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Hunters & Collectors are an Australian rock band from
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, formed in 1981. Fronted by founding member, singer-songwriter and guitarist
Mark Seymour Mark Jeremy Seymour (born 26 July 1956) is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. He was the frontman and songwriter of rock band Hunters & Collectors from 1981 until 1998. Seymour has carved a solo career, releasing his debut solo alb ...
, the band's other mainstays are John Archer on bass guitar and Doug Falconer on drums and percussion. Soon after forming they were joined by Jack Howard on trumpet and keyboards, Jeremy Smith on French horn, guitars and keyboards, and Michael Waters on trombone and keyboards. Also acknowledged as a founder was audio engineer and art designer Robert Miles. Joining in 1988, Barry Palmer, on lead guitar, remained until they disbanded in 1998. The group reformed in 2013 with the 1998 line-up. Originally influenced by
krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock that developed in Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It originated among artists who blended elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electron ...
and the productions of
Conny Plank Konrad "Conny" Plank (3 May 1940 – 5 December 1987) was a German record producer and musician. He is known for his innovative work as a sound engineer and producer in Germany's krautrock and kosmische music scene in the 1970s. Plank was involv ...
, Hunters & Collectors' early music featured abrasive percussion, noisy guitar, and driving bass lines, producing a tribal
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...
sound exemplified by their debut single, "
Talking to a Stranger ''Talking to a Stranger'' (1966) is a British television drama, written by John Hopkins for the BBC, which consists of four separate plays recounting the events of one weekend from the viewpoints of four members of the same family. The play cyc ...
" (1982). The band recruited Plank to produce two of their early albums, ''
The Fireman's Curse ''The Fireman's Curse'' is the second studio album by Australian rock band Hunters & Collectors, which was released on 5 September 1983. It was co-produced by Konrad Plank and the band in Neunkirchen, Germany. The album peaked at No. 77 o ...
'' (1983) and '' The Jaws of Life'' (1984), though neither charted in the Top 50 of the Australian
Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music historian David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July 19 ...
Albums Chart. A turning point came with ''
Human Frailty ''Human Frailty'' is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band Hunters & Collectors, which was released on 7 April 1986. It was a commercial and critical success. The album peaked at No. 10 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums ...
'' (1986), their first Top 10 album, which marked a shift toward a more polished, anthemic
pub rock Pub rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the early to mid-1970s in the United Kingdom. A back-to-basics movement, which incorporated roots rock, pub rock was a reaction against the expensively-recorded and produced progressive rock ...
sound. This evolution continued with later charting releases, including '' Ghost Nation'' (1989), ''
Cut Cut or CUT may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** ...
'' (1992), and ''
Demon Flower ''Demon Flower'' is the eighth studio album by Australian rock band, Hunters & Collectors and was released on 16 May 1994. It was co-produced by the band with Nick Mainsbridge, reaching No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified Gold ...
'' (1994). Among their best-charting singles were "
Throw Your Arms Around Me "Throw Your Arms Around Me" is a song by Australian rock band Hunters & Collectors first released as a single in November 1984 by White Label for Mushroom Records. A re-recorded version of the song later appeared on the band's 1986 album ''Human ...
" (1984), " Say Goodbye" (1986), " When the River Runs Dry" (1989), " True Tears of Joy" (1992), and "
Holy Grail The Holy Grail (, , , ) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miraculous healing powers, sometimes providing eternal youth or sustenanc ...
" (1993). They became one of the most popular live acts in Australia. Musicologist
Ian McFarlane Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the ''Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017. As a journalist ...
noted that their "great achievement was to lay bare human emotions in the intensely ritualistic milieu of the pub-rock gig".


History


1978–1980: Formation

Hunters & Collectors' founding mainstays are John Archer (bass guitar), Doug Falconer (drums) and
Mark Seymour Mark Jeremy Seymour (born 26 July 1956) is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. He was the frontman and songwriter of rock band Hunters & Collectors from 1981 until 1998. Seymour has carved a solo career, releasing his debut solo alb ...
(guitar and lead vocals). They met as residential students of
Ormond College Ormond College is the largest of the residential colleges of the University of Melbourne located in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is home to around 350 undergraduates, 90 graduates and 35 professorial and academic residents. H ...
at the
University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...
in the late 1970s. Seymour is the older brother of
Nick Seymour Nicholas More Seymour (born 9 December 1958) is an Australian musician and record producer. He is the founding bass guitarist and a mainstay of the rock group Crowded House, and is the younger brother of Mark Seymour, singer-songwriter-guitaris ...
, the bass guitarist for
Crowded House Crowded House are an Australian-New Zealand rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Paul Hester (drums), who were both for ...
. In 1978 with Robert Miles (
sound engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a sound recording, recording or a Concert, live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization (audio), equalization, Dynamic range ...
) Archer, Falconer and Seymour formed a casual band, The Schnorts (named after a Belgian tennis racket). They played cover versions of 1960s songs, including "
To Sir, with Love ''To Sir, with Love'' is a 1967 British drama film that deals with social and racial issues in a secondary school in the East End of London. It stars Sidney Poitier and features Christian Roberts, Judy Geeson, Suzy Kendall, Patricia Routle ...
". Their lead singer, Margot O'Neill, was a journalist on radio
3RRR 3RRR (pronounced "Three Triple R", or simply "Triple R") is an Australian community radio station, based in Melbourne. 3RRR first commenced broadcasting in 1976 from the studios of 3ST, the student radio station of the Royal Melbourne Instit ...
program, ''Talking Headlines''. A more ambitious band, The Jetsonnes, followed in September 1979, with the addition of Ray Tosti-Gueira on guitar and backing vocals. According to music journalist,
Clinton Walker Clinton Walker is an Australian writer, best known for his works on popular music. He wrote the books ''Highway to Hell'' (1994; a biography of Bon Scott), '' Buried Country'' (2000), ''History is Made at Night'' (2012), and others. He has als ...
, The Jetsonnes had a "clever post-punk pop sound" which "was lighter, bouncier (rather than funkier) and more infectious than other like-minded bands". Their only released track is "Newspaper" which was one side of a gig give away split single in June 1980 with "Miniskirts in Moscow" by fellow pop group, International Exiles, as the other. By September that year The Jetsonnes had disbanded but Archer, Falconer, Miles, Seymour and Tosti-Gueira decided to continue with new members, Geoff Crosby on keyboards and Greg Perano (ex-True Wheels) on percussion to form a new band.


