MACHINATIONS BIG WEEKEND TOUR
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When?
22 February 2025 starting 8:00 am
Who?
How much?
From: $49
What?
Remember the big weekend? Days spent at the beach before heading out to a live venue?
Sweating it out on the dancefloor to the liveliest and most danceable electro-funk combo of the
1980s? Machinations are back with their steamy, rhythmic gigs – big music, big beats, big
weekend.
It all started in the summer of 1979 when guitarist Tim Doyle and keyboardist Tony Starr started
writing songs with a drum machine. They were Joined by vocalist Fred Loneragan fresh home
from 12 months in London. The band played their first show at the infamous ‘Garibaldis’ in East
Sydney in March 1980, with a sound combining post-punk, modern funk and moody jazz fused
with a relentless rhythmic itch. The band soon added bass player Nero Swan and before long
were recording in 2JJ’s 221 Studio, and then with Lobby Loyde in Trafalgar Studios.
The result of this collaboration was the seminal first single Average Inadequacy and the
Machinations of Dance EP, both released on Phantom Records in the summer of 1981. With the
support of 2JJJ both releases received wide airplay and increased the bands following.
Machinations quickly built a national reputation and were signed to Mushroom Records’ White
Label.
In 1983 the film clip for the single Jumping the Gap came second to Michael Jackson’s Thriller at
the prestigious US Industrial Film Festival.
Their first Album Esteem was recorded and produced with Lobby Loyde in the summer of 1983,
with a late addition of Pressure Sway recorded at Alberts Studios, produced by Dunlop &
Brown. Pressure Sway blazed a trail nationally and had chart success across the US West Coast
on the A&M label, reaching #1 in the US Billboard Dance Charts.
The band added drummer Warren McLean and Naomi Star on backing vocals. In 1985 they
joined with producer Julian Mendelsohn (Kate Bush, Frankie goes to Hollywood, Art of Noise) to
record their second album Big Music at EMI and Rhinoceros Studios.
‘Big’ became the buzz word and the album spawned four BIG singles: No Say In It, My Hearts
on Fire, You Got Me Going Again and Execution of Love
Big Music was released in the US on CBS Empire Records and No Say In It appeared on the
soundtrack to the Bette Midler/Danny Devito movie Ruthless People which also featured Mick
Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Lionel Richie and Darryl Hall.
The band toured extensively through ’84 and ’85 after which Naomi moved to the US to marry
Frank Zappa’s drummer and Warren left to join Aussie Rock icons Divinyls. Machinations added
new members John Mackay (drums) Jenny Andrews (backing vocals) and a brass section led by
Ralph Franke (sax).Machinations recorded their third album Uptown in New York with US producer Andy Wallace
(Jeff Buckley, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, The Cult and Prince). The album features singles: Do To
You, Intimacy, Do It To Me and Cars and Planes.
After returning from the US and a short Australian tour, singer Fred Loneragan suffered a broken
neck in a hit and run accident whilst riding his bicycle. The long hiatus as Fred recovered led to
the band members moving on to other things and whilst they never formally broke up, they
didn’t play a gig together for about another ten years.
In the early 2000s Machinations began playing sporadically around the country – their infectious
beat and haunting melodies completing a picture that has always, and is still, at the forefront of
contemporary Australian music.
Over the last several years Machinations have had more lineup changes. John Mackay retired to
be replaced by the indomitable Adrian Cannon (Kevin Borich, Rupert B Funkified Filth). The
band lost Tony Starr to Motor Neurone Disease, and Tim’s son Larry has taken over playing keys.
More recently Nero Swan has also retired. Now Machinations are delighted to welcome Craig
Hooper from The Reels to their ranks on bass guitar.
Machinations hit the road with another hot summer east coast tour in Feb 2025.
Join them for the Big Weekend tour and Dance the Machinations!
Sweating it out on the dancefloor to the liveliest and most danceable electro-funk combo of the
1980s? Machinations are back with their steamy, rhythmic gigs – big music, big beats, big
weekend.
It all started in the summer of 1979 when guitarist Tim Doyle and keyboardist Tony Starr started
writing songs with a drum machine. They were Joined by vocalist Fred Loneragan fresh home
from 12 months in London. The band played their first show at the infamous ‘Garibaldis’ in East
Sydney in March 1980, with a sound combining post-punk, modern funk and moody jazz fused
with a relentless rhythmic itch. The band soon added bass player Nero Swan and before long
were recording in 2JJ’s 221 Studio, and then with Lobby Loyde in Trafalgar Studios.
The result of this collaboration was the seminal first single Average Inadequacy and the
Machinations of Dance EP, both released on Phantom Records in the summer of 1981. With the
support of 2JJJ both releases received wide airplay and increased the bands following.
Machinations quickly built a national reputation and were signed to Mushroom Records’ White
Label.
In 1983 the film clip for the single Jumping the Gap came second to Michael Jackson’s Thriller at
the prestigious US Industrial Film Festival.
Their first Album Esteem was recorded and produced with Lobby Loyde in the summer of 1983,
with a late addition of Pressure Sway recorded at Alberts Studios, produced by Dunlop &
Brown. Pressure Sway blazed a trail nationally and had chart success across the US West Coast
on the A&M label, reaching #1 in the US Billboard Dance Charts.
The band added drummer Warren McLean and Naomi Star on backing vocals. In 1985 they
joined with producer Julian Mendelsohn (Kate Bush, Frankie goes to Hollywood, Art of Noise) to
record their second album Big Music at EMI and Rhinoceros Studios.
‘Big’ became the buzz word and the album spawned four BIG singles: No Say In It, My Hearts
on Fire, You Got Me Going Again and Execution of Love
Big Music was released in the US on CBS Empire Records and No Say In It appeared on the
soundtrack to the Bette Midler/Danny Devito movie Ruthless People which also featured Mick
Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Lionel Richie and Darryl Hall.
The band toured extensively through ’84 and ’85 after which Naomi moved to the US to marry
Frank Zappa’s drummer and Warren left to join Aussie Rock icons Divinyls. Machinations added
new members John Mackay (drums) Jenny Andrews (backing vocals) and a brass section led by
Ralph Franke (sax).Machinations recorded their third album Uptown in New York with US producer Andy Wallace
(Jeff Buckley, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, The Cult and Prince). The album features singles: Do To
You, Intimacy, Do It To Me and Cars and Planes.
After returning from the US and a short Australian tour, singer Fred Loneragan suffered a broken
neck in a hit and run accident whilst riding his bicycle. The long hiatus as Fred recovered led to
the band members moving on to other things and whilst they never formally broke up, they
didn’t play a gig together for about another ten years.
In the early 2000s Machinations began playing sporadically around the country – their infectious
beat and haunting melodies completing a picture that has always, and is still, at the forefront of
contemporary Australian music.
Over the last several years Machinations have had more lineup changes. John Mackay retired to
be replaced by the indomitable Adrian Cannon (Kevin Borich, Rupert B Funkified Filth). The
band lost Tony Starr to Motor Neurone Disease, and Tim’s son Larry has taken over playing keys.
More recently Nero Swan has also retired. Now Machinations are delighted to welcome Craig
Hooper from The Reels to their ranks on bass guitar.
Machinations hit the road with another hot summer east coast tour in Feb 2025.
Join them for the Big Weekend tour and Dance the Machinations!
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