The original Saints in the 1970s: Kym Bradshaw, Ivor Hay, Ed Kuepper and Chris Bailey.

By Bernard Zuel

Tomorrow's weather forecast? A cold day in hell. How else to explain one of the most unlikely and, until now, secret reformations in Australian rock, the return of the original line-up of the Saints.

The band that in 1976 released the prototype punk anthem (I'm) Stranded months before the Sex Pistols had entered a recording studio, haven't played together in this line-up for more than 20 years. But at City Live in the Fox Studios tomorrow, Chris Bailey, Ed Kuepper and Ivor Hay will play together for four minutes as the climax of the "pre-ARIAs", the non-broadcast segment of next month's ARIA Awards.

It may not seem that long - though it is long enough to play (I'm) Stranded - but given two decades of acrimony between the band's songwriters, vocalist Bailey and guitarist Kuepper, four minutes has always seemed as likely as 40 years.

Bailey, who retained the band name and has toured with "hundreds of Saints" since 1979, seems a little taken aback that there is ghoulish interest in how he and Kuepper will fare sharing a stage.

"The humour side, or the freak value, as I call it, of getting me and Ed together, I don't think it's worth it," he says. It would be if the two killed each other on screen.

"That has been suggested to me by a few people," he laughs. "I think it's highly unlikely. I mean, Ed and I can't agree on the colour of an orange but, having said that, I actually think what he does is pretty cool and I'm sure deep down somewhere ..."

Bailey pauses. "Actually, no, he doesn't think anything I do is cool [he laughs]. But I'm sure for the purposes of etiquette or good behaviour we'll be very gentle towards each other."

With the Saints being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame tomorrow and (I'm) Stranded having been named one of the top-30 greatest Australian songs of all time, is this recognition and respect at last?

"I don't actually think that way," Bailey says. "I don't want to sound as if I'm not interested in the music but I'm kinda more keen on meeting up with old chums and going to the pub [only recently did Bailey get back in touch with drummer Hay, via the Internet].

"[Anyway] the new Saints album is about to come out and this [ARIA] thing came out of way left of centre. For most of my life I've really not been that concerned about being a pop star."

That noise you hear could be Ed Kuepper choking on his breakfast as he reads this. Should make for interesting rehearsals.

"We're playing Stranded, I hardly think [rehearsals] is in the spirit of the tune," Bailey drawls. "I must phone Eddie this afternoon to ask him what key it's in. It has been a while, you know."