Matthew Good

Matthew Frederick Robert Good (born June 29, 1971 in Burnaby , British Columbia ) is a Canadian rock musician .

He was the lead singer of the Matthew Good Band, which were one of the most important bands in the alternative rock genre in Canada in the 1990s , before they broke up in 2002. Band members at the time were Ian Browne (drums), Dave Genn (guitar and keyboards) and Geoff Lloyd and later Rich Priske (bass). Since the band split up, Matthew Good has pursued a solo career and is also active as a political activist and blogger .

The Matthew Good Band

Early in his career, Good recorded a number of folk demos and was briefly the lead singer of the folk band Rodchester Kings . The Matthew Good Band was formed in 1995 in Vancouver , British Columbia. In the same year they released their debut album Last of the Ghetto Astronauts . Although their fame was initially limited to the Vancouver region, the band began to take notice in other parts of Canada in 1996. The single releases Alabama Motel Room , Symbolistic White Walls and Haven't Slept in Years became popular hits on the radio and on MuchMusic . The album grossed just under 5,000 Canadian dollars , making it probably the most successful independent release by a Canadian band.

The 1997 album Underdogs , produced by Warne Livesey , spawned the singles Everything is Automatic and Apparitions . The latter turned out to be the band's most successful release. Goods political positions and staunch demeanor were unusual in the Canadian rock scene of the 1990s, and he was soon known for both his musical talent and his allegedly difficult character. To emphasize his reputation, Good sold t-shirts at concerts that read I Hear Matt Good Is a Real Asshole (I heard Matt Good is a real asshole). Occasionally he also wore a gorilla mask on commercials.

During the recording of the album Beautiful Midnight , Lloyd left the band. Rich Priske took over his place as bassist. The album, released in 1999, with the single hits Hello Time Bomb , Strange Days and Load Me Up , suddenly made the Matthew Good Band one of the most famous Canadian rock bands. For Beautiful Midnight , the group received two Juno Awards in 2000 , for best band and for best rock album. Good boycotted the Juno Awards and guitarist Dave Genn was quoted as saying that he only came for the free drinks.

After touring with Beautiful Midnight for almost two years, the band began working on The Audio of Being . It was during this time that Goods began to experience emotional problems, when he had difficulty coping with the success of the band. At the same time, he was diagnosed with sarcoid (a connective tissue disease that causes lesions in lung tissue), which forced him to quit smoking. After surgery on his vocal cords, Good retired to a hotel in Whistler for three weeks and worked on his new songs. He later wrote that most of his time was spent trying to eat fewer dietary supplement bars, forgetting about the growing tension in the band and the high expectations of throwing up and finding direction in his own life.

In late 2000, the band began studio recordings for The Audio of Being . During the work there were internal arguments, whereupon Dave Genn left the band, only to rejoin a short time later. After the album was released in October 2001, Genn resigned and Good subsequently disbanded the Matthew Good Band in 2002.

Matthew Good as an activist

In addition to his musical activities, Good is also active as a writer and blogger. Between 1997 and 2000 he published a number of manifestos on the band's homepage. Much of these writings were later incorporated into his book At last there is nothing left to say (2001).

Another interest in Goods lies in politics and history. In recent years he has used his website more and more to publicize his political views on the Canadian government, the effects of US foreign policy and global conflicts such as the Darfur crisis . He supports Amnesty International with publicity on his tours as well as financially .

Discography

Matthew Good (demos)

1993: Left of Normal
1993: Broken
1994: Euphony

Matthew Good Band

1994: 15 Hours on a September Thursday (Demo)
1995: Last of the Ghetto Astronauts
1996: Raygun
1997: Underdogs
1998: Lo-Fi B-Sides
1999: Beautiful Midnight
2001: Loser Anthems
2001: The Audio of Being

Matthew Good (Solo)

2003: Avalanche
2004: White Light Rock & Roll Review
2005: In a Coma
2007: Hospital Music
2008: Live at Massey Hall
2009: Vancouver
2011: Lights of Endangered Species
2013: Arrows of Desire
2015: Chaotic Neutral
2017: Something Like a Storm

Web links

Commons : Matthew Good - collection of images, videos and audio files

personal data
SURNAME	Good, Matthew
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Good, Matthew Frederick Robert (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Canadian singer, composer and activist
DATE OF BIRTH	June 29, 1971
PLACE OF BIRTH	Burnaby , British Columbia , Canada