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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Absent Friends| image =| caption =| image_size =| background = group_or_band| alias = Sean Kelly and His Absent Friends| origin = Sydney, New South Wales , Australia| genre =| years_active = 1989& ndash;1990| label = rooArt | associated_acts = Models (band)|Models Rockmelons INXS Machinations (band)|Machinations GANGgajang Eurogliders The Dukes (Australian band)|The Dukes Peter Blakeley | website =| current_members =| past_members = Sean Kelly (Australian musician)|Sean Kelly James Valentine (journalist)|James Valentine Garry Gary Beers Geoffrey Stapleton Wendy Matthews Michael King John Mackay Ron Francois Absent Friends were an ARIA Award winning band from Sydney , Australia . The band was relatively short lived, forming in 1989 and disbanding in 1990. It featured a number of notable Australian musicians including Sean Kelly (Australian musician)|Sean Kelly ( Models (band)|Models , The Dukes (Australian band)|The Dukes ), James Valentine (journalist)|James Valentine (Models), Garry Gary Beers ( INXS ), Geoffrey Stapleton ( GANGgajang ) and Wendy Matthews .
Biography
Following the break-up of Models (band)|Models in 1988,cite web|url= http://www.abc.net.au/longway/artist_index/models.htm |title=Long Way To The Top: The Models |publisher= Australian Broadcasting Commission |accessdate=2008-11-14| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20081022191216/ http://www.abc.net.au/longway/artist_index/models.htm| archivedate= 22 October 2008 | deadurl= no Sean Kelly (musician)|Sean Kelly attempted to launch a solo career with the single "Thank You, Goodnight" (March 1988)cite book |title= Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop |url= |last=McFarlane |first=Ian |authorlink= Ian McFarlane |publisher= Allen & Unwin |year=1999 |chapter=Encyclopedia entry for 'Absent Friends' |chapterurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20040803090539/www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp? articleid=8 |isbn=1-86448-768-2 |accessdate=2008-11-10 (which happened to be the name of Models’ last tour), but the single was not a commercial success and in early 1989 Kelly found himself at a loose end. Kelly contacted a number of friends, with a view of putting together an informal band to play a few gigs. The impromptu cooperative was initially dubbed Sean Kelly and His Absent Friends. The initial line-up varied, usually dependant upon the availability of individual members at any given time. Sean Kelly and His Absent Friends kicked off life as a touring act in May 1989, with Kelly (vocals/guitar) joined on occasion by his partner Wendy Matthews (vocals)cite web|url= http://www.abc.net.au/talkingheads/txt/s1376908.htm |title=Talking Heads:Wendy Matthews |publisher= Australian Broadcasting Commission|ABC TV |date=2005-05-30|accessdate=2008-11-13(who performed backing vocals for Models and was a guest vocalist on the Rockmelons debut and ARIA award winning album, Tales of the City ), Garry Gary Beers (the bassist for INXS ),cite web|url= http://www.inxs.com/artists/? a=56 |title=INX Band Bios: Garry Beers |publisher=INXS.com |accessdate=2008-11-14 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080602210753/ http://www.inxs.com/artists/? a=56 |archivedate = 2008-06-02Nicole Ainslie (keyboards/vocals), Andrew Duffield (keyboards) ex-Models, James Valentine (saxophone) ex-Models, guitarist Michael King ex- Jimmy Barnes , and drummer John MacKay ex- Machinations (band)|Machinations .cite web|url= http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/a/absentfriends.html |title=Absent Friends|work= Australian Rock Database |publisher=Magnus Holmgren|accessdate=2008-11-14| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20081029004004/ http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/a/absentfriends.html| archivedate= 29 October 2008 | deadurl= no Within a couple of months the high profile group were supporting Crowded House at their July 1989 ‘Rock For Land Rights’ concert.