1981–1983: ''World of Stone'' to ''The Fireman's Curse''

Hunters & Collectors formed in Melbourne in early 1981 with the initial line-up of Archer, Crosby, Falconer, Miles, Perano, Seymour and Tosti-Gueira. Miles was credited as an equal part of the band's output and stayed throughout their main career. Perano provided the band's name from "Hunters and Collectors", a track on 1975's '' Landed'' album by German group Can. Australian musicologist,
Ian McFarlane Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the ''Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017. As a journalist ...
, compared the new band with The Jetsonnes and found it to be "a far more radical and unremitting concept". Hunters & Collectors played live for the first time on 15 May 1981 at the Crystal Ballroom in St Kilda, as part of a medical fundraiser for American musician
Snakefinger Philip Charles Lithman (17 June 1949 – 1 July 1987), who performed under the stage name Snakefinger, was an English musician, singer and songwriter. A multi-instrumentalist, he was best known for his guitar and violin work and his collab ...
. Originally Hunters & Collectors were influenced by the
Krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock that developed in Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It originated among artists who blended elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electron ...
genre and the productions of
Conny Plank Konrad "Conny" Plank (3 May 1940 – 5 December 1987) was a German record producer and musician. He is known for his innovative work as a sound engineer and producer in Germany's krautrock and kosmische music scene in the 1970s. Plank was involv ...
, featuring strong percussive influences, noisy guitar, and driving bass lines. As lead singer and guitarist, Seymour became the principal lyricist and the linchpin of the group. The core of Hunters & Collectors was expanded by a
horn section A horn section is a group of musicians playing horns. In an orchestra or concert band, it refers to the musicians who play the "French" horn, and in a British-style brass band it is the tenor horn players. In many popular music genres, the term ...
, later dubbed Horns of Contempt, consisting of Nigel Crocker and Michael Waters both on
trombone The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...
; Jack Howard, Andy Lynn and Chris Malherbe each on trumpet; and Jeremy Smith on
French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most o ...
.
Mushroom Records Mushroom Records was an Australian flagship record label, founded in 1972 in Melbourne. It published and distributed many successful Australian artists and expanded internationally, until it was merged with Festival Records in 1998. Festival ...
specifically formed a new
alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (Kamen Rider), Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * Alternative comics, or independent comics are an altern ...
label, White Label Records, when they signed Hunters & Collectors. Their first release was '' World of Stone'', a three-track 12" extended play in January 1982. It reached the top 50 on the Australian
Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music historian David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July 19 ...
Singles Chart. Their debut self-titled album followed in July and was produced by the band and engineered by Sydney-based
Tony Cohen Anthony Lawrence Cohen (4 June 19572 August 2017) was an Australian music record producer and sound engineer. He worked with Nick Cave's groups the Birthday Party, and then the Bad Seeds from 1979 to 2001. In mid-1986 he followed Cave to Lond ...
. It peaked at No. 21 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart, and No. 14 on the
New Zealand Albums Chart The Official Aotearoa Music Charts, formerly the Official New Zealand Music Chart (), is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Mu ...
. The album's lead single, "
Talking to a Stranger ''Talking to a Stranger'' (1966) is a British television drama, written by John Hopkins for the BBC, which consists of four separate plays recounting the events of one weekend from the viewpoints of four members of the same family. The play cyc ...
", also released in July, was accompanied by a music video directed by film maker
Richard Lowenstein Richard Lowenstein (born 1 March 1959) is an Australian Filmmaking, filmmaker. He has written, produced and directed feature films such as ''Strikebound'' (1984), ''Dogs in Space'' (1986) and ''He Died with a Felafel in His Hand (film), He Died ...
, but it did not enter the Top 50. By that time, Tosti-Gueira was replaced by Martin Lubran (ex-Spiny Norman) on guitar and the Horns of Contempt were reduced to three: Howard, Smith and Waters. Another EP, ''
Payload Payload is the object or the entity that is being carried by an aircraft or launch vehicle. Sometimes payload also refers to the carrying capacity of an aircraft or launch vehicle, usually measured in terms of weight. Depending on the nature of t ...
'', was released in November, its four tracks were co-produced by
Mike Howlett Michael John Gilmour Howlett (born 27 April 1950) is a bass guitar player, record producer and teacher based in the United Kingdom and Australia. Career In the late 1960s, Howlett was the bassist in Sydney pop band the Affair, which included ...
(ex-
Gong A gongFrom Indonesian language, Indonesian and ; ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ; ; ; ; is a percussion instrument originating from Southeast Asia, and used widely in Southeast Asian and East Asian musical traditions. Gongs are made of metal and ...
) and the band. The EP peaked at No. 31 on the New Zealand Singles Chart. Lowenstein also directed the music video for the lead single, "Lumps of Lead", but it did not chart in Australia or New Zealand. In 1983 the band toured the United Kingdom for six months and signed with
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...
. The label recompiled three tracks from the Australian version of ''Hunters & Collectors'' and all four tracks from ''Payload'' into the international version of ''Hunters & Collectors'', which was released in April. While in the UK and attempting to enter the local market, the group's members "were doing odd jobs, illegally, to keep afloat and getting steadily more miserable in the process". By mid-year the band had decamped to Conny's Studio in Germany, where they recorded their second album, ''
The Fireman's Curse ''The Fireman's Curse'' is the second studio album by Australian rock band Hunters & Collectors, which was released on 5 September 1983. It was co-produced by Konrad Plank and the band in Neunkirchen, Germany. The album peaked at No. 77 o ...
'', co-produced by Plank (Can,
Cluster may refer to: Science and technology Astronomy * Cluster (spacecraft), constellation of four European Space Agency spacecraft * Cluster II (spacecraft), a European Space Agency mission to study the magnetosphere * Asteroid cluster, a small ...
,
Kraftwerk Kraftwerk (, ) is a Germany, German Electronic music, electronic band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk was among the first successful a ...
), with Dave Hutchins engineering, and released by White Label and Virgin Records on 5 September 1983. McFarlane felt it was "overly ambitious and cluttered, and generally suffered from a lack of fresh ideas". The album did not reach the top 50 in Australia but did so in New Zealand. A three-record deal with Virgin was broken when band members insulted the label's executive, Simon Draper, by telling him that he was "a poncy little blueblood" with no faith in them. Its lead single, "Judas Sheep" (August), reached the top 40 in New Zealand but did not chart in Australia. After November's single, "Sway", failed to chart in both markets, they disbanded briefly.


