Matt Finish
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Matt Finish, an Australian guitar-based rock band, was formed in Sydney in 1978 by singer/songwriter/guitarist Matt Moffitt (born 20 August 1956) and drummer/composer/producer John Prior (born 22 July 1960).
The band's debut album, Short Note, peaked at #14 in the Australian charts.[1] That album's title song went on to become a standard on Australian radio stations and is still played and covered today. It was recorded by Wendy Matthews and appeared on her Café Naturale album in 2004, featured in Triple M’s "Best Songs of the Eighties" poll in 2005, is the theme song for the 2007 Australian feature film "Final Winter" and has appeared on dozens of compilation albums including SonyBMG’s The Essential Australian series released in April 2008. "Short Note" also appears on Matt Finish's 2008 anthology album "1978-2008".
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[edit] Line-Ups
During late 1977 and early 1978, Matt Moffitt had a weekly residency at the Observer Hotel in The Rocks with a band called Matt Finnish with many guest musicians. Matt Finish the rock band formed in May 1978.
Matt Finnish:
- 1977 Matt Moffitt (guitar/vocals), Brian Alcorn (bass), Tony Georgeson (drums), Chris Raggett (guitar), Ken Francis (guitar), David Adams (guitar/vocals)
Matt Finish:
- 1978 Moffitt, John Prior (drums), Alcorn
- 1978 Moffitt, Prior, Jeff Clayton (bass/vocals), Glen White (guitar)
- 1980 Moffitt, Prior, Rick Grossman (bass/vocals), White
- 1980 Moffitt, Prior, Grossman
- 1980 Moffitt, Prior, Clayton, Grossman
- 1983 Moffitt, Prior, Clayton
- 1983 Moffitt, Prior, Clayton, Bertie Dorsett (guitar/bass), Anthony Smith (keyboards), Jim Cox (percussion), Ken Francis (guitar), Rob Riley (guitar)
- 1984 Moffitt, Prior, Clayton, Dorsett, Smith
- 1984 Moffitt, Prior, Clayton, Dorsett
- 1984 Moffitt, Prior, Clayton
- 1984 Moffitt, Prior, Clayton, Russell Nelson (guitar)
- 1984 Moffitt, Prior, Clayton, Doug Ironside (guitar)
- 1990 Moffitt, Prior, Guy Le Claire (guitar), Lindsay Jehan (bass), Jennifer Barrett (guitar/vocals)
- 1993 Moffitt, Rohan Cannon (guitar/vocals), Adrian Cannon (drums), Paul Dawkins (keyboards/vocals), Darrio Bortolin/Bobby Christian (bass)
- 1994 Moffitt, Dawkins, Eliot Reynolds (guitar), Justin Leaf (drums)
- 2006 Prior, Clayton, Matt Cornell (vocals/bass), Luke Dixon (vocals/guitar) with guest Rick Grossman
- 2007 Prior, David Adams (vocals/guitar), Harry Brus (bass/vocals) and guests: Guy Le Claire (guitar), Steve Edmonds (guitar/vocals), Les Rankin (guitar/vocals), Kevin Borich (guitar/vocals)
- 2007 Prior, Adams, Brus, Parrish Muhoberac (guitar/piano/vocals)
[edit] 1980s
Matt Finish began playing regular residencies in clubs and pubs around Sydney every night of the week, often double-gigging on weekends.
They received their first break in November 1979 when station 2JJ broadcast Matt Finish live-to-air from the Civic Hotel in Pitt Street Sydney and continued to broadcast the raw live performances almost every day for a year. Unauthorised bootlegs of these recordings are listed at http://www.innercitysound.com.au/MattFinish.html
In January 1980, bassist Jeff Clayton (who rejoined later in 1980 as guitarist) contracted hepatitis and Rick Grossman (who later joined Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus) replaced him at short notice for a month-long Queensland tour during which Matt drank too much alone one night in Noosa and slashed both his wrists. The next morning, the band recorded at Music Farm Studios near Byron Bay. 2JJ and other independent and community radio stations around Australia broadcast these recordings on high rotation.
Matt Finish recorded their second studio demos during 1980 at ABC Sydney Studio 221 which 2JJ broadcast on high rotation. The songs Indicator and Red Lights became “underground” hits and attendances at live performances increased significantly.
Matt Finish signed to Peter Dawkins' The Giant Recording Company, who on-signed its rights to CBS Australia, and at the end of 1980, the band released their debut double-A-side single, "Matt Finish Plays Africa" with the songs "C.I.A." and "Mancini Shuffle". 2JJ broadcast the songs on high rotation followed by almost every other rock radio station in Australia.
On 18th January 1981, Matt Finish performed at the “Last Double Jay Concert” to 40,000 fans at Parramatta Park and the concert was broadcast live-to-air.
Matt Finish's first album Short Note was released in February 1981. The newly established Triple J national FM radio network played songs from Short Note on high-rotation, followed by almost every other radio station in Australia.
