The Eastern Dark is one of the best respected Australian rock bands of the Eighties. With a mix of Sixties-via-Ramones pop smarts, hard rock crunch and punkish energy, their slim output has produced a world-wide cult awareness. If they're not quite as well known as other Sydney groups of the period like the Hard-Ons or Beasts Of Bourbon, it's because a tragic, on-tour road accident claimed the life of singer/songwriter/guitarist James Darroch.
In early 1984 Darroch's bass playing role with the Celibate Rifles wasn't working out. It was obvious to all that the time had come for James to lead his own band. Switching from bass to guitar, Darroch enlisted drummer Geoff Milne, who he'd jammed with at a party, and Bill Gibson, best known at the time as sometime MC and backing vocalist for the Lime Spiders. After a couple of rehearsals the three piece was christened The Eastern Dark, after the locale where the baddies come from in long running comic The Phantom. They played their first show that May.
The group achieved early notoriety for their habit of opening their sets with a Ramones song; in fact playing each Ramones song once only in chronological/album listing order. A growing audience followed them as much for their on stage goofiness and strong harmonies as their no nonsense rock. By early '85 the group was ready to record a single. Released in July and produced by Radio Birdman's Rob Younger, Julie Is A Junkie/Johnny And Dee Dee was hailed as a power pop classic in underground press the world over. An inspired homage to the Ramones, it even got the group some mail from da Brudders.
With Rob Younger again at the helm, the band put to tape the EP Long Live The New Flesh, with which their scope was widened without losing any power or immediacy. On March 4th, 1986, with an as-yet-unheard cassette of the freshly mixed record with them, the band routinely set off for the 900 km drive to Melbourne for a run of shows when tragedy struck. The EP was released later that year to a mixture of wonder at its contents and renewed grief for such potential cut short.
After lengthy convalescences, both Geoff Milne and Bill Gibson resumed their performing and recording careers. Milne can be heard on releases by the Plunderers and Red Planet Rocketts, while Gibson recorded for releases by Smelly Tongues, Hellmenn, New Christs, Hey! Charger, the Pyramidiacs, Bernie Hayes and the Lemonheads.
In 1990, they hand picked the best available live recordings of previously unreleased Dark tunes for the Girls On The Beach (With Cars) double album. The Half A Cow compilation Where Are All The Single Girls, released in 2000, makes the original single and EP available on CD for the first time while adding all the original tunes and studio outtakes from Girls On The Beach (With Cars).
I had many a great night watching The Eastern Dark at the Trade,POW in Melb. What a great band I say! I still have the 7 inch single of 'Julie'.Keep the Eastern Dark vibe (though I hate that word-vibe) alive as you were such an fuckmazing band!!! Cheers Rick
That must be the taurus connection , been wondering how you doin as well...have to get Lola and jump on a train to come see your new home, hope its all ok ? Love you loads my friend, xxoo
Bill-os!!!!!!! How are you mate, no doubt got your finger in a few musical pies! Stoked to have you in our friends, been a long while since the days of the Sutho Royal but me we are still going in myspace land. Sing out if ya want any of the songs on mp3 and if ya ain't heard Throttle check 'em out in our friends, you would love them and i know they love the 'Dark. Cheers, more beers and respect from the Battle Drinkers in Cronulla.