1984–1986: ''The Jaws of Life'' to ''Human Frailty''

Late in 1983, Hunters & Collectors had briefly disbanded, but soon reformed without Lubran and Perano. Seymour explained to ''
The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in 1 ...
'' Neil Lade why the group had reconvened " ehave something valuable to offer the Australian music scene". The 1984 line-up now featured greater use of keyboards by Crosby, as well as more emphasis on work by Howard, Smith and Waters. The band began to pare back the
art rock Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an ar ...
elements of their earliest albums, although they retained a muscular, bass-driven sound, rounded off by the band's distinctive horn section. Seymour's lyrics became less abstruse and focused on the twin themes of the fraught personal relationships and the politics of the day. The first album featuring the new line up was '' The Jaws of Life'' which appeared on 6 August 1984. McFarlane described it as having "a stripped-down rock sound, a driving rhythm, more concise arrangements and stronger songs". While
Toby Creswell Toby Creswell (born 21 May 1955) is an Australian music journalist and pop-culture writer. He was editor of ''Rolling Stone'' (Australia) and a founding editor of ''Juice''. In 1986, he co-wrote, his first book, ''Too Much Ain't Enough'' a bio ...
writing for ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' felt its "aesthetic push ranged from the barrenness and isolation of outback Australia to the beer-swilling machismo of the suburbs". The album reached the top 100 in Australia and top 40 in New Zealand. Again co-produced with Plank, it was recorded at the old Can studio by
René Tinner René Lee Tinner (born February 18, 1953, in St. Gallen) is a Swiss recording engineer and producer who has produced over 200 studio records and numerous live performances. Career Tinner began his career as the audio engineer of the noted G ...
. The title, cover art and opening track, "42 Wheels", all refer to the murder of five people by an intoxicated, outback trucker, Douglas Crabbe. ''The Jaws of Life'' provided a single, "The Slab" (also in August), which did not chart. However relentless touring, airplay on radio station
Triple J Triple J is an Australian government-funded national radio station founded in 1975 as a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It aims to appeal to young listeners of alternative music, and plays far more Australian conten ...
plus their music videos screening on ''
Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...
'' and other music video shows, fostered a devoted following on the
pub rock Pub rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the early to mid-1970s in the United Kingdom. A back-to-basics movement, which incorporated roots rock, pub rock was a reaction against the expensively-recorded and produced progressive rock ...
scene. In November they issued the first version of "
Throw Your Arms Around Me "Throw Your Arms Around Me" is a song by Australian rock band Hunters & Collectors first released as a single in November 1984 by White Label for Mushroom Records. A re-recorded version of the song later appeared on the band's 1986 album ''Human ...
" as a single-only, it had no chart success in Australia but reached No. 28 in New Zealand in the following March. On 24 and 25 August 1984 Hunters & Collectors performed two gigs at The Venue in Melbourne, the performances were recorded and filmed. For the gigs Smith and Waters also played organs. The band issued their first live album, ''The Way to Go Out'', on 1 April 1985, which was recorded and mixed live by Miles. A month later the group released their first video album, on
VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...
, of the same name, which also included three previously aired music videos, "Talking to a Stranger", "Lumps of Lead", and "Judas Sheep". The live album reached the top 100 in Australia and No. 21 in New Zealand. It "captured all the ferocious power and muscular energy that characterised the band's pub gigs" according to McFarlane. A live version of "Throw Your Arms Around Me" also appeared on the album and VHS. Crosby left after ''The Way to Go Out'' was released and Waters took over on keyboards. Greater Australian commercial success came in April 1986, with their fourth studio album, ''
Human Frailty ''Human Frailty'' is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band Hunters & Collectors, which was released on 7 April 1986. It was a commercial and critical success. The album peaked at No. 10 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums ...
'', which McFarlane found was "a further refinement of the sinewy and dynamic approach established" previously. It was co-produced by the group with Gavin MacKillop. Australian music journalist,
Ed Nimmervoll Edward Charles Nimmervoll Eduard Nimmervoll (21 September 194710 October 2014) was an Australian music journalist, author and historian. He worked on rock and pop magazines ''Go-Set'' (1966–1974) and ''Juke Magazine'' (1975–92) both as ...
, noted "Seymour's themes of alienation and sexual politics came to the fore" with the album. It became their first Australian Top Ten album and reached No. 5 in New Zealand. In 2008 ''Human Frailty'', was featured by SBS TV on the ''Great Australian Albums'' second series. Creswell presented the series and noted that "the album documents, in the most candid terms, the course of a doomed love affair that eymourwas then going through. A parallel narrative is also running through the album, which is of a group adjusting to life on the road and an exploration of what it means to be Australian in the 1980s". " Say Goodbye", the lead single, was issued ahead of the album in February and peaked at No. 24 in Australia and No. 20 in New Zealand. The single's back cover art includes their logo, a H & C symbol, where the "&" is stylised with twin snakes entwined around a
hunting knife A hunting knife is a knife used during hunting for preparing the game to be used as food: skinning the animal and cutting up the meat. It is different from the hunting dagger which was traditionally used to kill wild game. Some hunting knives ...
, a variation of a
caduceus The caduceus (☤; ; , ) is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology and consequently by Hermes Trismegistus in Greco-Egyptian mythology. The same staff was borne by other heralds like Iris (mythology), Iris, the messenger of Hera. The s ...
. Nimmervoll described how the group "had discovered how to tap the unique vein they had unearthed; where, in a sweat-dripping venue packed to the rafters with a beer swilling macho rock fans the audience would and could at the top of their voices unselfconsciously sing along to a chorus like 'you don't make me feel like a woman any more'". The chorus appears in "Say Goodbye" and Pollyanna Sutton of ''
The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in 1 ...
'' felt that Seymour had written "a line which he could sing in a pub with a lot of vulgarity that would get both guys and girls singing". A third version of "Throw Your Arms Around Me" was recorded for the album and was issued as its second single, which peaked at No. 49 in Australia in May 1986. Eventually it became one of their most popular songs, voted in the Top 5 on the Triple J
Hottest 100 The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music poll presented by the publicly-funded Australian youth radio station Triple J. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite Music of Australia, Australian and alternative music of th ...
for 1989, 1990, and 1991. Two further singles from ''Human Frailty'' were released, "
Everything's on Fire "Everything's on Fire" was the third single from Australian pub rockers, Hunters & Collectors' fourth studio album, ''Human Frailty''. It was released after the album on 18 August 1986 in both 7" and 12" formats. It peaked in the top 100 o ...
" (August 1986) and "Is There Anybody in There?" (October), both reached the top 50 in New Zealand but not in Australia. The band had signed a parallel deal with
I.R.S. Records I.R.S. Records was a major American record label founded by Miles Copeland III and Jay Boberg in 1979. I.R.S. produced some of the most popular bands of the 1980s, and was particularly known for issuing records by college rock, new wave and a ...
for North America, which released the album there in July 1987.


