Delivering raucous hard rock in the tradition of contemporaries like AC/DC and Rose Tattoo, the Angels were among the longest-lasting and most beloved bands ever to emerge from the Australian pub circuit. Their roots date back to 1973, when singer Doc Neeson and guitarist Rick Brewster first teamed at university in an eccentric acoustic covers group dubbed the Moonshine Jug and String Band; by the following year they began adopting a more straightforward and electric approach, rechristening themselves the Keystone Angels in the process. Soon abbreviated to simply the Angels, their original lineup consisted of Neeson (nicknamed the "Mad Irishman" in honor of his crazed behavior on and off stage) and Brewster, along with the latter's brother John on guitar and drummer Graham "Buzz Throckman" Bidstrup.