STARS

The first full album of all original new STARS songs since the late 70’s.  ‘One More Circle Around the Sun’ features 10 tracks of classic Australian country rock with the distinctive voice of MICK PEALING,  one of the greats,  and the spectacular guitar work of Mal Eastick, together with a rhythm section to die for – ROGER McLACHLAN on bass, ERICK CHESS on drums and acoustic maestro NICK CHARLES rounding off the excellent production.  There are songs of love, nostalgia, and a wake-up call to our leaders & climate change sceptics.

Seriously…can’t tell you just how good this album is…suffice to say it has been on ridiculously high rotation instore…great songs, beautifully played, Mick Pealing is in fine voice, his & Nick Charles new songs are instant “classics” & feature  superb production & sequencing….and contains so many “ear worm” songs…you’ll be humming them all day!  It’s a corker!!
Basement Discs, Melbourne  

Stephen Renfree (Posted in Facebook)

A lot of people don't remember Stars.  Or The Dingoes, Or any of those bands who, forty something years ago, took our Aussie cultural cringe by the ears and gave it a big shake.  

Stars were Australian and proud of it.  They wore their heritage on their album covers and in the lyrics to their songs.  And they nibbled at the raw edges of country, distilled everything that was emotional about that genre, and wrapped it in fine guitar rock.  It was a million miles away from the music I loved back then, but for some reason I adored Stars.  This was music that pushed my gum tree buttons like no other.

And then it stopped.  Andy Durant, principle songwriter, was dead from cancer in May 1980.  He was only twenty five, yet he wrote with a sensitivity of someone twice his age.  Listen to “The Last Of The Riverboats,” written on the banks of the Murray River at Echuca.  Andy’s short life was celebrated at the Palais with a memorial concert, performed by the rest of Stars and a who's who of Aussie Rock.  A double album was released and money raised for cancer treatment.  And a few of Andy’s last songs, like the exquisite “Ocean Deep,” saw the light of day.  

The reunion seemed to happen quite suddenly, although I'm sure those five gifted individuals participating would tell a different story.  It's 2018 and we're at a house party.   I'm chatting to a charming bloke my age who has some sort of a day job involving computers.  He tells me that he was once in a band with Roger, and they're thinking of getting it back together.  “Do you remember Stars?” he asks, and my eyes mist over. 

There's been two albums since that house party, and many gigs. Andy Durant’s place has been taken by a great blues exponent Nick Charles.  Glyn Dowding has hung up his sticks, replaced by the lovely Erik Chess. Otherwise it's still Mick Pealing, Mal Eastick and Roger McLaughlin on vocals, lead guitar and bass respectively.  

I’d almost forgotten that Mal's playing could suck tears from the coldest soul, and a few of the songs, beautifully sung by Mick, do the same.  I dab my cynical old face, silently thanking Andy in riverbank heaven, as well as offering a blessing to those on stage.  This band is sharp and powerful and emotive.  See them if you get a chance.