The Dead Livers

Mt. Erica Hotel, Prahran Renown Hotel, Fitzroy Marysville Hotel Club Hotel, Lakes Entrance Carters Arms Hotel, Northcote Normanby Hotel, Clifton Hill Prince of Wales Hotel, St. Kilda Boronia Football Club Terang Football Club Aberdeen Hotel, North Fitzroy Macs Hotel, Melton Middle Park Hotel Junction Hotel, Newport Narre Warren Hall Berwick Showgrounds Melbourne State College Prince Mark Hotel, Dandenong Watsonia Barracks Football Club Glenthompson Football Club Bullengarook Country Music Festival Waltzing Matilda Hotel, Springvale Eastern Hill Hotel, Fitzroy Duke of Kent Hotel, Latrobe St. Melbourne Anglesea Golf Club Motorcycle Riders Association clubrooms, Fitzroy Star of the West Hotel, Port Fairy Mortlake Town Hall (New Years Eve) John Barleycorne Hotel, Collingwood

Review of "Reaching to the Western Sky" published in Rhythms magazine August 2000 p.37 Laconic country rock band that may be "Dead" but refuses to die. Our very own "possum", Marty Atchison,  actually showed up for these new sessions produced down in Warrnambool, just up the road from the lead singer's new digs in Portland. The Western District is an ongoing connection for these former inner city stalwarts with bass player Mick Schack also hanging his hat in nearby Yarpturk and writing the the Livers' classic " Star of the West ", revived here in remastered form. The rest are new recordings, with the balance of the band commuting to the country for a set of old facourites ( Rosemary ) and new offerings (Schack's Standing room only and Atchison's possibly auto-biographical Old man on a barstool). With a patented "don't give a shit" attitude and some just right sloppy swagger from guitarists Rodger Delfos and John...

Balance sheet from Queensland tour October 1982 Income: Cash bank       $100.00 Merchandise:  $193.50 Performance Payments: Caesar's          $500.00 Woodridge      $500.00 Redbank:        $100.00 Dusty's:          $300.00 Myer:             $125.00  Beaudesert:    $500.00 Woodridge:    $500.00 Amberley :     $400.00 Total income: $3218.50 Expenses: Airfares:        $1890.00 PA hire:            $370.00 House rent:      $130.00 Tour manager  $120.00 Jim                     20.00 Road crew...

To commemorate 40 years since the formation of the Dead Livers the "Greatest Misses" collection has been remastered (2018) with some additional songs --- including an alternate version of Holy Mary, the first digital version of "Lorretta" and a previously unreleased demo track - "Riding on a bus". To order copies at $20 (inc. postage)  email us  with your address -- mschack15@gmail.com OR -- Get digital download at https://routenote.com/r/mschack/5057728736099

Barry Coburn (left), the CEO of Atlantic records Nashville Division, receives a copy of the Dead Livers CD "Reaching to the Western Sky" from Dead Livers bass player Michael Schack. This photo was taken in the Nashville offices of Atlantic Records in February 2001.

On September 27th and 28th  1999 four members of the Dead Livers (Marty Atchison, Michael Schack, Richard O'Keefe and John Berto) recorded the basic tracks for eight songs at Peter Bird's "Yelp" studios in Redford St. Warrnambool.The songs were: Dear Oh Dear, Rosemary, What's in it for me?, I feel so lucky, Sunshine, Standing room only, Old man on a barstool, Daydreaming. On 31st of October, pedal steel guitarist Brendan Mitchell added some licks. On the 4th and 20th of November Wendy Goyen,  Hannah Schack and Sophie Barratt added some harmony vocals. On the 5th of November, pianist/keyboardist Chris Shanley added some instrumentation and harmony vocals, together with Duncan McKenzie's harmony vocals on "Dear oh Dear". On 20th November Wendy Goyen, Hannah and Sophie added harmony vocals to "Daydreaming" and Rodger Delfos recorded some guitar pieces.