Dropbears


Dropbears were an Australian/New Zealand rock band active on the Australian music scene in the early 1980s. They had a few national chart hits and received national airplay. They had a minor charting hit with "Shall We Go" in 1985.

History

The band started life as The Socket Set in 1980, with Johnny Batchelor, Phil Hall, and a string of drummers. They played shows which included the sell-out opening night of The Saints' comeback Australian tour in 1980.
As Dropbears, the band formed in Darlinghurst, Sydney, in 1981, with Batchelor, Simon Rudlin, and Chris "Chris Cross" Toms. Prior to this, Johnny and Simon had been jamming with bass player Rod Brunel, but it wasn't working well. Chris Cross from Sydney punk band The Bedhogs knew Johnny, who asked him to join the band.
In 1982, Dropbears released the singles "Fun Loving" and "Lay Him Down", which both peaked at number one on the Sydney Indie charts. The following year, the band signed to WEA records and went on to release a series of successful singles.
In 2011, The Essential Dropbears was released through Warner Music Australia. The compilation album features 10 tracks, including the 1985 chart hits "Shall We Go" and "In Your Eyes".

Members

Studio albums

Compilations

Singles