Don McGlashan

Don McGlashan
Don McGlashan at the Kings Arms Tavern in 2007
Background information
Born	18 July 1959 (1959-07-18) (age 52) Auckland, New Zealand
Instruments	Singer, songwriter, euphonium
Years active	1979–present
Labels	Arch Hill
Associated acts	Auckland Sinfonia From Scratch Blam Blam Blam The Front Lawn The Mutton Birds The Seven Sisters The Bellbirds
Website	www.donmcglashan.com

Don McGlashan (born 18 July 1959) is a New Zealand musician and songwriter who has been a member of bands such as The Plague, From Scratch, The Whizz Kids, Blam Blam Blam, The Front Lawn, The Mutton Birds and, from 2009, The Bellbirds. He composed several pieces for the Limbs Dance Company. He has now embarked on a solo career.

Instruments

McGlashan has played a number of different instruments throughout his musical career. Some of his earliest instrumental work was with the French horn and percussion for the Auckland Symphonia. Working with From Scratch, from 1979, McGlashan played a number of more eclectic percussion instruments, such as PVC piping struck with jandals; the name of the group came from the fact that they produced their own instruments 'from scratch'. When asked what Instruments he plays he answered with "Well I dont play violin".

With Blam Blam Blam, McGlashan played drums and euphonium. He later picked up guitar duties for his work with The Front Lawn and The Mutton Birds. McGlashan has also collaborated with other New Zealand musicians, playing the euphonium in tracks by Dave Dobbyn ('It Dawned On Me'), Tim Finn and on Time On Earth, by Crowded House. He played live with Crowded House at Glastonbury 2008 and has been a regular member of the touring line-up throughout their 2008 world tour.

Solo albums

McGlashan's first solo album, entitled Warm Hand, was released in May 2006. In March 2009, the Marvellous Year album was released through Arch Hill Records. This album is the first to be credited to 'Don McGlashan & the Seven Sisters'. It includes a new version of the hit 'Bathe in the River', this time with McGlashan on lead vocals.

Awards

New Zealand Music Awards

McGlashan won the 'Best Song' award in the 1982 New Zealand Music Awards, for the Blam Blam Blam song Don't Fight It Marsha, It's Bigger Than Both Of Us. In the 1989 awards, McGlashan, along with Harry Sinclair, received three awards for their work as The Front Lawn: 'Best Film Soundtrack / Compilation', 'Most Promising Group' and 'International Achievement'. In 1993, McGlashan's group The Mutton Birds won a further three New Zealand Music Awards: 'Album of the Year', 'Single of the Year' (for Nature), and 'Best Group'.

Warm Hand was announced as a finalist for 'Album of the Year' in the 2006 awards. His work on the album has also placed him in the running for the 'Best Male Solo Artist' award. McGlashan, SJD and Ed McWilliams were nominated for the 'Best Producer' technical award, but did not win.

Silver Scrolls

McGlashan won the 1994 APRA Silver Scroll, a prestigious award for songwriting, for Anchor Me - performed by The Mutton Birds. In 2006, McGlashan had two songs nominated for this award - a feat last achieved by Dave Dobbyn in 1995. Bathe in the River, written by McGlashan for the film No. 2, later won the award.

Other

In 2001, McGlashan received a University of Auckland Literary Fellowship for song writing.

Street Legal won 6 AFTA Awards in 2003 including: Best Original Music: Don McGlashan.

Soundtracks

Movies

• Other Halves (NZ 1984)
• The Grasscutter (NZ/UK 1988) (with Wayne Laird)
• An Angel at My Table (NZ 1990)
• Cinema of Unease (UK/NZ 1995)
• Like It Is (UK 1998)
• No. 2 (NZ 2005)
• Out of the Blue (Song: "I Will Not Let You Down") (NZ 2006)
• The Tattooist (Song: "I Will Not Let You Down") (NZ 2007)
• Dean Spanley (UK/NZ 2008)
• Show Of Hands (NZ 2008)
• Matariki - (NZ 2010)^[1]

Short films

• The Lounge Bar (1989) (as The Front Lawn)
• Linda's Body (1990) (as The Front Lawn)
• The Painted Lady (2000)
• Tick (2002)

