David McComb
Encyclopedia
David Richard McComb was an Australia
n rock
musician. He was the singer-songwriter
of the Australian band, The Triffids
.
on 17 February 1962, the youngest of four boys. His parents were both doctors, his father, Dr Harold McComb, a prominent plastic surgeon and his mother, Dr Athel Hockey (AO
), a renowned geneticist. The family resided in a historical residence, The Cliffe in McNeil Street, Peppermint Grove
. All the boys attended Christ Church Grammar School
in Claremont, Western Australia
, with David winning prizes in English Literature and Divinity. McComb studied journalism and literature at the Western Australian Institute of Technology. His older brother, Robert McComb, later joined The Triffids as a guitarist.
, McComb and Alan "Alsy" MacDonald formed Dalsy (a multimedia project, producing music, books and photographic work, and its output reflected his early interests, in Bob Dylan
, Leonard Cohen
, the Velvet Underground
and Patti Smith
), in 1976. Dalsy, later known as Blök Music then evolved into The Triffids (from the post-apocalyptic John Wyndham
novel, The Day of the Triffids
). McComb and MacDonald wrote and performed songs with Phil Kakulas (later in Blackeyed Susans), Andrew McGowan, Julian Douglas-Smith, and later Byron Sinclair, Will Akers and Margaret Gillard. By Christmas 1978, they had released several home-recorded cassette tapes and been through many line-up changes. McComb became established as the band's main songwriter and common denominator in the band's various line-ups.
In 1980, The Triffids won a band demo competition and released their first 7-inch vinyl single
, "Stand Up", on the Shake Some Action label in the following year. The Triffids then moved to Melbourne before eventually settling in Sydney in 1982. After a couple of singles and EPs, Reverie
EP
, "Spanish Blue", and the Bad Timing and Other Stories
EP, the group had saved up money from support slots with the Hoodoo Gurus
, The Church
and Hunters and Collectors, to record and release the band's debut 12-inch vinyl album
, Treeless Plain
, for Hot Records, a Sydney independent label.
McComb sold the rights to three songs to ABC
-TV, for their 1984 series Sweet and Sour
: "On The Street Where You Live", "Digging a Hole", and "Too Hot To Move". Lead vocals on the first two were sung for the series by Cathy McQuade (of Deckchairs Overboard
) and the latter was performed by Deborah Conway
(of Do-Ré-Mi
). As part of the sale, The Triffids were no longer able to perform the songs. McComb later said that he regretted selling the songs and that he had bought back "Too Hot to Move", which The Triffids began to perform again: they recorded it for their 1989 album, The Black Swan
. It has also been performed by The Blackeyed Susans
(with Rob Snarski on lead vocals).
In 1985, The Triffids moved to London
, with the addition of 'Evil' Graham Lee
on pedal steel guitar, recorded their second album, Born Sandy Devotional
in 1986, and Wide Open Road EP. The group were hailed by the British media, were featured on the John Peel
show and supported Echo & the Bunnymen
.
In 1986, with delays in releasing Born Sandy Devotional, the Triffids returned to Western Australia
where they built an eight-track machine inside a shearing shed on the McComb family's farming property and recorded their third album In The Pines
. On their return to the UK
, they signed a three-record deal with Island Records
. In 1987 armed with the considerable budget of £125,000, and the production skills of Gil Norton
, David McComb and a new recruit, Adam Peters, concocted the lush orchestrations of the poignant "Bury Me Deep in Love
" and the melancholic wide-screen atmosphere of the subsequent Calenture
album. Despite the release of another two tracks from the album as singles, "Trick of the Light
" and "Holy Water", Calenture didn't have the impact expected of it.
In 1989, the "Goodbye Little Boy
" single featured in the Australian soap opera Neighbours
. 1989 also saw the Triffids record their last studio album, The Black Swan
, in England, with producer Stephen Street
. Despite being well received, the album wasn't an overwhelming success, which disappointed McComb and the rest of the band to the point where they decided to dissolve the band. In order to fulfill their contractual obligations with Island Records
a live album recorded in Stockholm, Stockholm was released in 1990 the year after the Triffids split up.
in 1990-1992 with his girlfriend, and launched a solo career. In 1991, McComb and Adam Peters contributed to the Leonard Cohen
tribute album
I'm Your Fan
with a cover of "Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On", later mentioned favorably by Cohen himself.
