Dave Gleeson has announced his exit from The Angels, 12 years after he joined as their lead singer in 2011.
In a press statement, Gleeson (who also fronts The Screaming Jets) said his time with the iconic hard-rock band “has been a blast and an honour”. He expounded: “Being a part of such a legendary legacy will always be one of my great achievements. To have made music with John and Rick and the late Chris Bailey has been nothing short of awesome.”
As for exactly why he’s heaving, Gleeson explained that The Screaming Jets are “on the eve of a new album release”, while he’s also committed to hosting a nighttime program on Triple M. He said in closing: “To the fans, my heartfelt thanks for accepting me into the fold over the last dozen or so years… John, Rick, Sam and Nick will always hold a special place in my rock ’n’ roll journey. Rock on and see youse on the road.”
In a statement of his own, John Brewster (The Angels’ founding rhythm guitarist) affirmed that Gleeson’s exit comes on good terms with the rest of the band. He said: “We remain the very best of friends, and Dave will always be a much-loved part of The Angels family.”
Brewster’s brother Rick, who plays lead guitar, added to the sentiment: “We are so grateful to Dave for everything he’s done for the band. He’s been our frontman for 12 years, sharing hundreds of great gigs and good times. And now, with his increased commitments, we totally understand his need to move on.”
Gleeson’s final performance with The Angels will be at this year’s Gympie Music Muster on Sunday August 27. He’ll perform five additional shows with them in the meantime – two ‘Symphony Of Angels’ dates, where the band will be joined by a full orchestra, as well as festival appearances at the Big Red Bash, Mt. Isa Rodeo and Mundi Mundi Bash. More details on all the upcoming gigs can be found here.
Following the Muster, Gleeson’s role as lead singer will be filled by Nick Norton, who also joined The Angels in 2011 (albeit as the band’s drummer). John Brewster said of his change in roles: “Nick is an incredible musician and a great singer and songwriter. He obviously knows the songs like the back of his hand and the fans already know and love him, so he’s the perfect fit. We can’t wait to hit the road.”
This means that Norton’s role as drummer will also be replaced. The band have announced that he’ll be taken over by John’s son Tom.
The news comes ahead of The Angels’ 50th anniversary, which the band will celebrate in 2024. “This is a very special time for The Angels,” John said of the impending milestone, “and it means a lot that the fans already know Nick. Our relationship with the audience means everything to us and we’ll never take that for granted.”