Powderfinger biography
Powderfinger was an Australian rock band that formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their breakup the band lineup consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bassist John Collins, and drummer Jon Coghill.
Powderfinger became a commercial success with their third studio album Internationalist in 1998. They followed up that success with several hit singles and award-winning works, earning a total of eighteen ARIA Awards and making them the most awarded band behind Silverchair. Numerous Powderfinger albums have reached multiple-platinum status, as well as top 5 rankings in the weekly Australian music charts. Odyssey Number Five, Powderfinger's most successful album earned over eight platinum certifications and ARIA Awards in five different categories.
After the release of their first DVD These Days: Live in Concert and a "best of" release, Powderfinger announced a hiatus in 2005. The announcement of a two-month-long nationwide tour with Silverchair titled Across the Great Divide followed the release of their sixth studio album, Dream Days at the Hotel Existence in June 2007.
Powderfinger was actively involved in philanthropic causes. In 2005, they performed at a WaveAid concert in Sydney, to help raise funds for areas affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Another performance at the Sydney Opera House in October 2007 raised funds for breast cancer victims and their families. The aim of their recent Across the Great Divide tour was to promote the efforts of Reconciliation Australia, and to promote awareness of the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children.
On the morning of Friday 9 April 2010 Powderfinger announced at a press conference that they would be breaking up after their "Sunsets" tour, saying it would be their last ever as the band had musically said everything they wanted to say. On 13 November 2010, Powderfinger played their last concert as a band, signifying their departure and the splitting of Powderfinger.
History
Formation and early releases (1989-1993)
Powderfinger was formed in 1989 by vocalist and guitarist Ian Haug, bassist John Collins and drummer Steven Bishop, who took their band's name from the Neil Young song "Powderfinger". Before the band's formation, the members had all played in other Brisbane-based outfits. The band later sought an extra guitarist, Bernard Fanning, who Haug had met in a university class. Fanning took over the role of lead vocals from Haug, and at the same time Jon Coghill joined the band, replacing Bishop after a "mutual leaving." Powderfinger's final lineup change came with the addition of guitarist Darren Middleton into the band. The group consisting of Fanning, Collins, Haug, Middleton and Coghill remained as such since 1992.
Powderfinger initially performed cover versions of other artists' songs, but gradually developed into writing and performing their own material. In 1992, the group self-funded a recording of their early works and released them as a self-titled extended play, more commonly known as the Blue EP. replacing Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box". The group recorded their first music video for the EP's lead track "Reap What You Sow". It was directed by David Barker, who went on to direct the next seven videos for the group.
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