Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms is a six-part Australian drama miniseries about bikie gang violence, screened on Network Ten on 15 May 2012. Bikie Wars is based on the book Brothers in Arms by Lindsay Simpson and Sandra Harvey. The screenplay was written by Greg Haddrick, Roger Simpson and Jo Martino. It is directed by Peter Andrikidis. Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms cost A$6,000,000 to make.
Premise
The six-episode series dramatises the story of the Milperra massacre, when the Bandidos and the Comanchero motorcycle clubs went to war on Father's Day, Sunday 2 September 1984. The massacre had its beginnings after a group of Comancheros broke away and formed the first Bandidos Motorcycle Club chapter in Australia. This resulted in intense rivalry between the two chapters. At a public swap meet at the Viking Tavern at Milperra, New South Wales, a brief but violent battle ensued with seven people shot dead, including a 14-year-old innocent female bystander. A further 28 people were wounded with 20 requiring hospitalisation.
Each episode starts with a quote stated by Justice Adrian Roden when the clubs went before the New South Wales Supreme Court; "As patriotism can lead to jingoism and mateship can lead to cronyism, so bikie club loyalty can lead to bikie club war."
Cast
Bandidos
Callan Mulvey as Snoddy
Maeve Dermody as Lee (Snoddy's girlfriend) Damian Walshe-Howling as Chopper (Vice President of the Bandidos) Anthony Hayes as Caesar (Sgt-at-Arms of the Bandidos) Luke Hemsworth as Shadow Fletcher Humphrys as Bull Sam Parsonson as Junior Aaron Fa'aoso as Roo Richard Sutherland as Davo Peter Flaherty as Lard
Comanchero
Matt Nable as Jock Ross (President and self-proclaimed 'Supreme Commander' of the Comancheros) Susie Porter as Vanessa (Jock's wife) Richard Cawthorne as Foggy (Vice President of the Comancheros) Jeremy Lindsay Taylor as Leroy (Sgt-at-Arms of the Comancheros) Luke Ford as Snow Nathaniel Dean as Kraut Todd Lasance as Kiddo Manu Bennett as Sunshine Trent Baines as Sparra Pier Carthew as Dog
Episodes
Reception
Ratings
The premiere episode won its timeslot with 1.26 million viewers based on the overnight numbers, peaking at 1.43 million viewers.
Reviews
The New Zealand critic Craig Nicholson praised Brothers In Arms as a "chilling" mini-series that was similar to the Underbelly series. Nicholosn wrote: "Like Underbelly, Bikie Wars is the almost unbelievable story of a "war" that really happened." The Australian critic Steve Molk praised the acting, music and realism of the mini-series. Molk wrote: "Incredible performances from Mulvey and Nable led a very strong male-heavy cast that, despite bikies often being portrayed as one-dimensional thugs, delivered layered characters and intense performances...Special mentions to Susie Porter as Jock’s wife Vanessa and Maeve Dermody as Snoddy’s girl Lee – two very determined and strong women of their own right." Molk felt that: "One of the few negatives about the series was after building so much tension across five and a half hours of story the last have of the final episode seemed to drag and was far too procedural, though it was a necessary post script to a spectacular showdown that was the basis for the story."
Music "Highway Mind"
Australian musician Diesel recorded and released the track "Highway Mind" for the soundtrack. It was released as a single on 16 May 2012.
Home media
Bikie Wars: Brothers In Arms was Released on DVD & Blu-Ray In June 2012. As of March 2022 it has been out of print for sometime.