He had a normal life after the war but I'm sure his dreams were full of those things.The family moved with Brian's work, from Gippsland to Colac, Horsham and then Geelong.
[7] He spent two years in the local pub rock scene first in 1983 in Where's Wolfgang with Adams and Dyson joined by Shane Day; and then in 1984 in Trial.
[8][9] It included two of "the band's early live classics", "Summons in the Morning" and "Roaring Days": both written by Thomas.
[6][8] Fellow Australian musician, Paul Kelly, described touring with Thomas' group "[w]e did a lot of shows with The Weddos ... and had all-night singalongs with them ... and at afternoon barbecues in lead singer Mick's big backyard down by the river ... We liked a drink and weren't shy about it, but The Weddos made us look like ladies at a tea party".
[13] He noted that Thomas' musical influences were The Pogues, Fairport Convention (and guitarist Richard Thompson), Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson.
[15][16] During their career they won four ARIA Music Awards – 'Best New Talent' (1988), 'Best Indigenous Release' (1989, 1990) and 'Song of the Year' for "Father's Day" (1993).
[18] In June 1999 Over in the West was performed at the Maverick Arts Festival, with Thomas also contributing the role of Mr Robert, leader of a pub rock band.
[8] The play was described in McFarlane's Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop as a "gripping saga scanning an entire continent, two hotels and a pinball machine".
[19] By mid-1999 he formed The Sure Thing as his backing band, with Darren Hanlon on guitar, mandolin and harmonica; and Rosie Westbrooke on double bass.
[7][8] About this time he started the now defunct label, Croxton Records, with his friend Nick Corr, a radio DJ and music journalist.
[7][8] Badgley compared the release to his earlier work with Weddings Parties Anything, he found it was "not as melodic, and more of a rawer sound ... but not altogether different".
[7][22] Badgley declared this to be Thomas' "best album so far ... he is truly a gifted and sensitive storyteller/writer ... [providing] a collection of short stories outlining the vulnerability and failings of the human race".
[1][2] On 18 March 2006 Thomas appeared on SBS-TV's music series, RocKwiz, which included his solo performance of "Away Away" and a duet with Mazzella covering The Human League's 1981 single, "Don't You Want Me".
In February 2012 Thomas issued a solo album, Last of the Tourists, which had been recorded in Portland, Oregon with Darren Hanlon producing.