Matt Moffitt
Encyclopedia
Matt Moffitt was an Australian singer-songwriter/guitarist, best known as the vocalist with rock band Matt Finish
. From the late seventies until the mid-nineties, Matt Finish was one of Australia's most popular live bands.
Moffitt's best known song with Matt Finish
, Short Note, peaked at #18 and has become a standard on Australian radio stations. It was featured in Triple M Network’s Best Songs of the Eighties poll in 2005, in the 2007 Australian feature film The Final Winter
, appeared on Wendy Matthews
' 2004 album Café Naturale
, on numerous compilation albums including Sony BMG's The Essential Australian series released in April 2008, and on the Matt Finish
albums Short Note (1981) and 1978-2008 (2008).
Moffitt's funeral was on 20 August 2003, on what would have been his 47th birthday.
and the journalist Betty Saunders. The family spent some of his formative years in New York.
In the mid-seventies, Moffitt studied drama at The Ensemble Theatre with Hayes Gordon
and music at the Sydney Conservatorium Of Music.
Moffitt's musical influences included blues and soul from Hell's Kitchen in New York, jazz, the Oz rock of Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and he particularly loved the Jack Bruce solo song "Rope Ladder To The Moon". Moffitt has been described as singing "...from his soul with the voice of a dark angel, going for instinct rather than structure." He was also regarded as a talented acoustic and electric guitarist.
, Midnight Oil
, INXS
, The Ramones
, Split Enz
, XTC
, Cold Chisel
, Brian Ferry and The B-52's
.
Matt Finish
released Matt Finish Play Africa (single 1980), Short Note (album 1981), Fade Away (EP 1981), Matt Finish (EP 1983), Word Of Mouth (album 1983) and numerous singles. The Short Note album was re-released on CD in 1989 and is still available from music stores.
and Brussels
with John Prior
and producer Nicky Graham
(David Bowie
, CBS
A&R
Manager). The tracks Miss This Tonight and All That Stuff were released as singles.
'Miss This Tonight' reached number 17 on the Australian charts in 1986. It was his biggest hit single and is still heard today on the Triple M network.
Moffitt commuted between London and Sydney for a few years and then moved to the US for the last two years of the eighties. He drove around America, recorded at Supertramp's studio in LA, before settling into a recording studio on 14th street in the heart of the West Village, writing, playing and recording with the likes of Sean Pelton on drums, Mike Stanzilis on Bass, with guest appearances from some of the best New York City players in town. Matt Moffitt and Jennifer Barrett (background vocals and guitar) composed and recorded over two albums of currently unreleased original material; "ABC Love's a FreezeFrame", "Cool For Fun", and "Walking As My Heart Says Run" songs that exemplified his passionate experiences in New York. Eventually Matt invited John Prior the original drummer of Matt Finish to America to produce both Barrett and Moffitt.
reformed Matt Finish
and embarked on a sold-out 50-date Australian tour with former Eurogliders
members Guy Le Claire (guitar) and Lindsay Jehan (bass) and Barrett (guitar).
, they released the single One Day at a Time, the album By Heart and EP Earthbound featuring Adrian Cannon (drums), Rohan Cannon (guitar/vocals), Bobby Christian (bass guitar) and Paul Dawkins (keyboards).
In 1993, Moffitt and Dawkins released the singles Blue and Will I Ever Know? featuring Eliot Reynolds (guitar) and Justin Leaf (drums).
In the late nineties, Moffitt performed on the The Boys Are Back In Town Australian tours.
reunited to work on new material and perform shows around inner Sydney with Joseph Calderazzo (guitar) and Wayne Grech (drums).
Family, friends and many Australian music industry greats attended the funeral on 20 August 2003 to farewell him including Rick Grossman
from Matt Finish
, Don Walker
(Cold Chisel
), Doc Neeson
(The Angels
), Rob Hirst
(Midnight Oil
), John Swan (Swanee
), Bernie Cannon (producer of GTK
on ABC TV
) and Rob Scott (Triple J
).
