robert lastdrager

 _{The Tommys at The Tramway Hotel in the day. Robert Lastdrager (drums), Ollie Laurie (guitar) and Jonathan ‘Ike’ Lickliter (bass.)}

The Tommys - The Old Bar Fitzroy on Sunday January 14 2024 
We played our last gig at the Old Bar in Fitzroy in December 2003. Our first reunion rehearsal early December was a cachopany of muscle memory gone wrong. Now we’re sounding loose and mean. Like being 18 again, “Oh the humanity”.

Chloe Cox aka Sorry Jimi
Fabulous singer, songwriter, guitarist who moved to Melbourne a few years ago from QLD to kick start her rock and roll journey.

The Green Mist - Shotkickers, Thornbury, Melbourne
A great, raucous winters evening of Rock and Roll.

_{T Bones at Danny Hamburgers in 1990:  Charlie Wilde, Helen Cattanach, Andrew Pupillo and Rob Lastdrager.}

Bring on 2022 after a surreal 262 days in lockdown here in Melbourne. We all did a lot of daydreaming and walking the hood waiting for cocktail hour. Here are a few highlights that got me through in no particular order.

1. T Bones Greatest Hits 1991
Our 30^th Year anniversary. Recorded at Sing Sing in Melbourne by Mark Smith in a couple of days. I was worried at the time after having four wisdom teeth removed days before the recording, I needn’t have been. Still has great R&R energy. Would’ve been cool to do a 30^th reunion show in 2021. C’est la vie.

_{Tony Bishop, Rob Lastdrager and Leon Beveridge. See item 2.}

With the world and me still waking up from the pandemic in 2022, my Top Ten consists of some old friends and favourites, re-visited, remembered and revived.

Experiencing Covid for the first time at New Year’s and enduring a heatwave in Melbourne, I’m not complaining. It’s given me quiet time to think and a chance to raise a glass to all my departed rock and roll compadres. RIP Chris Bailey especially. The raw energy of the early Saints powered my escape from Brisbane in the '80s, something for which I will be eternally grateful.

_{The Tommys on tour in a tuk tuk:  Robert Lastdrager, Jonathan Lickliter and Ollie Laurie.}

1. Getting the band back together after 20 years.
Playing numerous Melbourne inner-city bars in 2024 with The Tommys has been a blast.

2. Touring regional VIC and NSW with Cambodian Space Project on their April Oz tour.
A real treat to play beautiful venues like the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine, George Lane and Memo Music Hall in St Kilda to such appreciative crowds.

3. Marrickville Bowlo
We flew into Sydney and out the next day. Played a rowdy loud evening of garage R&R topped off by sinking a flotilla of schooners with old mates I hadn’t seen in 20 years!