About this concert
The creative chameleon, Steve Balbi, returns to Brisbane for the first time in far too many years, for one night only – Thursday 28 November – with very special guest James Van Cooper.Transcending rock and pop while coalescing sentimentality and soul, Balbi promises an eclectic set of new material, featuring his latest single ‘Every Living Thing’, alongside reimagined favourites and out-takes lifted from a back catalogue of music that includes Electric Hippies, Noiseworks, Universe, Move Trees, and more. Navigating a wistful path from melancholy through madness, meanwhile mining a kaleidoscope of life at the margins, Balbi and Van Cooper’s exclusive appearance at The Junk Bar on Thursday 28 November features two of Australia’s most remarkable songsmiths; intimate ‘n’ acoustic, but live ‘n’ electric.The music of singer, composer, performer and producer Steve Balbi mines a kaleidoscope of life at the margins. Transcending rock and pop while coalescing sentimentality and soul, Balbi bespeaks Bowie and Dylan in melody and verse, exploring the heterogeneity, refinement and dirty rotten groove of Radiohead.First cutting his chops on bass with Kevin Borich Express at just 17 years of age, Balbi was very much a child prodigy. Yet Balbi is perhaps best known for his song-writing partnership with Justin Stanley; first founding and producing Aussie chart-toppers Noiseworks (1986), before forming the Electric Hippies (1993). These days he also fronts 1980s new-wavers Mi-Sex, who this year celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Graffiti Crimes. The LP and hit single ‘Computer Games’ scooped the pool at the 1979 Countdown/TV Week Awards, winning Best Album, Best/Most Popular Single (Computer Games), Best Producer (Peter Dawkins), and Best New Artist.James van Cooper, on the other hand, is a young Australian songwriter who gravitates towards alt country and Americana; with the flair of Ryan Adams and integrity of Jason Isbell. He began to blaze his own trail in the world of cool country rock when he packed his bags and headed for Nashville to record his debut LP, Coming Home, with producer Scott Campbell at the helm. While in the US, James opened for some of LA’s finest, including Matt Pynn and Alt. Country sweetheart, Jaime Wyatt; who performs a duet on the track, ‘Come Home’. Van Cooper is a flamboyant performer and heartfelt songwriter, renowned for his catchy hooks and twangy guitars; a wild and complete guitarist who leaves an audience in smoking ruins.In his late teens, JVC struggled with addiction and by 20 years of age won his hard-earned sobriety. This road to enlightenment was, in part, harnessed to inspire James’ debut EP, High-rise Skyline (2017); the making of which guided by Australian Country Music icon Bill Chambers. Together they toured Australia and Europe.More recently, Balbi and Van Cooper have cultivated an exquisite union themselves, having first met when JVC was but a boy. Both current members of Mi-Sex, they’ve recently co-written and recorded a song, ‘Getting Close’, which they’ll perform live for the very first time at The Junk Bar on Thursday 28 November. Indeed, this is one show, for so very many reasons, not to be missed.
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STEVE BALBI Biography
The music of the composer, performer, and producer Steve Balbi mines a kaleidoscope of life at the margins. Transcending rock and pop while coalescing sentimentality and soul, Balbi bespeaks Bowie and Dylan in melody and verse, meanwhile exploring the heterogeneity, refinement, and dirty rotten groove of Radiohead.
At 17 years of age, Balbi was invited to join the legendary Kevin Borich Express. before cultivating an indelible production and song-writing partnership with Justin Stanley (Beck, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Prince). Together they founded and produced Aussie chart-toppers Noiseworks (1986), before forming Electric Hippies (1993). Numerous European tours, four multi-platinum award-winning albums, and various ARIA Award Nominations later, Balbi lifted his guitar from the rack to form Universe with Cathy Green (X) in 1996, working with Paisley Park’s Susan Rogers, before Move Trees and Moon emerged in subsequent years. In 2011, Balbi accepted an invitation to front 1980s new-wavers Mi-Sex, whose hits ‘n’ memories include Graffiti Crimes, Space Race (1980), Shanghaied! (1981), Where Do They Go? (1983), and Not From Here (2016). Graffiti Crimes and its hit single ‘Computer Games’ scooped the pool at the 1979 Countdown/TV Week Awards – Best Album, Best/Most Popular Single (Computer Games), Best Producer (Peter Dawkins), and Best New Artist.
Balbi’s eclectic catalogue of production credits transcend decades and genres, for the dynamic assemblage of artists that he’s produced and composed with include: Electric Hippies, Andrew Farriss (INXS), Dylan Frost (Sticky Fingers), Noiseworks, Glenn Shorrock (Little River Band), Daryl Braithwaite (Sony), Jimmy Barnes (Mushroom), Jenny Morris (RooArt), Juice, Christine Anu, Pearls & Swine, Toe to Toe, Vincent Stone, Fyre Byrd, Aurateque, Triple J darling’s, Camino Gold, and countless other emerging artists and songwriters. Balbi also played guitar and created vocal arrangements for David Bowie’s Hours (1999), with legendary producer Marius de Vries (Madonna, Björk, Rufus Wainwright, et al.), and for the soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann’s Academy Award-nominated Moulin Rouge. Other composition and production credits include the new Test Cricket Theme Song for Fox Sports, recorded with the Sydney Symphony, the Channel 10 theme, various feature-film soundtrack projects, exclusive to Pow Wow Studios, Coca-Cola, and more.
