Tony Buck earned his stripes as a jazz drummer in the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before forming cult improv band The Necks. Jim White earned his chops as a punk drummer in raucous Melbourne pubs throughout the early days of noise rock trio Dirty Three. From opposite ends, their rhythms lay the foundation for the best instrumental bands in Australia. This is the story of how it all unfolded.

As RISING’s 2021 band In Residency, The Necks were to perform across multiple venues and formats—their only shows in the world in over a year. As a unit, they send piano, drums, percussion and bass strings swirling around the Comedy Theatre. They provided an escalating, dramatic live score to Back to Back Theatre’s restaging of its seminal work Food Court. And in solo performances, band members Chris Abrahams and Tony Buck were set to play the Melbourne Recital Centre.