June 5, 2025 • 10 mins
Ahead of Clairsy & Lisa’s Perth Pub Crawl next Friday, Tom Tapping (The Rookies) phoned in for a chat. Tom chatted about the inspiration behind The Rookie’s name, his favourite gigs and his parent’s reaction to quitting his job to join the band. Plus, some iconic Perth venue’s get a mention including The Warwick, The Cloverdale and The Balga.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We would be singing a man at Work song to
twelve hundred people, and men at work began the roads.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Not only did the people party in the venue, but
the dance was away lock clesy Lisses, per pub crawl
at Pinocchio's.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Magnet Houses, resurrecting Pinocchio's for one night only Magnet House,
a mecca of dance and diversity right in the heart
of the city.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
The man who was fresh out of the Air Force
and onto the stages of Perth with the rookies, Tom
Tapping and Ghetto made. How are you.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I'm going really well mate. I'm on the beach in
your poon in Queensland as we speak, and it's twenty yeah,
I know, it's about twenty two degrees. And then Ringo,
my best mate, is chasing seagulls.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Are very good. Oh what what breed is Ringo?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Name it? Yeah, he's a bit of that. Yeah, he's
the least challenged in the band. And everyone reckons, everyone
reckons he's shooting dorky day.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I love that his name's Ringo.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Well, it's half half the temperature here. It's eleven degrees
in Perl and rain around him.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Mate.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
We wanted to bring up some memories of course, and
the Rookies were a band that you played the Raffles
and rock Wells, and as I mentioned, I noted someone
posting this week that video of you guys at the
Warrick Hotel great memories.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I hadn't seen. I'd never seen that video until last
night when Carlo Carlo posted it. He threatened to do
it a few times and let that loose and I
don't recognize the skinny bloke they got up and sang it.
I don't know some well, he wasn't long haired in
those days. You're right. What many people didn't know is
(01:34):
I'd come out of six years in the Air Force
and I've been a DJ around pers in pubs at
places like the Warrick and the Clovid Aale and mostly
the Well the Bolger basically which was the Sundowner or
the stage door or whatever you want to pull it
on any particular week, and worked with I heard Pete
(01:56):
Borg and Todd this week, and worked with bands locally
like the Motors and Trains and and and the Preludes,
so Todd with with Beavers and Harlequin Tears and Steal
on the Beam and all those sorts of bands. And
and then while I saw in the Air Force, I
called a excuse the intentional pun, but a really crappy
(02:18):
little band called Spens and yeah and uh and uh
and and true story, we we called it s Beens
because the Daily News wouldn't let us let us call
it cunning stunts. Really why yeah, no humor no, yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Himself after a couple of beers.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Absolutely well, we didn't get we did get called worse
at various Yeah. Yeah, so so we we sort of
had a bit of an initiation. I was in the
Air Force. We used to play like places like the
Boragoon and we go down to some leisure in and
rocking or down to Bunbery or Bustleton or whatever. And
also some of our highlight gigs and some of my
(03:06):
best mates from those days we're in the Air Force
and we would play pay night discos every second Thursday
up up at ps and they were wild affairs and
there's some stories I would love to tell, but well
enough to show sometimes the name the Rockies actually is
(03:26):
that something?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Does that come from? Something to do with your time
in the Air Force.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah, that was so. Gary Grant approached me and he'd
been playing in a whole bunch of bands around the
place with a Hustler and various other incarnations Bowery Boys
at one stage, and he approached me towards the end
of my time at Air Force and said, look, you're
not very good, but I think you've got a bit
of potential. And so we decided to form a band.