1987–1991: ''Living Daylight'' to ''Collected Works''

After ''Human Frailty'' appeared in Australia Hunters & Collectors toured the US twice and then released their third EP, '' Living Daylight''. It was co-produced with Greg Edward and released in Australia in April 1987. McFarlane felt it was "something of a stop-gap measure". The three-track EP appeared on the Australian Top 50 Singles Chart and reached No. 25 in New Zealand. It was followed by their fifth studio album, '' What's a Few Men?'', also co-produced with Edward and released in November. It peaked at No. 16 in Australia and No. 9 in New Zealand. The album provided the singles "Do You See What I See" (October) and "Still Hangin' Round" (February 1988). "Do You See What I See" reached the top 40 in Australia and in New Zealand it became their highest charting single at No. 13. "Still Hangin' Round" was deemed to be too "Australian": it was cut from the US configuration of the album, which was retitled ''Fate'', and released in September 1988. Three new tracks were recorded for the US CD version, including "Back on the Breadline", which was issued as a single and charted at No. 6 on the ''Billboard''
Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks between 1988 and 2009, and Alternative Songs between 2009 and 2020) is a music chart published in the American magazine ''Billboard'' since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...
. In August 2003 a re-issue of ''What's a Few Men?'' by the Liberation Blue label featured all 15 tracks from the two versions. Early in 1988 Barry Palmer (also a member of Harem Scarem, ex-
Stephen Cummings Stephen Donald Cummings (born 13 September 1954) is an Australian rock singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of Melbourne-based rock band the Sports from 1976 to 1981, followed by a solo career which has met with critical acclaim but h ...
Band) joined the group on guitar. '' Ghost Nation'', co-produced with Clive Martin and released in November 1989, was their second Australian Top Ten, it appeared on the
ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
. In New Zealand it reached the top 30 and also charted in Sweden reaching No. 31 on the
Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan (, lit. "the Sweden top list") is the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from IFPI Sverige. It was formerly known as Topplistan (1975–1997) and Hitlistan (1998–2007) and has been known by its current name si ...
. McFarlane enthused " twas perhaps the band's finest album to date". However
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
's Mike DeGagne declared that it was "one of this Australian band's weakest attempts, tsuffers greatly from bland lyrics and gray instrumental work through the entirety of the album". It provided four singles, beginning with " When the River Runs Dry", appearing in September and peaking at No. 23 in Australia in December and No. 5 on ''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks in 1990. Hunters & Collectors supported
Midnight Oil Midnight Oil (known informally as "The Oils") are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard) and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by H ...
's North American tour of 1990 and, although the band struggled to find further chart success in the US, they maintained their status in Australia and New Zealand as local favourites. During that year ''Rolling Stone'' (Australia) named them Australian Band of the Year. Contemporary singer-songwriter, Paul Kelly, recalled that by the late 1980s the band "were peaking in the pubs, gathering an army ...
he group He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter call ...
had a big, fat industrial bass sound, an anthemic horn section, and their singlet-clad singer eymour as fit as a trout, held nothing back". At the
ARIA Music Awards of 1990 The Fourth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) was held on 26 March 1990 at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre in Sydney. Australian host Glenn Shorrock of ...
the group were nominated in six categories and ''Ghost Nation'' won Best Cover Art for Miles' work. A compilation album, '' Collected Works'', was released on 19 November 1990, and was another Top Ten album in Australia. It contained a fourth version of "Throw Your Arms Around Me" which was released as a single for a third time by December that year. It peaked at No. 34 in Australia – the highest position of all three versions. Another single, "Where Do You Go", which was co-produced by
Nick Sansano Nick Sansano (born 1963 in The Bronx, New York City) is an American record producer, engineer, and musician. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, he began his career at Greene St. Recording, where he recorded and mixed for a variety of ground-b ...
and issued in late 1991, also reached the Top 40.


