THERE isn't much that surprises Rick Brewster any more.
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As lead guitarist for The Angels for more than 40 years, Brewster has played thousands of gigs at hundreds of venues, here and abroad.
"I would never say I've seen it all but I feel like I have," Brewster said.
"All my life I've had people try to make me smile or react in some way.
"I've had girls take their tops off and people eat onions and lemons in front of me.
"When you see that, you want to react. But I just turn a blind eye. I consciously don't react."
Brewster, of course, is known for his trance-like stance, expressionless face, and dark sunglasses.
"Over the years, I've become known as the guy who just stands still and does nothing," Brewster concedes.
While other axemen jump around and contort their faces with every squealing riff, Brewster stands anchored.
Rock solid.
"It's not that I don't want to smile," he insists.
"Usually I'm concentrating on just getting it right."
The Angels are on the road again.
They are playing 26-song gigs as part of their A to Z of hits tour, which arrives at Doyalson-Wyee RSL tomorrow (Friday) night.
Brewster said that the concept of the tour came from the band's agent, Tony Grace, who told Rick and John Brewster that they must surely have enough hits in their back catalogue to be able to play songs for every letter of the alphabet.
"Like fools, we said yes," Brewster said.
"So John and I sat down and worked out 26 songs that loosely fitted the letters."
The letters Q and Z were tricky.
"With Q we just throw to the audience with question time. Tell us what you want to hear," he said.
"We didn't have a Z song, so we chose to do a cover of ZZ Top's La Grange."
The band has recorded La Grange and re-recorded the anthemic Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?.
"We recorded those the old way, on two-inch analogue tape, because we wanted to replicate the original single we did in 1977 with [former frontman the late] Doc [Neeson]."
Continuing in the old-school theme, the band has recorded the tracks on 7-inch vinyl (and CD), and sells them at their gigs.
The A to Z format has also enabled Brewster to revisit some Angels rarities and personal favourites.
"We do songs like Outcast - I love playing that song - and After Dark which I personally think is one of the best songs we ever wrote," he said.
Save Me, Ivory Stairs and I Come in Peace get a run.
Looking ahead, Brewster is working with a biographer on the story of The Angels.
He's even open to the idea of a TV mini-series, "provided it's with the right people, and is well written and well produced".
"We certainly have an interesting story," he said.
Brewster said casting the right person to play Doc Neeson would be critical.
But the producers could save on costs when it came to casting Rick Brewster, he said.
"They could use a cardboard cut-out to play me," he quipped.