When it came time to find an Australian support to share the stage with them on their final tour, The Damned sent a list of potential bands. That “list” only had one name on it: The Hard Ons. No substitutes would be considered.
As one of Australia’s most legendary punk purveyors, The Hard Ons need little introduction. Their first single, 1985’s Surfin’ On My Face, was the first of an unprecedented 17 consecutive No. 1’s on the Australian alternative music charts. They were the third Aussie band ever, after Nick Cave and the Go Betweens, to crack the NME Top 5 in the UK and their blistering version of Let There Be Rock with Henry Rollins is one of the greatest covers of all time! It lead to the band and Hank playing 4 songs together on the inaugural Big Day Out in 1992. Legends.
In 2021, the Hard-Ons drafted long-time friend Tim Rogers, the driving force behind the chart-busting, platinum-selling and award-winning power-pop act You Am I, as their lead vocalist and now boast a brilliantly expressive and charismatic front-man to augment their rampaging, supercharged punk – metal – power-pop hybrid.
Their first album together, released in the same year; I’m Sorry Sir, That Riff’s Been Taken scored the band their highest-ever chart position. Crashing into the charts at #4 some 39 years after their formation. This was followed up by last year’s Ripper 23 which is bursting at the seams with a series of blistering pop and punk nuggets as only this genre-busting band can produce.
For Blackie, Ray, Murray and Tim to be four decades in and on top of their game is testament to the band’s endurance, creativity and a fan base that is beyond loyal.
The Hard Ons & The Damned – quite possibly the best pairing since tea and crumpets.