I went to my parents placed the dinner one night
(03:52):
and broke the news to them I was going to
leave my government contract in my career and my trade
and going for a rock and roll band. And yeah,
and anyway after they died, job aside. Yeah, it was
very very funny. And and so we formed and we
started auditioning and and and rehearsing and such and and
(04:15):
and we we found a drummer that could play the
the drum solo from Power and the Passion.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
By the oil rob not easy to emulate.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
No, no, So so Rod Paigels came in and he
auditioned with us and literally had charted that drum solo
right down to the last cow bell. So we've gone holy,
holy whatever and and yeah, heck that was the word,
I think, you know, And and and so we thought
he's a guy that can play. And then we've got
(04:46):
Mel McIntosh on guitar, who you know now and I
sort of never never really saw right, but he was,
you know, a great guitarist, really terrific guitarist. And then
and then we auditioned a second. We're a bloke by
the name of James Morley. And and so James was
sixteen and auditioned as a drummer, and as a drummer
(05:07):
he was a really good truck driver and and and
you know, so it is a very funny story. He yeah,
we auditioned him after we auditioned rot and said, yeah, mate,
thanks for no thanks, and he said, and we said,
we're still looking for a bass player. And he goes,
I can play bass, and yeah, yeah, exactly, yeah, yeah,
(05:33):
the ones that like to hang out with musicians. And
and so the following week he comes in and plays
the same songs. He got us to hire a guitar
and ant for him because he couldn't get one, and
and he plays with the handful of songs and does
backing vocals and all the rest of it. We go, okay, well,
your audition is the drummer. How long it be in
(05:54):
paying bass and he looked at his watch, I mean
half out, and we thought, and we've gone no, no, no,
not today, you idiot. How long? Half an hour? I've
never actually held a base before in my life. Bigger
than I thought. And what he'd done the week before
(06:15):
after the drum alledition, he went home, took the top
two strings off his beating up old acoustic, learned the
bass lines and and fooled off. So we thought we're
living at.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Fool you deserve it. And then he went on play
for the Angels, of.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Course, absolutely still playing around.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
He's a very funny man, he is. Indeed, indeed, since
since those heady days are you now you live over East?
I believe you have a Cold Chisel tribute band?
Speaker 1 (06:44):
I did, I did before I left. Yeah, so so
I did that for a while. We did. We did
an Angels tribute thing around the time that Doc announced
about the brain tumor, and James and Bob Spencer actually
back to Perth and played in that, which was great,
and so all sorts of we sort of going, how
(07:05):
do you get the Angels to play in an Angel's
tribute show? And you go, I don't know, you ask him,
and and and so we did that, and it was just,
you know, the eighties period was just so good. There
were so many good bands around, so many punters spots. Yeah,
(07:26):
And the thing is that we when we first born,
our first show was in autumn, and and we actually
spent around that nine months just to regional w A.
We didn't play a show in Earth for about nine months,
and we had the Yeah, and we had the best
road through in the world. And I still missed my
best mate Joey and Joey Robertson, I know his kids
(07:49):
sont Tom actually contact with you last night when he
heard about this. And I remember Thomas a little kid
sort of running the mark and run around sort of backstage,
and and you know Raza and Jabbie and all those
guys that were just it was just so much fun.
And you would go and play like you know, Wednesday
(08:11):
night in Bustleton or Thursday night in Management or whatever
it is to and and really every other band, and
you know, I heard your discussion with Todd the other day.
Every other band at that stage was playing sort of
Juran Duran and Spando ballet and wearing Philly shirts. I
just I just wasn't that talented. So so we had
(08:34):
to go to guitar rock and and sort of and
I'm a massive Angels fans, so so you know, we
did angels and shoes on and oils and more Australian rock,
and it really stood out from what everyone else is doing.
And when we eventually hit Birth, our first regular gig
in town was at the Old Mainland Hotel, which was
the time was owned by John K. Watts.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Oh yeah, yeah, and so we I think our first
night we had about twenty people there and fifteen of
those were friends and relatives and five people lost and and.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
And you know, it just built from there. We sort
of went on stage as if the place was packed,
and you know, within sort of six or eight weeks,
we you know, we had a couple of hundred people there,
and there's Joe's from Rock Exchange called us and said,
how are you getting two hundred people at the mailings? Like,
you know, if you have clothes on or you're not?
(09:36):
The fruit of it was no one's ever done that.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah, that three B A sign Tommy so many made
so many great memories. We could look, we could hang around,
but the radio does allow us for another half hour, yes,
but awesome really good to catch up mate. We really
appreciate your time. The sounds like the beach is calling you.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Yes, Oh, the beach is always calling.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Yeah that visit next time you're into.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Yeah yeah, yeah. Well I'm back in back in town
in August. My son's getting married to a lovely Sam
and so we'll be in first for a little while
in August. And yeah, I love to catch up with
Paper when I'm there.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Tom, you guys hanging out for here to throw the
thanks Tom, Tom tapping the rookies as we continue this incredible.