When he returned to Australia, McComb settled in Melbourne
, where he commenced studies at the University of Melbourne
in art history
. He recorded with the Blackeyed Susans, completed a solo album, Love of Will
, for Mushroom Records
, and undertook a solo tour of Europe with his backing band, The Red Ponies, consisting of Graham Lee, Warren Ellis
, Peter Luscombe, Bruce Haymes and Michael Vidale.
He also performed in Australia with his last band, Costar, who recorded a three-track EP. (This has never been released, but may be released on the W.Minc label when the Triffids reissue program is complete.) Recording for a Costar album was also underway at the time of McComb's death. McComb made occasional appearances with the Blackeyed Susans in Australia, giving Rob Snarski a break from vocals (as did Kim Salmon
).
, and amphetamine
and heroin abuse, which greatly affected his health. He developed cardiomyopathy
, a heart condition
that, when found in young men, is most commonly caused by alcoholism. In 1996, he underwent a successful heart transplant, but continued his drinking and drug use. In January 1999 he was driving a car which was involved in a collision. He was hospitalised overnight and released with bruising. A few days later he died at home, on 2 February 1999 just before his 37th birthday. In February 2000, after the State Coroner of Victoria finally published his findings, The West Australian
newspaper wrote: "Mr Johnstone [the Coroner] said McComb's mental and physical condition had deteriorated after his accident but his death was due to heroin toxicity and mild acute rejection of his 1996 heart transplant."
His ashes were spread under the pines at the family farm (Woodstock) at Jerdacuttup, approximately 22 km north of Hopetoun, Western Australia
.
, as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, named his 1986 composition "Wide Open Road" as one of the thirty greatest Australian songs
of all time.
On 21 February 2006 David McComb was posthumously inducted into the West Australian Music Industry Association
Hall Of Fame, as a composer.
In June 2006, his work with The Triffids was reissued in remastered and extended form on the Domino label, commencing with Born Sandy Devotional. McComb's work is held in high regard in Europe, to the extent that The Triffids
reformed and travelled from Australia to play live performances in Belgium
and The Netherlands, in July 2006, with guest vocalists replacing McComb. The band also played four consecutive nights in Sydney in January 2008 with many guest singers and musicians, including Mick Harvey
, Rob Snarski and Melanie Oxley
. These performances were released as a DVD ('It's Raining Pleasure') in late 2009.
In September 2009, "Vagabond Holes: David McComb & The Triffids" - edited by Chris Coughran and Niall Lucy
, and featuring contributions from Nick Cave, DBC Pierre, Laurie Duggan, John Kinsella, Bleddyn Butcher, Steve Kilbey, Robert Forster, "Handsome" Steve Miller and others - was published by Fremantle Press.
A feature length biopic entitled Love in Bright Landscapes (working title only), commenced shooting in January 2008. It is being produced by Melbourne based Tornado Alley Productions. In late 2009, a live tribute album entitled Deep in a Dream: An Evening with the Songs of David McComb, featuring The Blackeyed Susans and other Melbourne based acts, was issued by the filmmakers to help fund the ongoing production of the documentary.
In 2009 a collection of David McComb's poems, titled Beautiful Waste: Poems by David McComb, was published by Fremantle Press. The anthology
was edited by Chris Coughran and Niall Lucy
, and includes an introduction by poet John Kinsella.
Singles and EPs
LPs
Compilations - Various Artists (The Triffids
Contributor)
LPs
EPs
Compilations, Various Artists (contributor)
Guest vocals
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
musician. He was the singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
of the Australian band, The Triffids
The Triffids
The Triffids were a seminal Australian alternative rock and pop band formed in Perth, Western Australia, in May 1978 with charismatic, David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved negligible success in Australia, but greater success in the U.K...
.
Early years in Perth
David McComb was born in Perth, AustraliaPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
on 17 February 1962, the youngest of four boys. His parents were both doctors, his father, Dr Harold McComb, a prominent plastic surgeon and his mother, Dr Athel Hockey (AO
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
), a renowned geneticist. The family resided in a historical residence, The Cliffe in McNeil Street, Peppermint Grove
Peppermint Grove, Western Australia
Peppermint Grove is an affluent western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River at Freshwater Bay. Its Local Government Area, the smallest in the country, is the Shire of Peppermint Grove. The suburb was named after its trademark "Peppermint trees" lining many streets...
