GOD (band)

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GOD (spelt in capitals) was an indie rock band from Melbourne, Australia, together from 1987 to 1989 and comprising Joel Silbersher, Tim Hemensley, Sean Greenway and Matthew Whittle.

Their debut 7" single My Pal from 1987 is their best known track. It got very favourable reviews and sold in the thousands (which was a lot then for an independent band). It became an indy classic and has been covered by several bands, including Magic Dirt for the soundtrack to the film Idiot Box, and Sydney band Peabody on their Stupid Boy EP.

What was remarkable about the band was how young all its members were, just 16 or 17. That was a great hook for media interest, but they'd all been in bands or projects before and had confidence and conviction in their music. What they didn't do so well at was being organised. Silbersher acknowledged (later) how bad the worst of their gigs were, but when it all came together they excelled.

The band's last gig was at the Central Club on 30 July 1989. Hemensley had already joined Bored! by then, and indeed all the members went on to further musical projects, Hemensley later to the respected Powder Monkeys. Silbersher was perhaps the most recognised, forming Hoss and Tendrils, releasing solo albums, and working with Tex Perkins.

The band's name was clearly irreligious, but was not intended to be blasphemous. It gave great scope for word-play by headline writers (eg. "Good GOD it's rock") or for radio announcers to imagine the almighty was releasing songs.

Greenway died of a heroin overdose on 21 January 2001. Hemensley died of a heroin overdose in 2003.