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For more than ten years The Doomsday Preachers performed at weddings, parties, festivals, markets, fetes, & churches. Although the tyrany of distance and the need to make money in real jobs kept the band very part-time, their entertaining blend of original and traditional roots, blues & gospel music has been a great crowd pleaser on all occasions.
These performances have included Majors Creek Folk Festival 2003 & 2005, Cobargo Folk festival 2003, Kangarro Valley Folk Festival 2008, Tamworth Country Music Festival 2009, Blacktown City Festivals, and Glebe markets.
The Doomsday Preachers' performances are enlivened by the passion they feel for their message - these blokes don't just sing "gospel" - they believe it!
At the end of 2011, the Preachers are a "retired" band. I think we'd all like to see that change, if the opportunity arises.
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Doomsday Preachers Timeline
1986 - After meeting at a western Sydney church, Tim and Russ soon began playing and singing together whenever they could. (Between study, work and romantic commitments, this was less often than the music deserved!)
1995 - Dion & Matt joined Tim and Russ, and The Doomsday Preachers were formed.
1998 - Dion stepped down and the band moved to a three-piece line-up.
2002 - John joined the Preachers.
2004 - The Preachers finally completed a CD, the home-produced "Gettin' Ready To Go".
2005 - Illness led to John stepping down. Tony joined the Preachers.
2008 - The Preachers go into the studio to produce their second album, "Happy Songs". This album is launched at the Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival
2009 - The Preachers play at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
2010 - The Preachers have gone into retirement - long story - we're all still playing and singing, mainly in church settings, and hope to have some musical news to share as time goes on.
2011 - Tim & Russ start working on the old duo act "Baker & Wilson"
Tim "Wailin' Reverend" Wilson took up the harmonica after hearing the music of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee as a teenager. He has carried this passion through his work as a church youth worker, a minister of religion, and a prison chaplain. Tim is a dynamic performer, both vocally and on the "harp".
The son of a Presbyterian minister, Russ "The Baker Boy" learned to play guitar when he should have been studying for his HSC. Having played typical loud & raucous teenage thrash, Russ discovered pre-World War II American country blues, gospel and folk in the recordings of artists such as Blind Willie Johnson, Frank Stokes, Bukka White, Robert Johnson & Mississippi John Hurt. Russ has written or collected and arranged most of the Preachers songs. Vocally, Russ is the straight man to Tim's wild man.
Matt "Thimbles" Prowse played piano and guitar in church from his youth. Not satisfied with his repertoire of hymns and choruses, the young Matt eagerly sought out recordings from Captain Matchbox, the Bushwhackers and various folk and blues artists. This, combined with an interest in more mainstream bands such as Santana and Deep Purple and even classical music, made for an interesting diversity in musical exposure. Matt plays washboard, bass, guitar and mandolin with The Preachers. Perhaps we'll convince him to sing one day.
Dion "Mr Cool" Christopher joined the band for a couple of years from 1995, playing bass guitar and thongs! Russ had taught Dion bass - the thongs he worked out for himself.
In 2002, John-Boy Speers brought his tub-thumping prowess to the Preachers - the product of years mis-spent tapping desks, steering wheels, and anything else he could hit! John-Boy brought a rock-solid heart-beat and drive to the music that lifted the band to a new level of performance. John performed in multiple festivals and concerts including the Cobargo and Majors Creek folk festivals in 2003, Glebe markets, and various Blacktown city festivals.
John was a rare drummer - one willing to play the old junk that Matt and Russ pulled together and called a drum kit!
Sadly, John Speers became seriously ill in 2005, and had to step down from the Preachers. John passed away on the 13th of May 2007. His friendship, steady beat and dry humour will be missed by all for a very long time. But he told us "The band must go on", and so we will continue. We've published some photos as a tribute to John, which you can view here.
Tony "The Tinker" Bunyan stepped into the breach when John fell ill, and has taken the percussion into new directions with his dynamic playing and his willingness to do the unorthodox. Thanks to Tony the Preachers now have the wonderful sound of a Jug, as well as a fireman's helmet and an anti-aircraft shell casing on top of the old junky drum kit.