David Liam McCormack (born 25 October 1968) is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, and actor. He is best known as the frontman of the
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
-based rock group
Custard
Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on sweetened milk, cheese, or cream cooked with egg or egg yolk to thicken it, and sometimes also flour, corn starch, or gelatin. Depending on the recipe, custard may vary in consistency f ...
[McFarlan]
'Custard'
entry. Retrieved 23 February 2010.[Spencer et al, (2007]
McCormack, David
entry. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
and for voicing the character
Bandit Heeler in the animated children's series ''
Bluey''.
Career
1986-1989: Early groups
McCormack grew up in the west Brisbane suburb of
Kenmore, Queensland, and attended
Ipswich Grammar School
, motto_translation = Work and Honour
, address = Darling Street
, city = Ipswich
, state = Queensland
, postcode = 4305
, country = Australia
, coordinates =
, type = Independent, single-sex, day & ...
. He started his musical career as a vocalist and guitarist in Brisbane
blues hip hop rock outfit, Who's Gerald?, in 1986, which included school teachers Paul Medew on bass guitar and Glen Donald on keyboards, they recruited Cathy Atthow on drums.
[Spencer et al, (2007]
WHOS GERALD
entry. Retrieved 23 February 2010. They released a
cassette
Cassette may refer to:
Technology
* Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback
** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in th ...
, ''Who's Gerald's Greatest Hits'' in the same year on their own Gerald Corp Records. In March 1988 they released a single, "Wrestle Wrestle" and had the track, "Pins and Needles" on that year's ''Youngblood''
compilation
Compilation may refer to:
*In computer programming, the translation of source code into object code by a compiler
**Compilation error
**Compilation unit
*Product bundling, a marketing strategy used to sell multiple products
*Compilation thesis
M ...
.
Atthow, McCormack and Medew briefly formed Automatic Graphic in 1988 with Scott Younger.
[Spencer et al, (2007]
AUTOMATIC GRAPHIC
entry. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
1989–2000, 2009–present: Custard
In 1989, McCormack and Medew formed Custard Gun with Shane Brunn (later in Hugbubble, Vanlustbader) on drums and James Straker (later in Melniks).
[Spencer et al, (2007]
CUSTARD GUN
entry. Retrieved 23 February 2010. After a number of performances, Straker left in early 1990, the band was renamed as Custard, and Straker was replaced at year's end by Matthew Strong on guitar.
Custard existed for about a decade, with a number of different drummers including Gavin Herrenberg, Danny Plant, John Lowry and
Glenn Thompson (later of
The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens were an Australian indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1977. The band was co-founded and led by singer-songwriters and guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, who were its only constant members throughout ...
). The band released five studio albums in the 1990s: ''Buttercup/Bedford'', ''
Wahooti Fandango
''Wahooti Fandango'' is the second album by Australian band Custard. It was released in 1994 and peaked at number 89 on the ARIA Charts in June 1995.
Title
McCormack said, "Wahooti is just a slang term for marijuana… Fandango… we had a poste ...
'', ''
Wisenheimer
''Wisenheimer'' is the third studio album by the Australian band Custard. It was released November 6th 1995 and peaked at number 55 in September 1996. The album contains the song "Apartment" which reached #7 in the third Hottest 100.
Recording
...
'', ''
We Have the Technology'' and ''
Loverama
''Loverama'' is the fifth studio album by the Australian band Custard. It was released in June 1999 and peaked at number 19 on the ARIA Charts; the band's highest charting album.
''Loverama'' was the band's final release for 16 years, until 2015 ...
'', a number of EPs and singles and a greatest hits compilation entitled ''
Goodbye Cruel World''.
[Spencer et al, (2007]
CUSTARD
entry. Retrieved 23 February 2010. A DVD video clip compilation called ''The Spaces by the Side of the Road – A Digital History of Custard'' was released in 2007.
Custard reformed for a concert on 10 December 2009, as part of the Queensland Proclamation Day, 150th Anniversary Celebrations.
Custard released a new album in November 2015, entitled ''
Come Back, All Is Forgiven
''Come Back, All is Forgiven'' is the sixth album by Australian band Custard, and their first new material in 16 years. It was released on 6 November 2015 through ABC Music on CD, vinyl, and digital. The album features the classic line-up of Dav ...
'', which was followed by 2017's ''
The Common Touch
''The Common Touch'' is a 1941 British drama film directed by John Baxter and starring Geoffrey Hibbert, Harry Welchman, Greta Gynt, and Joyce Howard. The film is a remake by the director of his 1933 film '' Doss House''.
Pianist Mark Hambou ...
''.
