David McComb

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David McComb

Background information
Birth name David McComb
Born February 17, 1962
Perth, Western Australia
Died February 2, 1999
Melbourne, Victoria
Genre(s) Rock Music
Occupation(s) musician, songwriter, guitarist, singer
Years active 1976 - 1999
Associated acts The Triffids, Blackeyed Susans, Red Ponies, Costar

David Richard McComb, (February 17, 1962 – February 2, 1999) was an Australian rock musician. He was the singer-songwriter of a prominent Australian post-punk band, The Triffids.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early years in Perth

David McComb was born in Perth, Australia on February 17, 1962, the youngest of four boys. Both their parents were doctors, their father, Dr Harold McComb, a prominent plastic surgeon[1] and their mother, Dr Athel Hockey (AO), a renowned geneticist[2]. The family resided in a historical residence, The Cliffe in McNeil Street, Peppermint Grove[3]. All the boys attended Christ Church Grammar School in Claremont, Western Australia, with David winning prizes in English literature and divinity. McComb studied journalism and literature at the Western Australian Institute of Technology.[4] His older brother, Robert McComb, later joined The Triffids as a guitarist.

[edit] The Triffids 1976–1989

Main article: The Triffids

Whilst still at high school, partly in response to the emergence of punk rock, McComb and Alan "Alsy" MacDonald formed Dalsy (a multimedia project, producing music, books and photographic work, and its output reflected his early interests, in Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, the Velvet Underground and Patti Smith), in 1976. Dalsy, later known as Blök Music then evolved into The Triffids (from the post-apocalyptic John Wyndham novel, The Day of the Triffids). McComb and MacDonald wrote and performed songs with Phil Kakulas (later in Blackeyed Susans), Andrew McGowan, Julian Douglas-Smith, and later Byron Sinclair, Will Akers and Margaret Gillard. By Christmas 1978, they had released several home-recorded cassette tapes and been through many line-up changes. McComb became established as the band's main songwriter and common denominator in the band's various line-ups.

In 1980 The Triffids won a band demo competition and released their first 7-inch vinyl single, "Stand Up", on the Shake Some Action label in the following year. The Triffids then moved to Melbourne before eventually settling in Sydney in 1982. After a couple of singles and EPs, Reverie EP, "Spanish Blue", and the Bad Timing and Other Stories EP, the group had saved up money from support slots with the Hoodoo Gurus, The Church and Hunters and Collectors, to record and release the band's debut 12-inch vinyl album, Treeless Plain, for Hot Records, a Sydney independent label.

McComb sold the rights to three songs to ABC-TV, for their 1984 series Sweet and Sour: "On The Street Where You Live",[5] "Digging a Hole",[5] and "Too Hot To Move".[5] Lead vocals on the first two were sung for the series by Cathy McQuade (of Deckchairs Overboard) and the latter was performed by Deborah Conway (of Do-Ré-Mi). As part of the sale, The Triffids were no longer able to perform the songs. McComb later said that he regretted selling the songs and that he had bought back "Too Hot to Move", which The Triffids began to perform again: they recorded it for their 1989 album, The Black Swan. It has also been performed by The Blackeyed Susans (with Rob Snarski on lead vocals).[5]

In 1985 The Triffids moved to London, with the addition of 'Evil' Graham Lee on pedal steel guitar, recorded their second album, Born Sandy Devotional in 1986, and Wide Open Road EP. The group were hailed by the British media, were featured on the John Peel show and supported Echo and the Bunnymen.

In 1986 with delays in releasing Born Sandy Devotional the Triffids returned to Western Australia where they built an eight-track machine inside a shearing shed on the McComb family's farming property and recorded their third album In The Pines. On their return to the UK, they signed a three record deal with Island Records. In 1987 armed with the considerable budget of £125,000, and the production skills of Gil Norton, David McComb and a new recruit, Adam Peters, concocted the lush orchestrations of the poignant "Bury Me Deep in Love" and the melancholic wide-screen atmosphere of the subsequent Calenture album. Despite the release of another two tracks from the album as singles, "Trick of the Light" and "Holy Water", Calenture didn't have the impact expected of it. In 1989, the "Goodbye Little Boy" single featured in the Australian soap opera Neighbours. 1989 also saw the Triffids record their last studio album, The Black Swan in England, with producer Stephen Street. Despite being well received, the album wasn't an overwhelming success, which disappointed David and the rest of the band to the point where they decided to dissolve the band. In order to fulfill their contractural obligations with Island Records a live album recorded in Stockholm, Stockholm was released in 1990 the year after the Triffids split up.

[edit] Post-Triffids career 1990–1999

Main article: Blackeyed Susans

McComb lived in London in 1990-1992 with his girlfriend, and tried unsuccessfully to launch a solo career. In 1991, McComb and Adam Peters contributed to the Leonard Cohen tribute album I'm Your Fan with a cover of "Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On", later mentioned favorably by Cohen himself[6].

When he returned to Australia, McComb settled in Melbourne, where he commenced studies at The University of Melbourne in Art History. He recorded with the Blackeyed Susans, completed a solo album, Love of Will, for Mushroom Records, and undertook a solo tour of Europe with his backing band, The Red Ponies,[7] consisting of David McComb, Graham Lee, Warren Ellis, Peter Luscombe, Bruce Haymes and Michael Vidale.

