Dave Graney

Dave Graney is an Australian rock musician, singer-songwriter and author.

The title was from an autobiographical tome by George Armstrong Custer in 1876, the year he died at Little Big Horn.

The cover featured images of a young Jesse James, Custer and ornate Edwardian lettering by London artist Dave Western, based on a Frederic Remington cowboy painting.

It reflected Graney's obsession with wild western myth and late 1960s psychedelic bands with similar tastes, The Charlatans and Quicksilver Messenger Service from San Francisco.

No singles were released from the album, although a video was shot by Tony Mahony for "Robert Ford on the Stage".

Savage left to join Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and they were joined on pedal steel guitar by Graham Lee (The Triffids).

This line-up recorded "Codine", a live in the studio four track extended play, which was issued late in the year.

Since 1978, Graney has collaborated with drummer-multi instrumentalist Clare Moore.

In 1978, he relocated to Adelaide and, as lead vocalist, he teamed with drummer Clare Moore to form Sputniks with Liz Dealey on bass guitar, Phillip Costello on guitar and Steve Miller on guitar.

Sputniks released one single, "Second Glance" on an independent label before moving to Melbourne in 1979 where they disbanded.

The pair have fronted or been involved with numerous bands including The Moodists (1980 to 1987), Dave Graney and The White Buffaloes (1989 to 1990), Dave Graney and The Coral Snakes (1987 to 1989, 1991 to 1997), The Dave Graney Show (1998 to 2003), Dave Graney and Clare Moore featuring The Lurid Yellow Mist or Dave Graney and The Lurid Yellow Mist (2004 to 2011) and Dave Graney and The mistLY.

Graney, Miller and Moore formed post-punk group The Moodists with Steve Carman on bass guitar in 1980.

They released a single "Where the Trees Walk Downnhill"/"I Should Have Been Here" on the Au Go Go label.

Carman was soon replaced by Chris Walsh on bass guitar.

This line-up released a single "Gone Dead"/"Chad’s Car", and an EP "Engine Shudder" on the Au Go Go label.

In April 1983, Mick Turner (previously in Sick Things, Fungus Brains, later in Dirty Three) joined on guitar and they relocated to the United Kingdom in October.

They released their studio album "Thirsty's Calling" in 1984 on the Red Flame label with Victor Van Vugt co producing with band along with engineer Tony Harris.

Red Flame also released a six track mini album in 1985 called "Double Life".

A single "Justice and Money Too" was released on the Creation label.

Chris Walsh left in the same year, 1985.

David McClymont joined on bass and the band recorded two 12" EPs "Take the Red Carpet out of Town" and "Someone's Got to Give" on the T.I.M. label in the UK.

In late 1986, The Moodists ground to a halt and after taking a break Dave Graney and Clare Moore formed Dave Graney 'n' the Coral Snakes (also seen as Dave Graney with the Coral Snakes) in late 1987 and played in London pubs and clubs.

Other members were Gordy Blair on bass guitar, Malcolm Ross (ex-Orange Juice, The Moodists) on guitar and Louis Vause on piano and keyboards.

In 1988, with Barry Adamson (former member of Magazine, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) producing, they recorded enough material for an extended play, "At His Stone Beach" released in September on the Fire label.

The cover had ornate Edwardian lettering by UK illustrator Dave Western.

By 1989, Graney and Moore were ordered out of the country by UK immigration authorities.

The four tracks, "World Full of Daughters", "Listen to Her Lovers Sing", "A Deal Made for Somebody Else" and "The Greatest Show in Town", were later included on CD version of the Dave Graney with the White Buffaloes album, "My Life on the Plains".

Back in Melbourne, the couple formed Dave Graney with The White Buffaloes with Rod Hayward (ex-Little Murders) on guitar, Conway Savage (Boy Kings) on keyboards and Walsh (The Moodists) on bass guitar.

Graney sported an Edwardian/Western image, wearing snakeskin and brown suede, sporting a curled moustache and waxed goatee.

The band released "My Life on the Plains" in 1989 with Phil Vinall producing.

Vinall, a friend of Graney and Moore, later worked with The Auteurs, Placebo and Magic Dirt (among others).

The album included tracks written by other artists, such as Gene Clark, Fred Neil, Gram Parsons and the traditional "Streets of Laredo".

In their live shows they included songs by Doug Sahm, Lou Reed, Buffy Sainte Marie and Tim Rose.

Graney was awarded the ARIA Award for Best Male Artist at the ARIA Music Awards of 1996 for his work on The Soft 'n' Sexy Sound, while "Feelin' Kinda Sporty" won the ARIA Award for Best Video in 1997 and he has received seven other ARIA Award nominations.

Since 2009, Graney has co-presented a radio show on Melbourne's 3RRR called Banana Lounge Broadcasting or BLB.

He has published two memoirs, "1001 Australian Nights" (2011) and "WORKSHY" (2018) and two lyrics books "It Is Written, Baby" (1997) and "There He Goes With His Eye Out" (2023)

David John Graney grew up in Mount Gambier, South Australia.

He attended St Mary's Primary School, Marist Brothers College, McDonald Park Primary School and Mt Gambier High School.

He finished school after Year 12.

Many albums since LETS GET TIGHT in 2017 have been credited to Dave Graney and Clare Moore.