CD1:Powderfinger-These Days/The Grates-Sukkafish/Shihad-Pacifier/Grinspoon-Chemical Heart/The John Butler Trio-Zebra/The Angels-Take A Long Line/The Choirboys-Boys Will Be Boys/Spiderbait-Four On The Floor
CD2: Bernard Fanning-Wish You Were Here/Sarah Blasko-Don't You Eva/Dallas Crane-Dirty Hearts/Youth Group-Catching And Killing/Eskimo Joe-Liar/The Whitlams-Blow Up The Pokies/Thirsty Merc-In The Summertime/ Cold Chisel-Flame Trees
Powderfinger were an Australian rock band formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their break-up in 2010 the line-up consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bass guitarist John Collins, and drummer Jon Coghill. The group's third studio album Internationalist peaked at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart in September 1998. They followed with four more number-one studio albums in a row: Odyssey Number Five (September 2000), Vulture Street (July 2003), Dream Days at the Hotel Existence (June 2007) and Golden Rule (November 2009). Their Top Ten hit singles are "My Happiness" (2000), "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind" (2003) and "Lost and Running" (2007). Powderfinger earned a total of eighteen ARIA Awards, making them the second-most awarded band behind Silverchair. Ten Powderfinger albums and DVDs were certified multiple-platinum status, with Odyssey Number Five – their most successful album – achieving eight times platinum certification for shipment of over 560,000 units.
After the release of their first DVD, These Days: Live in Concert (September 2004), and the compilation album Fingerprints: The Best of Powderfinger, 1994–2000 (November 2004), the group announced a hiatus in 2005. The June 2007 announcement of a two-month-long nationwide tour with Silverchair, Across the Great Divide tour, followed the release of Dream Days at the Hotel Existence. In April 2010 Powderfinger announced that they would be breaking up after their Sunsets Farewell Tour, declaring it would be their last ever as they had musically said everything they wanted to say. On 13 November 2010, they played their last concert, signifying their disbandment. In November the following year, rock music journalist Dino Scatena and the band published a biography, Footprints: the inside story of Australia's best loved band.
The Grates are a three-piece indie rock band formed in Brisbane in 2002. The original line-up was Patience Hodgson on lead vocals, John Patterson on guitars and backing vocals and Alana Skyring on drums. They were brought to national attention when a demo of their single, "Trampoline" (2004), received airplay on radio station, Triple J. Their first two albums, Gravity Won't Get You High (2006) and Teeth Lost, Hearts Won (2008), both reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 10. Skyring left in 2010 to become a chef and was replaced on drums by Ben Marshall for the third album, Secret Rituals (2011), which reached No. 11. The Grates' fourth album, Dream Team (2014), was recorded with new drummer, Richard Daniell. The band provide energetic and often sold out live shows. Since May 2012 Hodgson and Patterson are also proprietors of Southside Tea Room, a cafe and bar, in Morningside; the couple also married in November that year.
Shihad are a rock band from New Zealand, formed in 1988. The band consists of Jon Toogood (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Phil Knight (lead guitar, synthesiser, backing vocals), Karl Kippenberger (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Tom Larkin (drums, backing vocals, samplers). During their recording career, Shihad have produced five number-one studio albums, holding the title for most number one records for any New Zealand artist, alongside Hayley Westenra, and three top-ten singles in New Zealand.
At the release time of their ninth studio album FVEY, Shihad had the most Top 40 New Zealand chart singles for any New Zealand artist, with 25. Of these singles, "Home Again", "Pacifier" and "Bitter" are listed at numbers 30, 60 and 83, respectively, in the Nature's Best compilation, an official collection of New Zealand's top 100 songs. The band was known as Pacifier between 2001 and 2004.
Grinspoon is an Australian rock band from Lismore, New South Wales formed in 1995 and fronted by Phil Jamieson on vocals and guitar with Pat Davern on guitar, Joe Hansen on bass guitar and Kristian Hopes on drums. Also in 1995, they won the Triple J-sponsored Unearthed competition for Lismore, with their post-grunge song "Sickfest". Their name was taken from Dr. Lester Grinspoon an Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, who supports marijuana for medical use.
Grinspoon changed their sound to more mainstream rock by their 2002 album, New Detention, gaining fans and peaking at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Charts; similarly 2007's Alibis & Other Lies also reached No. 2. Their 2004 album, Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills, which peaked at No. 4, won the 2005 'Best Rock Album Award' at the ARIA Music Awards.
The band was signed to Universal Records in United States by late 1998, they were promoted by the songs "Champion", which featured in Gran Turismo 3; "Post Enebriated Anxiety", which was on the international version of Guide to Better Living; "Chemical Heart", via the internet; and a cover of the Prong song "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck", from Grinspoon's Pushing Buttons EP, which was included on ECW: Extreme Music.
