The iconic 60s group The Easybeats will be headlining at this year’s Sixties On The Square on Saturday 7th September 2024 as part of the Rossendale 60s Festival weekend on 6th – 8th September
The Easybeats were an Australian rock band that formed in Sydney in late 1964. The band was George Young Scotland UK. Stevie Wright Leeds England. Gordon Fleet Liverpool England. Dick Diamonde Holland. Harry Vanda Holland. All of which emigrated to Australia with their families in the 1960s, during their six-year run, they scored fifteen top 40 hits in Australia, including She’s so fine – Woman – Hello how are you – Good times – St Louis – Sorry. They also Had a few hits in the UK and Europe between 1966-1969 and did many live shows across the whole of the UK and Europe in the mid to late 60s but once the hits dried up they broke up in late 68. The band minus George and Harry then all returned to Australia to pursue other ventures and Stevie Wright went on to have a huge solo career in Australia.
Vanda and Young remained in the UK for a further three years producing and working to pay off massive debts incurred during the Easybeats’ years and also recording under various names like The Marcus Hook Roll Band and Flash in the pan. With their mounting debts and being broke they then decided to do some Easybeat gigs in the UK and Europe to make some money and in 1969 they recruited Manchester singer guitarist Steve Strahand to front the band along with numerous drummers they were using.
When George and Harry decided to return to Australia in 1973 George gave Steve his blessing to carry on using the name The Easybeats. Steve carried on doing gigs in the UK with various line ups but with the decreasing market for 60s band’s as the 70s band’s took over Steve decided to put the band on the back burner.
Steve again reformed the band in 1984 with a new line up consisting of Garth Elliot lead guitar formally with Alvin Stardust in the early70s and later with Hermans Hermits Paul Farnell Ex Hermans Hermits bass guitar and Tony Crabtreeon drums. Now calling the band The Easybeats UK the band has enjoyed massive touring success in Germany, Holland, Belgium and Denmark where the band was hugely successful in the 1960’s as well as concert and cabaret appearances in the U.K.
During the late 1980’s and 1990’s they were one of the first bands to spend most weekends in Germany playing to the new audiences that the demise of the Berlin wall created. On these shows with The Easybeats were bands like Slade, Mungo Jerry, Hermans Hermits, Dave Dee,Dozey, Beakey, Mick & Tich, Chip Hawkes , Middle of the Road, The Equals, The Troggs and The Tremeloes among others. Each night they played to thousands of people in Converted Barns’ Stadiums and outdoor festivals or anywhere a stage could be erected to accommodate the growing German audiences.
The current lineup of the band had been together for over 30 years and with only one-member change in that time but in November 2018 the band’s lead guitarist sadly past away after a short battle with cancer having been with the band since 1989.
Watch out for further detail on the Rossendale 60s Festival 2024 Facebook page
Rossendale 60s Festival 2024 