Lobby Loyde - Later Years

Later Years

In 1990, Lobby Loyde was bass guitarist for Dirt with Jex Byron on vocals (ex-Olympic Sideburns), Mick Holmes on guitar (Zimmermen), Leach on bass guitar (Rose Tattoo) and Cal MacAlpine on drums (Chosen Few). Fish Tree Mother was his new band in 1997 with Bruce Aitken, Peter Coomber and Graham Duncan. On 14 November 1998, with Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, Loyde appeared at the Mushroom 25 Concert on guitar for "Most People I Know" and "Ooh Poo Pah Doo".

Long Way to the Top was a 2001 Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) six-part documentary on the history of Australian rock and roll from 1956 to the modern era. Loyde featured on "Episode 2: Ten Pound Rocker 1963–1968" broadcast on 22 August, where he discussed the early 1960s club and disco scene in Melbourne. Purple Hearts' "Just a Little Bit" was used on the episode's soundtrack. "Episode 3: Billy Killed the Fish", broadcast on 29 August, featured interviews with Loyde, Michael Chugg (manager / promoter) and Thorpe. They described their Sunbury festival experiences and the development of pub rock in Australia. Wild Cherries' "G.O.D." was used for that episode. During August 2002, promoters Chugg and Kevin Jacobsen with Thorpe as co-producer, organised a related concert tour, Long Way to the Top. Concerts included Loyde performing with Coloured Balls. Performances at two Sydney shows in September were recorded, broadcast on ABC-TV and subsequently released on DVD in December. The DVD included an interview with Loyde and the Coloured Balls and their performance of "G.O.D."/"Human Being" and "Liberate Rock".

Purple Hearts reformed briefly in 2005 for a reunion concert series with the 1964 line-up of Dames on bass guitar, Hadley on vocals and harmonica, Loyde on guitar and Pickard on rhythm guitar supplemented by Craig Claxton on lead guitar and Keith Megson on drums.

In 2005, Loyde was diagnosed with lung cancer and a benefit concert, in Melbourne (at which he also played) raised $90,000 for medical costs. In August 2006, Loyde re-joined Rose Tattoo to replace slide guitarist Peter Wells, who had died of cancer. In 1980, Loyde had recorded an as-yet-unreleased album (as from June 2008) in Los Angeles when a member of Rose Tattoo, with Billy Thorpe guesting. He was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in August, alongside Rose Tattoo, Divinyls, Icehouse, Daddy Cool and Helen Reddy. Bandmate, Angry Anderson of Rose Tattoo described Loyde's influence:

More than anyone else, Lobby helped create the Australian guitar sound, long before Angus or Billy Thorpe or The Angels or Rose Tattoo. Lobby inspired Australian bands to step forward and play as loud and aggressively as they could. People are still trying to copy it today.

The last album Loyde produced and performed on was The Odyssey by Michael Fein, which was released on 6 October 2008.

On 21 April 2007, Lobby Loyde died, from lung cancer, in Box Hill, Melbourne, aged 65.