Hunters and Collectors

Hunters and Collectors formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1981, fronted by singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Seymour and taking their name from a song by the German group Can.

Originally, Hunters and Collectors were influenced by the Krautrock genre and the work of legendary German producer Conny Plank, featuring strong industrial and highly rhythmic influences, noisy guitar, and driving bass lines.

The original band occasionally boasted as many members as could fit on stage (percussion was their thing, with audience members banging away on hubcaps). They also featured a massive horn section, initially dubbed the “Horns of Contempt”,

After becoming the talk of the Melbourne underground, Hunters and Collectors signed to Mushroom Records and utilised Plank to produce two of their early albums, The Fireman’s Curse and The Jaws of Life, but neither charted.

The group shifted toward a more accessible, acoustic-leaning, and guitar-driven rock sound while retaining their signature horn section. The pivot brought massive commercial success in Australia and New Zealand, with the 1984 single Throw Your Arms Around Me becoming an Australian anthem.

The top 10 albums started with Human Frailty in 1986. Other Top 10 studio albums were Ghost Nation (1989), Cut (1992) and Demon Flower (1994).  The band toured widely, eventually going to the USA and Europe.

After nearly two decades together, the band finally called it a day in 1998, with Mark Seymour launching a successful solo career.

The 1998 line-up reformed in 2013 for live concerts and has continued to perform sporadically ever since.

Mark Seymour
Vocals, guitar
Martin Lubran
Guitar
Geoff Crosby
Keyboards
John Archer
Bass
Doug Falconer
Drums
Greg Perano
Percussion
Jack Howard
Trumpet, keyboards
Jeremy Smith
French horn, guitars, keyboards
Michael Waters
Trombone, keyboards
Barry Palmer
Guitar

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