Australian rock and roll legends Skyhooks are set to reunite for a very special one-off performance this month, but just who will front the iconic homegrown glam rockers remains to be seen. The band’s original frontman, Graeme ‘Shirley’ Strachan, died in a helicopter crash in 2001.

The band announced their sudden reformation via their website. They are set to perform during the Rockwiz Live! Salutes The ARIA Hall Of Fame stage show, which will take place at St Kilda’s iconic Palais Theatre in Melbourne on 8th October.

The show serves as a spin-off of the popular SBS quiz series Rockwiz, hosted by Julia Zemiro and Brian Nankervis. Both Zemiro and Nankervis will host Rockwiz Live, but the stage show will not be filmed for an episode of the SBS series.

According to a statement from the band, it was Nankervis that convinced guitarist Red Symons to get the band back together. Symons had originally agreed to appear on the panel as part of Rockwiz Live.

“Many of you would of saw this on the Rockwiz mail out. After Brian convinced Red Symons to appear on the panel at The Palais on Thursday October 8, talk turned to his other band mates joining him on stage to play. The only unresolved question ? who would sing???” (sic),” they wrote.

As the Sydney Morning Herald notes, news of Skyhooks’ return coincides with Warner Music recently announcing the upcoming release of the band’s 40th anniversary collection, titled Don’t You Believe What You’ve Seen Or You’ve Heard.

The album features remastered and expanded editions of the band’s first two albums, Living In The 70s and Ego Is Not A Dirty Word, which both reached number in Australia and are now considered essential Australian rock releases.

Whilst the band have not alluded to what their setlist will consist of, fans will no doubt be disappointed if it doesn’t include iconic hit like ‘Ego Is Not A Dirty Word’, ‘Horror Movie’, ‘Living In The 70s’, and ‘All My Friends Are Getting Married’.

After disbanding in the early ’80s, Symons rose to prominence as the host of the Red Faces segment on Hey Hey It’s Saturday and currently hosts a breakfast show on Melbourne’s ABC radio station 774.

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