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Legless Pedestrians

Biography
By Andrew MacDonald

I was in a band called 'Legless Pedestrians' from Cessnock. We start as a band called ‘Free Grog’ at the Bellbird Workers Club.

‘Legless’ used to play at the Cessnock Leagues Club and The Workies (Cessnock Version) not Newcastle. Though we did play there with 'The Venetians' one night.

So 'Legless' played mainly covers, but there was a lad from Newcastle, Michael Donaghue who played guitar. He taught us Cessnock kids about originals and PA equipment.

Mandy Latter was on keyboards, Fran Bailey on vocals and Simon Kerr on drums.

We were going all right, and Rock City picked us up on their roster. Peter and Varley liked the fact that we’d bring in the local crowd early. Usually about 500 to 600 people to every gig we played in town. We played support for a lot of majors that used to tour then, 'v Spy v Spy', 'Eurogliders', 'D’Minor', plus lots of others.

'Cold Chisel' played there and 'Australian Crawl' and the 'Oils'. Lots of big bands all the time. It was great.

So that went on and we played around the valley a bit. Nelson’s Bay supporting 'Redgum' and others from the 80’s, 16’ Footers and Toronto Workers on tour for a four nite support with 'Deckchairs Overboard'. The Post reported on Dec 11, 1985

We used to lug at the time, it was the norm for tour band supports to supply 2 luggers. We had our own PA in the end as well.

Eventually played niteclubs and stuff in Newcastle then Sydney. Got around a lot actually.

As usually we all had jobs and did band on Weekends.

So after a while our original songs became more well know and the crowd liked them. I suppose they were drilled into peoples heads in Cessnock.

But around the traps people sort of liked our quirky mix of covers and original indi/ausi rock songs

Played heaps of rooms and sometimes those horrible club back rooms. Yiech ! With shitty in house PA’s. For moderately loud bands you were at the soundman’s mercy.

So this story could go on for a long time.

Andrew MacDonald