In late 1989 the band entered the recording studio to record a few original tracks that they had been playing live. The first single released by the newly named Absent Friends was "Hallelujah" via the rooArt label. The playing roster on that track comprised Kelly, Matthews, Beers, Ainslie, Duffield, Valentine, King and MacKay, with guest contributions from keyboardist Roger Mason (musician)|Roger Mason (ex-Models) and INXS drummer Jon Farriss (who contributed percussion to the B-side track "Come Clean").cite web|url= http://www.discogs.com/release/1360713 |title=Absent Friends - Here's Looking Up Your Address |publisher=Discogs |accessdate=2008-11-14 In early 1990 they recorded their debut album, '' Here's Looking Up Your Address , released on rooArt through BMG Music. The album was released in May 1990, and was preceded by Absent Friends’ second single, the quirky soul-funk amalgam "Hullabaloo", which reached number 45 on the Australian charts.cite book|title= Kent Music Report|Australian Chart Book 1970-1992 |last=Kent|first=David|authorlink=David Kent (historian)|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location= St Ives, New South Wales|St Ives , N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|accessdate=2009-03-24 NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1970 until Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA created their own ARIA Charts|charts in mid-1988.
The band's next single "I Don’t Want To Be With Nobody But You" was a significant commercial success. It was a cover of the Eddie Floyd classic. The cover to the single credited the song to Absent Friends featuring Wendy Matthews, also guesting on the track was vocalist Peter Blakeley (backing vocals). "I Don’t Want To Be With Nobody But You", peaking at number 4 on the Australian charts during July 1990, and later won the ARIA Award for ‘Best Single’ for 1991.cite web|url= http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-year.php? year=1991|title= 1991 Aria Awards|publisher= Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA |accessdate=2008-11-14 The album ''Here's Looking Up Your Address ( rooArt ) went to number 7 on the Australian album charts and was certified Music recording sales certification|Gold . The album yielded one more minor hit with "Harmony" reaching number 91 on the Australian singles charts.
In 1990 Absent Friends supported INXS on an eight-week European tour, with ex- Eurogliders bassist Ron Francois taking Beers’ place and GANGgajang keyboardist Geoff Stapleton filling the void on keyboards left by the departure of Andrew Duffield.cite web|url= http://www.ganggajang.com/geofpgs/absentfriends/absentfriends.htm |title=Absent Friends |publisher=GANGgajang.com |accessdate=2008-11-14| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20081121214957/ http://www.ganggajang.com/geofpgs/absentfriends/absentfriends.htm| archivedate= 21 November 2008 | deadurl= no Ainslie and Valentine also left the band at this time. The band played 10,000 seat stadiums through Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, Holland, Denmark, Scotland, Ireland and England (including five performances at Wembley Arena).
The band continued to tour over the Australian summer of 1990/1991, out of which their final recording surfaced with the live Extended Play|EP , Networking , which was recorded at the Kardomah Cafe in Kings Cross, New South Wales|Kings Cross Sydney. Soon after Kelly decided that Absent Friends had run its course, and the band members went their separate ways.
Matthews soon after recorded her debut album, Émigré (album)|Émigré ,cite web|url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p102770/biography|pure_url=yes |title=Wendy Matthews|publisher= Allmusic |accessdate=2008-11-14 whilst Kelly and Stapleton pieced together another band during 1991 called The Dukes (Australian band)|The Dukes .
Reformation
Absent Friends have recentlywhen|date=March 2011 announced a comeback tour of the U.K. The lineup has been changed to incorporate Matthew Wishart and Anthony Harris on guitar and Chris Lings on drums. They plan to independently release an E.P. later this year.clarify|date=March 2011
'' Here's Looking Up Your Address - rooArt (May 1990) AUS #7
Networking mini-LP (December 1990)
Singles
"Hallelujah" - rooArt (January 1990)
"Hullabaloo" - rooArt (February 1990) AUS #45
"I Don't Want To Be With Nobody But You" - rooArt (April 1990) AUS #4
"Harmony" - rooArt (August 1990) AUS #91
References
reflist ARIA Award for Single of the Year 1990s DEFAULTSORT:Absent Friends Category:Australian rock music groups Category:New South Wales musical groups Category:ARIA Award winners Category:Musical groups established in 1989 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1990