1992–1998: ''Cut'' to ''Under One Roof''

On 6 October 1992 Hunters & Collectors released their seventh studio album, ''
Cut Cut or CUT may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** ...
'', co-produced by
Don Gehman Don Gehman is an American record producer, engineer, and executive, best known for his work with John Mellencamp and Hootie & the Blowfish. AllMusic calls him one of "the most successful producers of the 1980s and 1990s." As a sound engineer, he ...
(
Jimmy Barnes James Dixon Barnes ( Swan; born 28 April 1956) is an Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best-selling Australian music a ...
), Sansano and the band. Although relationships were strained due to Gehman's aggressive working methods, the band almost broke up during recording sessions, ''Cut'' peaked at No. 6 in Australia and No. 17 in New Zealand. It retained a balance between the band's artistic core and its commercial ambitions. The album provided six singles, all charted on the ARIA Singles Chart Top 100. The fourth one, "True Tears of Joy" from January 1993, peaked at No. 14 in Australia to become their highest charting single. It was followed by the anthemic single, "
Holy Grail The Holy Grail (, , , ) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miraculous healing powers, sometimes providing eternal youth or sustenanc ...
". Seymour wrote the track, with Smith, after he had read a novel by
Jeanette Winterson Jeanette Winterson (born 27 August 1959) is an English author. Her first book, '' Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit'', was a semi-autobiographical novel about a lesbian growing up in an English Pentecostal community. Other novels explore gender ...
, ''The Passion'' (1987), detailing
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
's march to Russia in 1812. Seymour's lyrics also reflect the band's own flagging attempts to "crack" the American market and their recent "internal tension" while recording ''Cut''. "I wanted to write a song to serve up this idea that regardless of what happens you've got to stay true to the quest". The song is often heard in context with the
Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition ...
(AFL), and was Channel 10's theme song for their AFL TV coverage from 2002 to 2006, it was sung by Seymour at the 2002 AFL Grand Final, although he doesn't follow the game. ''
Demon Flower ''Demon Flower'' is the eighth studio album by Australian rock band, Hunters & Collectors and was released on 16 May 1994. It was co-produced by the band with Nick Mainsbridge, reaching No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified Gold ...
'', their eighth studio album, followed on 16 May 1994, which was co-produced with Nick Mainsbridge (
The Triffids The Triffids were an Australian alternative rock and pop band, formed in Perth in Western Australia in May 1978 with David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist.McFarlane (1999). Encyclopedia entry fo"The Triff ...
,
Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, lying just south of Cape Cod. It is known for being a popular, affluent summer colony, and includes the smaller peninsula Chappaquiddick Isla ...
,
Ratcat Ratcat are an Australian indie rock band from Sydney who formed in 1985. The band is fronted by mainstay vocalist and guitarist, Simon Day. Their combination of indie pop song writing and energetic Punk rock, punk-style guitar rock won them fan ...
). McFarlane noticed that it "featured a stronger emphasis on guitars". It peaked at No. 2 in Australia – their highest charting album – and No. 9 in New Zealand. ''Demon Flower'' provided "Easy", which reached the top 40 in both countries, and three other singles, which did not chart. ''Demon Flower'' was dominated by themes relating to the politics in the state of
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
, particularly the economic rationalist policies of Premier
Jeff Kennett Jeffrey Gibb Kennett (born 2 March 1948) is an Australian former politician who served as the 43rd Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999, Leader of the Victorian Liberal Party from 1982 to 1989 and from 1991 to 1999, and the Member for ...
. A double live album, ''Living ... In Large Rooms and Lounges'', was released in November 1995, with one disc consisting of an acoustic set at the now-defunct Continental Cafe in
Prahran Prahran ( , also colloquially or ), is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Stonnington local government area. Prahran recorded a population ...
, and the other was a typical pub performance. ''
Juggernaut A juggernaut (), in current English usage, is a literal or metaphorical force regarded as merciless, destructive, and unstoppable. This English usage originates in the mid-nineteenth century. ''Juggernaut'' is the early rendering in English ...
'', their ninth studio album, was co-produced with
Kalju Tonuma Kalju Tonuma is an Australian music producer, songwriter, drummer and performer of Estonian descent. He is one half of the production team MEJU (pronounced "me-you") which he founded with Megan Bernard in 2014. He also manages record label Of ...
(
The Mavis's The Mavis's are an Australian rock band formed in Ballarat, Victoria, in 1987. Founding mainstays are Becky Thomas (a.k.a. Beki Thomas, Beki Colada) on vocals and keyboards, her brother Matt Thomas on guitar and vocals, and Andrea Vendy on dru ...
,
Boom Crash Opera Boom Crash Opera are an Australian pop rock band formed in late 1984. Initially based around the songwriting partnership of Richard Pleasance and Peter Farnan, the band was later joined by Dale Ryder (vocals), Peter 'Maz' Maslen (drums) and Greg ...
) and
Mark Opitz Mark Opitz (born 1952) is an Australian record producer and audio engineer. He started his career with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1971. He has produced AC/DC, the Angels, Australian Crawl, Cold Chisel, Divinyls and INXS. He h ...
(
Hoodoo Gurus Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1981 by Dave Faulkner (songwriter, lead singer and guitarist) and later joined by Richard Grossman (bass), Mark Kingsmill (drums), and Brad Shepherd (guitar, vocals, harmonica). Th ...
, Jimmy Barnes,
INXS INXS (a phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian rock band, formed as the Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney. The founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboardist Andrew Farriss, drummer Jon Farriss, gu ...
). The album was recorded in 1997 and released in January 1998, and featured the single "True Believers". With its release, Hunters & Collectors announced that they would disband after the Juggernaut Say Goodbye tour. Hunters & Collectors embarked on their final tour of Australia in 1998, with a concert performed at Selina's, Coogee Bay Hotel, Sydney being recorded and released on CD and DVD as '' Under One Roof''. The group's last public show was on 22 March 1998 in Melbourne. According to rock historian, Ian McFarlane, their "great achievement was to lay bare human emotions in the intensely ritualistic milieu of the pub-rock gig". In March 2009 Seymour told Patrick Donovan of ''
The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'' "It was a pretty serious decision to retire, and all the guys in the band are heavyweight professionals in their respective areas of employment. Obviously we have to put ourselves first. There's just no momentum in the idea (of reforming)".


