Fraternity was an Australian rock band that originated in Sydney in 1970 before moving to Adelaide in 1971. The group included several notable former members, such as lead vocalists Bon Scott (who later joined AC/DC) and John Swan (who would embark on a solo career), as well as Swan's brother, Jimmy Barnes. Fraternity's most significant local success came with their cover of "Seasons of Change," which reached No. 1 in Adelaide, although nationally it was eclipsed by the original version by Blackfeather.
Managed by Hamish Henry and the Grape Organisation, Fraternity won the 1971 Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds, earning a trip to London as the first prize. Over the years, the band underwent several line-up changes and briefly adopted the name Fang during their time in the UK, before reverting to Fraternity, then becoming Some Dream, and ultimately concluding as Mickey Finn in 1981.
The band was formed in early 1970 by four ex-members of the recently disbanded Levi Smith's Clefs: John Bisset on keyboards, Tony Buettel on drums, Bruce Howe on bass guitar and vocals, and Mick Jurd on lead guitar. They released their debut single, "Why Did It Have to Be Me?" in October 1970.
In search of a lead vocalist, Howe reached out to Bon Scott, who had recently parted ways with The Valentines. Fraternity signed with Nova Agencies, which also managed Blackfeather, and their guitarist John Robinson often jammed with them. Early performances took place at Jonathon's Disco in Sydney. Scott contributed recorder to Blackfeather's track "Seasons of Change" for their debut album, At the Mountains of Madness. After Buettel left, John Freeman (also from Levi Smith's Clefs) joined on drums, and the band recorded their debut album, Livestock, produced by Doug Ashdown and Jim Stewart.
By early 1971, when Livestock was released, Fraternity had relocated to a farm in Adelaide. They signed with manager Hamish Henry and released a new single, "Livestock," in January, followed by their cover of "Seasons of Change" in March. The latter achieved notable success, reaching No. 1 in Adelaide and No. 51 on the Go-Set National Top 60. In response to Fraternity's success, Blackfeather released their own version, which peaked at No. 15. John Ayers (ex-No Sweat) joined the band on harmonica and vocals in May.
Fraternity's victory in the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds, a national competition showcasing the best bands from each state, was a significant milestone, with the prize including a trip to London. Scott's former band, The Valentines, had been a finalist in the same competition two years earlier. By September, the band was being hailed as "The Next Big Band" by the teen magazine Go-Set. Sam See (from Sherbet and The Flying Circus) joined in September, contributing piano and slide guitar.
They recorded their second album, Flaming Galah, produced by Grape Productions, which was released in April 1972. At this time, the band had traveled to London to pursue opportunities in the UK music scene. Bisset eventually left to return to Australia, followed by See, who rejoined The Flying Circus, now based in Canada. In early 1973, Fraternity changed their name to Fang, but the band began to disband, with members gradually returning to Australia by the end of the year. Some of them participated in the loosely knit Mount Lofty Rangers project alongside members of Headband.
Scott recorded a few tracks with Mount Lofty Rangers before suffering serious injuries in a motorcycle accident in early 1974. After recovering, he joined the heavy rock band AC/DC in Sydney. Fraternity reformed later that same year, featuring Ayers, Freeman, and Howe, along with Mauri Berg (from Headband), Peter Bersee on violin, and John Swan on lead vocals. Mid-1975 saw Freeman exit the group, and Swan transitioned to drums, with his younger brother, Jimmy Barnes (from Cold Chisel), stepping in as lead vocalist.
By late 1975, the band became known as Some Dream, but Barnes returned to Cold Chisel shortly after. Swan resumed lead vocals before departing in 1976 to pursue a solo career under the name Swanee. In 1978, Some Dream was rebranded as Mickey Finn, consisting of Ayers, Berg, and Howe. By 1980, Freeman had rejoined, and they added second guitarist Stan Koritni. Mickey Finn released a self-titled album under the Eureka label, along with two singles in 1980 and 1981, before ultimately disbanding. As of today, Fraternity continues to be managed by Hamish Henry and The Grape Organisation Pty Ltd.
