- Doc Neeson
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Bernard "Doc" Neeson 
The Forum, November 2008Background information Born 4 January 1947 Origin Belfast, Northern Ireland Genres Hard rock
Blues rock
Rock and rollInstruments Vocals, Bass guitar Years active 1971—present Associated acts The Angels
Red PhoenixBernard "Doc" Neeson (born 4 January 1947 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is an Australian rock singer. Neeson is known as the lead singer and frontman for Australian hard rock band The Angels.
Contents
Early life
Neeson was conscripted to the Australian army, serving as an education corps sergeant in Papua New Guinea in the late 1960s.[1] He subsequently went back to university and completed degrees in film and English.
Career
Since the '70s, Neeson has been known as the lead singer and frontman for The Angels.
He was part of the Tour of Duty - Concert for the Troops held for the InterFET Troops in East Timor during December 1999. He performed a number of Angels songs and duets with John Farnham and The Living End.[2] On New Year's Eve 1999, Neeson announced his departure from The Angels at the MGM Grand Darwin Millennium Concert after suffering a severe spinal injury in a car accident on a Sydney "M4" motorway that year. Always known for his very physical live performances, he was warned by a back specialist and Angels fan that he ran the risk of being in a wheelchair if he kept performing. .[3]
2000 to Present
Doc Neeson's Angels 10/27/2007
In February 2001, Neeson performed at the Tour of Duty Encore! concert at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.[4][5] In the same year the ABC had featured Doc Neeson and The Angels in the music TV series Long Way To The Top which was an insight to 50 years of Australian rock 'n' roll.[6]
In December 2003, he formed the band Doc Neeson's Angels.[7]
In May 2005, Neeson formed the band Red Phoenix[8] and released a self-titled album.[9]
In 2006, The Angels and Doc Neeson were featured on a postage stamp for Australia Post as part of their "Australian Rock Posters The Stamps" collection.[10]
In August and September 2007[11] Neeson appeared and toured with the Doc Neeson's Angels for the Countdown Spectacular 2 tour.[12]
During October and November 2007, Doc Neeson's Angels was on the "Tour de Force" tour of Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait, supporting the Australian Troops. Neeson was presented with two military medals in Baghdad while touring across the Middle East as part of a morale-boosting concert series for Australian troops known as 'Tour de Force.'The band lineup for this tour consisted of Dave Leslie (guitar), Mick Skelton (drums), Sara Gray (bass) and Mitch Hutchinson (guitar).[13]
In November 2010, Neeson played a number of low-key semi-acoustic concerts in venues around New South Wales, with a band including former Angels bassist Jim Hilburn. Since then the band has continued to play a number of New South Wales and interstate shows as The Doc Neeson Band. The band lineup consists of Mitch Hutchison (guitar), Mark Fenwick (guitar), Dave Roberts (drums), Niall Anderson (keys) and Justin Bianchi (bass), replacing Jim Hilburn.
He was caught drink-driving & had to face to a Local Court in Hornsby in October 2011:
References
- ^ Catanzaro, Joseph (2007-12-04). "No sleep till Baghdad". The Bulletin: pp. 36–41. http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=328852. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
- ^ Tour of Duty information and Set list
- ^ Angels Biography accessed 24 May 2007
- ^ Thousands flock to Open Day Open Night - Australian War Memorial
- ^ Australian War Memorial - Open Day 2001
- ^ Long Way To The Top Berserk Warriors 1973-1981 (Episode 4)
- ^ Doc Neeson's Angels
- ^ Triple M Concerts - Red Phoenix
- ^ Red Phoenix CD information - Sanity.com.au
- ^ - Australian Rock Posters The Stamps (Australia Post)
- ^ The Doc's ready to rock - The Herald Sun, 24 June 2007
- ^ Frontier Touring Company - Countdown Spectacular 2
- ^ Australian Government, Department of Defence
External links
Categories:- 1947 births
- Living people
- The Angels (Australian band) members
- Australian Army soldiers
- Australian male singers
- Australian rock singers
- The Party Boys members
- People from Belfast
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