. All the boys attended Christ Church Grammar School
Christ Church Grammar School
Christ Church Grammar School is an independent, Anglican day and boarding school for boys from Pre-Primary to Year 12. Located in Perth, Western Australia, the school overlooks the Swan River at Freshwater Bay in Claremont....
in Claremont, Western Australia
Claremont, Western Australia
Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River.-History:Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of water, for fishing and for catching waterfowl. In 1830, John Butler, a settler, set up an inn at Freshwater Bay to...
, with David winning prizes in English Literature and Divinity. McComb studied journalism and literature at the Western Australian Institute of Technology. His older brother, Robert McComb, later joined The Triffids as a guitarist.
The Triffids 1976–1989
Whilst still at high school, partly in response to the emergence of punk rockPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, McComb and Alan "Alsy" MacDonald formed Dalsy (a multimedia project, producing music, books and photographic work, and its output reflected his early interests, in Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
, the Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
and Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
), in 1976. Dalsy, later known as Blök Music then evolved into The Triffids (from the post-apocalyptic John Wyndham
John Wyndham
John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris was an English science fiction writer who usually used the pen name John Wyndham, although he also used other combinations of his names, such as John Beynon and Lucas Parkes...
novel, The Day of the Triffids
The Day of the Triffids
The Day of the Triffids is a post-apocalyptic novel published in 1951 by the English science fiction author John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris, under the pen-name John Wyndham. Although Wyndham had already published other novels using other pen-name combinations drawn from his lengthy real...
). McComb and MacDonald wrote and performed songs with Phil Kakulas (later in Blackeyed Susans), Andrew McGowan, Julian Douglas-Smith, and later Byron Sinclair, Will Akers and Margaret Gillard. By Christmas 1978, they had released several home-recorded cassette tapes and been through many line-up changes. McComb became established as the band's main songwriter and common denominator in the band's various line-ups.
In 1980, The Triffids won a band demo competition and released their first 7-inch vinyl single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Stand Up", on the Shake Some Action label in the following year. The Triffids then moved to Melbourne before eventually settling in Sydney in 1982. After a couple of singles and EPs, Reverie
Reverie (EP)
Reverie is the official debut recording by The Triffids, released as a 7" EP in November, 1982.-The Triffids:* David McComb - lead vocals, guitar* Robert McComb - guitar, vocals* Will Akers - bass, vocals* Margaret Gillard - piano, organ, vocals...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, "Spanish Blue", and the Bad Timing and Other Stories
Bad Timing and Other Stories
Bad Timing and Other Stories is the second official recording by The Triffids, released as a 7" EP in April, 1983.- Personnel :* David McComb - lead vocals, guitar, organ, piano, synthesiser* Robert McComb - guitar, violin, organ...
EP, the group had saved up money from support slots with the Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...
, The Church
The Church (band)
The Church is an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980. Initially associated with new wave and the neo-psychedelic sound of the mid 1980s, their music later became more reminiscent of progressive rock, featuring long instrumental jams and complex guitar interplay...
and Hunters and Collectors, to record and release the band's debut 12-inch vinyl album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Treeless Plain
Treeless Plain
Treeless Plain is the debut album by The Triffids, released in November, 1983. The album was recorded at Emerald City Studios, Sydney, Australia in twelve midnight to dawn sessions, during August through to September, 1983...
, for Hot Records, a Sydney independent label.
McComb sold the rights to three songs to ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
-TV, for their 1984 series Sweet and Sour
Sweet and Sour (TV series)
Sweet and Sour is an Australian television series which screened on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1984. It was created by Tim Gooding and Johanna Pigott and was produced internally for the ABC by Jan Chapman...
: "On The Street Where You Live", "Digging a Hole", and "Too Hot To Move". Lead vocals on the first two were sung for the series by Cathy McQuade (of Deckchairs Overboard
Deckchairs Overboard
Deckchairs Overboard was an Australian Pop music band based in Sydney . They developed from Melbourne based Cheks with the addition of Cathy McQuade and had some minor hit singles "That's The Way" , with Ken Campbell on vocals, "Shout", with McQuade on vocals, "Walking In The Dark" and "Fight...
) and the latter was performed by Deborah Conway
Deborah Conway
Deborah Ann Conway, is an Australian rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, and had a career as a model and actor. She was a founding member of the 1980s rock band Do-Ré-Mi with their surprise top 5 hit "Man Overboard"....
(of Do-Ré-Mi
Do-Re-Mi (band)
Do-Re-Mi aka Do-Ré-Mi were an Australian Rock/Pop band formed in Sydney in 1981 when Deborah Conway and Dorland Bray joined Helen Carter and later recruited Stephen Philip...
