Radio Birdman
 The Radio Birdman saga began in Sydney, Australia, in 1973 with The Rats
(a band comprising Mick Lynne on bass, Rob Younger on vocals, Warwick
Gilbert on guitar and Ron Keeley on drums).
At the same time, Detroit ex-pat Deniz Tek was playing with a band called TV Jones. In November
1974, Tek, Gilbert, Keeley, Younger and keyboard player Pip Hoyle joined
forces as Radio Birdman. Hoyle left and was replaced by Chris Masuak.
Radio Birdman scored their first regular gig at the Excelsior Hotel,
playing some original songs along with covers of songs by The
Stooges, MC5, The
Remains, Blue Öyster Cult and
The Doors.
They won the RAM
magazine 'Sydney Punk Band Thriller' and became locally established as
the loudest and most menacing band in Sydney. Fitting for a band that
included a former paratrooper on bass, a drummer who used to be in the
Australian Navy and a future jet-fighter pilot on guitar . . .
After an independent EP called Burn My Eye and an
independent album called Radio's Appear the band went to
England (with Hoyle rejoining).
The band received poor support from
their newly acquired American record company, and went down badly with
critics and audiences alike, splitting in June 1978.
Radio Birdman had one other album (also called, confusingly, Radio's
Appear) released globally by Sire and containing tracks taken from
their original Australian LP with a few new tracks and some re-recorded
tracks from the first album.
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