|
Greg
Appel (12 string guitar, vocals, songwriter)
Juliet
Ward (lead vocals)
Steven
Williams (drums)
Stephen
O'Neil (bass, guitar, early drums)
Michael
'Blue' Dalton (harmonica, slide guitar, bass) |
The
Lighthouse Keepers' tasteful, jangly brand of country-tinged
folk rock was at odds with prevailing trends on Sydney's early
1980s, Detroit-besotted independent scene. The band nevertheless
issued a number of albums and singles, and always lived up
to audience expectations.
In
1983, The Lighthouse Keepers issued their debut single, 'Gargoyle'/'Demolition
Man', 'Quick Sticks', and the low-fi mini-album The Exploding
Lighthouse Keepers on their own independent Guthega Pipeline
label. For the mini-album, the band added drummer Steven Williams
(ex-Particles), allowing Stephen O'Neil to concentrate on
bass, guitar and sax.
Sydney
independent label Hot reissued The Lighthouse Keepers' 'Gargoyle'
single (August 1984), as well as putting out the band's full-length
debut album Tales of the Unexpected (November). 'Ocean Liner'/'Sad
Tale' was lifted as a single (November). Hot issued a third
single, 'Ode to Nothing'/'Seven Years', in August 1985, and
the band flew to the UK for a series of shows (including supporting
fellow Australians The Triffids in London).
The
Lighthouse Keepers broke up in early 1986. As a farewell gesture,
the band compiled the 'Gargoyle' and 'Ode to Nothing' singles,
the Exploding mini-album and two previously unissued tracks,
'Mr Wicked' and 'Lair', on the album Imploding (November 1986).
Greg Appel and Juliet Ward went on to The Rainlovers, which
became The Widdershins;
Dalton joined The Honeys; O'Neil joined The Cannanes.
The
compilation CD, Lipsnipegroin was released in 1992, six years
after the band's break-up.
March 2007
Juliet recorded a short set for an Insatiable Banalities podcast on Sunday 25th February, 2007.
Go here to read all about it and listen. If you want to download it, don't follow their suggested link as it's gone. Go here instead (right click and save linked file as..). Let me know if that link disappears as I've downloaded it already.
May 23 2003
Juliet Ward, Greg Appel and Stephen O'Neil convened to play some Lighthouse Keepers classics at TALES FROM THE AUSTRALIAN UNDERGROUND
at The Metro in Sydney. From SMH online:
As with most of the artists on the night, Juliet Ward still writes and sings, usually in her hometown of Canberra. She plans to release an album later this year.
But for many of us she remains the small, dark and mysterious person behind the long fringe who provided the tremulous and comforting vocals in the Lighthouse Keepers.
They were the antithesis of the hard-sounding Detroit-style bands and the paisley-wearing '60s guitar bands that dominated Sydney's underground scene, thanks to the chronically gentle acoustic folk songs of Greg Appel.
They put out two albums but never got their songs onto radio or into the suburbs.
It's possible tomorrow's show will be the biggest audience they've ever played. "At first I was aghast at the whole idea of going back, but now I'm really looking forward to it," says Ward. "They're good songs."
She, Appel and original bassist Stephen O'Neil haven't played together for more than a decade and will probably only have a handful of rehearsals under their belts before tomorrow night. Not that anyone's fussed.
"We were never a greatly rehearsed band," Ward says with a laugh. "We want to keep it authentic." |