TV

• Mortimer's Patch (NZ 1979) (with Wayne Laird and Keith Hunter)
• Terry and the Gunrunners (NZ 1985)
• Street Legal (NZ 2000-)
• Orange Roughies (NZ 2006)
• This Is Not My Life (NZ 2010)
• RocKwiz contestant and guest (episode 94), along with Jenny Morris^[2]

Acting in film

Shorts

The Front Lawn:

• Walkshort 1987:- all the characters were played by Don McGlashan and Harry Sinclair.
• The Lounge Bar 1989: Don McGlashan - Mike
• Linda's Body 1990: Don McGlashan - Ben

Feature Film

• Perfect Strangers (NZ 2003): singing "Anchor Me" with band in bar.

Theatre

• co-founder of Watershed Theatre, Auckland 1990 (disbanded 1995)
• Play 2, Maidment Studio Theatre, October 2002: Don McGlashan played a choirmaster.

Dance

Music for Limbs Dance Company

New Zealand

• Arcade (1981)
• This Is A Love Song (1983)
• Decoy (1984)
• Souvenirs (1984)
• Vigil Switch (1985)
• Now Is The Hour (1988)

Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians

New York, 1983

• He co-composed the scores to two new Dean pieces
• Later appointed Music Rehearsal Director.
• Toured with the company on US and European tours, playing drums and synthesiser.

Personal life

In 2008 McGlashan was angered that TVNZ had used a song performed by the Muttonbirds (Anchor Me) when the election results showed that the National Party had won the New Zealand elections. McGlashan stated that he "would rather have sex with a very ugly crayfish" than let the National Party use his music. The song had been used by TVNZ in terms of the Australasian Performing Right Association's blanket licence with TVNZ.^[3]

On 28 March 2011 McGlashan suffered three broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a broken collarbone after he hit a car door while cycling in Valley Road, Auckland. He was hospitalised.^[4]

References

1. ^ Gilchrist, Shane (11 April 2009). "Marvellous year for McGlashan". Otago Daily Times. http://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/music/51114/marvellous-year-mcglashan. Retrieved 29 September 2011. 
2. ^ "Episode 94 - Jenny Morris & Don McGlashan". RocKwiz. Special Broadcasting Service. http://www.sbs.com.au/rockwiz/watch/866/RocKwiz-Episode-94---Jenny-Morris-&-Don-McGlashan-. Retrieved 14 May 2011. 
3. ^ Rushworth, Anna (16 November 2008). "'I would rather have sex with a very ugly crayfish' - McGlashan". NZ Herald. APN Holdings. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10543281. Retrieved 14 May 2011. 
4. ^ Wade, Amelia (1 April 2011). "Car door puts Kiwi star in hospital". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10716334. Retrieved 1 April 2011. 

• Chunn, Mike and Chunn, Jeremy, The Mechanics of Popular Music, A New Zealand Perspective, GP Publications, 1995. ISBN 1-86956-130-9
• Dennis, Jonathan and Bieringa, Jan (eds), Film In Aotearoa New Zealand, Victoria University Press, 2nd Edition, 1996. ISBN 0-86473-309-7
• Dix, John, Stranded In Paradise, Penguin, 2005. ISBN 0-14-301953-8
• Eggleton, David, Ready To Fly, Craig Potton, 2003. ISBN 1-877333-06-9
• Martin, Helen and Edwards, Sam, New Zealand Film 1912-1996, Oxford, 1997. ISBN 0-19-558336-1
• Shute, Gareth, NZ Rock 1987-2007, Auckland, Random House, 2008. ISBN 978-1-86979-000-4
• Spittle, Gordon, Counting The Beat, GP Publications, 1997. ISBN 1-86956-213-5

External links

• Don McGlashan - Official Home Page
• Don McGlashan on Myspace
• Don McGlashan - Mana Music
• Don McGlashan - Laureate Artist 2002, Arts Foundation of New Zealand
• Don McGlashan at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
Name	Macglashan, Don
Alternative names
Short description	musician, songwriter
Date of birth	1959-00-00
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death