THE MOODISTS

The Moodists were an Australian post-punk band that formed in 1980, when Dave Graney, Clare Moore and Steve Miller of punk group The Sputniks moved from Adelaide to Melbourne. They added bass player Chris Walsh. After recording two singles ''Where The Trees Walk Downhill / I Should Have Been Here'' and ''Gone Dead / Chad's Car'' and a six-track mini album 'Engine Shudder' for Bruce Milne and Greta Moon's Au Go Go label in Melbourne they relocated to London. This was at the behest of the Red Flame label who had released a compilation of their Australian releases. Mick Turner (ex-Sick Things, Fungus Brains) joined the band. They then recorded the albums 'Thirsty's Calling' (1984) and 'Double Life' (1985). The band supported Public Image Limited on their 1984 tour of Australia, along with punk band Box of Fish.

They returned to Australia in 1985 for six months (Turner quit and reconvened his earlier group Fungus Brains; he would later form Dirty Three) and then travelled again to the UK. During this time they toured extensively through Northern Europe and also made a short tour of the United States. In 1985 they recorded an EP 'Justice And Money Too' for Creation Records. In 1986 they released two EPs on the TIM label, 'Take The Red Carpet Out Of Town' and 'The Moodists EP'. All their recorded works from the time they first decamped to the northern hemisphere were produced by the band and Victor Van Vugt (who went on to work with Nick Cave, Beth Orton and PJ Harvey as well as many others).

Their final gig was in London and the lineup by this time featured Dave Graney, Clare Moore and Steve Miller as well as former members of Scottish band Orange Juice: David McClymont on bass and Malcolm Ross on guitar. (Malcolm Ross was later to play with Graney and Moore as part of the original Coral Snakes). After they disbanded in 1987, Dave Graney and Clare Moore formed the first of Graney's solo groups Dave Graney with the Coral Snakes. 

In 2003 a retrospective CD 'Two Fisted Art (1980 - 1986)' was released on the W.Minc label (run by guitarist Steve Miller) and the band reformed for a limited number of live performances in Melbourne. In 2004 a DVD of a performance recorded for British television in 1984 was released by Umbrella Entertainment. The band were asked for any contributions, and they reconvened for a filmed interview for the disc as well as providing footage from Mick Harvey's private archives and also film of another, more raw performance at The Haçienda in Manchester.

Members

Dave Graney (vocals), Steve Miller (guitar), Clare Moore (drums), Chris Walsh (bass), Mick Turner (guitar), Malcolm Ross (guitar), David McClymont (bass)

SINGLES
''Where The Trees Walk Downhill / I Should Have Been Here'' 1981 Au-go-go 
''Gone Dead / Chad's Car'' 1982 Au-go-go 
''Enough Legs To Live On / Can't Lose Her'' 1984 Virgin
''Runaway / Chevrolet Rise'' 1984 Virgin
''Enough Legs To Live On / Can't Lose Her'' 1984 Virgin

ALBUMS
'Engine Shudder' 1983 Au Go Go
'Thirsty's Calling' 1984 Virgin

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moodists