MySpace Layouts
MySpace Layouts MySpace Codes MySpace Backgrounds
Where to start....... here's the short version - Born in Mata Mata, New Zealand 1972 - moved to Brisbane, Australia quite young, but not early enough to forget my Mother Land (Thanks Dad). I still have beautiful faint memories of sitting around hungi fires listening to Maori folk and island soul music. Grew up on the Northside of Brisvegas (Thanks Mum), singing in the school choir, always performing something for someone, somewhere. Made heaps of mix tapes from the radio and crazy sound and voice recordings to play tricks on my parents and brothers. Started playing trumpet at 10, gave it away at 13 when the teacher finally realised I couldn't read music and was playing everything by ear. Took up surfing to ease the loss. Started playing my Dad's left handed guitar upside down at 15 until I got my own a year later. Formed first band The Hemps in '88, playing lots of funk, r'n'b and psychadelic rock/pop kinda stuff. Played many a party and school dance before hitting the pubs and clubs before we were old enough to be there. Formed the beginnings of Bulldozer not long after. Travelled the US and Canada in '93 for some rock inspiration and record company meetings, armed with the Dozer's first demo tape and ended up losing in it in London for about a month. Returned to Brisbane and signed Bulldozer with Sony in '94 for a P and D deal. Dropped after the first sold out release for not doing what we were advised (told) to do next. Hooked up with indy label Pod Records (Thanks PCR) for the next 3 releases. Injured two fingers on my right hand, effectively ending any classical/flamneco/finger picking dreams for years to come. Took up playing bass as exercise for my two hurt little friends. Started sharing a rehearsal room with Powderfinger and doing the odd tour/show together. Played Big Day Out '96 and Livid '97 amongst many other festival and support tours (The Tea Party tours were outlandish). Moved to Byron Bay later in '97 for massive lifestyle and ideoligical shift - and of course, the surf. Began to play rockin' guitar alongside DJ Lunar Orbit playing psychedelic trance. Started making multi-genred, solo electronic music as my band mates were still in Bris. Sadly, the Dozer split in '98. RIP Shane Daniel Cow's Head Dowset - truly a musical genius and guitar legend! Formed Bombtech with other Byron music freaks in '99 to become Jesus Chrysler shortly after and to morph into Dealer not long after that. Played the East Coast Blues 'n' Roots Festival in 2000 and blew the roof of the Juke Joint. Formed The Interacktive Madmen with freakshow virtuoso, Peter Hayes (now Tetrameth) as an extra eletronique freeform musical outlet for us which eventually morphs into CouchFunk. Dealer splits later that year. Meanwhile I become known as Tone Broker from Dealer and Broken Head instead of Tony Dozer from Bulldozer and Brisbane and I meet my future wife, gorgeous French singer/fire dancer/trumpet player (funnily enough), Morgane, and begin to DJ at the Railway Friendly Bar 6 nights a week. How bizarre. I also begin my first radio programe at Bay FM 99.9, which will continue for 7 fruitful years (Thanks Seano). Couchfunk rock the masses as the first act at the first ever Splendour in the Grass in 2001 and then continues as a freeform improvisational ensemble set in the comfort of a lounge room on stage with many revolving players and performers. We play the Big Day Out in '04, the travelling Channel V Bus show and open the new electronic space, The Jungle Arbour, at the Woodford Folk Festival later that year. All the while DJ'ing a plethora of styles @ multiple residencies and festivals, and doing too many support slots to bother to mention. As a Byron promoter, I bring Mo' Horizons to town in June '04, and we depart for France the following day for four months in Europe, making connections and thinking about future plans. Upon return, I start organising Byron shows for cats like Greyboy, Dublex Inc, Ursula Rucker, Fat Freddy's Drop, Boozoo Bajou, Alice Russell, Quantic and his Soul Orchestra, Russ Dewbury, King Kapisi, Keb Darge, Karsten John, Tom Thump and others. Couchfunk finally winds up after many ridiculous live shows and no recordings, and Mission Ignition morphs from Fire Dance/Live Perfrormance Art crew into Club DJ/Dance Act with live musicians, and eventually finally into fully fledged live 8 piece band with dancers. Around this time Morgane and I begin to perform with Clint Hurrell and his company Temple State, doing massive crazy shows at Splendour in the Grass and Woodford Folk Festival, in which we fire-dance, stilt-walk, and role-play in front of or on huge multi-media structures, some of which are torched "Burning Man" style at the end of the performance (Thanks Clint). Played drums for the Dan Rumour band (Dan formerly of the Cruel Sea), lead guitar and melodica for Freedom Matiti's roots reggae crew, The Skankomatics, scratched, dropped vox/samples and played extra synth/percussion for Barry Hill's all-star, JazzTech ensemble, Cyberbass and lead snare in Paul Barrett's, Samba Blissta's. All fairly short-lived affairs, but invaluable in the grand scheme of things (Thank You Gentlemen). Feb/March '06 I go back to New Zealand to re-connect and show Morgane around my first home, and we begin to think and feel, family. Mission Ignition do Big Day Out's - Lily World '06 and '07, Exodus Festival, a gorgeous Fat Freddy's Drop support, a mini Good Buddha tour, Splendour in the Grass and finally record and capture a live show in surround sound at Byron's best potential venue, The Island Quarry (Thanks Shane), with Portugese visionary Hugo Castro for a DVD release. I continue to DJ and write and record far too many styles of music, as I get bored (no, not bored, excited) with many things very easily. I call it MADD Disease - Musical Attention Deficit Disorder. Anyway, November 2006, Morgane and I finally release our first, live human together. His name is Naiah Djungle Nunns, and he goes straight to the top of all charts at 4.4 kgs. He's a mind blowing little bomb of a boy, exploding daily in all the most beautiful ways. The teacher has arrived, finally. Look out! In May 2007, we packed up everything into a big fuck off box, and we did just that. Leaving Byron - To France. The dog, Etoile, arrived in a little fuck off box on the same plane. We currently live in a little seaside port town, called Audierne in Bretagne, France, where Morgane is from. With a magic left hander (finally - being a goofy on the East Coast of Oz is such a tease) called Saint Tugen just five minutes from the front door. The studio is underway, and I'm mixing out about once a week for now - anything that's good - rollicking Drum and Bass, Big Booty Breaks, Banging House, Latin Madness, funk, soul, salsa, afro-beat, dub, dancehall, reggae, hip-hop, rock, psy-trance, techno - whatever and everything goes, always!!!!!!! There are never any rules for my sets. Sorry, it's just how it is! The journey continues as we implement ourselves here in Europe, take a few long deep breaths, and map out the next few years.................. Vive La France!
