Rock Legends The Angels are on the road to mark the 50th anniversary of their debut track, ‘Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again’, a song that is an indelible part of the Australian culture.
Instantly recognised by its famous ambulance siren guitar riff and released in 1976, Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again was originally produced by Harry Vanda and George Young (of The Easybeats) and was written by current, original band members, brothers John and Rick Brewster and the late Doc Neeson. Further re-recordings followed until a live version of the track was released in 1988 reaching #11 on the charts.
In recent times, the single notably came in at #12 on Triple J’s Hottest 100 of Australian Songs in July 2025 and was the oldest title in the Top 40. “We were blown away when the song ranked so highly.” John Brewster explains.
The classic has also been honoured with covers by Dune Rats and Ruby Fields with John and Rick Brewster happily obliging to the band’s invitation to feature on the recording in 2023.
New York garage rockers Baby Shakes also released a cover of the single with an accompanying video in 2020.
“The song just seems to get bigger every year.” John Brewster smiles.
International touring artists Metallica, Keith Urban and Jelly Roll paid homage with live versions of the song across their respective sold-out tours in 2025, thrilling local audiences who were more than happy to oblige for the famous single’s expletive-laden call and response!
Even our Prime Minister Anthony Albanese loves it declaring, “There’s no better sing-along than Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again by The Angels,” during the 2025 election campaign.
The infamous chant was first encountered at a gig in Mount Isa in 1983. “We had actually dropped the song from our set,” John reveals. “But at the Isa gig, the crowd was going off and kept demanding encores. Backstage, we looked at each other and said, ‘What are we going to play?’”
When they hit the chorus, the band was greeted by the chant. After the gig, Doc Neeson grabbed a guy in the crowd and asked what was going on. He explained that he and his mates had attended a police Blue Light Disco in Fairfield in Sydney, where the DJ would stop the song and the crowd would yell the response. “So, in a way,” Doc reflected, “we have the police to thank. It’s amazing that it spread from just one disco.”
Over the years, many people have claimed to be the instigators of the chant, so its exact origins remain a mystery. “What we do know is the band had nothing to do with the chant,” Rick Brewster adds. “And we Love that – it’s something that the audience has given us.”
In the UK, ex-pats will play the song at a pub so they can find other Australians. “It’s like an Aussie mating call,” the late-great Doc Neeson observed.
Despite becoming an Aussie anthem, the song actually has a tragic backstory. It was written after the girlfriend of the band’s first manager John Woodruff was killed in a motorbike accident. Her death had the band pondering the hereafter. “Can’t stop the memory that goes climbing through my brain/ I get no answer, so the question still remains: Am I ever gonna see your face again?”
“Fifty years on, the song still has so much meaning for us,” John Brewster says. “When we play the song, we’re thinking about all the people we’ve lost, like Doc and Chris Bailey. And all the people that we’ve played with over the years. And all the roadies, the tour managers, the record company people, our friends and, of course, all the fans.
Stay tuned for my full interview with John Brewster in coming weeks. Meantime, get out and see The Angels in action. If you have no idea what ‘the chant’ is, simply look up the live version of the song to find out. It’s something you’ll never forget, I promise you!
AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN… 50 YEARS ON!
19 Jun – Canberra Southern Cross Club – Woden – ACT
20 Jun – The Bended Elbow – Albury – NSW
3 Jul – Country Club Showroom – Launceston – TAS
4 Jul – Wrest Point Showroom – Hobart – TAS
10 Jul – Belmont 16s – Belmont – NSW
11 Jul – Revesby Workers Club – Revesby – NSW
17 Jul – Freo Social – Fremantle – WA
18 Jul – Rosemount Hotel – Perth – WA
31 Jul – Highfield – Caringbah – NSW
1 Aug – Factory Theatre – Marrickville – NSW
7 Aug – Shoal Bay Country Club – Shoal Bay – NSW
8 Aug – Liverpool Catholic Club – Prestons – NSW
14 Aug – Eureka Hotel – Geelong – VIC
15 Aug – Corner Hotel – Melbourne – VIC
28 Aug – The Juniors – Kingsford – NSW
29 Aug – Pittwater RSL – Mona Vale – NSW
11 Sep – The Triffid – Brisbane – QLD
12 Sep – Koala Tavern – Capalaba – QLD
23 Oct – Bridge Hotel – Rozelle – NSW
24 Oct – Bridge Hotel – Rozelle – NSW
6 Nov – Hindley St Music Hall – Adelaide – SA
#australianmusic #australianrock #80smusic
