Fans pay tribute to Doc Neeson
Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett has paid tribute to Doc Neeson as a “big man with a huge heart” as Angels fans flooded social media with condolences on the death of the singer frontman.
Neeson had been battling an aggressive brain tumour for 17 months when he died on Wednesday morning aged 67.
“We love you Dad. You couldn’t have made any of your sons more proud of you if you tried,” his sons wrote in a Facebook post confirming the singer’s death.
“A mighty talent … You showed us how,” Garrett tweeted.
Angels drummer Buzz Bidstrup took to Facebook to join in the condolences.
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“It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Bernard “Doc” Neeson today. He left this world early this morning and I join music lovers everywhere in mourning this great man,” he posted on Wednesday morning.
Screaming Jets bassist Paul Woseen said he was sad to hear the news but feared the worst after last seeing Neeson about six months ago.
“The last time I saw him he looked worse than the time before – it looked ike the end was imminent,” he told AAP.
Woseen says his favourite memory of Neeson was a classic pose of holding a towel above his head with sweat pouring off him during a gig.
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However, he says away from the stage Neeson was a different person.
“He was quiet but friendly … You do put on a different sort of `suit’ so to speak before you hit the stage.”
Some musical contemporaries of Neeson were too distressed to comment after they heard the news on Wednesday.
After news broke of Neeson’s death, The Angels started trending on Twitter as many users paid their respects.
Fans hailed the Irish-born performer as a true showman and a member of Australian rock royalty.
Others fondly remembered listening to the band’s string of hits in the late ’70s and ’80s.
“Most potent memory of young suburban life was watching The Angels blow the roof off Blacktown RSL sometime early 80s,” Adrian Michaels tweeted.
Another tweeter recounted a story of Neeson stopping to carefully listen to a friend’s original guitar composition while he busked on the street.
At least two tweets referred to the way many will remember the classic Am I Ever Going To See Your Face Again: “No way, get f***ed, f*** off!”
