A child drumming protégé and an actor with three international films under his belt before he was a teenager, Colin Petersen didn’t realise he was to become the fourth Bee Gee when he met Maurice Gibb at a gig.
Maurice explained he was captivated by Colin’s film ‘Smiley’, in which he plays the titular character, and had begged his parents to move to Australia.
In 1966, Colin joined Maurice and his brothers, becoming the first official non-Gibb band member of the Bee Gees.
Essential to the Bee Gees sound, Colin was driving the evolution of the supergroup on stage and in the studio over four albums and #1 singles Massachusetts, To Love Somebody, New York Mining Disaster, I Started A Joke and many more.
Colin joins The Best of the Bee Gees Show, bringing a massive catalogue of mega-hits and first-hand stories to the Mackay Entertainment Convention Centre on Saturday, February 4.
“I add that extra image to it - ‘Hey, I was there, this is the dialogue that was going on between the brothers, this is where we were when we recorded a particular song,’ and give the audience some sort of idea of what it felt like to be in the band in that extraordinary part of my life,” Colin said.
“It just adds that extra layer onto it and adds depth to what we’re presenting.”
The Best of the Bee Gees has brought global audiences to their feet for more than two decades with Colin joined by Evan Webster (Barry Gibb), Russell Davey (Robin Gibb) and Greg Wain (Maurice Gibb).
Colin said he was blown away the first time he heard the band and had to get involved.
“I’m closing my eyes and I’m listening to it and it’s so close,” he said.
“(Evan’s) capturing little nuances, it’s not like he’s trying to superficially cover it, he’s got the emotion of it.
“They’re really great musicians, all of them.”
The band meld together to create an immersive Bee Gees experience, recreating hits like Saturday Night Fever, Stayin’ Alive, Spicks & Specks, To Love Somebody, Massachusetts, You Should Be Dancing and more.
“Those songs, they’ll live on forever, and you can see that with the audience,” said Colin.
“They sing along, and they know all the words.”
Tickets for The Best of the Bee Gees with Colin “Smiley” Petersen are on sale now, with a special Family ticket encouraging the little ones to come along and discover the music of the Bee Gees.
WHAT: The Best of the Bee Gees with Colin “Smiley” Petersen
WHERE: The MECC
WHEN: Saturday, February 4 from 7:30pm
TICKETS: On sale now through MECC Box Office 4961 9777 and themecc.com.au
Image 1: Colin Petersen tells his stories of childhood fame, acting and drumming for the Bee Gees in The Best of the Bee Gees
Image 2: Photo credit: John Elliot