Moffitt is survived by his mother Betty, his sisters Annabel, Frances, Sophie and brother Dominic.
Matt Finish
Matt Finish are an Australian rock band formed by singer-songwriter/guitarist Matt Moffitt and drummer/composer/producer John Prior in mid 1979....
. From the late seventies until the mid-nineties, Matt Finish was one of Australia's most popular live bands.
Moffitt's best known song with Matt Finish
Matt Finish
Matt Finish are an Australian rock band formed by singer-songwriter/guitarist Matt Moffitt and drummer/composer/producer John Prior in mid 1979....
, Short Note, peaked at #18 and has become a standard on Australian radio stations. It was featured in Triple M Network’s Best Songs of the Eighties poll in 2005, in the 2007 Australian feature film The Final Winter
The Final Winter
The Final Winter is an Australian drama film released in 2007. It was directed by Brian Andrews and Jane Forrest and produced by Anthony Coffee, and Michelle Russell, while independently produced it is being distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was written by Matthew Nable who also starred as the...
, appeared on Wendy Matthews
Wendy Matthews
Wendy Joan Matthews is an Australian adult alternative pop singer originally from Canada who has been a member of Models and Absent Friends and is a solo artist...
' 2004 album Café Naturale
Café Naturale
-Charts:...
, on numerous compilation albums including Sony BMG's The Essential Australian series released in April 2008, and on the Matt Finish
Matt Finish
Matt Finish are an Australian rock band formed by singer-songwriter/guitarist Matt Moffitt and drummer/composer/producer John Prior in mid 1979....
albums Short Note (1981) and 1978-2008 (2008).
Moffitt's funeral was on 20 August 2003, on what would have been his 47th birthday.
Background
Moffitt spent much of his childhood in Glenbrook in the Blue Mountains of NSW. His parents were the late award-winning journalist and novelist Ian MoffittIan Moffitt
Ian Moffitt was an Australian journalist and novelist best known for his best-selling novel The Retreat Of Radiance....
and the journalist Betty Saunders. The family spent some of his formative years in New York.
In the mid-seventies, Moffitt studied drama at The Ensemble Theatre with Hayes Gordon
Hayes Gordon
Hayes Gordon AO OBE was an American actor, stage director and acting teacher with a considerable career in Australia....
and music at the Sydney Conservatorium Of Music.
Moffitt's musical influences included blues and soul from Hell's Kitchen in New York, jazz, the Oz rock of Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and he particularly loved the Jack Bruce solo song "Rope Ladder To The Moon". Moffitt has been described as singing "...from his soul with the voice of a dark angel, going for instinct rather than structure." He was also regarded as a talented acoustic and electric guitarist.
Rum Jungle
In his teens, Moffitt formed the Blue Mountains-based band Rum Jungle, playing rock covers.pre- Matt Finish
In late 1978 and early 1979 at The Observer Hotel in The Rocks, Sydney, Moffitt played in a funk band with Brian Alcorn on bass guitar and Tony Georgeson on drums. They often had additional guest musicians including Ken Francis and Chris Raggett.Matt Finish
In mid 1979, Moffitt formed Matt Finish, They developed a reputation for high-quality song-writing and passionate, high energy performances, playing thousands of live shows to more than a million people including national tours with U2U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
, INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
, The Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
, Split Enz
Split Enz
Split Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
, XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
, Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
, Brian Ferry and The B-52's
The B-52's
The B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar...
.
Matt Finish
Matt Finish
Matt Finish are an Australian rock band formed by singer-songwriter/guitarist Matt Moffitt and drummer/composer/producer John Prior in mid 1979....
released Matt Finish Play Africa (single 1980), Short Note (album 1981), Fade Away (EP 1981), Matt Finish (EP 1983), Word Of Mouth (album 1983) and numerous singles. The Short Note album was re-released on CD in 1989 and is still available from music stores.
