Australian rock Angels have just dropped a bombshell announcement with news of a new singer, a new drummer, a new tour AND a new album. Get your knives and forks out, there’s quite a lot to chew on here…

Brothers Rick and John Brewster, who developed the core of what became Australia’s chart-thumping, genre-pushing rock band The Angels, had been facing a tough decision about the future of their group in early 2011. Following the departure of singer Doc Neeson, to puruse his solo career a few months earlier, they – along with bassist Chris Bailey – began the search for a new vocalist.

With an album’s worth of new material itching beneath their fingertips and musical brains to get recorded, they eventually found their new singer in former Screaming Jets frontman, Dave Gleeson, a veteran of the scene for over 20 years. He eventually joined the band after a pub show where John Brewster spotted the singer in the crowd and invited him up on stage to join in on a few numbers.

“John and I looked at each other,” says Rick Brewster, “and we knew when we heard Dave’s voice on ‘Marseilles’ and ‘I Ain’t The One….’ we just knew right there, that night, it could work.”

Jump to a few weeks later and Gleeson was walking into the studio as an official part of The Angels lineup to work on their new album, along with recently recruited drummer Nick Norton. “We knew right then, we had a band,” says John Brewster, who produced the new album with his borther, Rick. “We knew it could work onstage with Dave, but it had to work in the studio. Dave sang this new song (‘Waiting For The Sun’) three times, bam, bam, bam, we used the second take.”

Following on from the success of their 2011 national Waiting For The Sun Tour, the band reconvened at Sydney’s Albert Studios to lay down 14 songs, recorded in just nine days, with no record deal or plans. “We felt like we had a real opportunity to show what we could do,” says bassist Chris Bailey. “It was an open canvas. There were no expectations. We didn’t have to deliver for anybody but ourselves. We all wanted to be there, we all wanted to play, we all wanted to make a new Angels album. A great album. And that’s what we did.”

Take It To The Streets is the result, fourteen new tracks from a band that’s fresh in approach but veteran in spirit. A release date is yet to be set, but the album will be initially packaged as a limited edition 2CD set, packaged with a bonus live disc featuring a set of classics along with brand new songs, recorded at QPAC in Brisbane.

To celebrate the release of Take It To The Streets, The Angels are taking their new album title literally and hitting the road in a big way.

On top of their already announced headlining appearance at Sydney’s Blues N Roots Festival, the newly assembled lineup will be bringing their five decade-strong catalogue – new material and all – Australia-wide with a national headline tour, as well as appearances at Day On The Green with fellow Australian acts, like Hoodoo Gurus, Baby Animals and Boom Crash Opera (full dates and details below).

“This is a dream come true for me,” says Dave Gleeson of the new record and epic tour plans, “it doesn’t get much better than to record an album with The Angels. And it’s the right time to make a rock record like this. There’s too much machine music out there, and rock got too soft. This album is what rock is all about.”

THE ANGELS TAKE IT TO THE STREETS TOUR // AUSTRALIAN 2012 DATES

Wed Sep 19 The Norwood Hotel/Norwood SA
Tickets on sale now: 08 8431 1822 www.thenorwood.com.au

Thu Sept 20 Corner Hotel, Richmond, VIC
Tickets on sale now: 03 9427 9198 www.cornerhotel.com.au

Fri Sept 21 The Bridge Hotel, Rozelle, NSW
Tickets on sale now: 1300 GET TIX www.moshtix.com.au
Or phone 132 849 www.ticketek.com.au

Sat Sept 22 The Bridge Hotel, Rozelle, NSW
Tickets on sale now: 1300 GET TIX www.moshtix.com.au
Or phone 132 849 www.ticketek.com.au

A DAY ON THE GREEN: –
HOODOO GURUS/THE ANGELS/ BABY ANIMALS/
JAMES REYNE / BOOM CRASH OPERA

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 4 SIRROMET WINES, MT COTTON QLD
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 10 BIMBADGEN WINERY, HUNTER VALLEY NSW
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 24 ROCHFORD WINES, YARRA VALLEY VIC
SATURDAY DECEMBER 1 PETER LEHMANN WINES, BAROSSA VALLEY SA
SATURDAY DECEMBER 8 JOSEF CHROMY WINES, LAUNCESTON TAS

THE ANGELS/ BABY ANIMALS/IAN MOSS
JAMES REYNE / BOOM CRASH OPERA

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17 KINGS PARK, PERTH WA

Tickets for all A DAY ON THE GREEN shows on sale Friday August 17TH, 2012.
Event information: www.adayonthegreen.com.au

SYDNEY BLUES N ROOTS FESTIVAL

October 25-28, Windsor, Sydney NSW
Full 4-day pass– $149.00 and full tickets and information at www.sydneybluesfestival.com.au

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