Dead Flowers


Dead Flowers arrived amongst a slew of long-haired rock bands in the early 90s, but distinguished themselves with sharp playing and catchy melodies. Alongside Shihad and Head Like A Hole they became a flagship band for Wildside Records, with three albums that hit the Top 40.

Lead singer Bryan Bell first learnt piano at age seven. His mother was a music teacher who influenced him and his two brothers to take up music (the youngest, Michael, went on to play the organ at St Matthews for over 15 years and is a music teacher himself). At high school, his bass-playing friend, Simon Williams, encouraged Bell to get a guitar so they could form a band.

Dead Flowers - Lisa
Dead Flowers, photographed for their third, self-titled album. L to R: Darryn Harkness, Damon Newton, Bryan Bell, Rob Dollars
Dead Flowers, L to R: Darryn Harkness, Bryan Bell, Rob Dollars, Damon Newton
Dead Flowers early promo pic
Dead Flowers in Sydney
Dead Flowers photographed for the back cover of their debut album, 1993's Skin Of A Stone. L to R: Rob Dollars, David James, Damon Newton, Bryan Bell, Riqi Hadfield
Photo credit: Kendal Simich
Dead Flowers - I Wanna Know (live on Ice TV, 1998)
Dead Flowers onstage
Dead Flowers - You Drink the Water, I'll Drink the Wine (live)
Murray Cammick (centre) with Dead Flowers' Bryan Bell and Damon Newton
Bryan Bell
Dead Flowers, L to R: Damon Newton, Rob Dollars, Bryan Bell, Riqi Hadfield, David James
First line-up of Dead Flowers, L to R: Riqi Hadfield, Damon Newton, Bryan Bell, Rob Dollars, David James
Photo credit: Chris Mauger
Dead Flowers, L to R: Damon Newton, Rob Dollars, Bryan Bell, Riqi Hadfield, David James
Photo credit: Darryl Ward
Dead Flowers - I Don't See Anyone
Dead Flowers, onstage at the Powerstation, Auckland
Photo credit: Murray Cammick
Dead Flowers, clockwise from top left: Rob Dollars, Aaron Carson, Damon Newton, Bryan Bell
Dead Flowers, L to R: Rob Dollars, Bryan Bell, David James, Damon Newton, Riqi Hadfield
Dead Flowers - Ain't It the Truth (live on Havoc, 1998)
Riqi Hadfield, Bryan Bell, Dave James
Dead Flowers - Plastic
Dead Flowers - I Don't See Anyone (live on ice TV)
Dead Flowers - Same Same
First line-up of Dead Flowers, L to R: Damon Newton, David James, Rob Dollars, Riqi Hadfield, Bryan Bell
Photo credit: Chris Mauger
Dead Flowers - You Drink the Water, I'll Drink the Wine
Dead Flowers at the Powerstation, Auckland
Photo credit: Murray Cammick
Dead Flowers, L to R: Damon Newton, Riqi Hadfield, Rob Dollars, Bryan Bell, Aaron Carson
Dead Flowers - Be Someone (from Skin Of A Stone, 1993)
Dead Flowers - Not Ready
Dead Flowers - Home
Dead Flowers at an instore signing, Beatbox, Gisborne, with Leesa Tilley
Labels:

Wildside


Festival


BMG

Members:

Bryan Bell - vocals, guitar

Damon Newton - guitar

Riqi Hadfield - guitar

Rob Dollars - drums

Aaron Carson - bass

Darryn Harkness - bass

Rich Mixture - bass

David James - bass

Trivia:

Bryan Bell has been playing in the Jordan Luck Band for far longer than he was in Dead Flowers and his period of working with Luck outstrips even The Exponents partnership of Luck and Brian Jones.

Tours with The Exponents often involved the bands trying to prank each other. One occasion, a fillet of fish was tapped inside Riqi Hadfield’s amp after a run of pre-Xmas gigs. The Dead Flowers didn’t pick it up from their practise room until Boxing Day, by which time all their gear stank and they had to suffer a very stinky trip to Tauranga for the next show.

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