Red Angel Panic

The the seeds were sown to Red Angel Panic when in 1966 Chris Bailey, bassist from later bands such as Headband, The Angels and GangGajang was boarding at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide, where he met singer, guitarist and poet Rob Tillett. They shared a room and Rob taught Chris how to play the bass guitar. Pop band "Tattered Sole" came of this, which included Rob Tillett, lead guitar and vocals, Chris Bailey, bass and vocals, Jim Ashby, rhythm and vocals, Rick Frolich, lead vocals, and Bob Wiltshire on drums. In 1968 Red Angel Panic grew out of Tattered Sole to provide music for an avant garde dance-drama production called Rites Underground for director Doug Anders. The lineup was Rob Tillett (lead guitar, vocals), Chris Bailey (bass guitar, vocals), John Freeman (drums, vocals), Ken Skinner (keyboards) and Robert "Jakes" Jacobs (guitar). At the end of 1968 Ken Skinner and Robert "Jakes" Jacobs left the band, which played as a trio for most of 1969. At the end of 1969 Doug Anders directed another show in Adelaide, Austrlia at Union Hall, Viet Rock. RAP provided the music for this production, with Ken Skinner on keyboards. Sadly Rob Tillett had a serious motorcycle accident in early 1970 leading to a break up for the group. When Tillett recovered a new incarnation of The Panic reformed with Chris Bailey on bass, Moses Carmen on keyboards and Peter MacCormack as the band navigating their first single as Viet Rock b/w Private Investigator, reached #10 locally in 1971 as the Panic became more seriously political the focal point of the so-called "psychedelic left" in South Australia. In 1971 Chris Bailey left to form Headband (later The Angels, Gang Gajang) and Peter MacCormack left to join Country Radio. RAP reformed with Ron Anderson on bass and Peter MacCormack on Drums. After disbanding in 1972, due to another serious injury to Tillett, the band reformed in 1976 with Mick Jurd (lead guitar, ex Levi Smith Clefs, Fraternity), John Freeman (drums), Chris Bailey (bass), Rob Tillett (guitar). Freeman was replaced by Buzz Bidstrup (drums) who was himself replaced in 1976 when he joined The Angels by J.J Hackett (drums) later of Stars. Russ Johnson and Graham Davidge both of Country Radio also played guitar in the band. RAP subsequently recorded a number of so far unreleased tracks at Max Pepper's Peppersound Studios in North Adelaide, and in a later incarnation at Clive Shakespeare's studios in Sydney. Red Angel Panic as a trio in 1969. Red Angel Panic also performed as Mervyn and the Hubcaps (1970), Leper Colony (1970-71), Rocky and the Rockin Red Angels (1971), and Dangerball (1977). Later incarnations led by Rob Tillett and featuring some of the members listed include Gotham City (1980-82) and The Meerkats (1992-95). Both of these bands released albums (Gotham City: RadioActive and The Meerkats: Western Dreaming) In 2012 former Panic members flew in to play in a 40 year reunion at the Gaslight. Musicians featured were Rob Tillett (guitar, vox, Bowral), Moses Carmen (keyboards, Ireland), Graham Davidge (guitar, vox, Melbourne), Ron Anderson (bass guitar, Adelaide), Peter MacCormack (drums, Japan) and Sylvan Elhay (saxophone, Adelaide).