The Radiators (Australian band)

The Radiators were formed in Western Sydney in September 1978 as a pub rock band with Brendan Callinan on keyboards and vocals, Brian Nichol on lead vocals, Stephen "Fess" Parker on guitar, Chris Tagg on drums and Geoff Turner on bass.[1] Nichol and Parker grew up in Bega where they attended the local high school. They formed a local group, Undecided, and in 1969 they relocated to Sydney.[2] Callinan, Nichol, Parker and Tagg were all ex-members of hard rockers, Big Swifty which had formed in 1975.[1] Turner had been in Twister which had issued two singles in 1977 before disbanding.[1] The Radiators signed with WEA Records and issued their debut single, "Comin' Home" in September 1979.[1] It peaked at No. 33 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart.[3] A second single, "Fess' Song/Gimme Head" was released in February 1980.[1] In March 1980 the group released their first album, Feel the Heat, which was produced by Charles Fisher (Radio Birdman, Ol' 55).[4] They supported the Australian leg of a tour by United Kingdom rock group, The Police.[1]

In 1981 Powderworks Records released Up for Grabs in August, which reached the top 40.[1][3] The Radiators signed with EMI Records and, in May 1983, released the album, Scream of the Real, which peaked at No. 15 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart.[1][3] That month its lead single, "No Tragedy" reached the top 30.[1][3] In 1984 they released Life's a Gamble, which became their third platinum album.[1] In June Tagg was replaced on drums by Mick Buckley.[1][4] The group toured constantly, averaging 200 gigs a year and by 1985 had performed an estimated 1500 times, Turner explained, "Your fingers and throat start hurting ... It's a bit of a grind and it seems never-ending... [but] there's nothing else we'd rather do than play rock and roll. I can't imagine life without the Rads".[5]

In late 1986, they signed with Mercury Records and released Nasty Habits in Nice Children in March 1987, which was produced by Peter Blyton (Chain).[1][4] That June, Buckley was replaced on drums by Brad Heaney.[1][4] Heaney was replaced in turn by Mark Lucas and then in 1988 Callinan left without being replaced.[1][4] In January 1989 Heaney was a founding member of hard rock group, The Screaming Jets.[6]

By the early 1990s, the band's "boogie rock" style was outmoded and Turner noted that media referred to their fans as "mindless yobbos from the west".[1][5] However, rock music author, James Cockington, felt "[p]art of their appeal is their refusal to change their style, so that a 1978 gig and a 1998 gig are strangely similar experiences".[5] Further albums include Radiators (October 1993), Stone (September 1995), In the Roar (1997) and Smoke and Mirrors (2000).[1][4] In 2001 veteran Australian guitarist Ted Mulry was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and a series of tribute concerts, Gimme Ted, were organised. The Radiators' performance on 10 March was recorded with seven-tracks issued on a 2× DVD as Gimme Ted – The Ted Mulry Benefit Concerts by Various Artists (2003).[7]

The Radiators appeared in the Countdown Spectacular 2 concert series in Australia between late-August and early-September 2007.[8] They sang two songs including "Comin' Home", which was issued on the associated 3× CD set, Countdown Spectacular Live – Volume Two (2007).

According to the band's website, as of 2008, the line up of Lucas, Nichol, Parker and Turner celebrated the group's 30th anniversary and toured throughout Australia.[9] In June 2009 they performed at the 31st Annual Golden Stave Charity Luncheon at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion.[10] Rock music historian, Ian McFarlane described the group as "an archetypal, hard-working pub-rock band capable of delivering tightly crafted, well-executed, hard-hitting metal-pop anthems backed by a playful sense of humour. The band toured constantly, racking up over 2500 gigs by the early 1990s".[1]

Aside from his work with The Radiators, Lucas has taught drumming since the mid-1980s including students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).[11] As of 2008, Callinan is a sales and marketing manager of Roland Corporation and an executive committee member of Support Act Limited.[12] In May 2008, Buckley was a member of country music group, The Yeehaa Boys – alongside Steve Balbi (Noiseworks) – which issued a self-titled album.[13]

• Official website