). As part of the sale, The Triffids were no longer able to perform the songs. McComb later said that he regretted selling the songs and that he had bought back "Too Hot to Move", which The Triffids began to perform again: they recorded it for their 1989 album, The Black Swan
The Black Swan (The Triffids album)
The Black Swan is an album by The Triffids, released in April 1989 and reached No. 59 on the Australian Album Charts. The album was originally conceived as a double album....
. It has also been performed by The Blackeyed Susans
The Blackeyed Susans
The Blackeyed Susans are an Australian rock band, formed in Perth in 1989, based in Melbourne since 1992.-Perth 1989-1990:The original line-up consisted of David McComb on vocals and guitar, Alsy MacDonald on drums , Phil Kakulas on bass guitar , Rob Snarski on vocals and guitar, and...
(with Rob Snarski on lead vocals).
In 1985, The Triffids moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, with the addition of 'Evil' Graham Lee
Graham Lee (Australian musician)
Graham Lee is an Australian rock musician and record producer, best known as the steel guitar player of the 1980s band The Triffids, where he was nicknamed 'Evil Graham Lee'....
on pedal steel guitar, recorded their second album, Born Sandy Devotional
Born Sandy Devotional
Born Sandy Devotional was an album by The Triffids, released in March 1986. The cover photo shows the now West Australian city of Mandurah back in 1961. All the songs on the album were written by David McComb...
in 1986, and Wide Open Road EP. The group were hailed by the British media, were featured on the John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
show and supported Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
.
In 1986, with delays in releasing Born Sandy Devotional, the Triffids returned to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
where they built an eight-track machine inside a shearing shed on the McComb family's farming property and recorded their third album In The Pines
In the Pines (album)
In The Pines is an album by The Triffids, released in August, 1986 and reached No. 69 on the Australian Album Charts.The album was recorded in a woolshed on a remote Western Australian farming property, owned by the McCombs' parents, on an eight-track machine for a grand total of $1190 In The Pines...
. On their return to the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, they signed a three-record deal with Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
. In 1987 armed with the considerable budget of £125,000, and the production skills of Gil Norton
Gil Norton
Gil Norton is a British record producer known for his work with such bands as Pixies, Echo & the Bunnymen, Foo Fighters, Tribe, Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional, Feeder, The Distillers, Maxïmo Park, Counting Crows, Terrorvision, The Triffids, Del Amitri, James, The Feelers, The Beekeepers,...
, David McComb and a new recruit, Adam Peters, concocted the lush orchestrations of the poignant "Bury Me Deep in Love
Bury Me Deep in Love
Bury Me Deep In Love is a single released by The Triffids from their album Calenture. It was released in October, 1987 and reached No. 48 on the Australian Singles Charts. The single was produced by Gil Norton and written by David McComb...
" and the melancholic wide-screen atmosphere of the subsequent Calenture
Calenture (album)
Calenture is the fourth studio album by The Triffids, released in February 1987 which reached No. 32 on the Australian Album Charts. Calenture also reached No...
album. Despite the release of another two tracks from the album as singles, "Trick of the Light
Trick of the Light
Trick of the Light is a single released by The Triffids from their album Calenture. It was produced by Gil Norton and written by David McComb. The B-Side "Love the Fever" was co-written by David McComb and Adam Peters and was produced by Adam Peters and was recorded in August 1986...
" and "Holy Water", Calenture didn't have the impact expected of it.
In 1989, the "Goodbye Little Boy
Goodbye Little Boy
"Goodbye Little Boy" was the first single released by The Triffids from their album The Black Swan. It was produced by Stephen Street and co-written by David McComb and Adam Peters. The B-Side "Go Home Eddie" was written by David McComb and produced by Stephen Street...
" single featured in the Australian soap opera Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
. 1989 also saw the Triffids record their last studio album, The Black Swan
The Black Swan (The Triffids album)
The Black Swan is an album by The Triffids, released in April 1989 and reached No. 59 on the Australian Album Charts. The album was originally conceived as a double album....
, in England, with producer Stephen Street
Stephen Street
Stephen Street is an English music producer best known for his work with The Smiths in the 1980s, as well as Blur and The Cranberries in the 1990s. Street also collaborated with Morrissey on some of his most popular work after The Smiths broke up, playing instruments and co-writing songs...
. Despite being well received, the album wasn't an overwhelming success, which disappointed McComb and the rest of the band to the point where they decided to dissolve the band. In order to fulfill their contractual obligations with Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
a live album recorded in Stockholm, Stockholm was released in 1990 the year after the Triffids split up.
