The novel, set in the early to mid-80s, follows the lives of siblings Archie and Lucy Saunders as they navigate the aftermath of their mother’s death. 12-year-old Lucy, who witnessed her mother’s tragic horse-riding accident, struggles to come to terms with her loss while their father, concerned for their futures, relocates them to the bustling city of North Melbourne and enrolls them in a private Catholic school.

Lucy, forever influenced by her mother’s death, finds herself spiraling out of control and delving deeper into the dark and twisted underground of Melbourne. Meanwhile, Archie, determined to follow in his father’s footsteps as a singer and entertainer, sets his sights on winning the local Battle of the Bands competition. With the winner set to open for the biggest band in Australia and perform live on Countdown, Archie and his band work tirelessly to perfect their craft, only to find themselves hindered by an arch-rival band with the same goal in mind.

As the competition heats up, Archie and Lucy must confront their past and come to terms with their grief, all while fighting for their dreams and their future. Will Archie’s band be able to rise above their competition and take the stage on Countdown, or will Lucy’s descent into the dark underbelly of Melbourne consume her? The novel explores the themes of grief, family, and the power of music to heal and inspire.

AC/DC’s live performance as Bon Scott dressed as a school girl and Angus Young as school boy, blasting out ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’. Its crazy but Bon was way ahead of his time.

Pseudo Echo had their Big break on Countdown with ‘You’re not listening’. This was our same goal. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be interviewed by Molly and also Gavin Wood. They have so much enthusiasm for music.

Countdown has launched and supported a vast range of Australian acts so far Australian Crawl, The Church, Eurogliders, Richard Clapton, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, Paul Kelly, The Saints, Split Enz who also formed Crowded House, Moving Pictures, Uncanny X-Men, Mental as Anything, Men At Work, Little River Band or LRB, Flowers/Icehouse, Pseudo Echo, Andy Gibb, The Swingers, The Reels, Models, Kids In The Kitchen, The Radiators, Wa Wa Nee, Sharon O’Neill, I’m talking with Kate Ceberano, who I had the hots for her growing up, and had the TV week poster on my wall. All these acts owed an enormous debt to Countdown, and ended up interviewing Kate on Radio Port Douglas 107.1fm back in the day.

Battle of Bands book on sale now, go to buy book on page