1999–current: Post-breakup

After leaving Hunters & Collectors Tosti-Gueira was in Soldiers of Fortune. Lubran has worked for numerous artists including Permanent Press, The Dying People, Apocalypse, Connection, Great Temptation, Red=Yellow=Blue, The Index, The Possum Hunters, The Slaughtermen (1989), Mercy Mercy,
Dave Graney Dave Graney is an Australian rock musician, singer-songwriter and author. Since 1978, Graney has collaborated with drummer-multi instrumentalist Clare Moore. The pair have fronted or been involved with numerous bands including The Moodists (19 ...
and The White Buffalos (1989–90), The Trailblazers, Truckasaurus (1993), and George Huxley's International Velvet. Perano has been a member of Pierre's World, Swell Maps, Big Choir, Love Rodeo (1984–85), The Deadly Hume (1985–88), Funkicide, and
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...
Band (1990). Back in August 1995, while still a member of Hunters & Collectors, Palmer formed a side project, Deadstar, with Peter Jones (of Crowded House) on drums and percussion; and
Caroline Kennedy Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (born November 27, 1957) is an American author, diplomat, and attorney who served as the List of ambassadors of the United States to Australia, United States ambassador to Australia from 2022 to 2024. She previously serv ...
on lead vocals and guitar. In 1996 Seymour undertook a solo tour and, with Palmer producing, he started recording his debut solo album, '' King Without a Clue'', which was issued in October 1997. Deadstar members Palmer, Jones, and Kennedy had been joined by Seymour's brother, Nick in November 1996; all were used on Seymour's album. Subsequent to Hunters & Collector's disbandment in 1998, Seymour and Howard have each pursued solo musical careers. After Deadstar disbanded in 2001 Palmer became a producer-songwriter and was the subject of a 2005 reality TV series, ''The Hit Game''. "Throw Your Arms Around Me" has been covered by many artists including Crowded House,
Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...
,
Luka Bloom Luka Bloom (born Kevin Barry Moore; 23 May 1955) is an Irish folk singer-songwriter. He is the younger brother of folk singer Christy Moore. Early life Kevin Barry Moore was born on 23 May 1955 in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. His p ...
, and the
Doug Anthony All Stars The Doug Anthony All Stars (or Doug Anthony Allstars, DAAS, D.A.A.S. or stylised as D⋆A†A☭S) were an Australian musical comedy group who initially performed together between 1984 and 1994. The group were an acoustic trio, originally compr ...
(and subsequently by member
Paul McDermott Paul Anthony Michael McDermott (born 13 May 1962) is an Australian entertainer, best known both for '' Good News Week'' and for his role as a member of the musical comedy group the Doug Anthony All Stars. He has frequently appeared at the Mel ...
). In May 2001 it was recognised by the
Australasian Performing Right Association APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwri ...
(APRA) as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time. In 2009 the track was listed at No. 23 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of All Time. On 14 July 2005 Hunters & Collectors were inducted into the
ARIA Hall of Fame Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has inducted artists into its annual ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone ceremo ...
at the Plaza Ballroom alongside
Split Enz Split Enz were a New Zealand band formed in 1972. Regarded as the first New Zealand band to gain significant recognition outside of Australasia, they were initially noted for their progressive rock, progressive/art rock sound, flamboyant visua ...
,
Renée Geyer Renée Rebecca Geyer (11 September 195317 January 2023) was an Australian singer who was an acclaimed jazz, soul and R&B musician.* 1st edition nline * 2nd edition rint She released 15 studio albums with '' Moving Along'' (1977) and ...
,
Normie Rowe Norman John Rowe (born 1 February 1947) is an Australian singer and songwriter. He rose to national prominence in the mid-1960s as a pop star and teen idol, backed by The Playboys. His 1965 double A-side " Que Sera Sera"/" Shakin' All Over" w ...
,
Smoky Dawson Smoky Dawson (19 March 191313 February 2008), born as Herbert Henry Brown, was an Australian singer-songwriter and musician, who performed western and folk music with a tinge of country, he was a radio and television presenter and entertainer. ...
, and
The Easybeats The Easybeats were an Australian Rock music, rock band which formed in Sydney in late 1964. They are best known for their 1966 hit single "Friday on My Mind", which is regarded as the first Australian rock song to achieve international success ...
. They were inducted into the Hall of Fame by
Peter Garrett Peter Robert Garrett (born 16 April 1953) is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and former politician. In 1973, Garrett became the lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil. As a performer he is known for his sign ...
, former lead singer of tour mates, Midnight Oil, At the ceremony Hunters & Collectors provided a one-off performance of "Say Goodbye" and "Throw Your Arms Around Me". In 2008 Seymour published his memoirs, ''Thirteen Tonne Theory: Life Inside Hunters and Collectors'', detailing his experiences with the group. He described the difficulty in writing tracks for the band with all members involved, "the thing that ultimately made things more difficult was the sheer size of the band". In his autobiography ''Small Moments of Glory'' (Brolga Publishing, 2020), Jack Howard wrote, "In 2008, a special and wonderfully-packaged box set, in the form of a cabinet of architectural drawers, of all our recordings had been released". Titled ''Horn of Plenty'' (
Liberation Records Liberation Records is an American record company based in the Los Angeles area known for do it yourself ethos and pioneering guerrilla marketing strategies. It was formed by then 16-year-old underground rock music fanzine publisher David Taba in ...
), the box set included 14 CDs and 2 DVDs; Noel Mengel of ''The News'' described it as the "best box set" of the year. Hunters & Collectors played at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as the 'G, is a sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, the Lis ...
on 14 March 2009 for
Sound Relief Sound Relief was a multi-venue rock music concert held on 14 March 2009, which was announced by the Premier of Victoria, John Brumby on 24 February 2009. The event was organised by Michael Gudinski, Michael Chugg, Amanda Pelman, Joe Segreto & ...
, which was a multi-venue rock music concert in support of victims of the Victorian Bushfire Crisis. The event was held simultaneously with a concert at the
Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in the Moore Park, New South Wales, Moore Park suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australi ...
. All the proceeds from the Melbourne Concert went to the
Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
Victorian Bushfire relief. Appearing with Hunters & Collectors in Melbourne were,
Augie March Augie March are an Australian Pop music, pop and indie rock band formed in 1996 in Shepparton, Victoria. Since 2001 the group consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Glenn Richards, lead guitarist Adam Donovan, bass guitarist Edmondo Ammen ...
, Bliss N Eso with Paris Wells,
Gabriella Cilmi Gabriella Lucia Cilmi ( ; ; born 10 October 1991) is an Australian pop singer and songwriter. A contralto, Cilmi is known for her distinctive raspy singing voice. Her debut album, '' Lessons to Be Learned'', was released in March 2008, becomin ...
