Almost five decades after Choirboys first began navigating the glorious chaos of Australia’s pub-rock circuit, frontman Mark Gable reckons it’s time to tell a few stories. And there are plenty of them.
When Choirboys bring Run to Paradise to Newcastle’s Civic Theatre in November, audiences will get something different from the traditional greatest-hits rock show. Part concert and part storytelling session, the production digs into the characters, excesses and occasionally ridiculous moments the band encountered during the golden years of Australian pub rock.
For Gable, the inspiration came not just from decades of playing Choirboys songs, but from everything the band witnessed happening around the music.
“Most of all, it is what we saw and heard off stage with all these artists that inspired this show,” he said.
Formed on Sydney’s Northern Beaches in 1978, Choirboys emerged during an era when live music was embedded in Australian pub culture. Bands could spend six nights a week on stage, sometimes squeezing two or three shows into a single night, honing their craft in front of audiences that weren’t afraid to let them know exactly what they thought.
Gable believes that relentless schedule helped create something difficult for emerging bands to replicate today.
“It was part of our culture. We and our peers played six nights a week, sometimes two or three shows a night, and we connected with a live audience, and this built our creativity.
“This was the case in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and America. Young bands today can’t do that, and this is why the younger generation loves to listen to the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s music.”
The show attempts to capture some of that world through the people Choirboys encountered along the way. AC/DC, The Angels, Dragon, Divinyls, Deep Purple and Newcastle’s own Screaming Jets are among the names woven into the show, with their music providing the soundtrack to stories from on and off stage.
There are tales involving Chuck Berry’s backstage habits, an encounter involving a Divinyls bass player and a movie star, an incident with Deep Purple that apparently left Gable with a limp, and a question that perhaps nobody knew needed answering: what happened to Iggy Pop’s pants?
Just don’t expect everything you hear to stand up in a court of law.
Gable freely admits the show exists somewhere between documented history, recollections accumulated over decades and stories passed between musicians.
“We try and keep it close to how we remember it happening,” he said.
That makes Newcastle an appropriate stop for the show. The city was one of the great strongholds of the Australian pub-rock circuit and has its own long history with Choirboys.
Gable remembers the band’s gigs at the Castle Tavern and the relationship they developed with Newcastle audiences, although there was apparently a little trepidation once they stepped outside the venue.
“We used to play at the Castle Tavern back in the day and great memories of wild nights there and really acquired a great connection with Newcastle people,” he said.
“However, we were always nervous about walking down Hunter Street.”
Gable also points to Newcastle’s contribution to the next generation of Australian rock, describing Screaming Jets as “the last great Australian pub rock band” while also acknowledging Silverchair.
And there is a nice bit of symmetry in Choirboys returning to town with a show celebrating the culture that produced them. Screaming Jets’ Better, Gable says, helped change the way Australia viewed Newcastle, a city that had already played its own part in the Choirboys story.
Of course, amid all the reminiscing, there is still a rock show to play.
The stories will be backed by songs from the bands and artists who defined the era, alongside Choirboys favourites Boys Will Be Boys, Never Gonna Die, Struggletown and the song that has followed them for decades, Run to Paradise.
The truth behind some of the stories may have become a little blurry with the passing years.
But then again, after six nights a week, multiple shows a night and nearly five decades of rock and roll, perhaps remembering everything perfectly would be the least believable story of all.
Choirboys bring the Run to Paradise tour to Civic Theatre Newcastle on Saturday, 7 November 2026. For more information and tickets, visit civictheatrenewcastle.com.au.
