Stu Thomas
Stu David Thomas is an Australian musician, born 1967 in Canberra, raised in Perth, and currently musically active in Melbourne.
He is a multi-instrumentalist, performer, singer, composer, arranger, producer, bass player, guitarist and trumpet player, and holds a Diploma of Music. Thomas has played in many countries including: Australia, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Bosnia–Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovakia, Portugal, England, Ireland, Scotland, USA, New Zealand, Cocos Islands, and appeared on over 75 recorded releases.
Thomas performs solo or with his band as The Stu Thomas Paradox, performing mainly in Australia, with appearances in Europe and New Zealand. He has released two solo albums to date: "Devil and Daughter" and "Escape From Algebra", and one EP "Resonance". In 2014, he self-released the "Stu plays Lee" EP, following successful shows in Melbourne playing the music of Lee Hazlewood. An abridged version, renamed "Stu Thomas plays Lee Hazlewood", was released in 2015 as a limited edition 8-inch clear vinyl EP on Stu's own Bar Hum Bug label, with more performances in Darwin and Adelaide. 2020 saw the Stu Thomas Paradox album "Counting To Infinity" released on Off The Hip Records.
The Stu Thomas Paradox is: Stu Thomas on lead vocals, guitar, Billy Miller on guitar, backing vocals, Eduardo Miller on bass and backing vocals, Phil Collings on drums.
On occasion, Clare Moore has substituted on drums / keyboards and Mal Beveridge on bass. Drummer John Annas played a gig with the band in 2005, their debut. In 2004, Stu played a solo mini-tour of Berlin, which included German musician Lemmi Schwarz on clarinet and Australian ex-pat Chris Hughes on drums.
!n 2020, during Covid-19 lockdown, Stu performed a series of live-streamed shows from his home on the Stage It platform. The first being an selection of Iggy Pop songs, the 2nd was Stu's entire "Devil and Daughter" album, and the 3rd was the whole of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold The World".
Thomas is known for his work as a bass player. He has played in a large variety of bands since 1979, and came to wider global attention in late 1995 when he joined Kim Salmon & The Surrealists. He also played with Kim Salmon in Kim Salmon and The Business, and SALMON, as well as in Kim Salmon's solo band, and also Kim Salmon Plays The Scientists.
With Kim Salmon, Thomas has toured Australia many times. Together they played three tours of Europe: in 1996 with Kim Salmon and the Surrealists with drummer Greg Bainbridge, as well as USA in 1996. In 2004 STu played with Kim Salmon Plays The Scientists as a trio with drummer Leanne Cowie and in 2006 as Kim Salmon and the Surrealists at Azkena Rock Festival. Thomas appears on several Kim Salmon releases.
He found further acclaim when he joined The Royal Dave Graney Show in 2004, who metamorphosized into Dave Graney & The Lurid Yellow Mist, and later re-metamorphosized into Dave Graney & The mistLY. Thomas is also part of Dave Graney 'n' the Coral Snakes, on bass duties for them since their re-formation in 2015. Thomas has toured Europe twice with Dave Graney & The MistLY, supporting Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in 2008 on the Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! tour, and then a headline tour in 2016, with Scottish guitarist Malcolm Ross. Thomas appears on several Dave Graney releases.
In 1997, Thomas founded The Brass Bed, a trash-noir band consisting of brass and rhythm sections, with a notable lack of guitar. The lineup was flexible and in its largest form included two trombones, trumpet, clarinet, bass and drums. In its smallest form: bass and drums. Other forms included harmonica, sax, cello and violin players. They released the "low key" EP in 1997, the "No Single" 7 inch white vinyl in 1998, "Resonances: Live Film Music" CD in 2000, "Save Your Breath" CD 2001, and "The Super8 Video LP" DVD in 2007. The Brass Bed played exclusively in Melbourne from 1997 - 2007, apart from one performance as a duo in Auckland, New Zealand in 2001 as a duo. They began doing rock gigs, but ended up playing live soundtracks to films. The initial lineup was: Stu Thomas, Delaney Davidson, Tatiana Pajo and Brian May. Subsequent members were Rhys Braddock, Cam McAllister, Tim Hilton, Lemmi Schwarz, Sonke Rickertson, Adam Nash, Mike Noga, Sherab Holley and Phil Collings.
He has been involved musically with many artists of note including: Dave Graney, Clare Moore, Kim Salmon, Mick Harvey, Rebecca Barnard, Martin Cilia, Dan Brodie, The Spoils, Spencer P. Jones, and Delaney Davidson, among others.
In 2019, Thomas appeared on the soundtrack to French film Qui m'aime me suive!. He sang with Mick Harvey and Xanthe Waite, music by Fred Avril.
Thomas is a proponent of the Fender P-Bass, and the Burns London baritone guitar, and is also in demand for vocal, trumpet and flugelhorn sessions.
Thomas is also a visual artist having done much graphic art work, and is a painter. His first solo exhibition was in 2017 at Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, Melbourne.
