Rockbrat Remembers: Hell To Pay

Hell To Pay were a Melbourne band who existed from around 1991 to 1993. They were, to coin an often over used phrase, ‘the real deal’. Any band that included both Ian Rilen and Spencer Jones in their ranks was always gonna be top shelf, and so they were. If you wanna talk inner city supergroup, then look no further than this lot. Rilen was on guitar and vocals. Spencer Jones was on lead guitar and vocals. Jon Schofield (ex Grooveyard, Paul Kelly) was on bass, and former JJJ DJ Tony Biggs was on drums. Cathy Green of X also played bass on the album. The band were signed to Red Eye Records in Sydney and released a CD single called ‘Saints & King’ in 1991, and an album, ‘Steal It’ in 1992. Both are long out of print, but are essential if you are fan of either Jones or Rilen. All the tunes are gritty and real and highlight Rilen’s talent as a writer. Lobby Loyde told me once “Ian Rilen is a true genius’, and these tracks reflect that. No one ever came close to Rilen for sheer authenticity and street level realism. I was fortunate to see the band on three occasions, twice at Max’s, Petersham, and once, on a Tuesday night, at the Crows Nest Hotel. The Rockbrat also managed to get my copy of ‘Steal It’ signed by the band.