Bill Direen

Bill Direen (born 1957 in Christchurch, New Zealand) is a writer and musician from New Zealand. His music has been released by independent labels such as Flying Nun Records and Powertool Records (Auckland). This article treats his songwriting and musical output including music-theatre pieces. Bill Direen is also known as William Direen. An article under William Direen treats his writing (poetry, novels, plays).

Music

In 1975 Direen formed several bands with bassist Stephen Cogle and drummer Peter Stapleton. They were joined by violinist Theresa McGuire in 1977, and performed under names such as Vacuum Tension Band, and Vacuum. Cogle and Stapleton left in 1980 to form Victor Dimisich Band and numerous other projects.

Direen formed Six Impossible Things, who released a self-titled 7" on Sausage Records in February 1981. In March 1981 Direen formed an avant garde theatre company called Soluble Fish Ensemble. Soon after, the keyboardist for this ensemble (and who had joined Vacuum in 1979), Alan Meek, formed The Bilders with Direen. Their debut release was a 7" entitled "Solomon's Ball". Direen also formed another band called The Urbs, who supported The Fall on their New Zealand tour. The Urbs recorded some material which was eventually released as The Bilders' Beatin Hearts LP on Flying Nun in 1983.

In 1984, after a journey to Scotland, Direen formed a new theatre company called Blue Ladder, and a publishing company called Full Moon. Direen's second LP, Split Seconds, was released on his own South Indies label in 1984.

In 1985 a new lineup of The Bilders emerged, with Stuart Page on drums and Greg Bainbrige on bass. The third Bilders album, CoNCH3, was released by South Indies. This was followed in 1986 by the Let's Play LP. A trip to New York resulted in the recordings with Hamish Kilgour and Alan Meek that make up New York Sack, released 2006 by Powertool Records. European touring resulted in Human Kindness with Swiss label Corazoo. Further recordings between 1995 and 2006 have been mastered for a Powertool Records release in 2007.

In the mid-eighties, after studying the theatre-music works of Brecht-Weill and others, Direen realised several projects that wedded music and theatre. Among these were Raoul, Prince of Jeans (the story of the rise of a kiwi entrepreneur and media magnate from his suburban origins as a drug dealer), Dial a Claw (about a plague of disembodied claws that reproduce and spread thanks to telephones), Fawkes Alive (the life of a man as it flashes before his eyes during a fatal accident), and Cigarillo (an abandoned piece from 1994 which would become the novel Song of The Brakeman, released 2006 by Titus Books). Other music-theatre work included an expressionistic interpretation of Bremen Freedom by R. W. Fassbinder and Les Cenci by of Antonin Artaud (called Bride of the Wheel this included four original songs by Direen). Some of the songs from these 'operas' or adaptations have appeared out of context, in LP or CD releases performed by Direen's various bands.

Literature

See William Direen

Discography

The Bilders

Beatin' Hearts LP (Flying Nun, 1983) - later reissued on CD
Split Seconds LP (Full Moon, 1984) - later reissued on CD
CoNH3 LP (South Indies, 1985)
Let's Play LP (South Indies, 1986)
"Ginger Jar" 7" (South Indies, 1986)
Cup EP (South Indies, 1978)
Divina Comedia LP (South Indies, 1988)
Life Behind Bars EP (South Indies, 1987)
We Are The Coolest Cats In The World LP (South Indies, 1989)
Cut LP (IMD, 1994)
Max Quitz CD (Flying Nun, 1993) - compilation of early material
Pyx (1985-1988) CD (Flying Nun, 1994) - compilation of early material
Human Kindness CD (Corazoo, 1997) New material from Direen's first (1994-95) European period.
New York Sack CD (Powertool Records, 2006) Twelve songs recorded live in two days in a Manhattan studio.
Recordings 1995 - 2006 (Title to be advised) (Powertool Records, 2007).

External links

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