Matthew Bannister (musician)
Encyclopedia
Matthew Bannister is a New Zealand
musician
, journalist
, and academic
. Originally from Dunblane
in Scotland
he moved to New Zealand with his family when he was 17.
, in Dunedin
, he co-founded the band Sneaky Feelings
, for which he was lead vocalist
, guitarist
, and songwriter
. After the band dissolved in 1989, Bannister moved to Auckland
, where he formed Dribbling Darts and worked as a journalist
and reviewer. Both bands had music released on the Flying Nun record label. He has also worked briefly with The Mutton Birds
. He released a solo album, Moth, in 2007 as One Man Bannister. In 2008 he released an album with The Weather called Aroha Ave, and in 2011 a self-titled album with The Changing Same.
about his experiences as a musician in the 1980s Dunedin scene
. Partly, this was a response to concerns he had over being "written out" of New Zealand's indie music history: "I published a book ... about Sneaky Feelings because I felt we were being written out of the label's history and indeed out of indie history, for example our non-appearance in various articles about Flying Nun, in indie discographies, and in local ... rock polls". This book, Positively George Street, appeared in 1999.
in the Department of Film, TV and Media Studies at the University of Auckland
, graduating in 2003. His thesis was entitled White Man's Soul: Pakeha masculinities in popular music of New Zealand / Aotearoa. A revised version of the thesis appeared as a book, White Boys, White Noise: Masculinities and 1980s Guitar Rock, in the Ashgate
Popular Music and Folk Series in 2006.
He now works at the Waikato Institute of Technology
(WINTEC) as Theory/Post Graduate advisor in the School of Media Arts.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, and academic
Senior lecturer
Senior lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a faculty position at a university or similar institution. Especially in research-intensive universities, lecturers lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
. Originally from Dunblane
Dunblane
Dunblane is a small cathedral city and former burgh north of Stirling in the Stirling council area of Scotland. The town is situated off the A9 road, on the way north to Perth. Its main landmark is Dunblane Cathedral and the Allan Water runs through the town centre, with the Cathedral and the High...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
he moved to New Zealand with his family when he was 17.
Musical career
After a stint as a teenager in the late '70's playing rhythm guitar in working men's clubs and other unlicensed venues with Gavin Keen (lead guitar), Graeme Dooley (drums) and Spike Quinn (bass) in 60's covers band Feedback, in 1981, while he was a student at the University of OtagoUniversity of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
, in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, he co-founded the band Sneaky Feelings
Sneaky Feelings
Sneaky Feelings were a 1980s New Zealand pop/rock band, led by Matthew Bannister, who recorded on the Flying Nun label. Initially recording with the line-up of Bannister , David Pine , Kat Tyrie and Martin Durrant , Tyrie was replaced by John Kelcher early in the band's career...
, for which he was lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. After the band dissolved in 1989, Bannister moved to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, where he formed Dribbling Darts and worked as a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and reviewer. Both bands had music released on the Flying Nun record label. He has also worked briefly with The Mutton Birds
The Mutton Birds
The Mutton Birds was a band from New Zealand formed in 1991 by Don McGlashan, Ross Burge, and David Long.-History:All three members came into the band with experience: McGlashan came from Blam Blam Blam and The Front Lawn, guitarist Long had played in the Six Volts and Burge had played in the...
. He released a solo album, Moth, in 2007 as One Man Bannister. In 2008 he released an album with The Weather called Aroha Ave, and in 2011 a self-titled album with The Changing Same.
Positively George Street
In the mid-1990s, Bannister began writing a memoirMemoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
about his experiences as a musician in the 1980s Dunedin scene
Dunedin Sound
The Dunedin sound was a style of indie pop music created in the southern New Zealand university city of Dunedin in the early 1980s.-Characteristics:...
. Partly, this was a response to concerns he had over being "written out" of New Zealand's indie music history: "I published a book ... about Sneaky Feelings because I felt we were being written out of the label's history and indeed out of indie history, for example our non-appearance in various articles about Flying Nun, in indie discographies, and in local ... rock polls". This book, Positively George Street, appeared in 1999.
Academic career
In 1998, Bannister returned to full-time study as a Ph.D. candidateDoctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in the Department of Film, TV and Media Studies at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
, graduating in 2003. His thesis was entitled White Man's Soul: Pakeha masculinities in popular music of New Zealand / Aotearoa. A revised version of the thesis appeared as a book, White Boys, White Noise: Masculinities and 1980s Guitar Rock, in the Ashgate
Ashgate Publishing
Ashgate Publishing is an academic book and journal publisher based in Farnham, Surrey, United Kingdom. It was established in 1967 and specializes in the social sciences, arts, humanities, and professional practice...
Popular Music and Folk Series in 2006.
He now works at the Waikato Institute of Technology
Waikato Institute of Technology
The Waikato Institute of Technology, marketed as Wintec, is a technological learning institute based in Hamilton, New Zealand, and the fifth largest institute of technology/polytechnic within New Zealand, with around 16,000 full-time and part-time students, 1,200 full-time and part-time staff — and...
(WINTEC) as Theory/Post Graduate advisor in the School of Media Arts.
Personal life
Both Bannister's parents were academics working at Otago University. Bannister is married to Dribbling Darts/The Weather bandmate Alice Bulmer.Bands
- Sneaky FeelingsSneaky FeelingsSneaky Feelings were a 1980s New Zealand pop/rock band, led by Matthew Bannister, who recorded on the Flying Nun label. Initially recording with the line-up of Bannister , David Pine , Kat Tyrie and Martin Durrant , Tyrie was replaced by John Kelcher early in the band's career...
1981-89, 1992 - Dribbling Darts (originally Dribbling Darts of Love) 1989-1993
- Mutton Birds (played guitar on tour in 1999)
- The Weather 2004-2009
- The Changing Same 2009-
Publications
- Bannister, Matthew (1999). Positively George Street. Auckland: Reed Books. ISBN 0-7900-0704-5
- Bannister, Matthew (2002). White Man's Soul: pakeha masculinities in popular music of New Zealand / Aotearoa, PhD thesis, University of Auckland.
- Bannister, Matthew (2005). "Kiwi Blokes Recontextualising White New Zealand Masculinities in a Global Setting," Genders Journal, no. 42.
- Bannister, Matthew (2006a). "'Loaded': Indie Guitar Rock, Canonism, White Masculinities," Popular Music 25, no. 1: 77-95.
- Bannister, Matthew (2006b). White Boys, White Noise: Masculinities and 1980s Guitar Rock. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-7546-5190-8