Post-Triffids career 1990–1999
McComb lived in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1990-1992 with his girlfriend, and launched a solo career. In 1991, McComb and Adam Peters contributed to the Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
I'm Your Fan
I'm Your Fan
I'm Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen is a tribute album to Leonard Cohen, released in 1991, produced by the French music magazine Les Inrockuptibles. The album features Cohen's songs interpreted by some of the most respected rock acts of the time...
with a cover of "Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On", later mentioned favorably by Cohen himself.
When he returned to Australia, McComb settled in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, where he commenced studies at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
in art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
. He recorded with the Blackeyed Susans, completed a solo album, Love of Will
Love of Will
Love of Will is the debut album by David McComb, released in March, 1994. The album was recorded and mixed between June and August, 1993, at Platinum Studios with additional mixing at Metropolis and Sing Sing Studios...
, for Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
, and undertook a solo tour of Europe with his backing band, The Red Ponies, consisting of Graham Lee, Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
, Peter Luscombe, Bruce Haymes and Michael Vidale.
He also performed in Australia with his last band, Costar, who recorded a three-track EP. (This has never been released, but may be released on the W.Minc label when the Triffids reissue program is complete.) Recording for a Costar album was also underway at the time of McComb's death. McComb made occasional appearances with the Blackeyed Susans in Australia, giving Rob Snarski a break from vocals (as did Kim Salmon
Kim Salmon
Kim Leith Salmon is an Australian indie rock musician and songwriter, who attained fame in June 2004, when he was inducted into the West Australian Music Industry Association Hall of Fame....
).
Health problems and death
McComb suffered from back pain which worsened over the years. He also struggled with alcoholismAlcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, and amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
and heroin abuse, which greatly affected his health. He developed cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy, which literally means "heart muscle disease," is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium for any reason. People with cardiomyopathy are often at risk of arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death or both. Cardiomyopathy can often go undetected, making it especially dangerous to...
, a heart condition
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
that, when found in young men, is most commonly caused by alcoholism. In 1996, he underwent a successful heart transplant, but continued his drinking and drug use. In January 1999 he was driving a car which was involved in a collision. He was hospitalised overnight and released with bruising. A few days later he died at home, on 2 February 1999 just before his 37th birthday. In February 2000, after the State Coroner of Victoria finally published his findings, The West Australian
The West Australian
The West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
newspaper wrote: "Mr Johnstone [the Coroner] said McComb's mental and physical condition had deteriorated after his accident but his death was due to heroin toxicity and mild acute rejection of his 1996 heart transplant."
His ashes were spread under the pines at the family farm (Woodstock) at Jerdacuttup, approximately 22 km north of Hopetoun, Western Australia
Hopetoun, Western Australia
Hopetoun is a town on the south coast of Western Australia in the Shire of Ravensthorpe. Located on Mary Ann Haven, Hopetoun is some south-east from capital city Perth and west of Esperance.-History:...
.
Legacy and influence
In 2001 the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA)Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
, as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, named his 1986 composition "Wide Open Road" as one of the thirty greatest Australian songs
APRA Top 30 Australian songs
APRA's Top 30 Australian songs between 1926 and 2001 was a list created by the Australasian Performing Right Association to celebrate its 75th anniversary...
of all time.
On 21 February 2006 David McComb was posthumously inducted into the West Australian Music Industry Association
West Australian Music Industry Awards
The Western Australian Music Industry Awards are annual awards presented to the local contemporary music industry, put on by the Western Australian Music Industry Association Inc...
Hall Of Fame, as a composer.
In June 2006, his work with The Triffids was reissued in remastered and extended form on the Domino label, commencing with Born Sandy Devotional. McComb's work is held in high regard in Europe, to the extent that The Triffids
The Triffids
The Triffids were a seminal Australian alternative rock and pop band formed in Perth, Western Australia, in May 1978 with charismatic, David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved negligible success in Australia, but greater success in the U.K...
reformed and travelled from Australia to play live performances in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and The Netherlands, in July 2006, with guest vocalists replacing McComb. The band also played four consecutive nights in Sydney in January 2008 with many guest singers and musicians, including Mick Harvey
Mick Harvey
Michael John Harvey , is an Australian rock musician, composer, arranger and record producer. He is best known for his long-time collaboration with the singer and songwriter Nick Cave...