In July 1980, Matt Finish recorded a live EP Fade Away at PACT Theatre in the old Corn Exchange building in Sussex Street Sydney. Finally, as a result of Moffitt’s declining health, the band split up at the end of the year.
A year passed before Moffitt, Prior and Clayton reformed in 1983, joined later in the year by Bertie Dorset. The new line-up recommenced touring and, in November, released the EP Matt Finish. This was followed in 1984 by the album Word of Mouth.
In September 1984, Matt Finish performed 15 shows on U2's "Under Australian Skies Tour" including five sold-out shows at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.
In November 1984, Moffitt and Prior recorded 16 song demos at ATA Studios in Glebe and secured Moffitt's solo recording deal with CBS Records Australia. The band again disbanded in 1985 as Moffitt, Prior and Moffitt's manager Chris Plimmer travelled to London and Belgium to record Moffitt's first solo album "By As Little As A Look" with UK producer Nicky Graham and session musicians Pete Glennister, Felix Krish, Simon Climie and Rob Fisher.
"Miss This Tonight", the first single from "By As Little As A Look", reached #17 on the Australian charts. The song was played extensively on FM rock stations in Australia and is still heard occasionally on the Triple M network. The CD was available at one time in Japan but is now very rare.
In 1989, Prior produced recordings in New York with Moffitt, but these were never released.
[edit] 1990s
During 1990 and 1991, Moffitt and Prior reformed Matt Finish with former Eurogliders members Guy Le Claire (guitar), Lindsay Jehan (bass) and New Yorker Jennifer Barrett (guitar). The tour was managed and promoted by Prior. After their most successful tour to date, including 50 sold-out performances around Australia, the band split again.
Moffitt released a limited edition solo acoustic CD EP, "Euroka", in April 1992.
In June 1992, Matt Finish released "One Day at a Time", the first Matt Finish single produced in eight years.
The line-up changed once again, and in 1993 the band, comprising Moffitt, Paul Dawkins (keyboards), Rohan Cannon (guitar), Bobby Christian (bass) and Adrian Cannon (drums) recorded Matt Finish’s third album, By Heart, produced by Peter Dawkins and released the EP Earthbound. The following year the band released the singles “Blue” and “Will I Ever Know?" recorded with Eliot Reynolds and Justin Leaf. Moffitt, Reynolds and Dawkins co-wrote many new tracks but the band split yet again.
[edit] 2000s
In 2001, Matt Moffitt and Rick Grossman formed the band Fire Hand Ember, with Joseph Calderazzo (guitar/bv) and Wayne Gretch (drums). FHE performed about 20 times, sometimes under the names "Matt Finish" and "Matt Moffitt".
In August 2003, Matt Moffitt died suddenly in his sleep, aged 46. His funeral, on what would have been his 47th birthday, was attended by members of Midnight Oil, Cold Chisel, The Angels (Australian band), Swanee and Hoodoo Gurus. [2]The number-plate of Matt's hearse was MF-47.
In 2006, Prior and Clayton reformed Matt Finish with Luke Dixon (vocals/guitar) and Matt Cornell (vocals/bass) for the “Matt Moffitt Memorial Tour” and Rick Grossman joined them one night at The Basement.
In April 2007, Prior, David Adams (vocals/guitar) and Harry Brus (bass/vocals) embarked on a 50-show Australian tour joined by various guests including Steve Edmonds (guitar/vocals), Kevin Borich (guitar/vocals), Tim Gaze (guitar), Eliot Reynolds (guitar), Russ Nelson (guitar/vocals), Barry Leef (vocals/guitar), Al Slavik (bass/vocals), Les Rankin (guitar/vocals), Seven Hawkes (guitar/vocals), Tom Ruki (bass/vocals) and Guy Le Claire.
In December 2007, Parrish Muhoberac (guitar/piano/vocals) joined Matt Finish and they finished a new album at Prior's Unity Gain Studios Erskineville on Christmas Eve.
In January 2008, Matt Finish released "1978 - 2008", a freshly recorded retrospective album with three previously unreleased songs, "Dream Away", "Cold Wars" and "River".
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- 1981 Short Note
- 1984 Word of Mouth
- 1993 By Heart
- 2001 Just a Short Note (The Best of)
- 2008 1978 - 2008
[edit] EPs
- 1981 "Fade Away"
- 1983 "Matt Finish"
- 1993 "Earthbound"
[edit] Singles
- 1980 "Matt Finish Play Africa": "CIA" / "Mancini Shuffle"
- 1981 "Short Note" / "Layman's Day"
- 1984 "Words and Wars" / "Still Roads (I Need It)" / "Come on Over"
- 1984 "Always Another" / "Forecast"
- 1992 "One Day at a Time" / "Augustine"
- 1993 "Blue" / "Layman's Day" / "Camden Town"
- 1994 "Will I Ever Know" / "Short Note" / "In My Dreams"
- 2006 "Don't Fade Away 2006"
[edit] References
- ^ 3XY Music Survey, 27 March 1981
- ^ Wild one with a dark angel's voice - www.smh.com.au
