Stevie Plunder

Stevie Plunder
Stevie Plunder c. 1994
Background information
Birth name	Anthony Hayes
Born	July/August 1963 Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Died	26 January 1996 (1996-01-27) (aged 32) Wentworth Falls, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Pop, rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1982–1996
Labels	Phantom, Black Yak
Associated acts	Go Set Go, The Plunderers, Hippy Dribble, Captain Denim, The Whitlams

Stevie Plunder, born as Anthony Hayes (July/August 1963 – 26 January 1996), was an Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of the groups, The Plunderers (1984–92) and The Whitlams (1992–96).

Stevie Plunder was born as Anthony Hayes in Canberra on 16 August 1963 and grew up in the suburb of Narrabundah. His brothers are Bernie, Pat and Justin Hayes (aka Justin Credible, Stanley Claret). Plunder left school at 15: he played in bands from his late teens, providing guitar and vocals. He was in a folk-pop group, Get Set Go, with Nic Dalton and a pair of sisters, Suzie and Jenny Higgie. In May 1984 Plunder, on lead guitar and vocals, and Dalton (originally as Nic Name on bass guitar and vocals) formed a power pop group, The Plunderers. The group issued three albums, No Era Is Safe (1986), Half a Cow (1986), and Banana Smoothie Honey (1992). Aside from performing Plunder wrote or co-wrote 23 tracks for the group. Plunder also played with other acts such as The Shout Brothers (aka The Shouties), No Concept and Hippy Dribble. The Plunderers disbanded by 1992, Plunder joined New Christs on guitar from January to the end of that year.

On 26 January (Australia Day) 1992 while outside Hordern Pavilion where United States grunge group, Nirvana, were playing during the first Big Day Out, Plunder caught up with Tim Freedman (ex-Itchy Feet, Penguins on Safari). Back in 1987 the pair had first met when Plunder was hired to support Freedman's earlier group. They discussed forming a band and at the end of 1992 they formed The Whitlams as a pop group with Plunder on vocals and guitar; Freedman on vocals and keyboard; and Andy Lewis (aka Andy Pillage) on double bass and bass guitar (ex-The Plunderers). The group developed their material acoustically on Saturday afternoons at Sandringham Hotel, Newtown. In October 1993 they released their debut album, Introducing the Whitlams.