On 4 December 2013 they announced that they were going on an indefinite hiatus to pursue individual projects.In August 2015, it was announced that the band would be reforming exclusively to play a run of dates opening for Cold Chisel.
The John Butler Trio are an Australian roots and jam band led by guitarist and vocalist John Butler, an APRA and ARIA-award winning musician. They formed in Fremantle in 1998 with Jason McGann on drums and Gavin Shoesmith on bass. By 2009, the trio consisted of Butler with Byron Luiters on bass and Nicky Bomba on drums and percussion, the latter being replaced by Grant Gerathy in 2013.
The band's second studio album, Three (2001) reached the top 30 in the Australian album charts and achieved platinum sales. The band's subsequent studio albums: Sunrise Over Sea (2004); Grand National (2007); and April Uprising (2010) all debuted at the number one position on the Australian album charts, with all three albums reaching platinum sales status. Living 2001–2002 (2003), the band's first live album, reached the top ten and also achieved platinum status in Australia. The band's second live album, Live at St. Gallen (2005), also achieved gold record status. The band's releases since 2002 have been marketed independently by Jarrah Records, which Butler co-owns with West Australian folk band the Waifs and manager of both acts, Philip Stevens. Their sixth studio album, Flesh & Blood, was released in February 2014.
The Angels are an Australian rock band which formed in Adelaide in 1974 as The Keystone Angels by John Brewster on rhythm guitar and vocals, his brother Rick Brewster on lead guitar and vocals, and Bernard "Doc" Neeson on lead vocals and guitar. They were later joined by Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup on drums and vocals, and Chris Bailey on bass guitar and vocals. In 1981 Bidstrup was replaced on drums by Brent Eccles. Their studio albums on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart top 10 are No Exit (July 1979), Dark Room (June 1980), Night Attack (November 1981), Two Minute Warning (November 1984), Howling (October 1986) and Beyond Salvation (February 1990). Their top 20 singles are "No Secrets" (1980), "Into the Heat" (1981), "We Gotta Get out of This Place" (1987), "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again" (live, 1988), "Let the Night Roll On" and "Dogs Are Talking" (both 1990).
In the international market, to avoid legal problems with similarly named acts, their records have been released under the names, Angel City and later The Angels from Angel City. The Angels were cited by Seattle grunge bands, Guns N' Roses, Pearl Jam and Nirvana, as having influenced their music. Neeson left the group in 1999 due to spinal injuries sustained in a car accident and they disbanded in the following year. Subsequently, competing versions of the group performed using the Angels name, until April 2008 when the original 1970s line-up reformed for a series of tours until 2011, when Neeson left again. Alternative versions continued with new members.
The Angels were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in October 1998 with the line-up of Bailey, John and Rick Brewster, Eccles and Neeson. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, declared that "The Angels had a profound effect on the Australian live music scene of the late 1970s/early 1980s. [They] helped redefine the Australian pub rock tradition... their brand of no-frills, hard-driving boogie rock attracted pub goers in unprecedented numbers. In turn, The Angels' shows raised the standard expected of live music. After 20 years on the road, the band showed little sign of easing up on the hard rock fever." Chris Bailey died on 4 April 2013, aged 62, after being diagnosed with throat cancer. Doc Neeson died on 4 June 2014, aged 67, of a brain tumour.
The Choirboys is an Australian hard rock and Australian pub rock band from Sydney formed as Choirboys in 1978 with mainstays Mark Gable on lead vocals, Ian Hulme on bass guitar, Brad Carr on lead guitar and Lindsay Tebbutt on drums. Name was changed to The Choirboys with preparation for the sophomore album Big Bad Noise in 1988. The band whose set-up saw many changes went on to release 8 studio albums from 1983 to 2007. Their 1987 single "Run to Paradise" remains their biggest commercial success.
In 1983, George Young (formerly of The Easybeats, and older brother of Angus and Malcolm Young of AC/DC) heard a demo from the Choirboys. He recorded their self-titled debut album with his partner Harry Vanda of the famous Vanda & Young production team at the same studio where the early AC/DC and Rose Tattoo albums were recorded. The first single, “Never Gonna Die,” reached #21 in the Australian single charts in 1983. Australian TV musical personality Ian “Molly” Meldrum said the album was “destined to become an Aussie classic.” Cold Chisel invited the Choirboys to support them on their “Last Stand”, their last tour for 15 years.