I know, this trip down memory lane in a rock
and roll station, isn't it
We would be singing a man at Work song to
twelve hundred people, and men at work began the roads.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Not only did the people party in the venue, but
the dance was away lock clesy Lisses, per pub crawl
at Pinocchio's.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Magnet Houses, resurrecting Pinocchio's for one night only Magnet House,
a mecca of dance and diversity right in the heart
of the city.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
The man who was fresh out of the Air Force
and onto the stages of Perth with the rookies, Tom
Tapping and Ghetto made. How are you.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I'm going really well mate. I'm on the beach in
your poon in Queensland as we speak, and it's twenty yeah,
I know, it's about twenty two degrees. And then Ringo,
my best mate, is chasing seagulls.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Are very good. Oh what what breed is Ringo?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Name it? Yeah, he's a bit of that. Yeah, he's
the least challenged in the band. And everyone reckons, everyone
reckons he's shooting dorky day.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I love that his name's Ringo.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Well, it's half half the temperature here. It's eleven degrees
in Perl and rain around him.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Mate.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
We wanted to bring up some memories of course, and
the Rookies were a band that you played the Raffles
and rock Wells, and as I mentioned, I noted someone
posting this week that video of you guys at the
Warrick Hotel great memories.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I hadn't seen. I'd never seen that video until last
night when Carlo Carlo posted it. He threatened to do
it a few times and let that loose and I
don't recognize the skinny bloke they got up and sang it.
I don't know some well, he wasn't long haired in
those days. You're right. What many people didn't know is
(01:34):
I'd come out of six years in the Air Force
and I've been a DJ around pers in pubs at
places like the Warrick and the Clovid Aale and mostly
the Well the Bolger basically which was the Sundowner or
the stage door or whatever you want to pull it
on any particular week, and worked with I heard Pete
(01:56):
Borg and Todd this week, and worked with bands locally
like the Motors and Trains and and and the Preludes,
so Todd with with Beavers and Harlequin Tears and Steal
on the Beam and all those sorts of bands. And
and then while I saw in the Air Force, I
called a excuse the intentional pun, but a really crappy
(02:18):
little band called Spens and yeah and uh and uh
and and true story, we we called it s Beens
because the Daily News wouldn't let us let us call
it cunning stunts. Really why yeah, no humor no, yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Himself after a couple of beers.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Absolutely well, we didn't get we did get called worse
at various Yeah. Yeah, so so we we sort of
had a bit of an initiation. I was in the
Air Force. We used to play like places like the
Boragoon and we go down to some leisure in and
rocking or down to Bunbery or Bustleton or whatever. And
also some of our highlight gigs and some of my
(03:06):
best mates from those days we're in the Air Force
and we would play pay night discos every second Thursday
up up at ps and they were wild affairs and
there's some stories I would love to tell, but well
enough to show sometimes the name the Rockies actually is
(03:26):
that something?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Does that come from? Something to do with your time
in the Air Force.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah, that was so. Gary Grant approached me and he'd
been playing in a whole bunch of bands around the
place with a Hustler and various other incarnations Bowery Boys
at one stage, and he approached me towards the end
of my time at Air Force and said, look, you're
not very good, but I think you've got a bit
of potential. And so we decided to form a band.
