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‘Get in touch’: Reuniting band Australian Crawl appeal to ‘off-grid’ missing bassist
Exclusive: Legendary band Australian Crawl are getting back together, but they’re missing their bass player.
No, it’s not just that Paul Williams is unavailable – they literally cannot find him.
Australian Crawl are reuniting, but their bassist Paul Williams, pictured here back right, can't be found. Supplied
The band’s reunion, for upcoming Red Hot Summer Tour shows across the country in October and November, will include three of the band’s original five members – brothers James and David Reyne and lead guitarist Simon Binks.
Sadly, rhythmic guitarist Brad Robinson died in 1996, three years after being diagnosed with lymphoma.
Of the original line-up, that just leaves bassist Paul Williams … but there’s a small problem.
“We can’t find the bass player,” TV star and original drummer David Reyne, 67, told nine.com.au.
“We’ve put out all these feelers. I know my brother’s done a lot of media regarding this reunion and has said, ‘Paul, we know you’re out there somewhere. If you hear this, get in touch.’”
They’ve had no luck so far.
“Apparently, he’s living off-grid somewhere out in the middle of Queensland and no one’s had any communication with him for about three years,” David said.
While Paul is, at this stage, unlikely to make it to the Spring shows, David is rejoining Australian Crawl on stage after 45 years.
The Getaway presenter was the band’s drummer for about 18 months, leaving in 1979, before they made the big time, to follow his acting dreams.
David has presented on Channel 9's Getaway since it began in 1992. Nine
His TV career worked out great, with roles in shows like Sweet and Sour and The Flying Doctors, plus a long-time gig on Getaway.
But he admitted watching his brother and former bandmates become one of the most popular bands of the early 80s did lead to some second-guessing.
“I watched this band, that I was very much a part of, become one of the biggest things in the country. I do remember thinking, ‘Oh, have I made the right decision here?’” David said.
“Everyone wants to be in a rock band, let alone a successful one!”
However, he felt pride in helping to set the band up and believed it was the right decision, “because my heart was elsewhere,” he explained.
David played drums in other bands afterwards, most notably the Chantoozies, but admitted it’d been a while since he had picked up his sticks – which made for an awkward phone call with James about the reunion.
Australian Crawl are heading out on the road in October and November. Supplied
Was he immediately on board?
“Well, not really,” David joked.
“I play a little bit at home every now and then but I haven’t really played for a long time. I said, ‘What do you want me to do?’ He said, ‘Just get up there and bang shit,’ is how he put it.”
Thankfully, they’ll also have the support of longtime drummer John Watson.
“He’ll be playing drums and I’ll be banging stuff,” David said.
Australian Crawl were one of the country's biggest bands in the 80s. Supplied
David has one big hope for the tour, which also includes an incredible all-Aussie line-up of Men at Work, Birds of Tokyo, Vika & Linda and more.
“I said to James, I’m only going to do it if we can just have fun and it’s reminiscent of the early tours that we used to do, which were just fun,” he said.
“We would play the life-saving clubs and the beaches and everything like that. We just had fun, and so did the audience. That was the essence of what made Australian Crawl what it is.”
