Harry’s Reasons and A.O. Mod. T.V. Vers. both enter the ARIA albums chart inside the top ten this week, four decades after their original release, while the band returns to the stage with a fresh line-up featuring Bob Spencer (The Angels, Skyhooks, Finch, Rose Tattoo).
by Paul Cashmere
V.Spy V.Spy have returned to the ARIA albums chart in striking fashion this week, with their first two studio albums both debuting inside the top ten. Harry’s Reasons entered at number 7 and A.O. Mod. T.V. Vers. at number 8, giving the Sydney band a rare double presence on the national chart nearly 40 years after the records first appeared.
The 2026 reissues arrive via Songland Records, the independent label run by Brian “Frog” Harris. Frog has previously worked on Swanee’s recent album and the reissue of Midnight Oil’s Blue Sky Mine, along with solo projects from Rob Hirst and Jim Moginie. His decision to bring the V.Spy V.Spy catalogue back into circulation was driven by cultural rather than commercial priorities.
“It has been my pleasure to work with Craig Bloxom to get these historic Australian releases back into the hands of fans,” Frog said. “Heritage Australian recordings, such as these two V.Spy V.Spy albums, are the DNA of Australian rock and our cultural treasure. The major labels are driven by shareholder profits, not cultural interests. This one was for the fans.”
Harry’s Reasons was originally released on 10 February 1986 through Powderworks. Produced by Leszek Karski, it was recorded at Trafalgar and Albert Studios and marked the band’s first full-length statement after the 1984 EP Meet Us Inside. The follow-up, A.O. Mod. T.V. Vers., appeared in December the same year on WEA. Its title referenced the “Adults Only Modified Television Version” warning that once appeared at the bottom of late-night Australian television screens. That album peaked at number 12 on the Kent Music Report and later achieved gold status.
Both records featured the classic trio of Craig Bloxom on bass and lead vocals, Cliff Grigg on drums and percussion, and Mike Weiley on lead guitar and vocals. The band had formed in Sydney in 1981 as a ska and pub-rock outfit before adopting the v. Spy v. Spy spelling to avoid legal issues with Mad magazine. Managed by Midnight Oil’s Gary Morris and signed to the Oils’ Powderworks label, they built a reputation for addressing racism, homelessness and drug culture in their songs.
A.O. Mod. T.V. Vers. delivered the band’s biggest commercial moment. “Don’t Tear It Down”, written after the Department of Main Roads sought to demolish the band’s Darling Street squat, reached number 31 on the Kent singles chart, spent 20 weeks in the listings and went platinum. Other singles included “Sallie-Anne”, about the murdered whistleblower Sallie-Anne Huckstepp, and “Credit Cards”, a sharp take on consumer debt.
To mark the reissues, Bloxom has assembled a new line-up for live work. Joining him are Bob Spencer (Skyhooks, The Angels) on lead guitar, Paul Elliot (Screaming Jets) on guitar and vocals, and Justin Ngariki (Rose Tattoo, Dastardly Bastards).
The revised Spys played their first show on Friday night at Amplifier in Perth. The set mixed material from Harry’s Reasons and A.O. Mod. T.V. Vers. with later tracks and one notable cover: The Angels’ “Don’t Waste My Time”, the song Spencer co-wrote with Rick Brewster.
The dual chart entry and the Perth return underline the lasting pull of these 1986 recordings. Forty years on, the songs still sound urgent, the politics remain pointed, and a new generation of players is carrying the catalogue forward.
Further shows are scheduled across the east coast through early November.
Harry’s Reasons tracklisting
All Over the World – 4:42
Something – 3:41
Learn to Laugh – 4:17
Shirt of a Happy Man – 4:18
Out and Dreaming – 4:03
Dangerman – 1:28
Harry’s Reasons? – 4:29
Way of the World – 4:06
The Wait – 3:34
Iron Curtain – 3:53
Injustice – 3:10
A.O. Mod. T.V. Vers. tracklisting
Don’t Tear it Down – 4:05
Credit Cards – 4:40
Mission Man – 4:07
Pockets of Pride – 4:00
Go to Work – 5:12
Sallie-Anne – 5:08
Snowblind – 4:04
Use Your Head – 4:27
Peace and Quiet – 3:11
Take Me Away – 4:45
Setlist – 9 October 2026, Amplifier, Perth
Dangerman (Harry’s Reasons, 1986)
Test of Time (Xenophobia (Why?), 1988)
All Over the World (Harry’s Reasons, 1986)
Injustice (Harry’s Reasons, 1986)
Hardtimes (Trash The Planet, 1989)
Clarity of Mind (Xenophobia (Why?), 1988)
Harry’s Reasons (Harry’s Reasons, 1986)
Credit Cards (A.O. Mod. T.V. Vers., 1986)
Don’t Waste My Time (The Angels cover)
Sallie-Anne (A.O. Mod. T.V. Vers., 1986)
The Golden Mile (Xenophobia (Why?), 1988)
Iron Curtain (Harry’s Reasons, 1986)
Have No Fear (Trash The Planet, 1989)
Working Week (Xenophobia (Why?), 1988)
Don’t Tear It Down (A.O. Mod. T.V. Vers., 1986)
Encore:
Snowblind (A.O. Mod. T.V. Vers., 1986)
A.O. Mod (Xenophobia (Why?), 1988)
Tour dates
Friday 9 October, Perth, Amplifier
Saturday 10 October, Adelaide, Ed Castle
Friday 16 October, Sydney, The Juniors, Kingsford
Friday 23 October, Brisbane, Roma Street Parklands
Monday 2 November, Melbourne, Corner Hotel
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