I went to my parents placed the dinner one night
(03:52):
and broke the news to them I was going to
leave my government contract in my career and my trade
and going for a rock and roll band. And yeah,
and anyway after they died, job aside. Yeah, it was
very very funny. And and so we formed and we
started auditioning and and and rehearsing and such and and
(04:15):
and we we found a drummer that could play the
the drum solo from Power and the Passion.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
By the oil rob not easy to emulate.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
No, no, So so Rod Paigels came in and he
auditioned with us and literally had charted that drum solo
right down to the last cow bell. So we've gone holy,
holy whatever and and yeah, heck that was the word,
I think, you know, And and and so we thought
he's a guy that can play. And then we've got
(04:46):
Mel McIntosh on guitar, who you know now and I
sort of never never really saw right, but he was,
you know, a great guitarist, really terrific guitarist. And then
and then we auditioned a second. We're a bloke by
the name of James Morley. And and so James was
sixteen and auditioned as a drummer, and as a drummer
(05:07):
he was a really good truck driver and and and
you know, so it is a very funny story. He yeah,
we auditioned him after we auditioned rot and said, yeah, mate,
thanks for no thanks, and he said, and we said,
we're still looking for a bass player. And he goes,
I can play bass, and yeah, yeah, exactly, yeah, yeah,
(05:33):
the ones that like to hang out with musicians. And
and so the following week he comes in and plays
the same songs. He got us to hire a guitar
and ant for him because he couldn't get one, and
and he plays with the handful of songs and does
backing vocals and all the rest of it. We go, okay, well,
your audition is the drummer. How long it be in
(05:54):
paying bass and he looked at his watch, I mean
half out, and we thought, and we've gone no, no, no,
not today, you idiot. How long? Half an hour? I've
never actually held a base before in my life. Bigger
than I thought. And what he'd done the week before
(06:15):
after the drum alledition, he went home, took the top
two strings off his beating up old acoustic, learned the
bass lines and and fooled off. So we thought we're
living at.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Fool you deserve it. And then he went on play
for the Angels, of.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Course, absolutely still playing around.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
He's a very funny man, he is. Indeed, indeed, since
since those heady days are you now you live over East?
I believe you have a Cold Chisel tribute band?
Speaker 1 (06:44):
I did, I did before I left. Yeah, so so
I did that for a while. We did. We did
an Angels tribute thing around the time that Doc announced
about the brain tumor, and James and Bob Spencer actually
back to Perth and played in that, which was great,
and so all sorts of we sort of going, how
(07:05):
do you get the Angels to play in an Angel's
tribute show? And you go, I don't know, you ask him,
and and and so we did that, and it was just,
you know, the eighties period was just so good. There
were so many good bands around, so many punters spots. Yeah,
(07:26):
And the thing is that we when we first born,
our first show was in autumn, and and we actually
spent around that nine months just to regional w A.
We didn't play a show in Earth for about nine months,
and we had the Yeah, and we had the best
road through in the world. And I still missed my
best mate Joey and Joey Robertson, I know his kids
(07:49):
sont Tom actually contact with you last night when he
heard about this. And I remember Thomas a little kid
sort of running the mark and run around sort of backstage,
and and you know Raza and Jabbie and all those
guys that were just it was just so much fun.
And you would go and play like you know, Wednesday
(08:11):
night in Bustleton or Thursday night in Management or whatever
it is to and and really every other band, and
you know, I heard your discussion with Todd the other day.
Every other band at that stage was playing sort of
Juran Duran and Spando ballet and wearing Philly shirts. I
just I just wasn't that talented. So so we had
(08:34):
to go to guitar rock and and sort of and
I'm a massive Angels fans, so so you know, we
did angels and shoes on and oils and more Australian rock,
and it really stood out from what everyone else is doing.
And when we eventually hit Birth, our first regular gig
in town was at the Old Mainland Hotel, which was
the time was owned by John K. Watts.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Oh yeah, yeah, and so we I think our first
night we had about twenty people there and fifteen of
those were friends and relatives and five people lost and and.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
And you know, it just built from there. We sort
of went on stage as if the place was packed,
and you know, within sort of six or eight weeks,
we you know, we had a couple of hundred people there,
and there's Joe's from Rock Exchange called us and said,
how are you getting two hundred people at the mailings? Like,
you know, if you have clothes on or you're not?
(09:36):
The fruit of it was no one's ever done that.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah, that three B A sign Tommy so many made
so many great memories. We could look, we could hang around,
but the radio does allow us for another half hour, yes,
but awesome really good to catch up mate. We really
appreciate your time. The sounds like the beach is calling you.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Yes, Oh, the beach is always calling.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Yeah that visit next time you're into.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Yeah yeah, yeah. Well I'm back in back in town
in August. My son's getting married to a lovely Sam
and so we'll be in first for a little while
in August. And yeah, I love to catch up with
Paper when I'm there.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Tom, you guys hanging out for here to throw the
thanks Tom, Tom tapping the rookies as we continue this incredible.
I know, this trip down memory lane in a rock
and roll station, isn't it
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