The success of Channel 7's TV mini-series Molly has brought the legacy of Australian music show Countdown, and its host Ian "Molly" Meldrum, back into the national spotlight.
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One of the most regular bands on Countdown, the program instrumental in introducing national and international acts to Australia from 1974 to 1987, was New Zealand rockers Dragon.
To celebrate their 13-year history with Molly's show, the band are embarking on The Countdown Years tour.
The performances will see Dragon perform two sets, one of classic Australian top 10 hits by other acts, like Rose Tattoo and John Paul Young, and then a second set of their own famous anthems.
Fans can expect to hear Still In Love, Dreams of Ordinary Men, April Sun in Cuba, Rain and Young Years.
The shows will finish off with Are You Old Enough and a homage to the era, a cover of Skyhooks' Living In The 70s.
"We are very much looking forward to playing these songs live," founding member and bassist Todd Hunter says.
"Doing shows like this keep the band fresh.
"It is very interesting to pull other people's songs apart, see what made them great and then reinterpret them.
"The other thing I'm looking forward to is hearing crowds singing these songs.
"Dragon crowds always sing their hearts out and I can't wait to hear them sing these great songs that are part of all our lives."
Hunter only remembers portions of Dragon's appearances on Countdown, their debut in September 1975 with the song Star Kissed, due the debauched antics that went on behind the scenes.
Even Molly, who didn't mind a social gathering, was not always fond of Dragon's behaviour.
"In the '70s we made lots of dubious lifestyle choices," Hunter laughs.
"Molly was conflicted about us, I think, in that he frowned upon our terrible 'fall of Rome' behaviour, but then we played this bright, shiny pop which he liked.
"It was pretty rough and ready in the '70s - it was very wild.
"So we fit right into our little niche."
One of the aspects of performing on television that Dragon became accustomed to was miming to a backing track.
Only singer Marc Hunter's vocals were live.
"We got used to it very quickly, in terms of the back track that you played along to.
"All the vocals were live, so there would be a bit of clowning around [by the rest of the band] and playing stupid things.
"It was always a point of contention but I think it was the way they had to do it, otherwise they couldn't make it sound any good.
"So the Countdown days, when you went down, mostly to Melbourne, were really odd because you did two or three rehearsals to an empty studio, then you did a dress rehearsal, then they let the crowd in.
"From that moment on there was just screaming and yelling and it all went very quick."
Hunter watched the TV series Molly and had some reservations about its accuracy.
"When we thought about doing this tour it was mid last year and now all this other [TV] stuff has happened," Hunter says.
"I did see Molly and it was very interesting, having been there.
"Some of the portrayals were weird - the Skyhooks were definitely not a band standing around smoking joints at all.
"But it was good, and quite hard to do.
"And Samuel Johnson [as Molly] did an incredible job, he was amazing."
Hunter feels that with the internet boom, a show like Countdown could no longer exist.
The recent closer of Channel V confirms his belief.
"I think it can't exist anymore, there's no one point of reference," Hunter says.
"It's great that you can rule the world from your bedroom, like Lorde or Gotye, and terrible because you have to get above the million other people who are trying to do the same.
"I don't know if it [Countdown] could happen again, it would be great, but the whole population doesn't sit down to watch anything anymore."
Dragon, which includes singer Mark Williams, guitarist Bruce Reid and drummer Peter Drummond, are heading to the Bradford Hotel next month.
"We're a playing band, we're happy to play anywhere," Hunter says.
"We'll keep working."
And there is another record in the works.
"It's very early days, we're just sending sketches around to each other," he says.
"We normally do an album a year, because we love to do it.
"We don't expect to get played on radio or anything, apart from the heritage songs.
"You couldn't name me one 40-year-old band that gets played on the radio, but that's just the way it is."
Dragon play the Bradford Hotel on Saturday, April 23.
