The Moodists
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1980 in Melbourne, Australia |
| Defunct | 1987 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, EPs, singles |
The Moodists emerged as an Australian post-punk group formed in Melbourne towards the end of 1980. The founding lineup consisted of Dave Graney on lead vocals, Clare Moore handling drums, and Steve Miller on guitar, all previously members of the Sputniks. Early in 1981, bassist Chris Walsh joined the ensemble, and by April 1983, guitarist Mick Turner—formerly with Sick Things and Fungus Brains—became part of the band. Their only full-length album, Thirsty's Calling, was released in April 1984. Turner exited the group in January 1985, and The Moodists ultimately dissolved in 1987.
History
The origins of The Moodists trace back to Melbourne when three musicians moved from Adelaide's punk outfit, the Sputniks: vocalist Dave Graney, drummer Clare Moore, and guitarist Steve Miller. Initially, Steven Carmen played bass but was soon replaced by Chris Walsh, who had previously been with the Negatives. After signing with Au Go Go Records in 1981, they debuted with the single "Where the Trees Walk Downhill" in October that year. This was followed by "Gone Dead" in June 1982, a track produced by Victor Van Vugt. Their six-track EP Engine Shudder came out in January 1983; it was co-produced by Van Vugt alongside Tony Cohen and Chris Thompson at Richmond Recorders and featured session saxophonists Nick Danyi and David Paliser. In April 1983, Mick Turner joined as lead guitarist, contributing his signature abrasive guitar style to their experimental rock sound.
In October 1983, The Moodists relocated to London under the Red Flame Records label, which issued an extended version of Engine Shudder that included "Gone Dead." They recorded their album Thirsty's Calling at Livingstone Studios with Van Vugt co-producing; he also managed their live sound engineering. The album was released on Virgin Records in Australia and Red Flame in the UK and received positive critical attention despite being compared to The Birthday Party. Following this, they toured across Europe and the United States before returning to Australia late in 1984 to support Public Image Limited alongside Box of Fish. Turner departed to revive Fungus Brains and later went on to co-found Dirty Three.
Their second EP, Double Life (1985), featured tracks such as "Six Dead Birds." After spending six months back in Australia, they returned to the UK for another John Peel session and toured northern Europe as well as briefly visiting the US again. August 1985 saw the release of their single "Justice and Money Too" through Creation Records; this recording included session artists Mick Harvey on piano and Adam Peters on viola, highlighting a softer blues-pop approach enriched with strings and piano.
In 1986, The Moodists put out more material via the TIM label with Van Vugt co-producing once more. By this time, Walsh had gone back to Australia and was replaced by David McClymont, formerly of Orange Juice. Their final London performance featured Graney, Miller, Moore, McClymont, and Malcolm Ross—also ex-Orange Juice—on guitar.
After disbanding in 1987, Graney, Moore, and Ross formed a new group called Dave Graney with the Coral Snakes; they recorded an EP produced by Barry Adamson for Fire Records.
In 2003, W.Minc—a label operated by Miller alongside Graham Lee—released a double CD compilation titled Two Fisted Art, which led to a short-lived reunion in Melbourne. This collection comprised studio tracks as well as previously unreleased live recordings from 1982 and 1984. The following year, Umbrella Entertainment issued a DVD featuring their 1984 London performance for British television, including fresh interviews and footage from an unpolished show at Manchester's The Haçienda.
Albums
| Title | Information |
|---|---|
| Thirsty's Calling |
|
| Two Fisted Art (1980–1986) |
|
Extended Plays
| Title | Information |
|---|---|
| Engine Shudder |
|
| Double Life |
|
| Justice And Money Too |
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| The Moodists |
|
See also
References
- General
- Note: The archived online version may have limited features.
- Specific