EXPECT to hear everything from Springsteen to Soft Cell when local favourites The Wayward Johnsons return to the stage at St Bernard’s Hotel with their new show 70s versus 80s.
The eight-piece band will take the crowd on a time-travelling setlist through two of music’s most influential decades, blending pop, soul, funk and rock with their trademark party energy.
It’s not just the music that spans generations – the band’s members range from 18 to 58 and include three fathers playing alongside their sons.
“There’s a real buzz to playing these tunes together,” said lead singer Steve Denley.
“We’ve been at it for 20 years and now we’ve brought the next generation into the band, which adds something really special.”
The show, set for Saturday 7 June, isn’t just a greatest hits playlist.
Mr Denley said putting together a setlist is a careful balancing act, factoring in crowd favourites, horn sections, and the occasional “band politics.”
“You’ve got to pick songs people love, ones the crowd can dance and sing along to,” he said.
“We can’t pull off Aretha Franklin or The Supremes, and we’re not an electronic band either, so we find a way to make the songs our own.”
While there’s plenty of love for the 70s’ country rock roots like Creedence and Cash, Mr Denley admits the 80s come with a dose of cultural cringe.
“There’s some brilliant pop from the 80s, but also some stuff we grew up hearing, like the Beach Boys on Cadbury chocolate ads that still makes us wince,” he said.
“But that’s part of the fun.”
The band has become a regular feature of the mountain’s music scene, with Mr Denley crediting venues like St Bernard’s and Canungra Pub for giving the group a leg up.
“They’ve been really welcoming,” he said.
“Our kids went to school here, some of them work at the pub. It’s very much a community thing.”
As for what keeps crowds coming back?
“It’s musical comfort food,” Mr Denley said.
“Songs that feel good, make you lose your inhibitions, and give everyone a reason to get up and dance.”
