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When my band,
Dave Warner's From the Suburbs, first toured the eastern
states of Australia in 1978, our record label boss, Michael Gudinski,
gave us the support slot to his number one band, Skyhooks.
It was
just after Women In Uniform had been released, and they
were huge. The first gig we did in Sydney was at Castle Hill RSL.
It went pretty well, but we were damn nervous. In those days it
wasn't common for the headline acts to have anything to do with
their support bands, but Shirl wasn't like that. He poked his
smiling face and curly head into our dressing room and wished
us luck.
It was also
a case in those days that the headline acts would tell their sound
guys or lighting guys (whose gear we were using) to keep the support
band "small" –- meaning just a couple of lights and low wattage
through the PA. But Skyhooks weren't like that at all. In fact,
they encouraged their road crew to help out we ingenues from the
west. When
the gigs were over, most musos would be flagging –- slumped
in their dressing rooms, drinking. Shirl liked a drink and was
a terror with the girls, but he would also be out helping the
road crew load the truck.
He was just
a terrific, friendly person. And he was a great singer. We often
get told that John Farnham or Jimmy Barnes are the voices of Australian
rock, but Shirl had a fabulously high vocal with real power –-
in my opinion, easily the equal of either of those two great performers.
He was also
very witty, one of the quickest people with a quip I've ever seen.
He absolutely demolished poor old Mike Willessee on his current
affairs program back in the heady days of the 1970s when rock
and roll stars usually came off as stoned dullards.
Even after
our rock and roll days had become a haze, Shirl remained a gregarious,
friendly person. I haven't seen Shirl in the past few years and
I have heard that he had become more reclusive.I don't know if
that's true, but I do know that every single time I met up with
Shirl he made me feel good. He is one person I will really, truly
miss. Thanks
for your great songs Shirl, and even more for your wonderful life.
DAVE WARNER
SHIRLEY
STRACHAN:: 1952 – 2001
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