As the singer, guitarist, and main songwriter of Australia’s Men At Work, Colin Hay was responsible for penning several of the quirkiest pop hits of the early ’80s including “Overkill”, “(The Land) Down Under”, “It’s A Mistake” and “Who Can IT Be Now” Although forever associated with “the land down under”, Hay hailed from Scotland but relocated to Australia in 1967. After Men At Work’s rise, demise and a period of reflection, Hay embarked on a solo career, debuting in 1987 with Looking For Jack (the title of which supposedly referred to a brief encounter Hay had with actor Jack Nicholson). Hay continued to release critically acclaimed solo material with regularity throughout the 2000’s, including Wayfaring Sons, Peaks & Valleys, Topanga, 1998’s Transcendental Highway, 2007’s Are You Lookin’ at Me?, American Sunshine, 2011’s Gathering Mercury, which was followed in 2015 by Next Year People.
Hay contributed “I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You” to the soundtrack of Garden State and has had roles in other cult movies such as Cosi and television shows such as Scrubs, The Larry Sanders Show, JAG, The Mick Molloy Show and What About Brian. Hay has also been a member of Ringo Starr’s eighth and tenth All-Starr Bands. In 2017 Hay recorded and released his 13th solo album, Fierce Mercy, an epic, cinematic step forward from the singer-songwriter who has become increasingly known for his wonderfully witty and intimate performances as well as his ever-present great voice and incisive song writing .
The range of artists who have chosen to cite him as a muse is vast and varied and include the likes of Metallica and The Lumineers, reflecting his continuing relevance and broad appeal.
Presented by UMT presents
