Dave Warner

In 1973 in Perth Warner formed Australia's first punk band Pus with a heavy emphasis on in your face satire in the tradition of Zappa and the Fugs. In 1975 Warner disbanded Pus and went to Europe. There he formulated a new style of music `suburban rock' that would be based on ultimate veracity, singing from the perspective of a suburban, working-to middle class Australian. By mid 1977 Warner with his band Dave Warner's from the Suburbs was filling venues in Perth six nights a week playing up to sixty original songs. It was unheard of for original music to succeed in Perth. In 1977 the band recorded gigs live at local hotels on an eight track and began to distribute and sell these cassettes in unmarked blank packaging. The cassettes found their way east and record labels in Sydney and Melbourne were keen to sign the band. In 1978 Warner signed with Mushroom Records and the first album `Mugs Game' went gold within weeks. There were four Suburbs albums released from 1977-81 with various lineup changes. Feeling that he was getting no radio support and with no record current contract, Warner turned his attention to other creative areas writing plays, musicals and ultimately novels while continuing to record and tour intermittently. He has written over 15 crime novels, winning various awards, and continues to record in different genres but always with a heavy emphasis on lyrics and narrative.