The single 'Funky Again' was released in March 2020, ahead of the band's eighth studio album ''
Respect All Lifeforms
''Respect All Lifeforms'' is the eighth studio album by Australian alternative rock band Custard, released on 22 May 2020 by ABC Music.
The album was preceded by the release of the single "Funky Again", which was accompanied by a video directed ...
''.
Other 1990s bands
McCormack was moonlighting in other bands during the 1990s, which formed in and around Custard's practice rooms. The Cows from 1993 (later styled as COW or C.O.W. – for Country or Western) had Thompson and Robert Moore on bass guitar;
[Spencer et al, (2007]
COWS, THE
entry. Retrieved 23 February 2010. as well as Maureen Hansen on vocals, Susie Hansen on vocals and Mark Lowry (twin brother of John Lowry) on bass guitar by 1995.
[Spencer et al, (2007]
COW/ C.O.W (Country or Western)
entry. Retrieved 23 February 2010. COW released ''Beard'' in June 1996.
McCormack, Moore and Thompson recorded with
Robert Forster
Robert Wallace Forster Jr. (July 13, 1941 – October 11, 2019) was an American actor, known for his roles as John Cassellis in '' Medium Cool'' (1969), Captain Dan Holland in '' The Black Hole'' (1979), Abdul Rafai in '' The Delta Force'' (198 ...
(ex-
The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens were an Australian indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1977. The band was co-founded and led by singer-songwriters and guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, who were its only constant members throughout ...
) for his second solo album, ''
Calling from a Country Phone
''Calling from a Country Phone'' is the second album by former Go-Between Robert Forster, and his first self-produced disc. Drummer Glenn Thompson would later join Forster and Grant McLennan in a reformed Go-Betweens years later. The album also ...
'', released in 1993 and toured with Forster as Silver Backwash.
Frank 'n' Stein from 1995 had Moore and McCormack join with his brother Dylan McCormack (ex-Biro) and Ian Wadley.
[Spencer et al, (2007]
FRANK ?N? STEIN)
entry. Retrieved 23 February 2010. Miami, also from 1995, had Maureen Hansen (also in COW and McCormack's then girlfriend), Nick Naughton on drums and Medew.
[Spencer et al, (2007]
MIAMI)
entry. Retrieved 23 February 2010. Miami released two CDs: ''Costume of Sand'' (March 1997) and ''Feel the Seed'' (1998). Computor was another collaboration between McCormack and Moore,
[Spencer et al, (2007]
COMPUTER
entry. Retrieved 23 February 2010. which was electronic sounding and released a tape called ''Floppy Disk''.
2000-2017: Solo released, The Titanics, and The Polaroids
After the break-up of Custard in 2000, McCormack formed The Titanics with
Emma Tom
Emma A. Jane (born 1969), previously known as Emma Tom, is an Australian professor, author, and journalist.
She once wrote a weekly column for ''The Australian'' newspaper and made regular appearances on Australian television and radio. She rece ...
and Thompson and film-maker,
Tina Havelock Stevens
Tina Havelock Stevensis an Australian multi disciplinary artist known for her drumming, documentaries and video works. She often combines improvised live music performances with striking locations that explore spirituality of place.
Music
Have ...
. The Titanics released ''Size Isn't Everything'' (2000) and ''Love Is The Devil'' (September 2000).
In 2001, McCormack released a solo album of electronic songs ''The Matterhorn''.
In 2002, McCormack recruited a backing band called The Polaroids. Together, they released the albums, ''Candy'' (2002) and ''The Truth About Love'' (2004).
In 2006, McCormack was one of the two weekly 'mystery' guests on the Australian television show
RocKwiz on
SBS One
SBS is a national public television network in Australia. Launched on 24 October 1980, it is the responsibility of SBS's television division, and is available nationally. In 2018, SBS had a 7.7% audience share.
As of 2022, SBS is the lowe ...
.
In November 2006, under the guidance of JJJ, McCormack assembled a band to perform a concert at the
Tivoli
Tivoli may refer to:
* Tivoli, Lazio, a town in Lazio, Italy, known for historic sites; the inspiration for other places named Tivoli
Buildings
* Tivoli (Baltimore, Maryland), a mansion built about 1855
* Tivoli Building (Cheyenne, Wyoming), a ...
in Brisbane as a tribute for the late
Grant McLennan
Grant William McLennan (12 February 19586 May 2006) was an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter-guitarist. He co-founded the Go-Betweens with Robert Forster in Brisbane in 1977. In addition to his work with the Go-Betweens (1977–89, ...
of
The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens were an Australian indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1977. The band was co-founded and led by singer-songwriters and guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, who were its only constant members throughout ...