Balbi’s debut solo LP, Black Rainbow (2013), and its surreal reprise, Rainbow Black (2016), provided a point of departure for his enigmatic artistry. Casting a renewed focus upon riff and verse, the single ‘Modern Love’ was released on 7” in October 2018 and debuted at #3 on the iTunes Rock Chart. His latest solo LP – I Think I Know For Sure – was composed, produced and recorded in three months during lockdown. Featuring seven songs that posit one back to the future, Balbi makes almost every noise on every song.
These days, Balbi is deeply ensconced within his new studio, working with Dylan Frost (Sticky Fingers) on his forthcoming solo record, meanwhile indulging a dalliance with Alt. Country, which includes solo projects by Dave Gleeson (Screaming Jets, The Angels), Shannon Noll (The Voice) and James Van Cooper ‘Getting Close’. New Electric Hippies with Justin Stanley is in the mix and new Noiseworks is in the wings also, followed by a reformation tour throughout late-2022/2023. Balbi’s most recent releases complete a 5-track EP of live recordings, which reflect a throwback to the music people used to make, now available on all streaming platforms, the songs and performance. Recorded live in May 2021, ft. Balbi (Noiseworks, Electric Hippies, Mi-Sex), Jak Housden (The Whitlams, Tim Minchin), Dario Bortolin (Baby Animals), Pete Drummond (Dragon), and Scott Aplin (Guy Sebastian).
I Think I Know For Sure is available on 12” Vinyl, or you can stream it here: https://ffm.to/itikfs
The new single Extraordinary Ordinary Life is available here: https://ffm.to/extraordinaryordinarylifelive
Profile photo by Tim Bradshaw Music Photography
Read MoreAt 17 years of age, Balbi was invited to join the legendary Kevin Borich Express. before cultivating an indelible production and song-writing partnership with Justin Stanley (Beck, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Prince). Together they founded and produced Aussie chart-toppers Noiseworks (1986), before forming Electric Hippies (1993). Numerous European tours, four multi-platinum award-winning albums, and various ARIA Award Nominations later, Balbi lifted his guitar from the rack to form Universe with Cathy Green (X) in 1996, working with Paisley Park’s Susan Rogers, before Move Trees and Moon emerged in subsequent years. In 2011, Balbi accepted an invitation to front 1980s new-wavers Mi-Sex, whose hits ‘n’ memories include Graffiti Crimes, Space Race (1980), Shanghaied! (1981), Where Do They Go? (1983), and Not From Here (2016). Graffiti Crimes and its hit single ‘Computer Games’ scooped the pool at the 1979 Countdown/TV Week Awards – Best Album, Best/Most Popular Single (Computer Games), Best Producer (Peter Dawkins), and Best New Artist.
Balbi’s eclectic catalogue of production credits transcend decades and genres, for the dynamic assemblage of artists that he’s produced and composed with include: Electric Hippies, Andrew Farriss (INXS), Dylan Frost (Sticky Fingers), Noiseworks, Glenn Shorrock (Little River Band), Daryl Braithwaite (Sony), Jimmy Barnes (Mushroom), Jenny Morris (RooArt), Juice, Christine Anu, Pearls & Swine, Toe to Toe, Vincent Stone, Fyre Byrd, Aurateque, Triple J darling’s, Camino Gold, and countless other emerging artists and songwriters. Balbi also played guitar and created vocal arrangements for David Bowie’s Hours (1999), with legendary producer Marius de Vries (Madonna, Björk, Rufus Wainwright, et al.), and for the soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann’s Academy Award-nominated Moulin Rouge. Other composition and production credits include the new Test Cricket Theme Song for Fox Sports, recorded with the Sydney Symphony, the Channel 10 theme, various feature-film soundtrack projects, exclusive to Pow Wow Studios, Coca-Cola, and more.
Balbi’s debut solo LP, Black Rainbow (2013), and its surreal reprise, Rainbow Black (2016), provided a point of departure for his enigmatic artistry. Casting a renewed focus upon riff and verse, the single ‘Modern Love’ was released on 7” in October 2018 and debuted at #3 on the iTunes Rock Chart. His latest solo LP – I Think I Know For Sure – was composed, produced and recorded in three months during lockdown. Featuring seven songs that posit one back to the future, Balbi makes almost every noise on every song.
These days, Balbi is deeply ensconced within his new studio, working with Dylan Frost (Sticky Fingers) on his forthcoming solo record, meanwhile indulging a dalliance with Alt. Country, which includes solo projects by Dave Gleeson (Screaming Jets, The Angels), Shannon Noll (The Voice) and James Van Cooper ‘Getting Close’. New Electric Hippies with Justin Stanley is in the mix and new Noiseworks is in the wings also, followed by a reformation tour throughout late-2022/2023. Balbi’s most recent releases complete a 5-track EP of live recordings, which reflect a throwback to the music people used to make, now available on all streaming platforms, the songs and performance. Recorded live in May 2021, ft. Balbi (Noiseworks, Electric Hippies, Mi-Sex), Jak Housden (The Whitlams, Tim Minchin), Dario Bortolin (Baby Animals), Pete Drummond (Dragon), and Scott Aplin (Guy Sebastian).
I Think I Know For Sure is available on 12” Vinyl, or you can stream it here: https://ffm.to/itikfs
The new single Extraordinary Ordinary Life is available here: https://ffm.to/extraordinaryordinarylifelive
Profile photo by Tim Bradshaw Music Photography
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