Chocolate Starfish journey started in Melbourne back in 1992, with an original line-up including Bruce Pawsey (drums), Norman Falvo (keyboards/backing vocals), Craig Harnath(bass), Zoran Romich (lead guitar) and Adam Thompson (lead vocals). Thompson who made the trip from Tallygaroopna, would be the only original band member standing at the end.
Like with most bands, the line-up would go through a series of changes, and Starfish were not immune to changes. Other band members over the years included Brett Kingman, John Justin, Tim Rosewarne, Darren Danielson, and John ‘Stone’ Nixon.
Starfish burst on to the charts in 1993 with their classic cover of Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain. It was the only cover the band recorded. A string of hits followed, including ‘Mountain’, ‘Four Letter Word’ and ‘Accidentally Cool’.
By the time they released their debut album, Harnath and Pawsey had already been replaced by John ‘Stone’ Nixon and Darren Danielson.
Chocolate Starfish released just two albums before taking some time out – 1994′s self-titled debut (which spent two months in the Top 10, peaked at #2 and became the year’s biggest-selling Australian debut album being certified platinum. The album was produced by “Pseudo Echo front man Brian Canham for EMI Music Australia.
A real special moment for me was the Australian Music Awards in ’94. We did Head totally live. At the after-party there were a lot of indie guys who weren’t big fans of the band. But a lot of them came up and said “That was pretty bloody good.” It was great to show that we could do it live – no bells and whistles, no tricks. I can’t wait to recapture that feeling, says Zoran Romic.
Falvo was next to leave the group at the end of 1994, with Tom Rosewarne replacing him on Keyboards for the second album release in 1995 titled ‘Box’ which peaked at #6 on the Aussie charts. Their highest charting single was a cover of Carly Simons 1972 hit ‘Your So Vain” (1993) which climbed the ARIA singles chart peaking at #11. They had another hit with ‘Mountain’ (1994) peaking at #12.
The band never officially broke up. There was no announcement or farewell tour, they just simply stopped playing in 1997. Danielson left the group and relocated to Paris for six months. When he returned, he and Canham formed a band called ‘Brill” who would later release on self titled album in 1997. Romich would also jump from Starfish to Brill in 1998. When Canham re-formed Psuedo Echo in 1999, his first choice to play drums was Danielson.
It’s understandable that they were a little tired. Chocolate Starfish was Australia’s hardest-working band in the ’90s, playing more than 700 gigs between 1993 and 1997, once doing 22 nights in a row.
Starfish would re-form with a line-up of Danielson, Falvo, Nixon, Romic and Thompson in 2010.
“I don’t think we’ve said everything we wanted to say musically,” explains guitarist Zoran Romic. ‘We’ve just been on a 14 year break”.
“We’ve got some unfinished business,” adds singer Adam Thompson.
Norman Falvo says “Starfish was loud, brash, a bit tongue-in-cheek … did I mention loud? And, above all else, a band that always delivered. The five of us honed something pretty special back then during the Greville Street days in the ’90s, and, nearly 20 years on, I can’t wait to rekindle some of that spirit, and once more plant a tongue into the Starfish cheek.
The Starfish days … Well, where do I start? Far too many fond memories. From gigging in Newcastle at the Star Hotel – cooling myself down in between songs in a dirty slime-filled pond; even drinking from it, followed by a quick chunder – to driving straight after the gig to Brisbane, with myself driving and all the other guys asleep in the back of the Tarago. I thought I would pull up for a nap, only to find in the morning that I should have pulled to the side of the road and not parked in the middle of the left-hand lane with semi-trailers zipping past us – not the smartest move on my behalf! I’m looking forward to playing with these guys again – we all go back a lot further than just a band of guys playing together. We had a magic there that is hard to explain and I’m looking forward to experiencing that Starfish magic again says John “Stones” Nixon
Since Starfish slowed down, Adam has worked as a motivational speaker, taught music in outback Aboriginal communities, booked bands at a tourist resort, got married, worked with some of Australia’s biggest sporting teams and recorded a solo album in Stockholm.
“After Starfish, I needed to find out what I felt about life,” Adam explains.
Zoran and Darren run the FUR Group, a management, recording and touring company, while John has his own construction company. And Norman is a music teacher.
Some of my most treasured musical moments have been on stage with these four guys – not the larger shows but the small sweatboxes that we played over and over again and loved every minute of it. I’m looking forward to making music again with the band.
Darren Danielson “What I miss most is writing with Zoran. As much as I love performing, it’s nothing without great songs. That’s what I’m most looking forward to, seeing what comes out of our writing sessions”.
Adam Thompson “Behind the rust is buried treasure”.
“It’s going to be exciting to see what sort of noise we make,” Zoran says. “A hell of a lot of music has come and gone since the ’90s, so it’ll be interesting to hear how we now sound. Will it be the automatically identifiable Starfish sound or will it be something different?” We can’t wait to find out.”
Just as the band went to work on their new studio album, a planned concert tour had to be cancelled when Romich was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2011. A benefit concert was held for him in October 2011. Romich even managed to join his fellow bandmates on stage for a few songs. Sadly in March 2012 he passed away.
The band soldiered on, joining the ‘Red Hot Summer Tour’ between January and March 2013, alongside Jimmy Barnes, Ian Moss and Dragon.