. Early in 2007, McCormack then went into the studio to produce a tribute album to the band, called ''Write Your Adventures Down''.
In October 2009, McCormack released the album ''Little Murders''.
Since 2009, McCormack has been responsible for many film and television scores including ''
The Tall Man'', ''
Rake
Rake may refer to:
* Rake (stock character), a man habituated to immoral conduct
* Rake (theatre), the artificial slope of a theatre stage
Science and technology
* Rake receiver, a radio receiver
* Rake (geology), the angle between a feature on a ...
'', ''
Redfern Now
''Redfern Now'' is an Australian drama television series, that first aired on ABC1 in 2012. The program follows the lives of 6 Aboriginal Australian families living in the urban hub of Redfern, Sydney. The series provides insight into contemp ...
'', ''
House Husbands
''House Husbands'' is an Australian television comedy drama. The show debuted on the Nine Network on 2 September 2012. Set in Melbourne, ''House Husbands'' stars Firass Dirani, Gyton Grantley, Rhys Muldoon and Gary Sweet as four fathers who sta ...
'', ''
Wild Boys
''Wild Boys'' is an Australian television period drama series that began airing on the Seven Network on 4 September 2011. It is produced by Julie McGauran and Sarah Smith from Southern Star and John Holmes. The series is set in and around t ...
'', and ''Blood Brothers''. Additionally, McCormack has also composed film scores for
Alex Proyas
Alexander Proyas (; Greek: Αλέξανδρος Πρόγιας; born 23 September 1963) is an Australian filmmaker of Greek descent. Proyas is best known for directing the films ''The Crow'' (1994), '' Dark City'' (1998), '' I, Robot'' (2004), ...
's ''
Garage Days
''Garage Days'' is a 2002 Australian comedy-drama film directed by Alex Proyas and written by Proyas, Dave Warner and Michael Udesky. ''Garage Days'' is the story of a young Sydney garage band desperately trying to make it big in the competiti ...
''
in 2002, and for
Daniel Krige
Daniel Krige (born 16 July 1970) is a writer, director and actor. Born in Cape Town, South Africa, he grew up in Australia. Krige began working as a writer at the age of sixteen for Grundy Television.
History
He attended the Australian Film T ...
's ''
West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
'' in 2006.
2018-present: Voice acting ventures
Since 2018, McCormack has starred in the critically acclaimed
ABC Kids Australian
animated television series ''
Bluey'', voicing the titular character's father,
Bandit Heeler. He was initially approached to read what he assumed would be merely "a couple of lines," only to voice the character for the entirety of the pilot. McCormack performs his voice work for the series remotely in
Sydney, and his voice recordings are then sent to the production company in Brisbane. He does not hear any other voice actors or view footage while recording, and does not alter his own voice to produce Bandit's dialogue.
In 2023, he voiced the character Orbo in the
Max
Max or MAX may refer to:
Animals
* Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog
* Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE)
* Max (gorilla) ( ...
American
adult animated
An adult is a human or other animal that has reached Developmental biology, full growth. In human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social and Law, legal concepts. In contrast to a "Minor (law), minor", a legal adult is a p ...
television series ''
Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake''.
Discography
Albums
Filmography
Awards and nominations
ARIA Music Awards
The
ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony held by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replac ...
. They commenced in 1987.
!
, -
,
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school s ...
,
Andrew Lancaster
Andrew Lancaster is an Australian film director.
At the Asia-Pacific Film Festival, he won the "Best Short Film" award in 1993 for ''Palace Cafe'' and the "Best Film Award" in 2002 for ''In Search of Mike''. His 2014 documentary '' The Lost Aviat ...
and David McCormack for "
Girls Like That (Don't Go For Guys Like Us)
"Girls Like That (Don't Go For Guys Like Us)" is the first single from '' Loverama'', the fifth album by Custard. It reached #52 on the Australian ARIA singles chart, and spent 24 weeks in the top 100. N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak ...
" by
Custard
Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on sweetened milk, cheese, or cream cooked with egg or egg yolk to thicken it, and sometimes also flour, corn starch, or gelatin. Depending on the recipe, custard may vary in consistency f ...
,
Best Video
,
,
[ARIA Award previous winners. ]
, -
References
Sources
* Note: Archived
n-linecopy has limited functionality.
* Note:
n-lineversion established a
White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltdin 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition.
External links
David McCormackon
IMDb
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, p ...
Custard's Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCormack, David
1968 births
Living people
APRA Award winners
Australian male singers
Australian male voice actors
Musicians from Brisbane
People educated at Ipswich Grammar School