Gurus Stoneage Romeos glory

Australian rock legends Hoodoo Gurus will be dropping into Geelong next year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its hugely successful Stoneage Romeos album.

The band will be playing the album in its entirety as well as as other tunes in January as part of the national Back to the Stoneage tour.

Originally released in March 1984, Stoneage Romeos was the Gurus’ debut album and featured hits such as Leilani, Tojo, My Girl and I Want You Back.

The album reached number 29 on the Australian Album Chart and went on to win the Best Debut Album category at the 1984 Countdown Awards.

It continues to consistently appear in the Top 10 and almost every Top 50 and Top 100 Australian album lists of all time.

The Hoodoo Gurus’ return to Australia fresh off a bumper United States tour which saw them play Stoneage Romeos in full for the first time.

Lead vocalist Dave Faulkner said the band was fired up to do the same in Geelong.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been down to Geelong, but our history with the area goes right back to when we started out as a band. We have had some great sets down that way.

“We’ve also had some dramatic times. Our drummer back in the day Mark Kingsmill nearly destroyed his career down there at a show.

“We had to go outside to get to the stage at this Geelong church and he tripped over a curbing stone and ripped all the ligaments in his leg! He managed to play the show, but we then had to postpone months of touring.

“There was another instance too when he of all people, lined up this leery big finish to a show and bundled backwards by mistake off his drum rise and landed in all these fluorescent lights and he nearly died from cutting himself.

“Hopefully none of those situations will present this time! We can’t wait.”

Faulkner said to expect a few other “bangers” from albums such as Mars Needs Guitars, Blow Your Cool and its 2022 album Chariot of the Gods.

“The full Stoneage Romeos set will be played first, and then we will weave in plenty of others in classic and some others thereafter.

“The formula has been working really well. We didn’t really think it through too much before we did it in the US.

“We have also been asking the crowd for some requests. There’s been some curly ones, which have been really fun to play for the first time in a long time.

“But it’s great Stoneage Romeos gets its dues in full. Hopefully we satisfy everyone.”

He said playing a couple of the band’s “ugly stepchild” songs from Stoneage Romeos brought them great joy.

“They are songs that may not be other people’s favourites, but they are more our personal indulgences. Songs like In the Echo Chamber, which is one we always look forward to playing. It’s ugly, psychedelic, sick and offensive. It’s intriguing to see how popular it will be in Geelong.

“Zanzibar is always a fun one too. Because it’s a ballad, it’s hard to find a place for it. Dig It Up is another one some people crave too.

“With this tour, gladly people will get to hear every single one they like on the Stoneage Romeos album.”

Australian rockers Magic Dirt will be the Gurus’ special guest for the Geelong show, which will be held at Costa Hall on January 23.

For tickets, head to hoodoogurus.net/tour