1980 to 1982 - BRIEGER & WHITMORE (DUO)

Venues Performed (200+ performances)

Brewer's Elbow (Gordon) / Dolphin Hotel (Surrey Hills) / Golden Sheaf Hotel (Double Bay) / Royal Sovereign Hotel (Darlinghurst) / Rest Hotel (Milsons Point) / Five Bells Restaurant (The Rocks) / Kauri Hotel (Glebe) / Rozelle Hotel / Dr Redbirds (North Sydney) / Hero of Waterloo (The Rocks) / Observer Hotel (The Rocks) / Oxford Hotel (Darlinghurst) / Newmarket Hotel / Budgewoi Hotel / The Balcony (Jindabyne)

Enter stage left - Steve Whitmore and my career as a professional musician.

Steve was also from school, but a year up from me. He played guitar well and with great flair and sang in a school band of his own, but we'd only ever played together in football teams (i.e. soccer). I can't recall how our duo "kicked-off", but our first gig was on 21 October 1980 at "The Brewer's Elbow", a wine bar in suburban Gordon.

Brieger and Whitmore at the Five Bells

In hindsight, I had no idea of the wave we were riding. I just thought all bands packed rooms to the rafters every time they played. Our gigs in The Rocks at the Five Bells were truly legendary. We were so successful, the dodgy owner had to eventually "can-it" because he was operating way beyond the scope of his restaurant licence; and the authorities were breathing down his neck.

Eventually, we came up with a proper name "Gas Company", "Gas" standing for "Geoff And Steve", but we never got to use it.

Fate intervened, and we parted company prematurely. Steve contracted a particularly bad case of glandular fever, and was out of action for an unknown while.

So I sought income elsewhere, although in 1983, we did play together for a few consecutive shows in the NSW snowfields.

Also around 1983, I had a very brief episode as a band manager. The band was called "Time After Time", and when the guitarist departed, Steve replaced him, which must have been my doing? The female, lead-singer soon fell in love with Steve, and I recall they became an item.

Episode summary - I couldn't make a buck, for the band or me, and my short career in band management was over.

Steve's still gigging today, unquestionably doing a very fine job. We're Facebook friends, but I haven't seen him for decades.

Also with Steve: In 1980, Steve and I co-wrote the music and performed in the band for "The Rocks Players" season of "The Musicians", by Barry Hayes, a teacher at our former school.

It was my first experience with the theatre and although we weren't paid, I loved every minute of it.

Notably, one the performers, Genevieve Lemon, became a very successful actor. "Gen", who had a sweet but strong voice (and probably still does), often sang as a guest with "Brieger & Whitmore", and she was also briefly a housemate of mine. Like Steve, we're also Facebook friends.