Neon (band)
Encyclopedia
Neon are a three-piece Australia
n rock band
from Melbourne, Australia
. Their "A Man" single made the top 50 of the Australian singles charts in November 2004 and has won critical acclaim in the British music media.
Bitmead and Gurney initially played in a band called Porcelein, who won a Triple J Unearthed contest in the mid-to-late 1990s. However, Neon formed in 2001 in Melbourne and started working on songs written by Josh Bitmead. The band started recording demos and working as support acts for Dallas Crane
, Magic Dirt
, Rocket Science
and You Am I
.
Eventually, the band signed a record deal with independent record label Ivy League Records
. A copy of a demo tape fell into the hands of Steve McDonald of Redd Kross
who offered to produce a record for the band in Los Angeles. The album featured contributions from Pat Smear
and Dale Crover, the drummer for the Melvins
.
Former Blur
guitarist Graham Coxon
had also heard a copy of their demo tape and offered them a contract to release an EP on his Transcopic Records
in 2004. The "A Man" EP featured a track from the Steve McDonald sessions "A Man" along with three of the demo recordings. The EP received good reviews from the NME, Kerrang!
and BBC Radio 1
. Neon also supported Jet
, The Vines
and the Living End
on their Aussie Invasion tour of the US.
Their debut self-titled album was released in Australia in 2005 through Ivy League records, with its lead single making the Number 48 on the Australian singles charts in November 2004. The band also signed an international record deal with V2 Records
for international distribution.
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 band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
from Melbourne, Australia
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...
. Their "A Man" single made the top 50 of the Australian singles charts in November 2004 and has won critical acclaim in the British music media.
Biography
Two of the members of Neon come originally from Broken HillBroken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
Bitmead and Gurney initially played in a band called Porcelein, who won a Triple J Unearthed contest in the mid-to-late 1990s. However, Neon formed in 2001 in Melbourne and started working on songs written by Josh Bitmead. The band started recording demos and working as support acts for Dallas Crane
Dallas Crane
Dallas Crane is an Australian alternative rock band from Melbourne, Australia.Dallas Crane was named after the father of a mate of the band.In January 2004, the band signed a recording and publishing deal with Albert Productions, the home of AC/DC. The band recorded an album with Wayne Connolly,...
, Magic Dirt
Magic Dirt
Magic Dirt are an Australian rock band, which formed in 1991 in Geelong, Victoria, with Daniel Herring on guitar, Adam Robertson on drums, Adalita Srsen on vocals and guitar, and Dean Turner on bass guitar. Initially known as Deer Bubbles and then The Jim Jims, they were renamed as Magic Dirt in...
, Rocket Science
Rocket Science (band)
Rocket Science is an Australian alternative rock band that first came to public attention on national youth radio network Triple J around 2000....
and You Am I
You Am I
You Am I are an Australian alternative rock band, fronted by vocalist/guitarist and main songwriter Tim Rogers. They were the first Australian band to have three albums successively debut at #1 on the ARIA Charts, and are renowned for their live performances.-History:Tim Rogers formed the first...
.
Eventually, the band signed a record deal with independent record label Ivy League Records
Ivy League Records
For other uses of the term Ivy League see Ivy League Ivy League Records is a record label based in Sydney, Australia.Associated with the music management company Winterman & Goldstein and Ivy League Music publishing, Ivy League is the creation of Cameron Emerson-Elliot , Peter Lusty and James Roden...
. A copy of a demo tape fell into the hands of Steve McDonald of Redd Kross
Redd Kross
Redd Kross, a rock band from Hawthorne, California had their roots in 1978 in a band called The Tourists begun by Jeff and Steve McDonald while the brothers were still in middle school...
who offered to produce a record for the band in Los Angeles. The album featured contributions from Pat Smear
Pat Smear
Pat Smear is a rock musician who has been a guitarist in several well-known bands including The Germs and Nirvana. He is currently a guitarist for the Foo Fighters...
and Dale Crover, the drummer for the Melvins
The Melvins
The Melvins are an American band that formed in 1983. They usually perform as a trio, but in recent years have performed as a four piece with two drummers. Since 1984, singer and guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover have been the band's constant members...
.
Former Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
guitarist Graham Coxon
Graham Coxon
Graham Leslie Coxon is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter. He came to prominence as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of rock band Blur, and is also a critically acclaimed solo artist, having recorded seven solo albums...
had also heard a copy of their demo tape and offered them a contract to release an EP on his Transcopic Records
Transcopic Records
Transcopic is a record label created in 1998 by ex-Blur guitarist Graham Coxon for his solo releases. It has also released records by acts such as Ooberman, The Buff Medways and You Am I. The label was co-owned and run by Jamie Davis, now at Ark recordings...
in 2004. The "A Man" EP featured a track from the Steve McDonald sessions "A Man" along with three of the demo recordings. The EP received good reviews from the NME, Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
and BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. Neon also supported Jet
Jet (band)
Jet are an Australian rock band formed in 2001 while attending St Bede's College Mentone in Melbourne, . The band consists of lead guitarist Cameron Muncey, bassist Mark Wilson, and brothers Nic and Chris Cester on vocals/rhythm guitar and drums respectively...
, The Vines
The Vines
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Special:LandingCheck?landing_page=L11_1121_WMUK_Jimmy_DDOptimised&utm_medium=sitenotice&utm_campaign=C11_1121_WMUK_DDvOneOff&utm_source=B11_1121_WMUK_Jimmy&language=en&country=GB...
and the Living End
The Living End
The Living End are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 1994. The current lineup consists of Chris Cheney , Scott Owen and Andy Strachan...
on their Aussie Invasion tour of the US.
Their debut self-titled album was released in Australia in 2005 through Ivy League records, with its lead single making the Number 48 on the Australian singles charts in November 2004. The band also signed an international record deal with V2 Records
V2 Records
V2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI....
for international distribution.
Band members
- Josh Bitmead (guitar, vocals, songwriter)
- Britt Spooner (bass)
- Anthony Troiano (drums)
Discography
- A Man EP (2004) - Transcopic
- Hit Me Again EP (2004)
- Dizziness EP (2005)
- Neon LP (2005) - Ivy League/Slanted
- "Hello" / "Never Again" 7" (2009)