Page 23 - BiTS_03_MARCH_2020_Neat

A Chat with Lachy Doley, an Australian Keyboard Ace

I spoke to Lachy (Lachlan)

Doley at his home in
Sidney at the height of the
awful bush fires across

the nation “It’s been fine
here,” he told me. “But
hundreds of people have
lost their homes and
businesses and millions of

Buddy Guy dollars of damage has
been done,” The fires have
claimed the lives of at

least 34 people. “But we
are fine!
I asked how he became interested in music and he hold me that he has been influenced by his
mother’s boyfriend, when he was about 8 years old. Lachy was introduced to the guitar by the

‘boyfriend’, Brian, and both he and his brother, Clayton, began to listen to piano players like Jerry
Lee Lewis and Otis Spann, pretty soon Lachy and Clayton became good enough to start playing
live.

As soon as Clayton was old enough, he moved to Sydney to pursue music as a career , while
Lachy stayed in Adelaide to finish school while working most Friday and Saturday nights in local night
spots.
After a short period at university, Lachy decided to move to Sidney, so he packed up his Hammond

organ and made the journey. Lachy was still a teenager but very shortly gained a place in a band
called Karma Country, a link up that led to an international tour: Italy, Germany, The Netherlands,
England, Canada , New York City, setting him up for a ‘life on the road’. Lachy returned to Australia

and joined multi award winning rock singer, Jimmy Barnes’ band, still only aged 20.
Lachy moved into a house in Erskine , a suburb of Sidney with his brother Clayton. They
formed a band – The Hands – started playing more and more gigs together as well as
accompanying other musicians. The Hands recorded their first album ‘Live and Breathe’ in 2003

and a second in 2008. Lachy now fronts his own group and is about to set off on another international
tour.
One of the delights of Lachy’s work is hearing his magnificent capacity with the Whammy Clavinet,

a “whammy bar like you get on a guitar, attached to an organ”. (Hear the sound in the video above)
Lachy’s energy filled performances have lead to him being called by Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple,
“The greatest living keyboard player in the world today” – and dubbed the Hendrix of the Hammond.
Lachy told me that he is looking forward to the gigs in the UK : Jul 9 at the 100 Club in London,

UK, and Jul 11 at Devizes Corn Exchange.

Lachy has a new single, No Key Left Unbroken, which you can view HERE

Ian McKenzie