BIO:
1980 The Church play their first gigs in Sydney, Australia.
1981 Of Skins and Heart LP makes a Top 30 debut. The Unguarded Moment hits ..22.
1982 US debut combines Skins and Too Fast For You EP. Classic second album The Blurred Crusade hits Australian Top 10. Almost With You is another hit.
1983 Sing Songs EP in Australia; first UK EP.
1984 Seance album serves notice of more experimental, atmospheric intent. Persia and Remote Luxury EPs.
1985 Steve Kilbey releases first solo disc, a precedent Marty Willson-Piper and Peter Koppes soon embrace with gusto.
1986 Heyday album breaks Australian Top 15, becomes global cult classic.
1987 Top 10 Starfish LP marks new worldwide commercial peak. Under the Milky Way, ..5 in Australia, ..24 in US, Best Single ARIA
1990 Metropolis reaches ARIA Top 10. Compromised Gold Fix Afternoon LP, another Top 10 hit, seals bands resolve to put art before commerce.
1991 A Quick Smoke At Spots rarities compilation.
1992 Self-produced Priest = Aura, a new career high, is the end of an era.
1994 Kilbey and Willson-Piper reconvene for epic Sometime Anywhere set; tour as acoustic duo.
1996 2nd duo LP, Magician Among the Spirits Koppes makes guest appearance that leads to reunion tour, with drummer Tim Powles completing most cohesive Church line-up.
1998 Hologram of Baal,lt cements new line-up. Companion album, Bastard Universe first 70-minute improvisation album.
1999 A Box of Birds covers album.
2001 After Everything Now This biggest international hit in almost 10 years..
2002 Parallel Universe remix album
2003 Forget Yourself sparks another sweeping world tour headed by a stunning launch at the Sydney Opera House.
2004 Three albums find the Church at a new peak of creative health: Jammed second 70-minute improvisation album. Beside Yourself a second B-sides compilation. El Momento Descuidado Liberation Blue acoustic album.
2005 Back With Two Beasts, outtakes album
2006 Uninvited, Like The Clouds, worldwide release April - 26 years after first Church shows. The album El Momento Descuidado is nominated for an ARIA award
2006 The Church perform Under the Milky Way with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the opening of the Commonwealth Games followed by an acoustic Europe and extensive USA tour. The Magnetic Strip full electric tour follows in Australia
2007 - The Church embarked on a major tour as very special guests of The Pretenders on their Australian Tour during Jan 2007. Feb saw the release of the new album El Momento Siguiente, preceding album launches in Melbourne and Sydney. In April the band embarked on a full electric tour of eastern europe finishing up at the Carlisle in London to a totally sold out gig. In July, the release of Deep In The Shallows - The Classic Singles Collection They finished off 2007 touring with The Divinyls, taking them from the Enmore Theatre, Sydney to The Forum in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and finishing at the Gold Coast.
2008 - The band worked together on a new studio album and kept extremely busy with appearances in other projects incl Steve appearing in special event concerts with The Triffids including The Triffids Hall of Fame induction and Sydney Festivals and Marty has performed shows in Australia, USA and Europe. The Church were invited to perform exclusively at the David Jones AMEX card launch in Sydney in late 2008
2009 - The Shriek: Excerpts From The Soundtrack cd was released. An australian tour in march. The studio album Untitled#23 was first released in Australia on the bands own Unorthodox label, the album achieving much critical acclaim worldwide, and the 1st album in more than a decade to be released on vinyl as well. Also 2 more EPs were released. An extensive tour of North America in june/july, reconnecting the band with their fans. Some semi-acoustic and other australian shows scheduled for december.
2010 - the church band 30th Anniversary year kicks off with special acoustic gigs at Notes Live in Sydney and Tilleys in Canberra. The band embark on an acoustic tour of US dates from California to Georgia in April.
On October 27th the church are inducted into the Australian ARIA Hall of Fame by 60 Minutes journalist George Negus at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney. The show is televised and hosted by SBS RocKwiz
2011 - Future Past Perfect Winter 2011 Tour of the USA performing 3 full albums in electric mode (Untitled #23, Priest=Aura and Starfish) before returning to Australia for a very special event 'A Psychedelic Symphony" on April 10th at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, performing with the backing of a full orchestra conducted by George Ellis. In July the band and IMC in association with MAX were nominated for a Helpmann Award for the Sydney Opera House event. In December the church performed at the Homebake Music Film & Arts Festival in Sydney and then toured the FPP shows in Australia as well as the Dos Momentos Especiales acoustic shows and a special electric show on the Gold Coast. Steve Kilbey was inducted into the Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
2012 - Late January sees the church perform to one of their most enthusiastic crowds at the Twilight at Taronga concert at Taronga Zoo as the sun set over the Sydney harbour.
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