“The tour we did in late 1984 was the ‘pay the bills tour’,” says guitarist Richard Burgman. “We wanted to walk away clear, so we made sure we could pay off all of our debts, to people involved with the band, credit cards, everything.” While Jeremy Oxley would briefly revive the Sunnyboys moniker in the late ‘80s and ‘90s without the involvement of any of the other original members of the band – Burgman, drummer ‘Big’ Bill Bilson and Oxley’s brother and bass player Peter – the 1984 farewell tour was to be the last sighting of Sunnyboys for almost 30 years (the Oxley brothers, Bilson and Tim Oxley would play a few songs in 1998 at Mushroom Records’ 25th Anniversary concert).
The Sunnyboy documentary describes Jeremy Oxley’s battle with schizophrenia, and his gradual return to the stage alongside his former band mates. “This time around it’s about picking up the best parts of what we had, and running with that,” Burgman says. An appearance at the Sydney leg of the 2012 Dig It Up! festival heralded Sunnyboys’ return to live performance; subsequent festival and headline shows across the country in late 2012 confirmed Sunnyboys’ re-appearance was no fluke.
Burgman, who moved to Canada with his Canadian-born wife over 20 years ago (“no-one here has any idea who the Sunnyboys are,” Burgman laughs), confesses to being “pleasantly surprised” at the reaction Sunnyboys have generated since returning to the fray. “We did a have a sense that the reaction would be good because we left a good legacy,” Burgman says on the phone from Wagga Wagga, where’s he currently holidaying. “But that said, we’ve been very pleasantly surprised at the crowds who’ve come along to see us, and how much everyone’s enjoyed the shows.”
The last time around Sunnyboys were the victim of industry expectation: the band’s first album spawned the classic hits Alone With You and Happy Man, and the band – particularly Jeremy Oxley – was under strong industry pressure to produce more hit songs, and to maintain a heavy touring schedule. This time around, Burgman says, Sunnyboys are in control.
“We know exactly what it is that we’re doing this time around,” Burgman says. “Back then there was a lot of pressure – the industry was dangling a lot of carrots while also getting the stick out as well. There’d be this constant pressure to make records and tour. Now we have the carrot, and the stick.”
The “carrot”, Burgman offers, is the simple pleasure of getting to play. “We want playing to be fun,” he says. “It’s great to be back onstage, and to have the opportunity to be onstage. And we can play the songs that we want to.”
With Jeremy Oxley’s wife – and practising nurse – accompanying the band on tour, Oxley is managing the band’s live schedule without any dramas. “Jeremy’s fairly well protected from most of the noise that’s been generated with the band’s return,” Burgman says. “But he has been talking to people, and he’s been involved with some of the activities for the documentary, so he’s handling it really well.”
Sunnyboys have recently released a compilation of tracks taken from the band’s three studio albums, as well as some choice outtakes, rarities and demos from the band’s early days. The compilation includes alternate versions of two tracks from Sunnyboys’ second album, the Lobby Loyde-produced Individuals.
Having originally been disappointed with the album when it was released, Burgman says the band is happy to finally show the world how the album should have sounded. “Those two songs [No Love Around and You Need A Friend] are pre-mixes, and they sound so much better.”
While there are still other rarities and outtakes to release if the occasion requires, Burgman says it’s unlikely that Sunnyboys will record any new material. “The band was around from 1981 to 1984, and that’s what people want to hear,” Burgman says. “We’ve all moved on musically, so there are no plans at the moment to record any new songs. But never say never, I suppose!”
BY PATRICK EMERY
