Peter Urlich

Peter Urlich (born 1956) is a New Zealand musician. He is one of the few NZ musicians who has managed to successfully cross the rock/house genre divide, performing successfully in both.

Born In Auckland, in 1956. Urlich was educated at Sacred Heart College, in the suburb of Glen Innes.

At school in the early 1970s he formed a band with his friend Dave Dobbyn, called "Chillum". They played local parties and school dances.

When Chillum folded in 1975, he and Dobbyn formed Th'Dudes, with Ian Morris. After Th'Dudes split in 1980, Urlich headed off to the UK where he was fascinated by the rise of club culture. Returning to NZ in 1981, he approached writer Mark Phillips and they opened their first club in a run down bar in Auckland's Albert Street. A Certain Bar was an immediate success and over the next decade, he and Phillips ran a succession of successful clubs. These were hugely influential in establishing a contemporary club scene in Auckland.

In 1986 Urlich and Phillips were partners in "Stimulant Records", with Simon Grigg. The label released the album Eight Arms To Hold You, the first Club Collection in NZ.

In the 1990s Urlich returned to performing and had residencies in Auckland as the vocalist with The Lawrence Quintet. In 1995 he began a Saturday morning radio show on 95bFm. His initial partner was DJ Phil Clark, however he was replaced in 1996 by Bevan Keys and the show, Nice'n'Urlich, with its mix of Urlich's chat and Key's soulful House Music selection became a massive hit. Taking the show to the clubs also proved hugely popular and for the next decade Nice'n'Urlich sold out increasingly larger venues. In 1999 the duo were signed to Simon Grigg's Huh Records. The three Nice'n'Urlich albums sold over 60,000 albums in New Zealand.

In 1999 Urlich co-starred in a New Zealand reality show, "Popstars", which was a hunt for people to form a pop band, and to perform and produce an album (the winners formed a band named TrueBliss). His role in the show was that of manager.

In 2000 Urlich and Grigg released the first of their Room Service compilations of lounge music, once again for Huh. The three volumes sold in excess of 150,000 across Australia and New Zealand and a Best Of is scheduled for December 2008. The Room Service brand was also used on a 70's Soul collection, Soul Food, which went gold in 2003. The pair also compiled Welcome To, a collection of original New Zealand House Music in 2001.

In 2002 Urlich launched "The P.U.B.E. (Peter Urlich Breakfast Experience)", on Auckland station George FM and remains the host of the show in 2008.

In 2008 he has appeared on New Zealand TV shows Dancing With Stars and Pop's Ultimate Star.

His album of covers of Lounge classics, Between You & Me, was released by Liberation Music, in May, 2008.

External links

* [http://www.peterurlich.com Peter Urlich]
* [http://www.georgefm.co.nz/show9.html George FM]
* [http://www.simongrigg.info/huhcat2.htm Huh Records]

References