Spiderbait are an Australian alternative rock band formed in Finley, a small town in rural New South Wales, in 1991 by bass guitarist Janet English, singer-drummer Mark Maher (better known as Kram), and guitarist Damian Whitty. In 2004 the group's cover version of the 1930s Lead Belly song "Black Betty" reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart. They have five top 20 albums: The Unfinished Spanish Galleon of Finley Lake (1995), Ivy and the Big Apples (1996), Grand Slam (1999), Tonight Alright (2004), and Greatest Hits (2005). The group have won two ARIA Music Awards with the first in 1997 as 'Best Alternative Release' for Ivy and the Big Apples and the second in 2000 as 'Best Cover Art' for their single "Glokenpop". Since late 2004, the band has been on hiatus to concentrate on solo projects and their personal lives—although periodically returning for occasional gigs. The band released their first studio album in nine years, the self-titled Spiderbait in November 2013.
Bernard Fanning (born 15 August 1969) is an Australian musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and frontman of Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger from its formation in 1989 to its dissolution in 2010.
Born and raised in Toowong, Brisbane, Fanning was taught the piano by his mother at an early age. At the age of 12, while attending St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace, he began writing music, and upon graduating from St. Joseph's, moved on to the University of Queensland, where he studied journalism for a short time. He dropped out to pursue a music career, after meeting Ian Haug in an economics class. Fanning joined Haug, John Collins, and Steven Bishop, who had recently formed Powderfinger, and took the role of lead singer. After Bishop left and guitarist Darren Middleton joined, the band released five studio albums in fifteen years and achieved mainstream success in Australia. During Powderfinger's hiatus in 2005, Fanning began his solo music career with the studio album Tea & Sympathy. Powderfinger then reunited in 2007 and released two more albums before disbanding in late 2010.
While Powderfinger's style focuses on alternative rock, Fanning's solo music is generally described as a mixture of blues and acoustic folk. Fanning plays guitar, piano, keyboards and harmonica, both when performing solo and also with Powderfinger. Often speaking out against Australian political figures, Fanning has donated much of his time to philanthropic causes. He is an advocate for Aboriginal justice in Australia.
Sarah Blasko (born Sarah Elizabeth Blaskow, 23 September 1976) is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician and producer. From April 2002 Blasko developed her solo career after fronting Sydney-based band, Acquiesce, between the mid-1990s and 2001. She had performed under her then-married name, Sarah Semmens, and, after leaving Acquiesce, as Sorija in a briefly existing duo of that name. As a solo artist Blasko has released five studio albums, The Overture & the Underscore (11 October 2004), What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have (21 October 2006) – which peaked at No. 7 on the ARIA Albums Chart, As Day Follows Night (10 July 2009) – which reached No. 5, I Awake (26 October 2012) – which made No. 9, and Eternal Return (6 November 2015).
At the ARIA Music Awards of 2007, Blasko won Best Pop Release for her second album. Her third album won the Best Female Artist in 2009 and her fourth album was nominated for the same category in 2013. In October 2010 As Day Follows Night was listed at No. 19 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums; the authors noted that it "turned on emotional subtlety and instrumental clarity. It sounded like little else in 2009, or most any other year".
Dallas Crane are a triple ARIA Award nominated Australian alternative rock band from Melbourne. Dallas Crane formed in 1996 in Melbourne by Chris Brodie on bass guitar, Dave Larkin on lead vocals and guitar, Pete Satchell on guitar and vocals and Shan Vanderwert on drums. Satchell and Larkin were former school mates and Brodie and Vanderwert joined soon after. They rehearsed material for their debut album, Lent (1998), in a Port Melbourne oil shed on the property of Dallas Crane Transport. The local trucking company was owned by friends: their rehearsals were paid for in beer, and the group were renamed, Dallas Crane.Their self-titled third album was released on 10 July 2004, which peaked in the ARIA Albums Chart top 50. Its nominations at the ARIA Music Awards of 2004, included Best Rock Album. Its lead single, "Dirty Hearts" (June 2004), debuted in the related ARIA Singles Chart top 50.
Dallas Crane's fourth album, Factory Girls (16 September 2006), peaked in the top 30. Their highest charting single, "Sit on My Knee" – a duet with Jimmy Barnes – reached No. 14 in July 2005. In 2009 they featured as a support act for The Who on a national stadium tour. After re-grouping following a short hiatus in 2012 Dallas Crane's began work on their 5th studio album "Scoundrels" featuring Chris Brodie on bass guitar, Dave Larkin on vocals and guitar, Steve Pinkerton on drums and Pete Satchell on guitar and vocals.
Youth Group is a rock band based in Newtown, Sydney, Australia. Built around the vocals of singer Toby Martin and production of Wayne Connolly, the sound of Youth Group is reminiscent of indie rock artists such as Teenage Fanclub, Pavement and Death Cab for Cutie.
The band formed in Sydney in the late 1990s and has released four albums, three of which have gained worldwide release. They achieved major success in 2006 when their cover of Alphaville's "Forever Young", which had been recorded for the soundtrack of the US TV drama The O.C., was released as a single and reached No. 1 in Australia, attaining platinum status.
