The Triffids were an Australian alternative rock and pop band, formed in Perth in Western Australia in May 1978 with David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved some success in Australia, but greater success in the UK and Scandinavia in the 1980s before disbanding in 1989. Their best-known songs include "Wide Open Road" and "Bury Me Deep in Love". SBS television featured their 1986 album, Born Sandy Devotional, on the Great Australian Albums series in 2007, and in 2010 it ranked 5th in the book The 100 Best Australian Albums by Toby Creswell, Craig Mathieson and John O'Donnell.
David Richard McComb was an Australian musician. He was the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the Australian bands, The Triffids (1976–89) and The Blackeyed Susans (1989–93). He also had a solo career including leading David McComb and The Red Ponies. Over his career McComb had bouts of alcoholism, and amphetamine and heroin abuse. He developed cardiomyopathy and in 1996 underwent a heart transplant. David McComb died on 2 February 1999 "due to heroin toxicity and mild acute rejection of his 1996 heart transplant", according to the coroner. In May 2001, the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, named "Wide Open Road" by The Triffids – written by McComb – as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time. On 1 July 2008 The Triffids were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame with McComb's contribution acknowledged by a tribute performance.
Graham Francis Lee is an Australian musician and record producer, best known as the steel guitar player of the 1980s band The Triffids, where he was nicknamed 'Evil Graham Lee'.
Martyn Paul Casey is an English-born Australian rock bass guitarist. He has been a member of the Triffids, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman. Casey plays either his Fender Precision Bass or Fender Jazz Bass.
The Blackeyed Susans are an Australian rock band, which formed in Perth in 1989. Long serving members are Phil Kakulas on bass guitar, guitar and vocals; and Rob Snarski on vocals and guitar. They have released seven studio albums, Welcome Stranger, All Souls Alive, Mouth to Mouth, Spin the Bottle, Dedicated to the Ones We Love, Shangri-La and Close Your Eyes and See.
Born Sandy Devotional is an album by The Triffids, released in March 1986. The songs were written by David McComb.
In The Pines is an album by The Triffids, released in August 1986, which reached No. 69 on the Australian Album Charts.
Love In Bright Landscapes is an anthology by Australian folk rock group, The Triffids, which was released in 1986. The original LP had ten tracks compiled from their album, EP and single releases in the period from 1983 to 1985, during which time the group were resident in Perth, Sydney and London. Three additional tracks from the same sources were included on the later CD version of the album.
Stockholm is a live recording by Australian folk rock group, The Triffids, released in July 1990 and is the final official recording by the band. All tracks were recorded live in Stockholm in 1989 for Swedish National Radio, The Bommen Show. The album was produced by Lars Aldman, engineered by Michael Bergek, and mixed at Planet Sound Studios, Perth on 15, 16 and 17 September 1989 by James Hewgill and David McComb.
Reverie is the official debut recording by The Triffids, released as a 7" extended play in November 1982. Its four tracks were produced by Tim Lambert for Resonant Records.
Bad Timing and Other Stories is the second official recording by The Triffids, released as a 7" extended play in April 1983. Its four tracks were produced by Robert Ash for White Records Label an imprint of Mushroom Records.
Lawson Square Infirmary was a 12" extended play released in November 1984 by the Triffids and James Paterson under the collaborative project of the same name. In 2008 all six tracks from the EP were included on the compilation Beautiful Waste and Other Songs.
Raining Pleasure is a record released in 1984 by the Australian folk rock group The Triffids as a 12" vinyl EP. It reached No. 95 on the Australian Charts. Its seven tracks were co-produced by the group with Nick Mainsbridge who also supplied trumpet.
Field Of Glass by The Triffids was released as a 12" extended play in 1985. All three tracks were generally recorded live at BBC Studio 5, Maida Vale, London. The EP was produced by Mark Radcliffe, engineered by Mike Robinson, engineered by Owen Davies and remixed by Nick Cook at Townhouse 3.
Alan MacDonald is an Australian musician and lawyer, best known as the drummer of the 1980s band The Triffids, where he performed under his nickname 'Alsy'.
"Goodbye Little Boy" was the first single released in March 1989 by Australian group The Triffids ahead of their album The Black Swan. Lead vocals are provided by Jill Birt, their keyboardist, instead of David McComb, the group's usual lead singer. Birt is also featured on the single's front cover.
"Falling Over You" was the second single, released in September 1989, by Australian folk rock group The Triffids from their album The Black Swan. It was produced by Stephen Street and co-written by David McComb and Adam Peters. The tracks were recorded between September and October 1988 at The Justice Room, Cathanger, Somerset and mixed at Fallout Shelter, London, November 1988. "You Minus Me" was written and produced by McComb. The single appeared as a 7", 12" and CD single version.
"Beautiful Waste" is a single released by Australian folk rock group, The Triffids in February 1984. It was not included on any of the band's studio albums nor extended plays, it was first compiled on Australian Melodrama (1994). The B-side, "Property Is Condemned", was included on the 1984 EP Raining Pleasure. A film clip was made for "Beautiful Waste". Its name was adapted for a 2008 posthumous compilation of mid-1980s non-album tracks, Beautiful Waste and Other Songs.
Spanish Blue is the second single released by Australian folk rock group, The Triffids in 1982. The single was produced by Les Karski for the White Label Records imprint of Mushroom Records, owned by Michael Gudinski. The single was initially released independently by No Records but was re-released in October 1982 following the band's signing with White Label Records.
They'd recorded "Spanish Blue" when the spectre of the Gudinski organisation loomed, and they were summoned to the Mushroom/White Citadel. Gudinski liked "Spanish Blue". 'It was just that he wanted us to re-write it, and re-mix it,' McComb laughs. 'We ended up putting it out ourselves immediately they started dilly dallying because we said we wouldn't re-mix it. We thought that we couldn't just wait for people to decide what they wanted to do.'
"Stand Up" is the debut single released by Australian folk rock group, The Triffids in July 1981. The production by Peter Simpson for the Shake Some Action label was the prize for the band winning a song competition in late 1980. The competition was sponsored by the Western Australian Institute of Technology Student Guild’s radio show on 6NR.
