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Highlander Hotel present

BOOM CRASH OPERA

6:00pm, Sun 17 October, 2010

Highlander Hotel, SA

Event Details

Boom Crash Opera were one of Australias biggest bands spanning the 1980s and 90s. They had a string of hit singles between 1986 and 1994. They had a reputation as being a powerful live act. They had musicianship, songwriting smarts and a gifted front man in Dale Ryder. In the 80s they were a Countdown act, whilst also establishing a fiercesome reputation as a live act. They were accomplished and respected international recording artists and in their latter stages they were lo fi electro pioneers.

They emerged from the post punk inner city Melbourne scene. Their first single Great Wall was a top ten hit. They recorded their eponymous debut album in the UK in 1987 with legendary producer Alex Sadkin (Grace Jones, Duran Duran, Bob Marley).

After a run of hits the band released These Here Are Crazy Times (1989). Produced by Pete Smith (Sting) and band member Richard Pleasance and mixed by Nick Launay (Silverchair, The Living End) this album spawned five hit singles, including their signature tune, the drum driven Onionskin. Whilst on tour the band caught the eye of Bono and The Edge from U2. They recommended the band to legendary producer Jimmy Iovine (U2, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty) and the band re-recorded tracks from These Here Are Crazy Times for the US market with Iovine in LA.

Meanwhile the exultant energy, stress and struggle that was the theme of their music and live shows was taking its toll on Richard Pleasance who acquired tinnitus, noise induced hearing damage, and had to retire from touring. The band played with several replacements until Ian Tilley joined as a permanent member.

Although Onionskin climbed to No. 5 on the Billboard altenative charts in the US mass success eluded them. The band rented a house in the Hollywood Hills and recorded their third album in 1992. With production duties shared by Don Gehman (Hootie and the Blowfish, John Cougar Mellancamp, Jimmy Barnes) and Keith Forsey (Billy Idol, Icehouse) the album Fabulous Beast (1993) attempted to refine the bands now trademark big sound. Although it spawned two hit singles the band struggled to incorporate their non touring member, Richard Pleasance in the process.

Pleasance left the band completely. Greg OConnor followed Richard soon after in 94 the band, now a four piece, turned its trademark sound on its head with the landmark Born/Born Again song cycle; 21 songs in 21 different styles. With mixing by Nick Launay and Tony Cohen (Nick Cave, The Cruel Sea) the album and following tour explored industrial, lo fi and electro sounds. Despite spawning one of their biggest hits, the Kraftwerk-crossed-with-Gary Glitter Gimme, the project was deemed too ahead of its time and only half the songs were ever released as the album Born (1995). Born Again , the remainder of the project, remains unreleased to this day. Audiences were perplexed. One more album, Gizmo Mantra, followed (in 97) and its members had moved on to other projects.

Since those times Richard Pleasance has acquired prominence as a record producer (Deborah Conway, Archie Roach, Jimmy Little) and as a film and TV composer (Sea Change, Kenny), Peter Maslen is one of the countrys most in demand drummers (Natalie Imbruglia, Icehouse, Mark Seymour), Peter Farnan is a successful theatre composer (Melbourne Theatre Company, OzOpera, Malthouse, Melbourne Festival, Belvoir Company B), Dale Ryder is a better singer than ever and has his own band gigging around Melbourne to an appreciative following, Greg OConnor is a successful visual artist and web designer (including many album covers) and Ian Tilley pursued his interest in digital media, inspired by the Born album, and is a successful multi media designer.

Boom Crash Opera struggled to craft music that possessed enormous emotions; music that beat with a big universal heart; music that surrendered none of lifes complexities whilst being accessible. They struggled to keep it together and their music represents that struggle. Sometimes they sounded full to bursting but often they undercut this immensity with a sly sense of humour and humanity.