Eskimo Joe is an Australian alternative rock band that was formed in 1997 by Stuart MacLeod, on guitars, Joel Quartermain, on drums and guitar, and Kavyen Temperley, on bass guitar and vocals, in East Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia.
The band has released five additional albums since their debut album Girl was released in 2001: A Song Is a City, released in 2004; Black Fingernails, Red Wine, released in 2006; Inshalla, released in May 2009; Ghosts of the Past, released on 12 August 2011; and Wastelands, released on 20 September 2013. Eskimo Joe have won eight ARIA Music Awards; in 2006 the band achieved four wins—from nine nominations— for work associated with Black Fingernails, Red Wine.
The Whitlams are an Australian indie rock/piano rock group formed in late 1992. The original line-up were Tim Freedman on keyboards and lead vocals, Andy Lewis on double bass and Stevie Plunder on guitar. Other than mainstay, Freedman, the line-up has changed numerous times. Since 2001 he has been joined by Warwick Hornby on bass guitar, Jak Housden on guitar and Terepai Richmond on drums. Four of their studio albums have reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 20: Eternal Nightcap (September 1997, No. 14), Love This City (November 1999, No. 3), Torch the Moon (July 2002, No. 1) and Little Cloud (March 2006, No. 4). Their highest charting singles are "Blow Up the Pokies" (May 2000) and "Fall for You" (June 2002) – both reached number 21. The group's single, "No Aphrodisiac" was listed at number one on the Triple J Hottest 100, 1997 by listeners of national radio station, Triple J. In January 1996 Stevie Plunder was found dead at the base of Wentworth Falls. Andy Lewis committed suicide in February 2000.
Thirsty Merc are an Australian pop rock band formed in 2002 by Rai Thistlethwayte (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Phil Stack (bass guitar), Karl Robertson (drums), and Matthew Baker (guitar). In 2004 Baker was replaced by Sean Carey who was, in turn, replaced by Matt Smith in 2010. Thirsty Merc have released one extended play, First Work (September 2003), and four studio albums: Thirsty Merc (August 2004), Slideshows (April 2007), Mousetrap Heart (June 2010) and Shifting Gears (September 2015). The band have sold over 200,000 albums, toured extensively around Australia, and received national radio airplay for their tracks.
In June 2005 Billboard's Christie Eliezer felt their debut album showed "eclectic rock-, classical- and jazz-influenced pop [that] appealed to Australian radio programmers". The work reached the top 20 on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified platinum by ARIA for shipment of 70,000 units by the end of 2005. Slideshows peaked at No. 4 in Australia – their highest position. It reached No. 38 on the New Zealand Albums Chart, however Thirsty Merc had attained No. 29 in that market. The group were nominated for four ARIA Awards in 2005 and the Thistlethwayte-written track, "20 Good Reasons", was nominated for Song of the Year at the APRA Music Awards of 2008. From 2006, their song "In the Summertime" was the opening theme for the Australian TV reality show, Bondi Rescue.
Cold Chisel are an Australian rock band that formed in Adelaide, Australia. They had chart success in the 70s, 80s and 90s, and again more recently since reforming in 2011, with nine albums making the Australian top ten. Cold Chisel are regarded as having a distinctly Australian popularity and musicianship, exemplifying "pub rock" and highlighting the working class life in Australia.
Originally named Orange, the band formed in Adelaide in 1973 as a heavy-metal cover-band comprising keyboardist Ted Broniecki and bassist Les Kaczmarek (died December 5, 2008), keyboard player Don Walker, guitarist Ian Moss and drummer Steve Prestwich (died 16 January 2011). Seventeen-year-old singer Jimmy Barnes— called Jim Barnes on the initial run of albums— joined in December 1973, taking leave from the band in 1975 for a brief stint as Bon Scott's replacement in Fraternity.
The group changed its name several times before settling on Cold Chisel in 1974 after writing a song with that title. Barnes' relationship with other band members was volatile; as a Scot he often came to blows with Liverpool-born Prestwich and he left the band several times. During these periods Moss would handle vocals until Barnes returned. Walker soon emerged as Cold Chisel's primary songwriter. Walker spent 1974 in Armidale, completing his studies and in 1975 Kaczmarek left the band and was replaced by Phil Small. Barnes' older brother John Swan was a member of Cold Chisel around this time, providing backing vocals and percussion but after several violent incidents he was fired.
In May 1976, Cold Chisel relocated to Melbourne but found little success, moving on to Sydney in November. Six months later, in May 1977, Barnes announced he would quit Cold Chisel in order to join Swan in Feather, a hard-rocking blues band that had evolved from an earlier group called Blackfeather. A farewell performance in Sydney went so well that the singer changed his mind. The following month the Warner Music Group picked up Cold Chisel.
