The Fabulous Caprettos (l-r): Rai Thistlethwayte, Russell Morris, Jack Jones and Dave Gleeson. Photo: Supplied.
It was the late rock legend Billy Thorpe and the sellout Long Way To The Top tour that inspired the idea for an Aussie rock supergroup.
Now, popular four-member super band The Fabulous Caprettos are about to embark on their second national tour in October after selling out shows in 2021.
Music legend Russell Morris, The Screaming Jets and The Angels’ Dave Gleeson, Southern Sons music giant Jack Jones and Thirsty Merc frontman Rai Thistlethwayte will perform each other’s rock hits at Anita’s Theatre in Thirroul on 11 October.
The band originally formed in 2021 with Daryl Braithwaite, but his departure made way for Gleeson to join this tour.
“Daryl found it hard to be on stage and not do a lot, because normally on his shows he’s singing all the time,” Morris said.
“At least we’re all playing guitars and things like that.
“Now we’ve got the wonderful Dave Gleeson. He’s a character and very funny.”
He said it was Billy Thorpe who first inspired the idea for the supergroup.
“Billy Thorpe, when we did Long Way to the Top, approached myself, Brian Cadd, Glenn Shorrock and Joe Camilleri to form a super band,” he said.
“We were about to do it and then Glenn and Billy got into an argument at some stage, and then it all fell apart.
“I thought the idea was a great idea, and always kept it in the back of my head, looking for the right rock lineup.”
Named after a band in-joke, he said “someone jokingly referred to us as the ‘greatest of all time’ or GOAT, but we didn’t want to appear egotistical. So, we replaced the acronym with the Italian word for goat — capretto”.
While Morris has done a lot of collaborative work over the years, he hadn’t worked with Thistlethwayte or Gleeson prior to forming.
“We play like a band, so we don’t have a backing band where one person comes out and sings two songs and then another. We actually all play,” he said.
“Jack and Rai are just consummate musicians, and we have [Jimmy Barnes’ son] Jackie Barnes on drums and he’s a consummate musician too.”
He attributed the sellout success of the previous tour to their variety of musical styles attracting a cross section of people and ages.
“Say they’re Thirsty Merc fans, they come along and all of a sudden they listen to our stuff and are like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s not bad’ or vice versa,” he said.
“We pull a broad section of people along, and it’s gratifying for us.”
With such an extensive back catalogue spanning from the 60s, Morris admitted it was hard selecting his favourite songs to contribute to the set list.
Morris has included anthems The Real Thing and Sweet Sweet Love, Southern Sons hits are Hold Me in Your Arms and Always and Ever, Thirsty Merc inclusions are In the Summertime and 20 Good Reasons and The Screaming Jets rock anthems are Better and Shivers.
“You have to leave a lot out, so I just try to pick the ones that people know,” he said.
“I’ve also got one in there that’s completely unknown, because I figure it’s a good song to play.”
He said he enjoyed getting the opportunity to play the other artists’ songs, not singling out a favourite.
“Actually, all their songs I really enjoy playing, and it’s like a breath of fresh air for me to be doing other songs, because I’ve been doing my own songs for so long,” he said.
Between the hits will be two original tunes introduced during the last tour and another new song created for this tour.
But writing them wasn’t easy.
“It’s very hard. It’s like herding cats,” Morris said.
“Rai and Jack are so impossible to herd into one situation.
“Both of them could write a song in 10 minutes, they’re that good, but just getting them to do it is very difficult.”
He said it was the level of musicianship that made the group attractive to punters and why shows were expected to sell out quickly again.
“Rai is such a superb musician, like he is frighteningly good,” he said.
“At the moment he’s been working with [American singer-songwriter] Sammy Hagar and [American guitarist] Joe Satriani.
“On the other side of the stage is Jack, who is also world-class as a guitar player and singer.
“They also get to see Dave, who’s absolutely a force unto himself. It’s like working on stage with a tsunami. His personality is great. His voice is great. His songs are great.”
Tickets are on sale now for The Fabulous Caprettos at Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul on 11 October.
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