Paul Kelly's bands and members
Paul Kelly and his band, Raleigh NC, September 2017
Paul Kelly and his band, Raleigh NC, September 2017
Background information
Genresacoustic, folk, Australian rock
Years active1974–current
LabelsMushroom
A&M
EMI
Capitol
MembersPaul Kelly
Dan Kelly
Bree Van Reyk
Zoe Hauptmann
J. Walker

Paul Kelly is an Australian rock musician. He started his career in 1974 in Hobart, Tasmania and has performed as a solo artist, in bands as a member or has led bands named after himself.[1] Some backing bands recorded their own material under alternate names, Professor Ratbaggy and Stardust Five, with Kelly as an individual member. As of September 2017, Paul Kelly's current band members are Cameron Bruce on keyboards and piano, Vika and Linda Bull on backing vocals and lead vocals, his nephew Dan Kelly on lead guitar and backing vocals, Peter Luscombe on drums and Bill McDonald on bass guitar.

Current members

Paul Kelly

Active: 1974–present
Instruments: vocals, rhythm guitar, electric guitar, piano, keyboards, harmonica[2]
Short bio: Paul Kelly performed solo from 1974–1976, he joined the Debutantes in Melbourne in 1976 and then became a member of The High Rise Bombers.[1]
Release contributions: Entire Paul Kelly discography[1][2]

Dan Kelly

Active: 2002–08; 2012–14, 2017–present
Instruments: guitar, backing vocals[2]
Short bio: Dan Kelly is the second oldest of six children, the nephew of Paul Kelly. He grew up in Queensland and learnt the guitar at thirteen, studying Environmental Science at University, in Brisbane, in 1990. He formed his first band, Nord, and moved to Melbourne in 1996, where in 2000 he started playing solo shows, under the name Dank Alley, not wanting to trade on his famous uncle's name. In 2003 he released his first solo EP, Man O Mercy. The next year he formed a new band, Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males, with Gareth Liddiard (The Drones), Christian Strybosch (The Drones) and Tom Carlyon (The Devastations), with Liddiard and Carlyon travelling to Europe with their respective other projects Aaron Cupples, Dan Luscombe and Lewis Boyes joined the Alpha Males in 2005. In 2007, he disbanded the Alpha Males to allow the individual members to focus on other projects; and left the Paul Kelly band in 2008 to work on his solo material and collaborations with the Ukeladies. Dan returned to playing in Paul's live band in 2012, following the release of Spring and Fall.[3] During 2015 and 2016 Dan had left Paul's band to record and then promote his solo album, Leisure Panic! (October 2015). He returned after Life Is Fine (August 2017) to rejoin Paul's touring band.
Release contributions:

J. Walker

Active: 2012–present
Instruments: guitars
Short bio: Greg Walker, aka J. Walker is an Australian multi-instrumentalist and producer, best known for his work under the moniker Machine Translations. He has also worked as a screen composer, sound engineer and arranger. Some of the artists and clients Walker has worked with include Baz Luhrmann, C.W. Stoneking, Clare Bowditch, The Whitlams and Angie Hart. Walker worked with Paul Kelly on his nineteenth studio album, Spring and Fall.[3] He served as a producer and also contributed upright bass guitar, dobro, violin and harmonica to the album. He then joined Paul's live band as a guitarist.
Release contributions:

Zoe Hauptmann

Active: 2012–13
Instruments: bass guitar, acoustic bass, vocals
Short bio: Zoe Hauptmann is an Australian upright and acoustic Bassist and also the Artistic Director for The Sydney Improvised Music Association SIMA

She has toured with the artists including Missy Higgins, Neil Finn, Katie Noonan, Tim Rogers (musician), Bill Chambers, Justine Clarke, All Our Exes Live in Texas, Lanie Lane, Lisa Mitchell and Wendy Mathews. Hauptmann first toured with Kelly during his national tour with Neil Finn in 2012.[3]

Bree Van Reyk

Active: 2013
Instruments: drums
Short bio: Bree Van Reyk is an Australian drummer, percussionist, vocalist and songwriter. She is best known for her work with Holly Throsby. She has also performed live with Youth Group and Seeker Lover Keeper, where she also co-wrote their song "Rely on Me." Other artists Van Reyk has performed with include Darren Hanlon, Toby Martin, Grand Salvo and Butterfly Boucher. Van Reyk began touring with Paul Kelly in 2013.[3]

Former bands/members

High Rise Bombers (1977–1978)

Members arranged chronologically:[4][5]

Paul Kelly and the Dots (1978–1982)

Members arranged chronologically:[2][6][7]

Paul Kelly Band (1983–1984)

Members arranged chronologically:[2][7][8]

Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls/Messengers (1985–1991)

After relocating from Melbourne to Sydney in 1985, Paul Kelly recorded and released a solo album, Post.[1][2] Kelly then began to play and record with a full-time band, which included Michael Armiger on bass guitar, Michael Barclay on drums, Steve Connolly on guitar, eventually bassist Jon Schofield, and keyboardist Peter Bull joined.[2] Through a joke based on Lou Reed's song "Walk on the Wild Side", the band became known as Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls.[1][9] The line-up of the Coloured Girls changed rapidly with some stability late in 1985 as Barclay, Bull, Connolly and Schofield.[1][2] In September 1986 Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls released their debut album, Gossip.[2] When released in North America and Europe by A&M Records in July 1987,[2] the band changed its name, for international releases, to Paul Kelly and the Messengers due to possible racist connotations.[1][9] Subsequent releases were under the name Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls for Australasia and Paul Kelly and the Messengers for international releases until 1989's So Much Water So Close to Home when all releases were by Paul Kelly and the Messengers until disbanding in 1991.[1]

Members arranged chronologically:[2][7][10]

Paul Kelly's Band (1995–1997)

Members arranged chronologically:[2][7]

Professor Ratbaggy (1999–2002)

Members arranged alphabetically:[11]

Paul Kelly and the Boon Companions (2002–present)

Members arranged alphabetically:[2]

Paul Kelly and the Stormwater Boys (2005)

Members arranged alphabetically:[7]

Stardust Five (2005–2006)

Members arranged alphabetically:[12]

Paul Kelly band (2007–2012)

Members arranged alphabetically:

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Paul Kelly'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-768-2. Archived from the original on 30 September 2004. Retrieved 31 October 2008.((cite book)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Paul Kelly". Australian Rock Database. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d "Spring and Fall Australian Tour". 6 June 2013. Archived from the original on 10 June 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  4. ^ Spencer et al, (2007) High Rise Bombers[permanent dead link] entry. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
  5. ^ "High Rise Bombers". Australian Rock Database. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  6. ^ Spencer et al, (2007) Kelly, Paul and the Dots[permanent dead link] entry. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Albums by Paul Kelly". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
  8. ^ Spencer et al, (2007) Kelly, Paul Band[permanent dead link] entry. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
  9. ^ a b Jenkins, Jeff; Ian Meldrum (2007). Molly Meldrum presents 50 years of rock in Australia. Melbourne, Vic.: Wilkinson Publishing. ISBN 978-1-921332-11-1. Retrieved 17 August 2008.
  10. ^ Spencer et al, (2007) Kelly, Paul and the Coloured Girls[permanent dead link] entry. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
  11. ^ Holmgren, Magnus. "Professor Ratbaggy". Australian Rock Database. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  12. ^ Holmgren, Magnus. "Stardust Five". Australian Rock Database. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
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