Martin Plaza

Martin Plaza is the pseudonym of Martin Edward Murphy[1] (born 1 January 1956), who is a vocalist/guitarist/songwriter with Australian pop/new wave band Mental As Anything.[2] Plaza also has a solo music career and in 1986 had a No. 2 hit in Australia with his cover of the 1960s Unit 4+2 song "Concrete and Clay".[2][3] Plaza has worked in other bands and is an accomplished artist.[2] In 2013, Martin underwent surgery for kidney cancer. He is currently on chemotherapy and not playing with the Mentals.

Martin Plaza
Background information
Birth nameMartin Edward Murphy
Also known asMartin DeJesus Plaza
Born (1956-01-01) 1 January 1956
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
GenresNew wave, rock
LabelsRegular
WEA
CBS Records
RCA Records
Liberation
Warner Music
Associated actsMental As Anything
The Rock Party
The Stetsons
Beatfish
Moondog
Martin Plaza and The Lost Vegans
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life

Plaza was born Martin Murphy on the North Shore of Sydney. He attended St. Pius X at Chatswood, excelling in sporting and artistic pursuits but showing little interest in other subjects. After attending Hornsby Technical College he switched with fellow student Steve Coburn to what was then known as the East Sydney Technical College (now known as the National Art School) in Darlinghurst in the mid-1970s where he met Chris O'Doherty. Around this time he was working part-time at KFC. With O'Doherty (later known as Reg Mombassa), Coburn and another student, David Twohill, he formed the pop/rock band Mental As Anything in May 1976.[2] Mental As Anything went on to become one of Australia's most popular bands touring widely in Australia and overseas.[4][5]

Art career

All early members of Mental As Anything are also artists and have exhibited their artworks since 1982.[2] Whilst not being as acclaimed as Mombassa or Reg's brother Peter O'Doherty, Plaza has certainly become quite prolific in recent years, holding numerous solo exhibitions working with a variety of media and has entered the Archibald Prize, notably with a self-portrait and a portrait of Mombassa. In the mid-1990s his artwork appeared on his own line of Dodgy brand clothing as well as his designs appearing on Mambo clothing. Many of Plaza's artworks have had a Hawaiian or Hula flavour.

Pseudonym

In the early days of Mental As Anything, band members would often invent pseudonyms for each other that combined an exotic last name with a common Australian first name. Martin Plaza was one of the products of that amusement whilst obviously being inspired by the famous Sydney pedestrian mall Martin Place. He has in the past jokingly stated that his full name is Martin DeJesus Plaza.

Mental As Anything
Main article: Mental As Anything

Solo and side projects

In 1986 Plaza performed with the Rock Party, a charity project initiated by the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NCADA), which included many Australasian musicians such as Crowded House members Neil Finn, Tim Finn, Paul Hester and Nick Seymour; GANGgajang members Geoff Stapleton, Robbie James and Mark Callaghan; Models members Jenny Morris and Sean Kelly; Reg Mombassa (Mental As Anything), Eddie Rayner, Mary Azzopardi (Rockmelons), Andrew Barnum (The Vitabeats), Lissa Barnum, Michael Barclay, Peter Blakely, Deborah Conway, Danny De Costa, Greg Herbert (The Promise), Spencer P. Jones, John Kennedy, Paul Kelly, Robert Susz (Dynamic Hepnotics) and Rick Swinn (the Venetians).[6] The Rock Party released a 12" single "Everything to Live For", which was produced by Joe Wissert, Phil Rigger and Phil Beazley.[6]

In 1986, Plaza had a No. 2 hit in Australia with the 1960s Unit 4+2 song "Concrete and Clay",[2] and the subsequent solo album Plaza Suite also charted.[2] Further singles were not as successful. In 1991 another planned solo album morphed into a collaboration with former member of Models, James Freud. Entitled Beatfish,[7] it became one of the very first Australian Dance or House flavoured albums.[8] Another surprising turn was his 1994 album Andy's Chest.[9] Composed almost entirely of Lou Reed covers,[2] it divided critics at the time. Another collaboration with Freud in 1996 produced the Hawaiian inspired Moondog project. However, Plaza only appears on some tracks.

Discography

Solo

Albums
  • Plaza Suite – CBS (March 1986) AUS No. 12
  • Andy's Chest – RCA (May 1994)

Singles
  • "Concrete and Clay" – CBS (Feb 1986) AUS No. 2
  • "Best Foot Forward" – CBS (May 1986) AUS No. 51
  • "Use Me All Over" – CBS (July 1986)
  • "Labour of Love" – CBS (1990) AUS No. 78
  • "Satellite of Love" – RCA (May 1994)
  • "Women" – RCA (August 1994)

Soundtracks

Mental as Anything

Studio albums
  • Get Wet – Regular/Virgin (November 1979)
  • Espresso Bongo – Regular (July 1980)
  • Cats & Dogs – (September 1981)
  • Creatures of Leisure – Regular (March 1983)
  • Fundamental (as Anything) – WEA (March 1985)[10]
  • Mouth to Mouth – CBS (July 1987)
  • Cyclone Raymond – CBS (September 1989)
  • Liar Liar Pants on Fire – FMR/BMG (August 1995)
  • Garage – Festival (August 1998)
  • Beetroot Stains – CME/Universal (2001)
  • Road Case – Barking Mad (2002)
  • Plucked – Liberation Blue (2005)
  • Tents Up - Warner (2009)

The Stetsons (1987, 1997)
  • The Stetsons – Mercury (1987)[11]
  • Their Most Successful Album...Ever – Larrikin (1997)

Beatfish (1990–1992)

Beatfish with James Freud

Albums
  • Beatfish – RCA/BMG (1991)

Singles
  • "Wheels of Love" – RCA/BMG (1991) AUS No. 26
  • "All Around The World" – RCA/BMG (1991) AUS No. 58
  • "Out of Control" – RCA/BMG (1992)
  • "Get Together" – RCA/BMG (1992)

Martin Plaza and The Lost Vegans (1999–current)

No releases

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References
  1. ""Don't Tell Me Now" search result". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  2. McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Mental As Anything'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-768-2. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  3. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1970 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988.
  4. Sutherland, Johanna (7 March 1984). "Mentals not fazed by tour of US". Canberra Times. p. 24. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  5. "Mental As Anything – back in town". Times (Victor Harbor, SA : 1987 - 1999). 10 July 1994. p. 8. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  6. Holmgren, Magnus; Warnqvist, Stefan. "The Rock Party". Passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  7. "Live it up with Mental as Anything". Times (Victor Harbor, SA : 1987 - 1999). 18 December 1992. p. 38. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  8. "A big night for fans of that rap and dance stuff". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 19 September 1991. p. 16. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  9. Mapstone, Naomi (30 May 1994). "Martin Plaza pulls up the covers". Canberra Times. p. 32. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  10. Lade, Neil (10 July 1985). "Fifth Album". Canberra Times. p. 11. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  11. Layland, Penelope (26 November 1987). "The twang that wouldn't die". Canberra Times. p. 30. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
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