Les Hall Interview - Guitarist Of The Velvet Underground (Newcastle Series Ep #3)

In this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack talks with Les Hall in the third instalment of an 8-part Vinyl Vibes Newcastle series. This series will talk with a range of local rockers important to the Newcastle music story. 

Les grew up in Maitland, joining his first band, The Cavemen, when he was still in high school. After playing in his second Maitland band, The Influence of Cessal Roads, in 1968 Les would join Newcastle band The Velvet Underground. The Velvet Underground would go on to be very popular around Newcastle in the late ‘60s playing vanues such as The Bus Stop Disco. The band became known for their stage act which included lead singer Steve Phillipson lighting his bomber jacket on fire when the band would cover Jimi Hendrix’s Fire. In 1970 The Velvet Underground recorded its first and only single. It featured on its A-side a cover of Jefferson Airplane's Somebody to Love and on the B-side a cover of Love’s She Comes in Colors. Later in the same year, on suggestion by Stevie Wright, the band would be joined by future AC/DC member, Malcolm Young, on guitar. In 1972, The Velvet Underground, who briefly were called Pony, became the backing band for Ted Mulry. During 1972 Velvet Underground would disband and Ted Mulry Gang would form with Velvet members Les Hall and Herman Kovacs. Velvet member Malcolm Young would go off and form AC/DC in 1973. TMG would go on to be one of Australia's biggest bands of the '70s with songs such as "Jump In My Car" and "Darktown Strutters Ball". AC/DC would go on to become one of the biggest bands in the world. In this episode, Les talks about how this Newcastle band, The Velvet Underground, went on to be the predecessor to these two massive Aussie bands of the ‘70s. 

Jack talked with Les live in the studio about his time in his first band The Cavemen, how he came to join The Velvet Underground, the Newcastle music scene in the '60s, the setlist the band played early on, the live gigs with Steve Phillipson, the recording of the bands first and only single, how Malcom Young came to join the band, memories of playing with Malcom Young, and how the band came to come to form into TMG.  

"As we were walking out (of the Young residence), heard the noise coming from the bedroom and walked in and there was a big old wardrobe...Malcom slid one of the doors open and said 'that's just Angus'. He was in there playing with -he had an SG-he was playing along to Led Zeppelin on this little record player...We went to walk out and their father walked into the room and...we shook hands, his father pointed to the Wardrobe and said 'he's the one, he's the one'. - Les Hall on this episode of Vinyl Vibes talking about Angus Young 

Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins 

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