Bipolar Bears

About the BiPolar Bears
The BiPolar Bears are well known throughout Victoria and Australia for their high energy performances and high profile advocacy of mental health issues. The band is part of the City of Port Phillip’s Access Arts program, designed to create arts participation opportunities for people living with a mental illness.
Having serious mental illnesses has not meant a lack of success for the band members. They have performed hundreds of gigs and they describe themselves as semi-professional. “We have a serious work ethic,” says Kevin, the band’s bass player, “We work hard, write hard and play hard - we’re about making music”.
The band has been playing for 15 years, making it one of Melbourne’s most stable rock groups. They’ve played at Federation Square, the Sydney Opera House, Brisbane’s Powerhouse, Rockhampton, with the Choir of Hard Knocks on ABC radio, across country Victoria, St Kilda Festival, regularly at Club Wild’s discrimination-free dance party events, endless mental health events and even a performance for inmates of the psychiatric ward at Port Phillip prison. The band has featured highly on radio, in print and on C31 TV over the years.
The BiPolar Bears play a wide ranging repertoire of original and covers songs, from rock to blues to punk and have released 2 CDs of original songs. Original lyrics like “I’m not schizophrenic, I’m just paranoid, so why don’t you all, go take a polaroid” tell the band member’s stories of living with mental illness and its stigma.
The band is led by Phil Heuzenroeder, a passionate community musician who also directs a local 100 voice gospel choir, leads the Mental Health Music Network and runs Club Wild, one of Victoria’s leading disability performing arts organizations.
EP 'New Shoes' In Oct 07 the band released their second original album with the EP “New Shoes”. Packed with 4 powerful new songs, including the title track by friend of the band Heidi Everett, the EP goes from ska, to country rock, to rock and finishes up with lead singer Dale Bridge’s punk “Scars”.
CD “Only Breathing” In 2003, the BiPolar Bears released their album 'Only Breathing', with 11 rock, reggae and blues tracks and even a locally commissioned folk song ! The CD contains some of the bands now classic hits, including Getaway and Little Miss Pink. Ross Hannaford (Daddy Cool) makes a guest appearance on a number of tracks and mentored the band through its first studio recording.
To order a copy of the BiPolar Bears EP "New Shoes' or their 2003 CD 'Only Breathing', please contact the BiPolar Bears from this page.
The Mental Health Music Network
Started in 2006 as an initiative between the City of Port Phillip, Phil Heuzenroeder and the BiPolar Bears, the Mental Health Music Network offers music development, performance and social opportunities for people living with mental illness from across Melbourne and Victoria.
Weekly workshops, monthly Go Live! performance gigs at the St Kilda Bowls Club and the annual Mad Hatters Music Festival in Mental Health Week are highlights of the Network’s program. The Network also links up the many bands, artists and services across the state involved in music and mental health, including Heidi Everett, James Houston, Beware of Doug, Full Mental Jacket, It's Only Paranoia, the Odd Bods, Lunadenta, Moon Rockit and The Deep End.
See the Mental Health Music Network website. www.mentalhealthmusicnetwork.net