,
Kasey Chambers Kasey Chambers (born 4 June 1976) is an Australian country music, Australian country singer-songwriter and musician born in Mount Gambier, South Australia, Mount Gambier to musicians Diane and Bill Chambers (musician), Bill Chambers. Her older ...
& Shane Nicholson with
Troy Cassar-Daley Troy Cassar-Daley (born 18 May 1969) is an Australian country music songwriter and entertainer. Cassar-Daley has released thirteen studio albums, two live albums and five compilation albums over 30 years, including the platinum-selling '' The ...
, Jack Johnson, Jet,
Kings of Leon Kings of Leon is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, in 1999. The band includes brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill and their cousin Matthew Followill. The band's early music was a blend of Southern roc ...
,
Liam Finn Liam Mullane Finn (born 24 September 1983) is a New Zealand singer and musician. Born in Melbourne, Australia, he moved to New Zealand as a child. He is the son of musicians Sharon (Johnson) and Neil Finn. In 2020, he joined his father's band ...
(joined on stage with Crowded House), Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly, Split Enz and
Wolfmother Wolfmother is an Australian hard rock band from Sydney. Formed in 2004, the group is centred around vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, who is the only constant member of the line-up. The band has been through many personnel changes since t ...
. Seymour expressed the group's motivation "This event is not about Hunters & Collectors ... It's about contributing to the groundswell of generosity that has emerged in the community after the cataclysm that's been inflicted on people simply because of where they live. It's a very big Australian story and it's got a cultural dimension. It's a huge honour to be part of it". Hunters & Collectors performed a selection of their most popular songs over a 40-minute set, including an encore performance of "The Slab". The Sound Relief concert, including the Hunters & Collectors set, was broadcast on Australian cable TV and FM radio, which was released on DVD. A tribute album, ''Crucible – The Songs of Hunters & Collectors'', was released in September 2013, including contributions by
Birds of Tokyo Birds of Tokyo are an Australian alternative rock band from Perth. Their debut album, ''Day One (Birds of Tokyo album), Day One'', gained them domestic success, reaching number three on the AIR Charts, AIR Independent Album charts and spendin ...
,
Eddie Vedder Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist, primary lyricist, and one of three guitarists for the rock band Pearl Jam. He was previously a gues ...
and
Neil Finn Neil Mullane Finn (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known for being a principal member of Split Enz and for being the lead singer of Crowded House. He was also a member of Fleetwood Mac from 2018 ...
(of Crowded House),
Cloud Control Cloud Control is an Australian alternative rock band, originating from the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia. For the majority of their initial run, the band was signed to the Australian record label Ivy League Records, on which they relea ...
,
Something for Kate Something for Kate are an Australian alternative rock band, which formed in 1994 with Paul Dempsey on lead vocals and guitar, and Clint Hyndman on drums. They were joined in 1998 by Stephanie Ashworth on bass guitar and backing vocals. The gro ...
, and
The Rubens The Rubens are an Australian alternative rock band from Menangle, New South Wales. The band comprises the three Margin brothers, Izaac, Sam and Elliott, Scott Baldwin and William Zeglis. Their debut self-titled album ''The Rubens (album), The ...
, as well as a remix of the original "Talking to a Stranger" by
The Avalanches The Avalanches are an Australian electronic music group formed in Melbourne in 1997. They have released three studio albums, ''Since I Left You'' (2000), ''Wildflower (The Avalanches album), Wildflower'' (2016), and ''We Will Always Love You'' ...
. The band reunited in their 1998 line-up of Archer, Falconer, Howard, Palmer, Seymour, Smith and Waters, at the
2013 AFL Grand Final The 2013 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between Hawthorn Football Club and Fremantle Football Club at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 28 September 2013. It concluded the 118th season of the Australian Football Le ...
playing "Do You See What I See" and "The Holy Grail". They headlined a series of A Day on the Green outdoor concerts in early 2014, and supported
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
and the E Street Band during their tour of Australia on 15 and 16 February 2014 at
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium The Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, currently known as AAMI Park for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct in the suburb of East Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victor ...
. Paul Busch of ToneDeaf website caught their gig on 4 April at the
Enmore Theatre The Enmore Theatre is a theatre and entertainment venue in Enmore, New South Wales, Australia. It was built in 1908. It is located at 118–132 Enmore Road in Newtown, in the inner west of Sydney's suburbs. It was first opened in 1912 as a ph ...
in Sydney: "Seymour was in fine vocal form and the sound, although a bit too loud to start with, settled down ... The joy could also be seen in the energy of the band". On 12 April 2014 they performed their last concert for the reunion series at the
Palais Theatre The Palais Theatre, formerly known as Palais Pictures, is a historic Movie Palace, picture palace located in St Kilda, Victoria, St Kilda, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. With a capacity of nearly 3,000 ...
in St. Kilda. The band subsequently won the 2014
Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical theatre ...
for Best Australian Contemporary Concert. In November 2017, ''Cut'', the band's 7th album was given a 25th anniversary release with a bonus disc of "offcuts", "precuts" and "postcuts". The band was scheduled to reunite again to headline the Red Hot Summer Tour across Australia in early 2020, accompanied by
James Reyne James Michael Nugent Reyne Order of Australia, OAM (born 19 May 1957) is an Australian musician. He achieved fame as the lead singer of Australian Crawl, and subsequently went on to a successful solo career. Biography Early years Reyne was born ...
,
The Living End The Living End is an Australian punk rock band from Melbourne, formed in 1994. Since 2002, the line-up consists of Chris Cheney (vocals, guitar), Scott Owen (double bass, vocals), and Andy Strachan (drums). The band rose to fame in 1997 after ...
, The Angels,
Baby Animals Baby Animals is an Australian hard rock band active from October 1989 to 1996 and reformed in 2007. The original line-up was Frank Celenza on drums; Suze DeMarchi on lead vocals and guitar; Dave Leslie on guitar and backing vocals; and Eddie ...
,
Killing Heidi Killing Heidi are an Australian rock band, formed in Violet Town, Victoria in 1996, initially as a folk-pop duo by siblings Ella and Jesse Hooper. The band has released three studio albums: '' Reflector'' (March 2000), which reached No.&nb ...
and
Boom Crash Opera Boom Crash Opera are an Australian pop rock band formed in late 1984. Initially based around the songwriting partnership of Richard Pleasance and Peter Farnan, the band was later joined by Dale Ryder (vocals), Peter 'Maz' Maslen (drums) and Greg ...
. But the tour was eventually cancelled in the wake of
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
and the subsequent pandemic.


