Australian Story: Apr 25

Fans of Jet should turn their attention to Australian Story next Monday night on ABC1.

In 2002 Dave Powell took on a young Melbourne band that didn’t have a name and booked them regular gigs at the now legendary Duke of Windsor hotel.

The band was JET and within a year their ‘Major’ Powell led them on a plane bound for Los Angeles to record the Get Born album at the legendary Soundset Studios.

“Dave was our ring leader at that time,” recalls Nic Cester, lead vocalist.

But while JET became a multi-platinum international success story, fate was less kind to Powell.

Dumped by the band on the cusp of worldwide fame, he soon after was fighting for his life in hospital.

‘It really was the moment where the innocence of it all was lost. To be completely honest, I don’t think it was ever that fun after that either,’ reveals Cester on Australian Story.

Powell’s support of JET has never waivered despite tensions that have arisen over the years.

As for the band, the price of fame has seen them take a break from ‘JET-Land’ in 2011.

Australian Story features candid interviews with JET’s Nic and Chris Cester, You Am I’s Davey Lane, family and friends.

Highlights include never-before-seen home video of JET’s seminal trip to LA and a spontaneous acoustic performance of ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ at Powell’s hospital bedside wedding to long-time girlfriend, Leah Cooper.

It airs 8pm Monday on ABC1.