Velvet Underground

This is not "The Velvet Underground". This group is from Newcastle, Australia. The Australian Velvet Underground first got together in Newcastle during 1967, the same year The Velvet Underground & Nico was released. The five-piece band were quite popular and gigged frequently in the area. At the conclusion of their shows, the group’s Jagger-esque frontman would dose himself with lighter fluid and put a match to his clothes. The fire would usually extinguish quickly, but on at least one occasion it didn’t—he was burned so badly that he required medical attention. VU setlists consisted primarily of covers for much of their five-year existence, which was pSteve had been the president of the Queensland Rolling Stones fan club and his moves were like Jagger’s but with his own interpretation. The band took on some Stones songs but there was a very strong contingent of Small Faces stuff. Hendrix, Steppenwolf, the Who and the Doors made up the rest of the repertoire.The original lineup was Steve Phillipson (v) Russell Bayne (g) Mark Priest (k/b) Herman Kovacivic (Kovac) (d) Dave Schofield (b) . Russell left after me in 1968 and joined Pyramid in Sydney. He was replaced by Les Hall. The group relocated to Sydney during the early months of 1969. In January 1970, the Australian label, Festival, issued the only record by the Australian Velvet Underground. The 45 consisted of two covers: “Somebody to Love,” a song made famous by the Jefferson Airplane, and “She Comes in Colours,” written by Arthur Lee and originally recorded by his band Then Steve Phillipson bailed on the band and eventually joined Sun for a brief time. The remaining members began looking for a new singer, but they were also on the hunt for an additional guitarist. In ’71, they recruited two relative unknowns to fill the spots: Andy Imlah became their vocalist, and Malcolm Young would be second guitarist. The new lineup incorporated a few originals into their live show, but it still consisted primarily of cover tunes, including songs by the Stones and T. Rex. Around 1972, VU started playing gigs in which they’d play their own set, and then back another singer, Ted Mulry. By late 1972 or so, the group had morphed into the Ted Mulry Gang, and the Australian Velvet Underground were no more. Malcolm Young had already left the band by then, as he was itching to get his own thing going. The following year, the initial lineup of AC/DC—with Malcolm and his younger brother, Angus—was in place.