They were formed in Brisbane in 1989 as Custard Gun. David McCormack played guitar and sang, with Shane Bruun on drums, James Straker played the lead guitar for one or two gigs and Paul Medew played bass guitar. It was this lineup that recorded the group's first single, "Rockfish Anna." When Straker left at the start of 1990, Custard came into being. After winning The Australian Academy of Music's Encouragement Award in 1991, Custard expanded its lineup to include bank teller Matthew Strong on lead guitar. Strong enabled the release of "Rockfish Anna," on vinyl. He was prepared to pay a third of the single's manufacturing costs.
Custard used the Encouragement Award's prize of $500 recording time to put down about 13 songs in eight hours, most of which comprise Buttercup/Bedford, the band's first album. The dual title refers to the fact that some of the artwork calls the album "Buttercup" while the rest calls it "Bedford." The CD was held up eight months in manufacture, lost somewhere in Canada. In the meantime, after a handful of tours to Sydney and Melbourne, Custard secured a recording deal with new label RA, a subsidiary of rooArt, the ambitious label set up by Inxs manager Chris Murphy to showcase Australian music internationally. On the way, drummer Shane Bruun was replaced by Gavin Herrenburg.
RA wanted to release an EP. Custard insisted on "Bedford" being used from the "Buttercup" sessions, and, therefore, Gastanked, Custard 's debut RA EP, consists of one pre-record company track and five new tracks. Next, Custard recorded another EP and once again misplaced a drummer. Danny Plant replaced Herrenburg.
Custard 's debut album for RA, Wahooti Fandango, was recorded in Brisbane's Sunshine Studios where the Go-Betweens had recorded. Custard's David McCormack and Glenn Thompson had recently finished working an album with ex-Go-Between Robert Forster at Sunshine called Calling From a Country Phone.
When Frank Black toured Australia in 1994, Custard secured the support slot and made friends with Eric Drew Feldman who was playing bass and had produced the two Frank Black solo albums. Feldman liked the band and agreed to produce an album. Weisenheimer was produced in San Francisco and spawned the single "Apartment," one of the most popular Australian independent songs of 1995.
With yet another new drummer, Glenn Thompson, Custard toured America with Redd Kross and the Presidents of the United States of America, finding time at the end of the tour to record a new album, We Have the Technology, in Memphis and San Francisco, once again produced by Feldman. This became a turning point of the band. A gruelling touring schedule and homesickness killed Custard's desire to be a "huge" band and destroyed almost all the personal and business relationships within and around the band.
In October of 1998, Custard regrouped from all the different corners of Australia they had retired to and recorded Lovearama with Australian producer Magoo (Regurgitator). The album's 14 songs span just 42 minutes and added a tongue-in-cheek "disco" approach to the normal Custard hook-laden madness. Despite the band's refusal to tour for six months, the single from the album, "Girls Like That (Don't Go for Guys Like Us)," almost became the hit Custard had always threatened to have.
In mid-2000, facing a new millenium, Custard decided to call it a day instead and put together a compilation of their career on record, Goodbye Cruel World. Singer David McCormack, the man mainly responsible for Custard's songs and style, formed a new group, the Titanics, an extension of Custard and all the solo performances and side projects he indulged in throughout the Custard years.
reference~ Ed Nimmervoll
also check out this link http://www.messandnoise.com/articles/3822958
WHERE ARE THEY NOW
DAVID McCORMACK-
David has always been very prolific in his output with "side projects" and collaborations galore, even during the time of Custard. Following the dissolution of Custard in 2000 McCormack formed "The Titanics" as a vehicle for those side projects and the solo work he'd indulged in during the past few years.
He also worked again with a gentleman many associate as a Custard member but he was more of a guest in keyboardist Andrew Lancaster. Not only did he work on the music to the film "Garage Days" with McCormack and help teach the cast members of the film how to play their instruments (or at least look like they were) he teamed up with David in his latest outift The Polaroids, a band of which he is still a member.
McCormack is till going strong and you can learn more about The Polaroids and David at his official website
In early 2007, David then went into the studio to produce a tribute album to the Go-Betweens called "Write Your Adventures Down".
http://www.davidmccormack.com.au/
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=673312867&ref=ts
http://www.myspace.com/davidmccormack
MATTHEW STRONG-
Guitarist and one-time bank teller Matthew Strong was last spotted in 2000 playing in Boat Show with ex-Regurgitator drummer Martin Lee and ex-Violetine bassist Glen Lewis. Their 2000 EP release was "Suck 'n' Feed". He was also in two bands where he played bass instead of lead guitar with Phil Jamieson(Grinspoon) and Nick Wright(Son Of Stevie Wright)
"Tdaatec" which released two ep,s http://www.myspace.com/tdaatecunofficial and "The Lost Gospel"
who released one album in 2006 http://www.myspace.com/thelostgospelband
GLENN THOMPSON-
Thompson played for McCormack’s post-Custard act The Titanics before hooking up with the Go-Betweens for their 2000 reunion album "The Friends of Rachel Worth". Another album, "Bright Yellow Bright Orange" was released in 2002 and a new Go-Betweens album "Oceans Apart" was released in the 2005. he was a member of the band until its demise in 2006 with the death of Grant McLennan
Thompson formed "Beachfield" in 2006 as a vehicle for his songwriting. "Brighton Bothways", Beachfield's first album was released in 2007.
Pickvance, Thompson and Forster reconvened in 2007 to record Forsters fifth solo album The Evangelist.
In 2010 he formed a duo with Adele Pickvance from The Go-Betweens, called "Adele&Glenn."
http://www.myspace.com/adeleandglenn
http://www.myspace.com/beachfield
http://www.myspace.com/thegobetweensmk1
PAUL MEDEW-
All i know of bassist Paul Medew's movements post-Custard are that he had a presumably shortlived group in Brisbane soon after the bust-up called Star Vehicle.And also a band called "The Purple Hearts" http://www.myspace.com/walkingintothesun can anyone help me with this
DANNY PLANT-
Drummer Danny Plant went on to join "Automatic" who had the mildly successful 1997 release "Transmitter". Last we know of his playing is his appearance on the 2000 release by "HQ Rear Window" by ex-The Warner Brothers/Overnight Jones James Stewart.
JAMES STARKER, GAVIN HERRENBURG, SHANE BRUUN-
Now this is where i dont know anthing about them the only one i know about is"James Starker"
who went on to be in "The Melniks" an awesome brisbane band http://www.musiciscrap.com/themelniks/index.html
has gone on to have a successful musical and non-musical business career. He ran a second hand collectibles shop in Brisbane called Silver Rocket (named after the Sonic Youth tune) for a few years before getting involved in the Secret Service music management team. James has managed bands such as Magic Dirt, Not From There, Violetine and Something for Kate. James has also been involved in running a record label (Depot music), producing a television pilot (TV Party), operating a Tiki Bar (The Alibi Room), working as a tour manager and running nightclubs. Furtermore, in 2006 Straker attempted to enter himself and his 1968 Holden Kingswood (complete with a BBQ built into the boot) into the Gumball Rally, which is kinda like a real life equivalent of the Cannonball Run.
if you would like anymore info on custard a site i higly recomend is http://www.musiciscrap.com/
now check out all my pages i will be posting as much custard related music and info as i can and will make regular updates please let me know if any of this info is wrong or you have any other rare songs to post
thanks..Tim
