Beargarden (band)
| Beargarden | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Melbourne, Australia |
| Genres | New wave |
| Years active | 1982–1986 |
| Labels | Virgin |
| Associated acts | The Ears Models Max Q Third Eye Fact |
| Website | Facebook page |
| Past members |
Sam Sejavka Shane Andalou Simon Polinski Carl Manuell Gus Till Ross Farnell Shaun Anderson |
Beargarden was a new wave band from Melbourne, Australia which, though well regarded critically, failed to achieve widespread success. It evolved directly from the post-punk group 'The Ears' which disbanded in 1981 and reformed under the new name with Ross Farnell replacing Cathy McQuade on bass. The other members were Sam Sejavka ( vocals) Mick Lewis (guitar), Carl Manuell (drums) and Gus Till (keyboards). Lewis was replaced later that year by Shane Andalou.
Not long after Beargarden began performing live, manager/publisher Chris Murphy developed an interest in the band, having seen them at the Crystal Ballroom, playing in support of INXS who he managed at the time. INXS members Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss also saw potential in Beargarden and expressed interest in producing a studio recording.
INXS invited the band to support them on an eleven show tour through Sydney and Chris Murphy signed them to his publishing company MMA. With a building industry vibe, the band also secured prominent support slots with Cold Chisel, Divinyls, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes and others. In February 1982, encouraged by Murphy, Beargarden signed a recording contract with RCA.
Several months afterwards, riddled with internal strife, Beargarden disbanded. Sejavka occupied himself with a brief-lived band that did not see the outside of a rehearsal room, and wrote the play Planetarium, which was produced soon after. Keyboardist Gus Till joined the Models for a number of Australian tours.
Around the beginning of 1983, urged by Till and again encouraged by Chris Murphy, Beargarden reformed. Ex-Models tour-manager Chris Melios became manager and the band signed with booking agency Nucleus. The band's music moved further towards the pop standard of the day, abandoning the last chaotic influences of their precursors 'The Ears'.
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