About
Sydney based Blues/Boogie/Rock band of the 80’s
History
Started in 1986 by Larry Macmillan, Terry Duffy, Graeme Newtown and Rick Doolan. Disbanded in 1990
Members
- Larry Macmillan -Guitar and Vocals
- Terry Duffy – Bass
- Graeme Newton – Guitar
- Rick Doolan – Drums
- Mark Johnson – Guitar
- Mark Langfield – Drums
- Leo Auciello – Vocals
- Mark Flack – Guitar
- Mark Wells – Bass
- Steve Edmonds – Guitar
- Bob Montgomery – Bass and Vocals
- Mark Blanchard – Guitar
- Steve Levidicus – Guitar
- Barry Gathercole – Guitar
- Jerry Hughes – Vocals
- Peter Nicoli – Bass
Recordings
- Bag Fulla Boogie – 1986
- Boogie Down Under – 1988
- Let the party begin
Technical Crew
- Mark Gibson – F.O.H.
- Brett Gibson – Monitors
- Brian Lawrence – Lights
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Gibbo,
Wasn’t Steve Lavidicous(?) in Banndana for a time before Top Priority? BoB
Yeah Bob, he certainly was. Thanks for that. I’m not sure how to spell it either but I’ll add him in.
Nice to see you lurking about. I hope it’s a regular thing. Maybe you could be the Aussie Country Music editor?
Cheers, Gibbo.
L.E.V.I.D.I.C.U.S
Another little bit of Bandanna trivia. With Leo’s departure, a singer from Ireland named Jerry Hughes joined the ranks to take his place. in reharsals his voice was phenominal, but he crumbled under pressure at his first live gig with the band and was quickly dismissed. If memory serves, Leo rejoined again when the band began work on new original material. With 20/20 hindsight, the original material was a mistake and ultimately ended the bands run.
Yeah, I remember the Jerry “incident”. That was bizarre. Was that gig at The Cambridge Tavern at Fairfield? For some reason that sticks in my mind.
I’ll disagree with you slightly about the original material. I thought it was red-hot(most of it). I think I still have a live tape of some of it somewhere.
One more release needs to be added to that list.
“Let the party begin”
An Ep which included, Boys are back in town, “Statesborough Blues”, and I can’t remember the other couple of tracks.
Levidicus would know.
And just to add fuel to the fire. If the new originals were more in the vein of Dr Go Fast, it might have survived. Bandanna was blues boogie, not progressive funk. We messed with the formula and paid for it.
I’m not dirty on the originals. They just weren’t “Bandanna” songs. That’s all I’m saying. Barry was the only one to see it, and he bailed as a result.
What I’d like to know is….could Bandanna rise again?
I was thinking of a great time in my youth and remembered my guitar teacher,Mark Wells.I would love to get in touch with him and say hello.If anyone who knows him can tell him I am still alive that would be too cool.Dean.
Hi Dean, I’ll send your email to Mark Johnson (from the comment above). He’s still in touch with Wellsy.
gidday gibbo,
Gotta a lot of great memories supporting “Bandanna” as singer in “The Score”
Always sounded great with you at the helm mixing.
Hey Pete, great to hear from you. Maybe we should do a page on The Score? Got any old photos or recordings?
Cheers mate, Gibbo
Hay Gibbo
I think Rudy Miranda From (wildfire,the R&B Band, Mal Eastik band, Dave Hole, and Gena Jeffies Band) was on Drums When Mark Blanchard, and Terry Duffy was in the Band for a while as Rick was Sick
Hi, just wanting to make a correction.
It is Leo Auciello not Occello.
I remember watching as a little girl, and hoping to pass on the music to my daughter too
Jessica
1987 to 1990 Bandanna singer was Leo Auciello. The band decided to go with original material and it was not detrimental to the band, whatever they were losing of the older boogie following they were gaining from a younger crowd more interested in rock n roll, they were also trying to lose the “biker band” image to entice more non biker following and record industry execs to come to the gigs and take them seriously. Rick was 100% behind the move (Rick and leo were the only two bikers in the band) it must be remembered that leo, peter, steve edmonds and mark johnson were all in their early to mid twenties, change was inevitable. It was the unending touring and gigging and recieving no recognition from the music industry combined wth family commitments that finally disenchanted and or broke the fellas, Bandanna still holds a couple of records for fastest ticket sales in australian venues. No matter what, the band was always great, musically and visually they always gave their best to please the punters. They stood toe to toe with any band in Australia. it is unfortunate that this was not recognised and they never got the status they rightfully deserved.
Leo’s energy was likened to a young stevie wright with the moves of james brown. Leo went on to play bass and sing with a band called “Atomic Fly” they had moderate success in the mid to late nineties in Europe and recieved national airplay on auststerio mmm. In 1996 Leo was duly elected full recognition as an accomplished writer and member of Apra for his contributions to Australian music
Jessica and Patricia, thank you so much for the extra info and the correct spelling of Leo’s name. Stay tuned because I just found a rough old tape from about 1990 with Leo on vocals doing some of their “new direction” originals. It’s frickin’ brilliant even though the quality isn’t great. I will digitise it shortly and put it up here to listen too. If you guys are still in touch with Leo I’d love to hear from him. Tell him to dive in and leave a comment or two.
Bandanna was the first band I ever mixed professionally and I was there again right at the end. They were a brilliant band all the way through their various versions and taught me a lot. As soon as I get those tapes copied I’ll post them here.
Hi mark, good work with the site, im sure all Bandanna will think its wonderful to be remembered and have a web page dedicated to us and for that many thanks.
Thanks to my daughter Jess for wanting to remember and pass her memories on to our families next generation and thanks to patricia, i dont know how you know so much, your comments are very accurate.
The only problem i have with the site is in the members catergory and that is because of the ommision of “Peter Nicoli” he was bass player from oct 1987 to 89 and a fantastic musician and showman.
I want to add that both Steve lavidicus and i were in the band “Top Priority”, we had just performed in and won the final of Australian battle of the bands comp. Rick was one of the jugdes, he came over said you guys are great, he asked steve and i to join Bandanna then and there, i was apprehensive, top priority was our band in our control going in the musical direction we wanted and doing very well for an up and coming young band, but steve wanted in and convinced me Bandanna was the way.
Hope you and brett and all the other members and crew of bandanna are well, does anyone out there know what became of “tinker”? he was a loyal friend and roadie, i lost touch with him after ricks passing, i want to say rick slowly wasted away from motor neurons disease over 3 years and finaly passed just before his 40th birthday, in that period i never heard him complain, whine or whinge, he was a brave and optimistic bugger right up to the end and i am proud to have known him and have him trust me and consider me his friend.
talk to you again soon mark
regards leo
Hi Leo, it’s really fantastic to hear from you and your Daughter.
I haven’t heard from Tinker at all since Rick died. He was a great guy indeed. You never know, he may find this page one day like you did.
The other week I found an old tape with you singing a couple of originals. the quality isn’t great but I think you’ll get a kick out of it. You can find it here
I’d love to get hold of some photos from your era of Bandanna. Do you know if anyone has any?
Hope to hear from you again soon.
Cheers, Mark