Living Loud

Formed in 2003 as a supergroup whose participants had previously performed alongside acts from INXS to Deep Purple, Living Loud originated when bassist Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake chose to revisit their hard-rock history. Their goal was to revisit the compositions they had written and performed on the million-selling Ozzy Osbourne albums Blizzard of Oz and Diary of a Madman. Guitarist Steve Morse, whose background included Kansas, the Dixie Dregs, and Deep Purple, and vocalist Jimmy Barnes, who had collaborated with INXS and Cold Chisel while maintaining a thriving solo career in Australia, completed the initial lineup. The musicians first developed fresh interpretations of Osbourne classics such as “Mr. Crowley” and “Crazy Train,” after which they composed additional songs in a comparable style. Under the guidance of producer Darren Schneider, whose credits encompass Deep Purple, Matchbox Twenty, and Creed, the ensemble tracked their self-titled debut for release on Liberation Music in 2004. Keyboardist Don Airey, known for work with Whitesnake and Deep Purple, joined in time to participate in the group’s first live appearance at Sydney’s Fox Studios that same year. The performance was documented on the 2005 CD Live in Sydney 2004 and the DVD Debut Live Concert: Sydney Fox Studios, 2004, with the latter issued in early 2006. In 2005 the band launched a worldwide tour, employing new romantic legend Steve Strange as tour manager.