Awards and nominations


ARIA Music Awards

The
ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of
Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions o ...
. They commenced in 1987. Hunters & Collectors were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005. , - , rowspan="4" ,
1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...
, rowspan="2" , ''Human Frailty'' , Album of the Year , , - , Best Group , , - , "Say Goodbye" , Single of the Year , , - , "Everything's on Fire" (Tony Leitch and Andrew de Groot) , Best Video , , - ,
1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...
, themselves , Best Group , , - , rowspan="7" ,
1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
, rowspan="3" , ''Ghost Nation'' , Album of the Year , , - , Best Group , , - , Best Cover Art , , - , rowspan="3" , " When The River Runs Dry" , Single of the Year , , - , Song of the Year , , - , Best Video , , - , Clive Martin & Hunters & Collectors for ''Ghost Nation'' ,
Producer of the Year The Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical is an honor presented to record producers for quality non-classical music at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in ...
, , - , rowspan="4" ,
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
, rowspan="2" , "Throw Your Arms Around Me" , Best Group , , - , Single of the Year , , - , "Turn a Blind Eye" , Song of the Year , , - , ''Collected Works'' , Best Cover Art , , - ,
1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
, "Where Do You Go?" , Best Group , , - ,
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
, ''Cut'' , Album of the Year , , - ,
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, themselves ,
ARIA Hall of Fame Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has inducted artists into its annual ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone ceremo ...
,


Countdown Australian Music Awards

''
Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...
'' was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974 to 1987, it presented music awards from 1979 to 1987, initially in conjunction with magazine ''
TV Week ''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news. Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...
''. The TV Week / Countdown Awards were a combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards. , - , rowspan="2" , 1982 , ''Hunters & Collectors'' , Best Debut Album , , - , "Talking to a Stranger" , Best Debut Single , , - , 1986 , ''Human Frailty'' , Best Album , , -


Helpmann Awards

The
Helpmann Awards The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical theatre ...
is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group ''Live Performance Australia'' since 2001. Note: 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. ! , - ,
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
, Hunters & Collectors , Best Australian Contemporary Concert , , , -


Personnel

Listed chronologically: ;Current members *
Mark Seymour Mark Jeremy Seymour (born 26 July 1956) is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. He was the frontman and songwriter of rock band Hunters & Collectors from 1981 until 1998. Seymour has carved a solo career, releasing his debut solo alb ...
– lead vocals, guitar (1981–1998, 2009, 2013–present) *Jack Howard – trumpet, keyboards, backing vocals (1981–1998, 2009, 2013–present) *Michael Waters – trombone, keyboards (1981–1998, 2009, 2013–present) * Jeremy Smith – French horn, guitars, keyboards, programming, backing vocals (1981–1998, 2009, 2013–present) *Doug Falconer – drums, percussion, programming, backing vocals (1981–1998, 2009, 2013–present) *John Archer – bass, backing vocals (1981–1998, 2009, 2013–present) * Barry Palmer – guitar (1988–1998, 2009, 2013–present) ;Additional personnel *Robert Miles – live mixing, engineering, art direction, graphic design (1981–1998, 2009, 2013–present) ;Former members *Nigel Crocker – trombone (1981–82) *Geoff Crosby – keyboards (1981–1985) *Andy Lynn – trumpet (1981–1982) *Chris Malherbe – trumpet (1981–1982) *Greg Perano – percussion (1981–1983) *Ray Tosti-Gueira – guitar, backing vocals (1981–1982) *Martin Lubran – guitar (1982–1983)


Timeline


Discography

* ''
Hunters & Collectors Hunters & Collectors are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, formed in 1981. Fronted by founding member, singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Seymour, the band's other mainstays are John Archer on bass guitar and Doug Falconer on drums an ...
'' (1982) * ''
The Fireman's Curse ''The Fireman's Curse'' is the second studio album by Australian rock band Hunters & Collectors, which was released on 5 September 1983. It was co-produced by Konrad Plank and the band in Neunkirchen, Germany. The album peaked at No. 77 o ...
'' (1983) * '' The Jaws of Life'' (1984) * ''
Human Frailty ''Human Frailty'' is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band Hunters & Collectors, which was released on 7 April 1986. It was a commercial and critical success. The album peaked at No. 10 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums ...
'' (1986) * '' What's a Few Men?'' (1987) * '' Ghost Nation'' (1989) * ''
Cut Cut or CUT may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** ...
'' (1992) * ''
Demon Flower ''Demon Flower'' is the eighth studio album by Australian rock band, Hunters & Collectors and was released on 16 May 1994. It was co-produced by the band with Nick Mainsbridge, reaching No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified Gold ...
'' (1994) * ''
Juggernaut A juggernaut (), in current English usage, is a literal or metaphorical force regarded as merciless, destructive, and unstoppable. This English usage originates in the mid-nineteenth century. ''Juggernaut'' is the early rendering in English ...
'' (1998)


See also


Further reading

*


References


External links

*
Hunters & Collectors discography
at ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''
Official Jack Howard website

Official Mark Seymour website

Interview with Jeremy Smith on 3RRR FM

2014 Helpmann Award Winners
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hunters and Collectors APRA Award winners ARIA Award winners ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Musical groups disestablished in 1998 Musical groups established in 1981 Australian new wave musical groups Musical groups from Melbourne Australian pub rock musical groups Mushroom Records artists Epic Records artists Virgin Records artists I.R.S. Records artists A&M Records artists