LEGEND AUSTRALIAN ROCKER IN NEW YORK DRUG ARREST

THE lead singer for Australian rock band The Church was arrested in New York
yesterday on drug charges.

Steve Kilbey, 45, spent Tuesday night in jail after being picked up by the
New York Police Department.

The first his fellow band members knew the Sydney musician was in trouble
was when Kilbey failed to show at a performance the band was about to give
on Manhattan's Lower East Side.

More than 200 fans waited at the Bowery Ballroom on Delancey St for the 10pm
start.

At 10.35pm lead guitarist Marty Wilson-Piper nervously walked up to the
microphone to reveal the news.

"I'm not sure how to say this, but we have a problem," Wilson-Piper said.
"Steve isn't here. In fact he won't be available tonight, he's been arrested."

The band had not heard from Kilbey for more than eight hours, drummer Tim
Powles later explained.

"He failed to show for a 4.30pm sound check, but we're at the end of the
tour so no one was really bothered," he said.

By 10pm, when the lead singer and bass guitarist did not arrive, band
members began to worry.

At first they started calling hospitals, before finally locating the veteran
pop star.

He was spending at night at the central booking station in downtown
Manhattan, a lock-up controlled by the New York Police Department (NYPD).

"He's on a minor charge," band manager Ward McDonald said.

"We're not saying anything else."

Mr McDonald refused to comment when asked if the offence related to illegal
drugs.

A spokesman for the Bowery Ballroom said the arrest related to a "minor drug
charge" but would not elaborate.

A police spokesman would not confirm or deny the charge, saying further
details would be made available at a later stage.

Kilbey is due for release by the NYPD later today and is expected to be
required to front court at a later date.

New York has among the nation's toughest street crime laws with police
empowered to arrest and detain offenders for the minor charges.