Cheersquad Records & Tapes are beyond chuffed to announce a Friday June 5 release date for the long-awaited first ever vinyl reissue—indeed the 40th Anniversary vinyl reissue—of a much-loved Australian album from the ‘80s. 12 Days to Paris was the debut album from The Huxton Creepers, one of Australia’s most popular and hardest working guitar bands of that prolific decade. Loved around the land, they first emerged as a sort of teenaged version of both Sunnyboys and Hoodoo Gurus with a bit of ‘80s Saints thrown in for good measure—big guitars and big hooks were the order of the day— and the Sunnys and the Gurus took the fledgling Creepers under their wings from the get-go. The band released two albums back in the day, and their debut 12 Days To Paris is the firm fan favourite, chock full as it is with classic singles like “My Cheree Amour” and “I Will Persuade You“ and “Autumn Leaves” and longtime crowd pleasers like “King of the Road” and “Don’t Even Think About It’.
The vinyl reissue of 12 Days to Paris – which will be in limited edition gold vinyl (100 copies only!) or regular black – will coincide with the album’s first ever release through digital platforms. With the label they were signed to having folded decades back and things having been in legal limbo, it’s taken a major effort to bring this classic album back to life, but we now have a pulse. And it’s a strong one!
The release will be followed in the band’s first national tour since 2011, making sure that 2026 will be the Year of the Creeper!
“Ultimately this is one of the best debut rock & roll albums made in this country. It’s up there with Sunnyboys and Stoneage Romeos…” – Toby Creswell, Rolling Stone 1986
“We went into Melbourne’s Platinum Studios at the band’s peak to record our debut album. Steve Berlin from Los Lobos and Chris Copping from Procol Harum were with us. We knew we had the songs and the band was firing on all cylinders. We were creating something special. 40 years on we are really proud of 12 Days and excited to be bringing it back to life” – Arch Law, Huxton Creepers
THE HUXTON CREEPERS’ 12 DAYS TO PARIS – 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION IS OUT ON FRIDAY JUNE 5 AND AVAILABLE TO PREORDER NOW FROM
https://cheersquadrecordstapes.bandcamp.com/album/12-days-to-paris
Limited edition gold 12″ vinyl (100 only) and black vinyl available. Includes digital pre-order of the album, with 3 tracks downloadable immediately (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more)
Huxton Creepers – I Will Persuade You (Official Video)
MORE ABOUT THE HUXTON CREEPERS
The Huxton Creepers, an iconic Australian rock band hailing from Melbourne, left an indelible mark on the music scene with their unique blend of power pop and guitar driven rock ‘n’ roll. Comprising four school friends – Rob Craw (lead vocals and guitar), Paul Thomas (guitar and vocals), Matthew Eddy (bass), and Archie Law (drums) – the band got together soon after leaving school.
“I recall that Rob and Paul and Arch had started rehearsing together in maybe 1982. Possibly my first experience of serious FOMO even though it wasn’t a thing yet. Anyway at some point they thought they needed to get a bass player. I was definitely not yet a bass player’s toenail but I had bought a bass from the trading post for $80 so I was it. I learnt on the job with lots of patient tutoring from Rob and Paul. This was at a time when Rob was still using those bread bag seals as plectrums mind you, but we muddled through and were soon playing with something approaching panache” – Matthew Eddy
Taking their name from a character (actually ‘the Hoxton Creeper’) in a 1944 Sherlock Holmes film The Pearl of Death, and an early repertoire that combined a great bunch of originals with a wonderful of selection of covers including “Simple Love” by The Saints, “Crying Sun” by Radio Birdman, “Kill City” by Iggy Pop & James Williamson and a song that became one of their signature tunes “Shake Some Action” by the Flamin’ Groovies, the group’s musical journey began organically, with their first gig taking place at the Venetian Room in Melbourne.
“I remember our first show at The Venetian Room in the Hotel Francis in Lonsdale St. We got the Thursday night on the back of some rough demos we cut at the School of Audio Engineering and the expectations our friends would turn up. They did turn up … about 40 of them and don’t think many others did. We played mainly our own stuff like The Murderess, King of the Road, Slow Attack, and Part the Seas. We also played a good run of covers … Shake Some Action, Simple Love, Kill City and Search and Destroy. We got paid…well we got paid enough to buy a Souvlaki each at the Hollywood Palace and that was it.” – Arch Law
From there, the Huxton Creepers played free nights at venues like the Seaview Ballroom and the Prince of Wales, steadily building a dedicated following. Their energetic live performances garnered attention and attracted a ready-made crowd.
“We went from seeing bands like The Gurus, The Saints and Sunnyboys whenever they toured Melbourne to opening for them all in a blink of an eye. We were having so much fun and it seemed we got better with every gig as the crowds grew with every gig.” – Arch Law
Thanks to the recommendation of the Hoodoo Gurus, the Creepers were soon snapped up by Big Time Records, and they cut their first single, “The Murderess”, in Sydney with Radio Birdman’s Rob Younger producing.
The band’s early years were marked by relentless touring and a commitment to their craft, which eventually led to the release of their debut album 12 Days to Paris – co-produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos – in June 1986, and a second album So This Is Paris, in April 1988.
With hits like “My Cherie Amour”, “I Will Persuade You”, “Autumn Leaves” and “Skin of my Teeth”, the band captured the attention of both mainstream and underground audiences and were regulars on TV shows like Rock Arena.
The years of constant touring took their toll, and the band eventually called it quits after the release of the mini-album Small Mercies in 1990.
The band has played a number of reunions over the years, including with friends Sunnyboys, Stems and Ups and Downs. Every time they play the feeling comes flooding back and the muscle memories kick in and it’s like they never left. With a big anniversary to celebrate this year, the band is raring to go, so stay tuned for more announcements.
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