Hugo Race

Hugo Race
Hugo Race performing in Zielona Góra, Poland, May 2006
Background information
Birth name	Hugo Justin Race
Born	1963 (age 53–54) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genres	Alternative rock, blues rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer-songwriter, producer, screenwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Normal, Pandemonium, Roadshow/PolyGram, Glitterhouse, Spooky, Darla, Rampant
Associated acts	Dum Dum Fit, Plays with Marionettes, Nick Cave: Man or Myth?, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, The Wreckery, Hugo Race & the True Spirit, Hugo Race & The Fatalists, Transfargo, Dirt Music
Website	hugorace.com.au

Hugo Justin Race (born 1963) is an Australian rock musician and record producer who had been based in Europe from 1989 to 2011. He was a member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (1983–85), and The Wreckery (1984–89) with Nick Barker and Robin Casinader. As from October 2013 he was simultaneously a member of Hugo Race and the True Spirit, Hugo Race Fatalists, and Dirtmusic. True Spirit have released 12 albums. Race returned to live Australia in 2011.

Hugo Justin Race was born in the early 1960s in Melbourne and grew up in an Anglo-Irish family. His father listened to musical theatre and classical music, his mother played piano, he has brothers and a sister. In 1978 he formed Dum Dum Fit as the lead vocalist and guitarist with Robin Casinader on keyboards. Two years later Race and Casinader formed Plays with Marionettes which also included Edward Clayton-Jones on guitar, organ, and vocals (ex-The Fabulous Marquises) and Nick Seymour on bass guitar.

Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described their sound as "aggravating style of jazzy no-wave noise", although they developed a local following on the "inner-city/Crystal Ballroom circuit". In 1982 they issued a shared single with their track, "Witchen Kopf", backed by a track from the group, People with Chairs up Their Noses. Another track, "Hellbelly", appeared on a various artists album, This Is Hot, in 1984. It was co-written by Race and Casinader, however by February 1984 the band had separated.

Late in 1983 Race on guitar joined Nick Cave on lead vocals (ex-The Birthday Party) in his new band, Nick Cave: Man or Myth?. By mid-1984 Cave's backing band were renamed The Bad Seeds and had issued their debut album, From Her to Eternity. The title track was co-written by Race and Cave with band mates Barry Adamson, Blixa Bargeld, Mick Harvey, and Anita Lane. The group toured the United States, United Kingdom and the rest of Europe, during the European leg Clayton-Jones joined The Bad Seeds temporarily replacing Bargeld.