Solo
In 1985, Moffitt recorded his solo album As Little As A Look 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...
and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
with John Prior
John Prior (musician)
John David Prior is an Australian drummer, composer and producer recognized for his work with Matt Finish, Adrian Belew , Mick Taylor , Roy Buchanan, Champion Jack Dupree, New Theatre, Coca-Cola, The Great Outdoors, iOTA, Wicked Beat Sound System, Kevin Borich and Dale Barlow.Sydney Morning Herald...
and producer Nicky Graham
Nicky Graham
Nicky Graham is a musician, songwriter and music producer from the UK.He played keyboards for David Bowie throughout most of 1972 including on the Spiders from Mars tour, August and September 1972. He was A & R Manager at CBS Records UK during the 1980s when he signed The Clash...
(David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
Manager). The tracks Miss This Tonight and All That Stuff were released as singles.
'Miss This Tonight' reached number 17 on the Australian charts in 1986. It was his biggest hit single and is still heard today on the Triple M network.
Moffitt commuted between London and Sydney for a few years and then moved to the US for the last two years of the eighties. He drove around America, recorded at Supertramp's studio in LA, before settling into a recording studio on 14th street in the heart of the West Village, writing, playing and recording with the likes of Sean Pelton on drums, Mike Stanzilis on Bass, with guest appearances from some of the best New York City players in town. Matt Moffitt and Jennifer Barrett (background vocals and guitar) composed and recorded over two albums of currently unreleased original material; "ABC Love's a FreezeFrame", "Cool For Fun", and "Walking As My Heart Says Run" songs that exemplified his passionate experiences in New York. Eventually Matt invited John Prior the original drummer of Matt Finish to America to produce both Barrett and Moffitt.
Blue Max
In 1990, Moffitt eager to return to Sydney to showcase his new material, Matt formed the band Blue Max with Jennifer Barrett, Christian Dunha, Bill Heckenberg and Glen Muirhead performing countless shows that included Moffits' new material that he had written in London and with Barrett in America. They performed the entire East Coast of Australia including Southern Adelaide and Melbourne to much critical acclaim.Matt Finish Tour
In late 1990 an early 1991, Moffitt and PriorJohn Prior (musician)
John David Prior is an Australian drummer, composer and producer recognized for his work with Matt Finish, Adrian Belew , Mick Taylor , Roy Buchanan, Champion Jack Dupree, New Theatre, Coca-Cola, The Great Outdoors, iOTA, Wicked Beat Sound System, Kevin Borich and Dale Barlow.Sydney Morning Herald...
reformed Matt Finish
Matt Finish
Matt Finish are an Australian rock band formed by singer-songwriter/guitarist Matt Moffitt and drummer/composer/producer John Prior in mid 1979....
and embarked on a sold-out 50-date Australian tour with former Eurogliders
Eurogliders
Eurogliders were an Indie pop band formed in 1981 in Perth, Western Australia, which included mainstays Grace Knight on vocals and Bernie Lynch on guitar and vocals. The band was originally formed by Bernie Lynch and Amanda Vincent under the name Living Single. After almost a year, Grace Knight...
members Guy Le Claire (guitar) and Lindsay Jehan (bass) and Barrett (guitar).
Matt Finish Tour 2
In September 1991 Moffitt formed the Matt Moffit Band with Michael O'Grady (bass), Paul DC de Como (guitar) - two Sydney based musicians formerly of The Shelterman.Solo 2
In June 1992, Moffitt re-signed with producer Peter Dawkins and using the name Matt Finish, which was owned by John PriorJohn Prior (musician)
John David Prior is an Australian drummer, composer and producer recognized for his work with Matt Finish, Adrian Belew , Mick Taylor , Roy Buchanan, Champion Jack Dupree, New Theatre, Coca-Cola, The Great Outdoors, iOTA, Wicked Beat Sound System, Kevin Borich and Dale Barlow.Sydney Morning Herald...
