Reading news items about a 50^th anniversary reunion tour by Australian hard rockers Cold Chisel, our Media Glass House researchers were reminded of an old joke.

Question: What do you call someone who hangs around with a rock band?

Answer: The drummer.

That oldie but goodie came to mind when our MGH teams read about other oldies but goodies – Cold Chisel – getting their band back together for their golden anniversary tour starting in October.

A long online story by ABC News Breakfast co-host Michael Rowland, based on an interview for the show (below) traversed the band’s history and success.

But the online version didn’t mention Cold Chisel’s original drummer Steven Prestwich who died in 2011 following surgery for a brain tumour.

That’s despite the fact the story was topped with a photo of the band’s tour line-up including current drummer, US-based Charley Drayton, but also contained an old snap from the 1980s with their original drummer. (below)

Similarly, a lengthy item appearing in the national broadshit The Australian (main picture) made no mention of him.

That’s despite the fact the story was topped with a picture taken recently to publicise the upcoming tour that featured four original band members and another snap from the 1980s in the body of the yarn that included all five originals. Nobody thought someone was missing?

Even when the ABC and The Oz stories touched upon lead singer Jimmy Barnes and his “near-death experience” last year caused by a heart complaint, the connection with an original band member who had a much nearer death experience wasn’t made.

Syndicated stories appearing in News Crap Australia’s metro daily turdbloids did mention the late band member, or at least some of them did depending on how heavily the items were edited. The version in Sydney’s Daily Telegraph (below) did reference Prestwich.

Our MGH teams suspect that the original Cold Chisel members still alive may well have mentioned their dear department drummer in the interviews they gave and any tributes they gave him might have been simply cut from the final stories.

But our researchers also note that the official Cold Chisel website (below) also makes no mention of Prestwich in its online blurb about the tour.

They wonder if our major media outlets and any official website for The Beatles would omit mention of John Lennon or George Harrison if a reunion tour was in the offing.

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