In the years he spent with the band playing alongside his brother, frontman Marc Hunter, Todd experienced the highs and lows so often associated with rock bands.

Formed in New Zealand in 1972, Dragon became a household name in Australia with a string of hit songs that remain classics to this day; Rain, Are You Old Enough, Still In Love With You, April Sun in Cuba, Magic and Speak No Evil.

With success also came excess which cost the lives of two band members, Neil Storey (drums) and Paul Hewson (keys), to drug overdoses in the '70s and '80s. Dragon split before re-forming in 1982 but called it a day in 1997 after Marc was diagnosed with throat cancer and died the following year.

Nine years later, Todd re-formed the band with a new line-up which featured New Zealand singer Mark Williams (of Show No Mercy fame) on vocal duties. The band was also inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2008. Dragon has been going strong ever since and has spent the last six months playing shows across Australia and New Zealand.

The tour coincides with the release of The Dragon Years - 40th Anniversary Collection album which features all the original hits and a second disc of new material recorded since Dragon's re-formation which also brought in guitarist Bruce Reid and drummer Pete Drummond.

"It's bittersweet for all the people we've lost along the way," Hunter says.

"But when you get all these people singing along to these songs, it's like Marc and Paul live on in the music from that time. It's a great thing to be able to do.

"Forty years is a long time, so a lot of stuff has happened. A lot of great stuff, a lot of tragic stuff, although over the last 10 years or so it's all been good."

After his brother's death, Hunter's worked in television making music but always missed the immediacy of playing live.

"For 10 years after Marc died there just wasn't a band and there was never gonna be one until I thought 'Damn it, these songs need to be played'."

Williams was always his first choice as a singer after being blown away by his "heart-wrenching" rendition of Are You Old Enough at his brother's funeral at Sydney's St Andrew's Cathedral.

Hunter says the songs are always evolving.

"We started out playing them acoustically as a way of finding a way into the repertoire. There was no thought of trying to be the same as the old Dragon."

The band write new material regularly, record whenever they feel the urge and mix up their live show by including a few covers.

Recent shows have included a set at the Sydney Opera House and a performance in front of thousands at the Rhythm & Vines festival in New Zealand. Most of the people in the crowd were under 40.

Hunter says the music has a way of capturing each new generation.

"We're lucky because anyone from 20 onwards knows the songs. They don't know who does the songs but they know them when they hear them," he laughs.

He has "no idea" why the songs keep finding new ears but doesn't question it.

"I'm really thankful that's the case because it means we can play every weekend," Hunter says.

"They're those sort of timeless songs. They're not anchored to any era and they're melodic and people can sing them.

"A good song is an undeniably great thing."

Dragon perform at Cessnock Performing Arts Centre tonight. Bookings on 49907134 or cessnock.nsw.gov.au.