Helicopters (band)

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Helicopters
Background information
Origin	Perth, Australia
Genre(s)	New Wave/Ska
Years active	1980-1985
Former members
Peter Stafford Tony Thewlis George O'Brien

For the Swedish rock band, see The Hellacopters.

Helicopters were an Australian new wave, ska-influenced pop band who formed in Perth, Western Australia in 1980. They released two albums, a self titled album and a career retrospective, Great Moments In Aviation. The original lineup was Deidre Baud (vocals, bass, songwriter), Kevin Rooney (drums) and Peter Stafford (guitar).

Peter Stafford was replaced by Phil Bennett (vocals, keyboards, songwriter)and Tony Thewlis in April 1981. A track was included on West Australian compilation album West. At the end of the year, Thewlis left to join the Scientists and was replaced by George O'Brien (guitar). This lineup recorded the band's debut self-titled album.

In August 1982, O'Brien left the band and the remaining members took the year off, forming a side project, the glam rock outfit Lazer Blades. 1983 saw Vic Renolds (guitar, vocals) join and the band reformed with a harder, though still pop-oriented sound.

One of Perth's most successful new wave bands, they managed to pull huge crowds at their own venues, despite Perth's reputation as "cover city" as well as support acts such as Stray Cats, Elvis Costello and Duran Duran.

Splitting in 1985, Baude and Rooney moved to the UK, Renolds went on to record solo work while Bennett continued to release albums of his own material with Love bites and Pillbox.