Funky Aussie Blues Outfit The Mighty Reapers To Play Marrickville Bowlo

When the Dynamic Hepnotics decided to call it a day in 1988, after achieving national pop stardom, their lead singer Continental Robert Susz looked for another project and formed the soul and blues-inspired Mighty Reapers.

With a funky groove driven approach to their repertoire, both covers and many original songs, they soon became a favourite around the pubs and clubs amongst inner city Sydney.

The Reapers’ favourite (and awkward) touring moments

It wasn’t long before they were releasing a series of well received albums and being invited to play on music festivals throughout the country. At the same time they quickly became the band of choice to back a series of international artists who toured the country during the 1990s including Big Jay McNeely, Lucky Petersen, Hubert Sumlin, Bobby Radcliff, Louisiana Red and Margie Evans, the latter with whom they recorded two very popular albums.

Needless to say these tours have provided many memorable moments – not all of them experienced musically. There have been numerous off-stage episodes, most of them humorous, although a few best not repeated in polite company. Robert recalls one particularly awkward happening:

“We had a gig playing at the Bacardi Club which was part of the Sydney Festival at the Hyde Park Barracks, an outdoor venue. Just before showtime it started sprinkling rain and they handed out disposable raincoats to the crowd. They were all white with white hoods. When Margie Evans, an Afro-American, came out of the dressing room to sing she became understandably concerned at the sea of of white hooded punters. We quickly informed her that we weren’t performing at a Ku Klux Klan rally.

There was also the time singer and honking saxophonist Big Jay McNeely left the band stranded on the stage at Klub Kakadu in Oxford Street as he took off on one of his legendary pied piper walks, complete with a radio mic. As he exited the club and onto the street the band could still hear him playing and kept up their backing even when he was chased from an adjacent sex shop by an angry owner after terrifying patrons with his blasting sax.

The Mighty Reapers’ current lineup and upcoming shows

Over the years The Reapers have featured some of Sydney’s finest musicians and the current lineup is no exception. Organist Clayton Doley and drummer Antero Ceschin are both celebrated band leaders in their own right. Sadly missing these days is long time bass player Vito “Mr Showbiz” Portolesi who passed away suddenly in 2018 but who lives on in the band’s numerous recordings.

It’s testament to the group’s popularity that they have now been playing for well over three decades despite the fact that guitarist Dave Brewer lives in Perth and other band members such as Clayton Doley all head their own groups.

For these special reunion shows they have welcomed another great musician in Ray Beadle as their honorary member, playing bass and featuring on a number of guest vocals and guitar.

The Mighty Reapers play the Marrickville Bowling Club on Thursday 23 January. Tickets are available here.