area met with similar fates. After three years of popularity on the circuit, The Blest and Rockola reached their use-by dates and folded. Within a month the remnants, two players from each, formed Bourbon Street and debuted at the Top Pub in Byron Bay, now known as the Beach Hotel.

Local success was immediate and the band quickly became a fixture of the local area. From Southport to Coffs Harbour, Bourbon Street played every conceivable venue on any given night. The local papers were littered with articles, photos and ads depicting the band and it wasn't long before their reputation spread to the big smoke.

Sydney proved to be the perfect canvas for Bourbon Street to expand their horizons. As the crowds swelled, so did the demand for original material. In late '87, the band released a 45rpm single on vinyl. "Eyes the Size of Stars" slowly crept the local charts in early '88 and peaked at # 9 on the Lismore-based 2LM. An album soon followed in late 1988. "Stronger Than Dirt," featured six original songs and five covers. The first song on the first side was a cover of Neil Young's "Powder Finger" and this became the band's traditional opener for live shows. A young band who followed Bourbon Street and whose instruments were Bourbon Street hand-me-downs, chose this song title as their band's namesake.

"Stronger Than Dirt," although independently released, became a cult classic. It was re-pressed four times but still remains a collector's item. Even the band members themselves haven't got original copies.

Constant touring took its toll on lead vocalist Colin Germano, and the band was forced off the road somewhere in the middle of '88. Two operations, three months of silence and a few short rehab road trips later, Bourbon Street were back on the circuit doing 250 gigs a year.

In August of '90, they recorded an entire live show in Nimbin, parts of which were released late that year as "Live By Night", the band's 2nd album. This was followed up with extensive tours of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The band then took on Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County and Las Vegas. It was in Hollywood that the band was courted by Capital Records.

Bourbon Street had captured the hearts of Capital's A & R department during several live shows in the surrounding area. On the verge of signing what would have been an absolute coup for an unsigned Australian rock band at the time, negotiations broke down with the band's management and the deal was tossed.

A Longbeach-based cinematographer took a keen interest in the band and set about producing a documentary on the lifestyle and music of these Australians called Bourbon Street. In-depth interviews and live footage of six original songs was compiled into a full one-hour presentation. Sadly, two weeks before the film was to air in the Los Angeles/ Orange County area, the show was abruptly cancelled and the producer disappeared with the footage, never to be heard from again.

 

 

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