Beachhead (NSW)

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BEACHHEAD came into being in early 1980 when it was heard that Kings Cross (Sydney) nightclub, La Bastille required a band for its midnight to dawn slot on Friday and Saturday nights. The venue also doubled as a coffee bar and brothel with the audience often including many 'ladies of the night' between jobs.

Mainly the band played to the usual collection of late night drinkers, but became a favourite with other musicians, usually those who had just finished their own gigs in other parts of town and were in for last drinks to wind down before going home to bed.

For the next two years the band played at a number of different venues in both Sydney and Wollongong. At one stage holding residencies simultaneously at SONIA'S in the Leichhardt Hotel, French's Tavern in Darlinghurst, La Bastille and the Wentworthville Hotel.

Since that time there have been many different line-ups, with one particular combination performing as BEACHHEAD's BLUES staying together from around August 1993, when it recorded five tracks released on a cassette in December that year, until January 1996 and gaining a huge following as it toured up and down the east coast. From Agnes Waters, north of Bundaberg in Queensland, as far south as Portland, a town on the south western coast of Victoria, just short of the South Australian border.

The current variation has been together since around August 1996 and has played a number of venues in Sydney and prestigious festivals receiving extremely high praise from all those punters lucky enough to catch them.

BEACHHEAD play their own brand of R'n'B, sticking close to the roots, but making the music just that bit more accessible to those in the audience who are likely to ask, "So, what is blues, anyway?".

Beachhead with Rod 'Beachhead' Jeffery (vocals/leader), Gary 'Guitar' Dale (lead guitar/vocals), Raoul Hawkins (bass) and Adam 'Trev' Barnard (drums) will feature at the 2008 Australian Blues Music Festival.

Visit Beachhead's website at: www.beachblues.org