, Rob Snarski and Melanie Oxley
Melanie Oxley
-Biography:Melanie Oxley is the sister of Jeremy Oxley and Peter Oxley, who were founder members of popular Australian pop-rock band The Sunnyboys and younger brother Tim Oxley a musician in his own right....
. These performances were released as a DVD ('It's Raining Pleasure') in late 2009.
In September 2009, "Vagabond Holes: David McComb & The Triffids" - edited by Chris Coughran and Niall Lucy
Niall Lucy
Niall Lucy is an Australian writer and scholar best known for his work in deconstruction.-Career:Niall Lucy is a professor in the School of Media, Culture & Creative Arts at Curtin University, and a former Head of the School of Arts at Murdoch University...
, and featuring contributions from Nick Cave, DBC Pierre, Laurie Duggan, John Kinsella, Bleddyn Butcher, Steve Kilbey, Robert Forster, "Handsome" Steve Miller and others - was published by Fremantle Press.
A feature length biopic entitled Love in Bright Landscapes (working title only), commenced shooting in January 2008. It is being produced by Melbourne based Tornado Alley Productions. In late 2009, a live tribute album entitled Deep in a Dream: An Evening with the Songs of David McComb, featuring The Blackeyed Susans and other Melbourne based acts, was issued by the filmmakers to help fund the ongoing production of the documentary.
In 2009 a collection of David McComb's poems, titled Beautiful Waste: Poems by David McComb, was published by Fremantle Press. The anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
was edited by Chris Coughran and Niall Lucy
Niall Lucy
Niall Lucy is an Australian writer and scholar best known for his work in deconstruction.-Career:Niall Lucy is a professor in the School of Media, Culture & Creative Arts at Curtin University, and a former Head of the School of Arts at Murdoch University...
, and includes an introduction by poet John Kinsella.
David McComb with The Triffids
Limited edition cassettes- 1978 Tape One
- 1978 Tape Two
- 1979 Tape Three
- 1979 Tape Four
- 1980 Tape Five
- 1981 Tape Six
- 1983 Dungeon TapeDungeon TapeDungeon Tape is a cassette tape by The Triffids. This tape was only sold at the Triffids’ performances in the eastern states of Australia in 1983...
- 1988 Son of Dungeon TapeSon of Dungeon TapeSon of Dungeon Tape is a cassette tape by The Triffids. This tape was only sold at the Triffids’ performances in early 1988. The tape was not simply a re-issue of the original Dungeon Tape with only five of the original tracks making it on to this compilation tape.-Side A:# "Red Pony"# "Play...
- 1988 Jack Brabham Tape
Singles and EPs
- 1981 "Stand Up"
- 1982 ReverieReverie (EP)Reverie is the official debut recording by The Triffids, released as a 7" EP in November, 1982.-The Triffids:* David McComb - lead vocals, guitar* Robert McComb - guitar, vocals* Will Akers - bass, vocals* Margaret Gillard - piano, organ, vocals...
EP - 1982 "Spanish Blue/Twisted BrainSpanish BlueSpanish Blue is the second single released by The Triffids in 1982. The single was produced by Les Karski . The single was initially released independently by The Triffids but was re-released following the bands signing with White Label Records.They'd recorded "Spanish Blue" when the spectre of the...
" - 1983 Bad Timing and Other StoriesBad Timing and Other StoriesBad Timing and Other Stories is the second official recording by The Triffids, released as a 7" EP in April, 1983.- Personnel :* David McComb - lead vocals, guitar, organ, piano, synthesiser* Robert McComb - guitar, violin, organ...
EP - 1984 "Beautiful WasteBeautiful Waste"Beautiful Waste" is a single released by The Triffids in February 1984. Whilst "Beautiful Waste" was not included on any of the band's studio albums or EPs , the B-side, "Property is Condemned", was included on the 1984 EP Raining Pleasure...
" - 1984 Lawson Square InfirmaryLawson Square InfirmaryLawson Square Infirmary was a 12" EP released in 1984. In 2008, all tracks from the EP were included on the compilationBeautiful Waste and Other Songs....
EP - 1984 Raining PleasureRaining Pleasure (EP)Raining Pleasure by The Triffids was released as a 12" EP in 1984 and reached #95 on the Australian Charts.Although the EP has not been in print for some time, selected tracks appeared on the Love in Bright Landscapes and Australian Melodrama compilations, while all seven tracks were compiled on...
EP - 1985 Field Of GlassField of GlassField Of Glass by The Triffids was released as a 12" EP in 1985. All the songs were generally recorded live at BBC Studio 5, Maida Vale, London...
