-By Kim Parnell-
For over five decades, Dragon has been a staple of the Australian music scene, with their timeless hits, electric live shows, and a legacy that continues to evolve. Behind the backing vocals and unmistakable riffs is guitarist Bruce Reid, a Canadian-born musician whose journey from snowy Montreal to the sun-soaked stages of Australia is as fascinating as the band’s own story. I caught up with Bruce ahead of Dragon’s return to Hervey Bay, where he shared insights into his life, the music, and the band that still has crowds dancing after fifty years.
I first met Bruce Reid in 2017 when Dragon was performing in Hervey Bay. I had interviewed founding member Todd Hunter via phone a few weeks earlier, and by the time the band arrived in town, I was eager to see them perform. I had grown up with their music in the 80s and loved their sound.
Bruce Reid, Dragon’s guitarist since 2006, brings a unique flavour to the group. He moved to Australia in 1993 at age 37. He mostly grew up in Montreal, a city he remembers fondly for its vibrant seasons.
“Montreal has the most beautiful summers and falls,” Bruce recalls. “Then a very long winter. As a kid, I’d ski and play ball hockey in the snow. Touring was always a challenge, though, as you had to keep track of your car in case a storm buried it, or warm it up between sets if it was minus 25. But it’s a truly beautiful place.”
When it comes to his music, Bruce is known as a slide guitar specialist, and over the years, that skill has only deepened.
“I started with a pedal steel guitar, mainly used in country music, when I was in my first band. It had ten strings and pedals that changed the pitch of the strings as you played. I later sold it.
“Then just last year I invested in a really good one. Before that, I used a lap steel, just a plank of wood with six strings that sits on your lap. Plug it into an amp and you can sound like a cat in heat in the backyard,” he laughs.
Within a year of arriving in Australia, Bruce found himself playing for Wendy Matthews. He did some recording with her, which turned into an 11-year run as her guitarist. His move to Dragon came later, in late 2006.
“Wendy was taking a break, and Todd Hunter called asking if I wanted to record for an album called Sunshine to Rain, which was part of the Liberation Blue Acoustic Series and released under the Liberation Music label.
“The label helped ’70s and ’80s bands record acoustic versions of their hits and get back on the road. It gave us freedom to rearrange songs and perform them differently, which helped me since I didn’t know Dragon’s back catalogue too well at the time.”
Bruce had caught glimpses of Dragon’s legacy over the years; he’d seen them featured in a Countdown special and used to spot the band going to rehearsals when he and Wendy’s band were at Stage Door Rehearsal Studios in Alexandria in New South Wales.
“Our soundman was close to Todd and recommended me and drummer Pete Drummond when Todd needed new players. That’s how it all started. Todd and I began rehearsing at my workplace, TAFE NSW Ultimo, and that’s where the whole adventure began.”
Initially, Bruce thought he could juggle both the Wendy Matthews Band and Dragon, but Dragon quickly became a full-time commitment.
Interestingly, Bruce and Wendy shared more than just music—they grew up in the same Montreal neighbourhood, NDG (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce).
“I used to hang out on her street and play sports with her brother. Wendy left Montreal young to pursue music in LA, but we had a lot of commonalities before reconnecting in Australia.”
Bruce also played with The Catholics, a respected Sydney jazz group, and was a member of ARIA award-winning Karma County.
In July of 2008, Dragon was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and joined on stage by James Reyne and Ian Moss to perform Rain and April Sun in Cuba. In the years that followed, Dragon released previously unreleased recordings, including the album Happy I Am in 2009 under the Ozmomusic label.
“All of us are songwriters,” Bruce says. “We just keep creating. Even if a new song doesn’t become a hit like Rain or Are You Old Enough, we have to keep writing. Occasionally, we sneak in a new one during shows, and if it keeps the crowd bopping, we’re happy.”
One lesser-known fact in Dragon’s story is their connection to John Farnham’s hit Age of Reason.
Bruce says, “Todd Hunter and Johanna Pigott wrote that song for John after a direct request. It sat on a record executive’s desk for a while until making its way back into Farnham’s hands.
“There’s actually a version with Marc Hunter singing the song that wasn’t released at the time, but we included it on Sunshine to Rain as a bonus track, with Mark Williams also doing a version. It’s a fan favourite once we tell them who actually wrote it!”
Dragon continued to evolve, releasing Chase the Sun and The Great Divide in 2011. That year, they played the Rhythm and Vines Festival in New Zealand, an experience Bruce won’t forget.
“We barely got to Gisborne because of heavy fog. The field was empty before we went on, and we thought, ‘Great, we travelled four hours for this.’ But by the middle of our set, 15,000 people had turned up, as the other bands had finished. They knew all the words. Dragon still has a huge following in New Zealand.”
Dragon toured extensively with their 40th Anniversary Tour, The Long Way to the Top, and the Red Hot Summer Tour with Jimmy Barnes in 2012/13 as standouts.
“The first Red Hot Summer gig was 45 degrees on the stage. I was nearly fainting; it was brutal, a true test of endurance. That was indeed a red-hot summer!”
In 2012, they released The Dragon Years – 40th Anniversary Collection, a two-CD set that peaked at No. 21 in New Zealand.
These days, Bruce lives in the Blue Mountains, surrounded by fellow musicians. When not on tour, he still teaches Music Industry at TAFE NSW Ultimo, where he’s taught for 25 years. Teaching fits perfectly around touring with Dragon.
Bruce holds a special fondness for Hervey Bay, calling it “gorgeous” and one of his favourite places to visit. He even went whale watching here back in 1993.
Dragon’s setlist is a hit parade, finely tuned for maximum momentum.
“We have a set that just rolls with about fifteen songs that are in the DNA. It’s remarkable how many hits Dragon actually has. The music will have people singing, dancing, and rocking out to the very end. It will be a typical Dragon gig, full of energy, memories, and great melodies.”
The Sounds of Rock Festival in Hervey Bay is on Saturday, September 6 and is set to deliver an unforgettable day of music, featuring an incredible lineup including Jon Stevens, The Angels, Baby Animals, Pseudo Echo, Dragon, Eurogliders and Taxiride (with Jason Singh).
For tickets and more information, visit oztix.com.au or check out the Sounds of Rock Facebook page at facebook.com/soundsofrock.
