Chris Bailey was defiantly good, it wasn’t just about his attitude, he made some damn fine music, he was involved in some excellent songs, he was right there. We’re going to quote our good friend and musician Alan Holmes and something he posted on April 13th a couple of days after the sad news of the passing of Chris Bailiey – “OK, you’ve all been swamped by Chris Bailey today… but he was in the first real punk group and this record not only changed my world but was rightfully proclaimed ‘single of the week’ six weeks in a row in ‘Sounds’ magazine …a life changing record… and nor even their best!”

On their Facebook page The Saints posted – “It is with great pain in our hearts that we have to inform you about the passing of Chris Bailey, singer and songwriter of The Saints, on April the 9th 2022. Chris lived a life of poetry and music and stranded on a Saturday night. Family and friends”

Chris Bailey passed away a couple of days ago, it wasn’t really mentioned in many places, it wasn’t really mainsteram news, it really should have been, The Saints were never fashionable but those who knew really did know. They might not have bothered with the clothes or cultivating an image, they might not have been household names but The Saints were important, very important. The Saints were right there driving things, influencing things. seeping in. It wasn’t all about London or New York, these Australians had a big stake in the punk rock thing aroind ’76 and those singles were some of the very very best singles of that time. I’m just a little too young to say they were life changing but they were exciting on Top of The Pops and such, I did rush out and spend my school dinner money on a single or two after a TV appearance and later on, a couple of years, bought the albums that still sound fresh today. Not just a punk band, not just a singles band, brilliant singles though, This Perfect Day was indeed pretty much perfec,t, there were good things beyond the 70’s as well though….

Christopher James Mannix Bailey (1957 – 9 April 2022) was an Australian singer, songwriter, musician and producer. He was the co-founder and singer of rock band the Saints. We couldn’t let it pass without adding a little to the tributes and the celebrations of a life. I loved those 70’s singles, I like those 80’s things when I was getting into bands like the Church and such and by way of doing so catching up with TheSains and Fools Day and such. I went to see him in the 90’s. And yes, thinking about it, I can hear The Saints in so many bands that did change my life, maybe, maybe they were life changing for me as well then? Here you go, here’s some music, here’s some videos, here’s some interviews, here’s a little bit of appreciation…

This one is particularly good….

“The highest quality version I’ve seen of what remains of the set we did at Paddington Town Hall filmed shortly after the release of the first album . One of the last times the band were seen in Australia before departing to England”. (Ed Kuepper – fellow Saitn and co-writter of most of these fine songs)

And this is a rather interesting insight from 2012 – “Chris Bailey, lead singer of The Saints, in conversation and performing ‘Let’s Pretend’ and ‘Something Wicked’. The Saints formed in the suburbs of Brisbane in 1974. Two years later their debut single ‘I’m Stranded’ would become one of the foundation stones for the so called “punk revolution”, predating The Sex Pistols. Since that time Bailey has continued to use The Saints moniker. He’s currently in Australia with a new album titled ‘King Of The Sun’.

And it went beyond thaose blasts of proper punk rock…