EP - 1985 "You Don't Miss Your WaterYou Don't Miss Your Water"You Don't Miss Your Water" is a soul song and the debut single written and recorded by American singer William Bell. It was released by Stax Records in 1961...
" - 1986 "Wide Open Road"
- 1987 "Bury Me Deep in LoveBury Me Deep in LoveBury Me Deep In Love is a single released by The Triffids from their album Calenture. It was released in October, 1987 and reached No. 48 on the Australian Singles Charts. The single was produced by Gil Norton and written by David McComb...
" - 1987 The Peel Sessions EP
- 1988 "Trick of the LightTrick of the LightTrick of the Light is a single released by The Triffids from their album Calenture. It was produced by Gil Norton and written by David McComb. The B-Side "Love the Fever" was co-written by David McComb and Adam Peters and was produced by Adam Peters and was recorded in August 1986...
" - 1988 "Holy Water"
- 1989 "Goodbye Little BoyGoodbye Little Boy"Goodbye Little Boy" was the first single released by The Triffids from their album The Black Swan. It was produced by Stephen Street and co-written by David McComb and Adam Peters. The B-Side "Go Home Eddie" was written by David McComb and produced by Stephen Street...
" - 1989 "Falling Over YouFalling Over YouFalling Over You was the second single released by The Triffids from their album The Black Swan. It was produced by Stephen Street and co-written by David McComb and Adam Peters. The songs were recorded between September and October, 1988 at The Justice Room, Cathanger, Somerset and mixed at...
"
LPs
- 1983 Treeless PlainTreeless PlainTreeless Plain is the debut album by The Triffids, released in November, 1983. The album was recorded at Emerald City Studios, Sydney, Australia in twelve midnight to dawn sessions, during August through to September, 1983...
- 1986 Born Sandy DevotionalBorn Sandy DevotionalBorn Sandy Devotional was an album by The Triffids, released in March 1986. The cover photo shows the now West Australian city of Mandurah back in 1961. All the songs on the album were written by David McComb...
- 1986 Love In Bright LandscapesLove in Bright LandscapesLove In Bright Landscapes is an anthology of The Triffids' songs from their album, EP and single releases in the period 1983 - 1985, during which time the group were resident in Perth, Sydney and London...
(compilation) - 1986 In The PinesIn the Pines (album)In The Pines is an album by The Triffids, released in August, 1986 and reached No. 69 on the Australian Album Charts.The album was recorded in a woolshed on a remote Western Australian farming property, owned by the McCombs' parents, on an eight-track machine for a grand total of $1190 In The Pines...
- 1987 CalentureCalenture (album)Calenture is the fourth studio album by The Triffids, released in February 1987 which reached No. 32 on the Australian Album Charts. Calenture also reached No...
- 1989 The Black SwanThe Black Swan (The Triffids album)The Black Swan is an album by The Triffids, released in April 1989 and reached No. 59 on the Australian Album Charts. The album was originally conceived as a double album....
- 1990 Stockholm (live recording)
- 1994 Australian MelodramaAustralian Melodrama- Track listing :# "Red Pony" - 4:06# "Hell of a Summer" - 4:27# "Beautiful Waste" - 3:20# "Raining Pleasure" - 2:28# "Bright Lights Big City" - 3:30# "The Seabirds" - 3:18# "Wide Open Road" - 4:06# "Lonely Stretch" - 5:00...
(compilation)
Compilations - Various Artists (The Triffids
The Triffids
The Triffids were a seminal Australian alternative rock and pop band formed in Perth, Western Australia, in May 1978 with charismatic, David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved negligible success in Australia, but greater success in the U.K...
Contributor)
- 1983 Live At The Wireless (ABC Records) - "My Baby Thinks She's A Train"
- 1984 Beyond The Southern Cross (Ink Records) - "My Baby Thinks She's A Train"
- 1984 No Worries (Hot Records) - "Left To Rot"
- 1985 The Perfect Travelling Companion (6UVS/Drivetime) - "Keep Your Eyes On The Hole"
- 1986 A Collection Of Hot Records From 1982-1985 (Hot Records) - "Beautiful Waste" & "You Don't Miss Your Water Till Your Well Runs Dry"
- 1987 Sonic 3 (Sonic Sounds) - "Everything You Touch Turns To Time"
- 1988 Hit Pix '88Hit Pix '88Hit Pix 88 was a various artists "hits" collection album released in Australia in 1988 on the Festival/EMI record Label . The album spent 2 weeks at the top of the Australian album charts in 1988.-Track listing:Side 1...
(EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
) - "Bury Me Deep In Love" - 1988 Til Things Are Brighter (Rhino Records) - "Country Boy"
- 1988 Also Used And Recommended By (Mushroom RecordsMushroom RecordsMushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
) - "Love The Fever" - 1988 Sgt Pepper Knew My Father (Childline) - "Good Morning, Good Morning"
- 1990 Hometown Farewell Kiss (6UVS) - "Keep Your Eyes On The Hole"
David McComb with the Blackeyed Susans
Singles and EPs- 1990 Some Births Are Worse Than MurdersSome Births are Worse than MurdersSome Births Are Worse Than Murders is the debut EP by The Blackeyed Susans, released in March, 1989 on Waterfront Records.The Blackeyed Susans was formed in Perth in 1989 as a side project for Martha's Vineyard, Chad's Tree and the Triffids members, including David McComb. They played eight gigs...
- 1991 ...Depends On What You Mean By LoveDepends on What You Mean By Love...Depends On What You Mean By Love is an EP by The Blackeyed Susans, released in late 1991.- Track listing :# "Ocean of You" – 3:33# "Close Watch" – 2:59# "Will’s Blues" – 3:22...
- 1994 "This One Eats SoulsThis One Eats Souls"This One Eats Souls" is a single by The Blackeyed Susans, released in July 1994. The last four tracks are taken from the cassette album Hard Liquor, Soft Music by The Blackeyed Susans Trio.- Track listing :...
" - 1996 "Mary MacMary Mac"Mary Mac" is a song by The Blackeyed Susans, released as a single in October 1996.- Track listing :# Mary Mac – 3:40# Dive For Your Memory – 5:22# 90 Miles Per Hour – 3:17...
"
LPs
- 1992 Welcome StrangerWelcome Stranger (Blackeyed Susans album)Welcome Stranger is the debut studio album by The Blackeyed Susans. Released in August, 1992, the album is a compilation of their first three EPs – Some Births Are Worse Than Murders, Anchor Me and …Depends On What You Mean By Love – with the addition of three tracks recorded at the same time as...
- 1993 All Souls AliveAll Souls AliveAll Souls Alive is the second studio album by The Blackeyed Susans, released in December 1993 on the independent record label, Torn and Frayed, and distributed by Shock Records....
Solo releases by David McComb
LPs- 1994 Love of WillLove of WillLove of Will is the debut album by David McComb, released in March, 1994. The album was recorded and mixed between June and August, 1993, at Platinum Studios with additional mixing at Metropolis and Sing Sing Studios...
(White Label Records)
EPs
- 1989 "I Don't Need You" (with Adam Peters) (Island RecordsIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
) - 1991 "The Message" (The Foundation Label)
- 1994 "Setting You Free" (White Label Records)
- 1994 "I Want To Conquer You" (White Label Records)
- 1994 "Clear Out My Mind" (White Label Records)
Compilations, Various Artists (contributor)
- 1988 Til Things Are Brighter: A Tribute To Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
(Rhino Records) - "Country Boy" - 1991 I'm Your FanI'm Your FanI'm Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen is a tribute album to Leonard Cohen, released in 1991, produced by the French music magazine Les Inrockuptibles. The album features Cohen's songs interpreted by some of the most respected rock acts of the time...
: The Songs Of Leonard CohenLeonard CohenLeonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
(Columbia RecordsColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
) - "Don't Go Home With Your Hard On" - 1996 Where Joy Kills Sorrow (W.Minc Records) - "Still Alive And Well"
Guest vocals
- 1996 Four Hours Sleep More Of Her (Mushroom RecordsMushroom RecordsMushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
) - "This Song Can Save You" and "When I First Met You"
Further reading
- Obituaries of David McComb, Triffids' co-founder:
- Sunday Times (Perth, W.A.) 21 February 1999, p. 44,
- Rolling Stone (Sydney, N.S.W.), April 1999, p. 27,
External links
- Official Triffids website
- Official Blackeyed Susans website
- David McComb at Australian Rock DatabaseAustralian Rock DatabaseAustralian Rock Database is a website with a searchable online database that lists details of Australian rock music artists, albums, bands, producers and record labels. It was established in 2000 by Swedish national, Magnus Holmgren, who had developed an interest in Australian music when visiting...
by Magnus Holmgren