He also performed in Australia with his last band, Costar, who recorded a three-track EP. (This has never been released, but may be released on the W.Minc label when the Triffids reissue program is complete.) Recording for a Costar album was also underway at the time of McComb's death [8]. McComb made occasional appearances with the Blackeyed Susans in Australia, giving Rob Snarski a break from vocals (as did Kim Salmon).

[edit] Health problems and death

McComb suffered from back pain which worsened over the years. He also struggled with alcoholism, and amphetamine and heroin abuse, which greatly affected his health. He developed cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that, when found in young men, is most commonly induced by alcoholism. In 1996, he underwent a successful heart transplant, but continued his drinking and drug use. In January 1999 he was driving a car which was involved in a collision. He was hospitalised overnight and released with bruising. A few days later he died at home, on February 2 1999 just before his 37th birthday. In February 2000, after the State Coroner of Victoria finally published his findings, The West Australian newspaper wrote: "Mr Johnstone [the Coroner] said McComb's mental and physical condition had deteriorated after his accident but his death was due to heroin toxicity and mild acute rejection of his 1996 heart transplant."

[edit] Legacy and influence

In 2001 the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, named his 1986 composition "Wide Open Road" as one of the thirty greatest Australian songs of all time.[9]

On February 21, 2006 David McComb was posthumously inducted into the West Australian Music Industry Association Hall Of Fame, as a composer[10].

In June 2006, his work with The Triffids was reissued in remastered and extended form on the Domino label, commencing with Born Sandy Devotional. McComb's work is held in high regard in Europe, to the extent that The Triffids reformed and travelled from Australia to play live performances in Belgium and The Netherlands, in July 2006, with guest vocalists replacing McComb.

A book on McComb and The Triffids, written by former NME journalist Bleddyn Butcher, is in production and slated for release in 2008.

A feature length biopic entitled Love in Bright Landscapes (working title only), commenced shooting in January 2008[11]. It is being produced by Melbourne based Tornado Alley Productions.

[edit] Discography

[edit] David McComb with The Triffids

Limited edition cassettes

Singles and EPs

LPs

Compilations - Various Artists (The Triffids Contributor)

  • 1983 Live At The Wireless (ABC Records) - "My Baby Thinks She's A Train"
  • 1984 Beyond The Southern Cross (Ink Records) - "My Baby Thinks She's A Train"
  • 1984 No Worries (Hot Records) - "Left To Rot"
  • 1986 A Collection Of Hot Records From 1982-1985 (Hot Records) - "Beautiful Waste" & "You Don't Miss Your Water Till Your Well Runs Dry"
  • 1987 Sonic 3 (Sonic Sounds) - "Everything You Touch Turns To Time"
  • 1988 Hit Pix '88 (EMI) - "Bury Me Deep In Love"
  • 1988 Til Things Are Brighter (Rhino Records) - "Country Boy"
  • 1988 Also Used And Recommended By (Mushroom Records) - "Love The Fever"
  • 1988 Sgt Pepper Knew My Father (Childline) - "Good Morning, Good Morning"
  • 1990 The Perfect Travelling Companion (6UVS) - "Keep Your Eyes On The Hole"
  • 1990 Hometown Farewell Kiss (6UVS) - "Keep Your Eyes On The Hole"

[edit] David McComb with the Blackeyed Susans

Singles and EPs

LPs

[edit] Solo releases by David McComb

LPs

EPs

  • 1989 "I Don't Need You" (with Adam Peters) (Island Records)
  • 1991 "The Message" (The Foundation Label)
  • 1994 "Setting You Free" (White Label Records)
  • 1994 "Clear Out My Mind" (White Label Records)

Compilations, Various Artists (contributor)

  • 1988 Til Things Are Brighter: A Tribute To Johnny Cash (Rhino Records) - "Country Boy"
  • 1991 I'm Your Fan: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen (Columbia Records) - "Don't Go Home With Your Hard On"
  • 1996 More Of Her - Four Hours Sleep (Mushroom Records) - "This Song Can Save You" and "When I First Met You"
  • 1996 Where Joy Kills Sorrow (W.Minc Records) - "Still Alive And Well"

[edit] References

  1. ^ McComb Foundation history
  2. ^ Human Genetics Society of Australia
  3. ^ Heritage Council of Western Australia - Heritage listing - 'The Cliffe'
  4. ^ The Triffids' Wide Open History. Rythms Magazine (Australia) (2006-07-02). Retrieved on 2008-03-26.
  5. ^ a b c d Australasian Performing Right Association: http://www.apra.com.au/cms/worksearch/worksearch.srvlt
  6. ^ Leonard Cohen website
  7. ^ 'Long Way To The Top' - ABC
  8. ^ The Triffids fans forum
  9. ^ Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Top 30 Australian songs
  10. ^ WAM Hall of Fame
  11. ^ The Australian 'Triffids return in tribute to McComb' (January 17, 2008)

[edit] Further reading

  • Obituaries of David McComb, Triffids' co-founder:
    • Sunday Times (Perth, W.A.) 21 February 1999, p.44,
    • Rolling Stone (Sydney, N.S.W.), April 1999, p. 27,

[edit] External links

v • d • e
The Triffids
David McComb · Robert McComb · Jill Birt · Allan MacDonald · Martyn P. Casey · 'Evil' Graham Lee
Studio Albums
EPs
Cassettes
Live Albums
Compilation albums
Singles
Record Labels
Hot Records · Rough Trade · Mushroom · Island · Domino · Liberation Music
Related content
Save What You Can: The Day of The Triffids and The Long Night of David McComb (Bleddyn Butcher)