Sebastian Hardie | |
|---|---|
 Live in Japan, 2003. L to r, Mario Millo, Alex Plavsic, Peter Plavsic, and Toivo Pilt | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Sebastian Hardie Blues Band Windchase |
| Origin | Sydney, Australia |
| Genres | Rock, progressive rock, Latin rock, symphonic rock, rhythm and blues |
| Years active | 1967–1977, 1994, 2003, 2011– |
| Labels | Polydor, Avalon, Mercury, Festival, Infinity |
| Past members | see Members list below |
Sebastian Hardie were Australia's first symphonic rock band. They formed in Sydney in 1967 as Sebastian Hardie Blues Band but dropped the 'Blues Band' reference when they became pop-oriented. By 1973 they developed a more progressive rock style, and later performed as Windchase, but disbanded in 1977. An early member of Sebastian Hardie was Jon English (vocals, rhythm guitar), who starred as Judas Iscariot in the Australian version of the stage musical Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972 and subsequently had a solo career as a singer, actor and playwright. A later member, Mario Millo (lead guitar, mandolin, vocals) became a multi-award winner for his television and movie music.
Sebastian Hardie's other early members included Graham Ford (lead guitar), Anatole Kononewsky (keyboards), Peter Plavsic (bass guitar) and his brother Alex Plavsic (drums). After English, Kononewsky and Ford had left, the Plavsic brothers were joined by Millo and Toivo Pilt (keyboards). With their addition, Sebastian Hardie developed extended progressive rock tracks to become a symphonic rock group before they released their definitive album Four Moments in 1975, which peaked at No. 12 on the National albums chart. They followed with a second album Windchase in 1976, but it had less chart success. Millo and Pilt formed the band, Windchase, to release Symphinity in 1977, it was a heavier jazz-fusion album but didn't have chart success and they disbanded.