Last year Melbourne lost one of its greatest songwriting, singing and guitar-playing talents in one Mr Guy Lucas, the guiding light behind Melbourne band, The Freeloaders. It's just over a year to the day since Guy left this earth and left all of us devastated that we'd lost a friend and inspiration. It's pretty simple - The Freeloaders were basically one of the greatest garage punk/power pop/rock and roll combos to ever grace the stages of Melbourne's live venues. I use all these descriptives for The Freeloaders because it's just too hard to categorise them as one particular musical genre. All I know is that Guy was a "master of melody" - he could write a mean pop song and I know cos I'm still singing them to this day!

The Freeloaders had reached a creative peak just before Guy died - they had recorded their second album, they were playing live reasonably often and they were getting great crowd reactions. Good grief, maybe Melbourne was waking up to talents of The Freeloaders! Unfortunately it was all too little too late. I live in hope that one day we will see the penultimate Freeloaders' album in our shops - I hope for myself cos I've heard it, I KNOW it's great and I want to own a copy, and I hope for all of you, cos you HAVE to hear it - it'll be one of those records that you can't help but play over and over and over. It's hard to describe the magnitude of Guy's songwriting talent - you really have to ear it to understand. Go out and search for their EP Dead Before My Time on Dog Meat Records to get a taste of the talents of Mr Lucas.

Some of you may have been at the second Rhythm 'n' Beat Invasion in 1996 when The Freeloaders played for us. It was a strange old night - the front of the stage was filled with the rock 'n' roll fans who were already familiar with the band, while the more "purist" 60s fans stood at the back and grumbled that The Freeloaders were "too loud" and "not '60s enough". I really had to chuckle because The Freeloaders were and are all HUGE 60s fans, devoted music listeners and collectors of all types of 60s sounds - Australian and US garage punk, English psych, you name it... I always thought these influences were crystal clear in the music they produced, but maybe this was only obvious to a few of us. And maybe that touch of hard-edged rock and roll that they conveyed was just a little too much for some people. Anyway, they did win a few friends that night and they got my vote as best band of the gig (sorry Crusaders!).

As well as his amazing songwriting and singing talent, Guy was the "mixer of choice" for many Melbourne bands. And he was indeed our "mixer of choice" at the final Happening No. 7 at the Central Club in 1997. Guy worked feverishly all night running between bands and making sure he could give them the best sound possible and what a sterling job he did too! Everyone from The E-Aitchs (alias The Shindiggers) and The Exotics to The Thurston Howlers and Tyrnaround - he took care of all of them - thank you kind sir...

At the time of his death, Guy was also working towards reforming his more straight-ahead garage punk band, The Preverts. For those of you who were at Happening No. 6 at the Thumpin' Tum in Richmond, you may remember them as being the second band on around 8pm - they really had everyone in that hot and sweaty little room jumping and they surely did set the tone for the rest of the night. (One day Maria and I might get around to releasing the Happening tapes, which will feature some fabulous Preverts toons).

So as you can see, Guy was a true friend of the Sixties Appreciation Society and we are forever grateful and flattered that he saw fit to dedicate so much of his time and talent to us. And you can no doubt guess, Guy was a friend, a true fan and a fine musician. Shortly after his death last year, approximately thirty bands from Melbourne, Adelaide and Tasmania got together for Lucas Aid, an all tribute gig to Guy. There were well over 200 people in attendance at the Tote Hotel that day - all there to commemorate a fine friend and talent. It was time to return the favour...

Guy, a year has passed since you left us and you are still sorely missed. Melbourne town just ain't the same without you mate. Whenever I knew The Freeloaders were going to be playing, I'd get excited about a week beforehand and start counting down the days. Now I don't often get excited about gigs anymore - I know I'm not going to see that very special Guy... Anyway, I consider myself lucky that I was privy to the music of Guy Lucas and I think I can safely speak on behalf of the "Freeloadin' followers" who regularly went to see them - it was like we were all in on a great secret that no-one else knew about. Unfortunately we never got to let the secret out...

Thanks Guy, we'll love you always and miss you forever...

Jackie