Discography
2020Counting To Infinity album by THE STU THOMAS PARADOX
2019
The Dog Beneath the Skin album by CHRISTOPHER MARSHALL
One Million Years DC album by DAVE GRANEY & CLARE MOORE
Nashville Wife album by 2INCH TAPE
Qui m'aime me suive! by FRED AVRIL
ZIPPA DEEDOO WHAT IS/WAS THAT/THIS? album by DAVE GRANEY & THE MISTLY
Harmony & Destiny album by MALCOLM HILL & LIVE FLESH
Baby, I Wish Been A Better Pop Star single by DAVE GRANEY & THE MISTLY
Ultrakeef single by DAVE GRANEY & THE MISTLY
2018
Cosmic Love single by MALCOLM HILL & LIVE FLESH
I Was Watching The Whole Time album by EDUARDO MILLER
Song Of Life single by DAVE GRANEY & CLARE MOORE
2017
Let's Get Tight album by DAVE GRANEY & CLARE MOORE
The Winter's Journey album by JULITHA RYAN
2016
Matey, From On High single by DAVE GRANEY
Drifting Donna Reed single by DAVE GRANEY
2015
The Roots of Kim Salmon live album by KIM SALMON
Stu Thomas plays Lee Hazlewood Vinyl EP by STU THOMAS
Australia album by BILLY MILLER
Play mistLY For Me live album by DAVE GRANEY & The mistLY
2014
City Of Dreams album by MIKELANGELO
Stu plays Lee CDEP by STU THOMAS
The Man Is Back: A Tribute Johnny Cash by VARIOUS ARTISTS
2012
You've Been in My Mind album by DAVE GRANEY & The mistLY
Space Odyssey – Part I album by JANE DUST
Hope Addicts album by HOPE ADDICTS
2011
Rock N Roll Is Where I Hide album by DAVE GRANEY & THE LURID YELLOW MIST
2010
Put Your Hands On Me album by LITTLE JOHN
Penelope album by PENNY IKINGER
Predate single by KIM SALMON & THE SURREALISTS
Jane Dust album by JANE DUST
Bird's Journey single by JANE DUST
Grand Unifying Theory by KIM SALMON & THE SURREALISTS
Escape From Algebra by THE STU THOMAS PARADOX
2009
Shake Your Derrière / Lost In Space single by THE STU THOMAS PARADOX
Live In Hell live album by DAVE GRANEY & THE LURID YELLOW MIST
Knock Yourself Out album by DAVE GRANEY
2008
We Wuz Curious album by THE LURID YELLOW MIST feat. DAVE GRANEY & CLARE MOORE
2007
Devil and Daughter album by STU THOMAS
The Super8 Video LP DVD by THE BRASS BED
2006
Eat More Baby album by SWEDISH MAGAZINES
Keepin' It Unreal album by DAVE GRANEY & CLARE MOORE feat. STU D.
2005
Hashish & Liquor album by DAVE GRANEY & CLARE MOORE
These Beautiful Ghosts album by MARK GARDENER
Swampbuck Sessions Live
2004
Free Kicks album by EVEN
Devil and Daughter album by STU THOMAS
2003
In The Valley album by WAYFARING STRANGERS
Rosa Duet album by BARB WATERS
Resonance EP by STU THOMAS
2002
Take A Bullet single by DAN BRODIE & THE BROKEN ARROWS
Jesus Try and Save Me single by DAN BRODIE & THE BROKEN ARROWS
2001
You Make Me Wanna Kill single by DAN BRODIE & THE BROKEN ARROWS
Empty Arms, Broken Heart album by DAN BRODIE & THE BROKEN ARROWS
Hurtsville by album THE SPOILS
Save Your Breath album by THE BRASS BED
Triple J: Live And Unleashed album
2000
Mr Accident SOUNDTRACK album
Combination / Love Transfusion split single Picture Disc by THE BRASS BED & LUXEDO
I'll Be Around singles by KIM SALMON & THE BUSINESS
Disconnected single by KIM SALMON & THE BUSINESS
Record album by KIM SALMON & THE BUSINESS
Comatosa single by LUXEDO
City Lights and Road kill album by LUXEDO
You Really Suck EP by LUXEDO
Resonances: Live Film Music album by THE BRASS BED
1999
Saving Me From Me single by KIM SALMON & THE BUSINESS
1998
To Hal & Bacharach – Various Artists album. Australian tribute to Burt Bacharach & Hal David
Strange Waters, Small Mercies album by CHRISTOPHER MARSHALL
You're Such A Freak EP by KIM SALMON & THE SURREALISTS
The NO Single single by THE BRASS BED
1997
Ya Gotta Let Me Do My Thing album by KIM SALMON & THE SURREALISTS
I Won't Tell / World Of Love single by KIM SALMON & THE SURREALISTS
Fix Me Up single by KIM SALMON & THE SURREALISTS
low key EP by THE BRASS BED
The Gold Record EP by THE BRASS BED
1991
Nu Music Sampler featuring : Seven Year Itch single by ORGANISM
Organism EP cassette by ORGANISM