, they released the single One Day at a Time, the album By Heart and EP Earthbound featuring Adrian Cannon (drums), Rohan Cannon (guitar/vocals), Bobby Christian (bass guitar) and Paul Dawkins (keyboards).
In 1993, Moffitt and Dawkins released the singles Blue and Will I Ever Know? featuring Eliot Reynolds (guitar) and Justin Leaf (drums).
In the late nineties, Moffitt performed on the The Boys Are Back In Town Australian tours.
Fire Hand Ember
In 2000, Moffitt and Rick GrossmanRichard Grossman (musician)
Richard Grossman is an Australian rock musician who has played bass guitar for two iconic bands Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus. Hoodoo Gurus iconic status on the Australian rock scene was acknowledged when they were inducted into the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame. For Grossman, this was his second Hall of Fame...
reunited to work on new material and perform shows around inner Sydney with Joseph Calderazzo (guitar) and Wayne Grech (drums).
Conclusion
On 13 August 2003, Matt Moffitt died in Sydney in his sleep at the age of 46. His funeral was on 20 August 2003.Family, friends and many Australian music industry greats attended the funeral on 20 August 2003 to farewell him including Rick Grossman
Richard Grossman (musician)
Richard Grossman is an Australian rock musician who has played bass guitar for two iconic bands Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus. Hoodoo Gurus iconic status on the Australian rock scene was acknowledged when they were inducted into the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame. For Grossman, this was his second Hall of Fame...
from Matt Finish
Matt Finish
Matt Finish are an Australian rock band formed by singer-songwriter/guitarist Matt Moffitt and drummer/composer/producer John Prior in mid 1979....
, Don Walker
Don Walker
Don Walker may refer to:*Don Walker , Australian musician*Don Walker , American orchestrator*Don Walker...
(Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
), Doc Neeson
Doc Neeson
Bernard "Doc" Neeson is an Australian rock singer. Neeson is known as the lead singer and frontman for Australian hard rock band The Angels.-Early life:...
(The Angels
The Angels
The Angels may refer to:*The Angels , an American girl group who had hits in the 1960s*The Angels , an Australian hard rock band*The Angels is the English translation of Los Angeles, California in the U.S.A....
), Rob Hirst
Rob Hirst
-External links:*******...
(Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
), John Swan (Swanee
Swanee (singer)
John Swan, better known as Swanee, is a Australian rock singer. He was born John Archibold Dixon Swan in Glasgow, Scotland in 1952. He is the older brother of rock singer Jimmy Barnes and the uncle of singer and stage performer David Campbell. He emigrated to Australia with his family in 1961...
), Bernie Cannon (producer of GTK
GTK (TV show)
GTK was an Australian popular music TV series produced and broadcast by ABC Television.-History:The series title was an abbreviation of the phrase "Get To Know"...
on ABC TV
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
) and Rob Scott (Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
).
Moffitt is survived by his mother Betty, his sisters Annabel, Frances, Sophie and brother Dominic.
Albums
- 1981 Short Note
- 1984 Word of Mouth
- 1985 As Little As A Look
- 1993 By Heart
Singles
- 1980 "Matt Finish Play Africa": "CIA" / "Mancini Shuffle"
- 1981 "Short Note" / "Layman's Day"
- 1984 "Words and Wars" / "Still Roads (I Need It)" / "Come on Over"
- 1984 "Always Another" / "Forecast"
- 1986 Miss This Tonight
- 1986 All That Stuff
- 1992 "One Day at a Time" / "Augustine"
- 1993 "Blue" / "Layman's Day" / "Camden Town"
- 1994 "Will I Ever Know" / "Short Note" / "In My Dreams"
External links
- Matt Finish official MySpace
- Matt Finish 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 - Fire Hand Ember MySpace site
- SMH article
- Photos of Matt
- Hotsource article
- Australian Music History database
- Inner City Sound archive