About

Dave McArtney is a founder member, with Graham Brazier, of legendary Kiwi rock ensemble, HELLO SAILOR, which emerged from the ashes of post-countercultural Ponsonby, Auckland New Zealand, a student ghetto in the early 70’s, shared by dislocated painters, poets and nude anthropologists, plus transported peoples from the islands of Polynesia and Melanesia.

Dave teaches Music Industry studies at the Institute of Music & Audio NZ, and has reformed his 80’s band, THE PINK FLAMINGOS for gigs around Auckland in late 2009, culminating in a nationwide tour of wineries with THE B 52’s and The Proclaimers

HISTORY :    Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos

•    Formed in 1980 with songwriter Paul Hewson ( April Sun in Cuba )  after the demise of their respective bands Dragon and Hello Sailor.

•    July, 1980  Dave signed to PolyGram as a solo artist,  releases single Virginia, a guitar rocker which enters charts in the top 10. Picks up Most Promising male vocalist at RIANZ Music  Awards, 1980.

•    Jan, 1981, album  Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos released. 2 more hits follow, Infatuation and Pink Flamingo, the latter, although still quirky was decidedly more pop than Dave’s usual blend of melodic, rootsy rock, and quickly establishes the band as NZ’s top mainstream rock act.

•    July, 1981, Peter Allison ( The Chills ) replaces Hewson. EP Remember The Alamo released, with the single Remember The Alamo maintaining chart success. Band embarks on biggest ever nationwide tour, taking DD Smash ( Dave Dobbyn ) as support. Dobbyn’s career gets the perfect kick-start.

•    September, 1981, The Pink Flamingos relocate to Sydney, sign to PolyGram Aus. And begin recording 2nd album We Never Close with Dragon Producer, Peter Dawkins. Paul Hewson rejoins, and new single Is That the Way released in NZ. Continued chart success.

•    October, 1981, at The Countrywide Entertainment Awards,  Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos get Top Group.

•    November, 1981, Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos scoop 5 awards at RIANZ Music  Awards – Best Album, Best Male Vocalist, Engineer of the Year ( Graham Mhyre ), Producer of the Year ( Bruce Lynch ) and Group of the Year.

•    July, 1982, after more touring, Dave disbands The Pink Flamingos and moves to London.

•    1984, back in NZ, records solo album, The Catch,  with the aid of new digital technology. The single  is I’m in Heaven. Now contracted to CBS.   Produces The Narcs, Main Divide, for CBS .

•    November, 1984, at the RIANZ Music Awards, gets Producer of the Year for Heart and Soul ( The Narcs ) and  Pink Flamingos I’m in Heaven gets Music Video of the Year ( Director, Bruce Morrison )

•    1988, Dave McArtney joins Shona Laing’s band and tours the US extensively on the back of her successful Soviet Snow single and album.

•    1989,  Returns to University to complete degree in English Lit. Moves to London, reforms Pink Flamingos with Paul Woolright in Feb. 1991, plays clubs and the Downunder Kiwi/ Ozzie BBQ circuit, then moves to Bavaria in order to regain health and sanity and ski for 6 months. Stays 3 years.

•    1996, The Best of Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos , a compilation of tracks from the 3 albums is released through Universal.

•    2000, Dave McArtney and Graham Brazier record one-off Dance interpretation of ‘Street Where You Live’ ( from ‘My Fair Lady’ ) at Uptown Studios with Alan Jansson engineering. Most of Hello Sailor contribute, and on vocals is featured the remarkable Linda LePou.  FRIDAY NIGHT FA’AFAFINE is a likely contender for Sailor’s upcoming album.

The G&D project with Linda E

•    2003, a solo album, HOOK, (McArtney’s nickname), a home recorded, largely finely sculpted introspective record, is released through Global Routes. Critics give the new songwriting direction the thumbs-up.