By STEVE MASCORD
REMEMBER the first time you were given sushi? The queasy what-the-hell-is-this alarm fighting against the threat of humiliation about being exposed as desperately unsophisticated?
Well for James Morley, the former bassist for Oz Rock legends The Angels, that coming-of-age unfortunately coincided with the first time he met his heroes, AC/DC.
James, who now runs a touring AC/DC tribute concept called Bon But Not Forgotten, takes up the story, which occurs when The Razor’s Edge tour pulled into his home town of Perth on October 23, 1991.
“Their tour manager Mike, he was a mad Angels fan,” Morley told Hot Metal.
“I get a phone call from this guy saying … ‘I’m just wondering if you’d like to come down and have a drink with the boys tonight?’.
“I had a think about it for a nano-second and I said ‘I’d absolutely love to, thanks!’.
“We actually went to a Japanese restaurant where the old Entertainment Centre is in Perth there.
“I can’t stand Japanese food. I don’t mind it now. But back then it was like ‘oh God!’.
“I had a couple of sakes – they creep up on you – and ended up having a California spring roll (sic) or something.
“It was, like, seaweed. I’d never been to a Japanese restaurant before. I’ve had a bite of this seaweed stuff and I’ve politely excused myself with half a mouth still full of this.
“I’ve gone to the toilet, spat it out and I’m having a piss while I’m there.
“The next minute Cliff (Williams, AC/DC bassist) comes and stands next to me and I’m like, ‘shit, what do I say?’
“I’ve stolen all his bass parts for the last 10 years …. ‘how you going mate?’
“Ended up having a chat with him – not so much in the toilet but back at the table. He’s one of the nicest blokes in rock’n’roll, he really is.”
Morley says he and Williams still text occasionally and the Aussie has since played with former AC/DC members Mark Evans, Simon Wright and Tony Currenti on the Bon But Not Forgotten tours.
Some dates last week were cancelled after Morley, who has switched from bass to lead guitar since leaving the Angels in 1992, contracted Covid-19.
