Am I ever gonna see your face again?

ANGELS guitarist and founding member John Brewster is still hitting the road with enthusiasm after 51 years in the business.

Brewster said the years had flown by.

“But it also feels fantastic where the band has landed, not through design, just how fate makes things happen,” he said.

“This lineup, from a musical and a rock and roll point of view, is as good as the original lineup.

“That’s not putting anybody down, it’s just you either have chemistry, or you don’t.”

2023 heralded a new era for the band, unveiling former drummer Nick Norton as the lead singer, replacing Dave Gleeson, who fronted the band for 12 years.

The latest album, Ninety Nine, was released in their 50th year in 2024.

“I haven’t been this excited about anything we’ve done in the studio for many years,” Brewster said.

“I’m proud of everything this band has done, but we have what I call benchmark albums – Face To Face, No Exit and Dark Room, and to me, this is a benchmark album.”

Brewster grew up in a powerful classical music family but says rock took over as soon as he heard the Everly Brothers, the Beatles and Bob Dylan.

The Angels have evolved through several frontmen, from Doc Neeson to Dave Gleeson and now Nick Norton.

“Nick brings not just a great way of singing the songs that we’re famous for, but is also responsible for some fantastic new songs.

“He’s a great character on stage and a fabulous guitar player. It’s broadened our musical landscape, so he brought his own shoes too.”

The band was recently honoured with a mural and lane named after them in Adelaide.

For all the talk of musical legacy, that of the Angels continues as the band evolves, and Brewster is proud to have moments on stage with the realisation that the story continues.

“It’s not something that we can’t wait to get out of – we love what we do,” he said.

“Somebody asked me recently whether it was time I retired, and I said, yeah, but why would I?

“I look to my right, and there’s my son on the bass, just killing it, and I look a bit further to the right, and there’s my other son on the drums, and then further again, there’s my brother.

“I mean, it’s a great band. We rock. It’s fantastic. What’s the point of retiring from that?”

The Angels play Ballina RSL on December 12 and Kingscliff Beach Hotel on December 13.

For tickets, visit theangels.com.au/gigs