pictures and history
David Virgin, born in North Dublin 1962, to a folk
music family, one of 11 children.
By 16, with his band "The Broken Toys", he was playing at the
legendary Grand Hotel and Garabaldis in the early Sydney punk scene '78
- '79. He then started working with Dan Rumour (later of the Cruel Sea),
in the industrial noise band SPK. He recorded 3 singles and an album still
only 17 years old.
David in Broken Toys days c.1978
Photo by: Darian Turner
David Virgin, Ugly Mirrors first gig. The Ugly Mirrors later became Sekret Sekret. Peter McGregor on drums.
The single New King Jack, released in 1980, brought Sekret Sekret to wider success, this meant television appearances and larger crowds.
The "photo shy" Sekret Sekret.
broken toys
spk
ugly mirrors
sekret sekret
david virgin group
pin
virgin & rumour
David Virgin played bass and wrote songs with SPK
David Virgin played bass, wrote songs and played live and on the records for SPK. Dan Rumour also played guitar for SPK. There are no recordings of The Broken Toys, so this was David's first vinyl adventure. 1978/1979.
Charity/Hope You Can was Sekret Sekret's first record. It was released in 1979 through Happy Town Sounds. It received good airplay and brought a lot of new fans to the scene.
Peter
Mullaney
David and Des sitting on the floor at side-fx.
David Virgin (1984)
Dan
Rumour and Jim Elliot
note the young James Elliot, he was doing quite
well at his job in the commonwealth bank when invited to play drums for Sekret Sekret after Collin Ellis moved on to become the sound engineer for INXS. James' buddy Ken Gormley later came to Sekret Sekret on bass after Des Devlin moved to guitar. Ken and James would go on to be the rhythm section for The Cruel Sea.
Des Devlin, David and Peter Mullaney
Des- young like David and a good buddy,
great bass player and even better guitarist. He wrote many of Sekret Sekret's finest compositions including White Stick and Just to Love You.
Around 1979 with Sekret Sekret.
Sekret Sekret 's single"Just To Love You/ Waterbirds "
screenprinted cloth cover.
Sekret Sekret's third single "Girl with a White Stick"/"Chimes".
Photo by: Darian Turner.
Early Sekret Sekret gig with Collin Ellis on drums. The young Dan Rumour(far left) was a keen Broken Toys fan. Already a guitar master at 21years reinvented himself from Detroit Heavy Metal hero to psychadelic genius upon meeting David. Later he would be called "The Sound" of the Cruel Sea. What a dude.
David Virgin released this record with his song give it up while still a member of Sekret Sekret in 1984, "the cheek". Leonard Samperi song possesion is on the flip side.
When Sekret Sekret formally ended Dan Rumour, Ken Gormley and Jim Elliot created the Cruel Sea adding Tex Perkins on vocals. The Cruel Sea became Australias biggest band with many hits and awards.
David Virgin went to Dublin in the late '80s to play folk music and produce Dublin artists. On returning to Australia he recorded Landlord Green with Dan Rumour. David returned to Europe and spent seven years recording and gigging extensively based in the south of France, Amsterdam and Dublin.
Carla
Graff, David Virgin and Clare Picasso. c.1991. Playing a regular gig at the Reasonably Good Cafe in Chippendale with the line up for the Landlord Green album.
Anthony Yatras, pictured here in his old band Seems Twice. Anthony, an old punk pal of David's played bass live and in the studio with the David Virgin group (2004). Anthony is a wonderful songwriter and artist, he has also recorded many of his own works at "No Fun" studio.
Playing Byron, writing poetry on a tomb. 1986.
Landlord Green LP cover
Pin was David Virgin's Dublin band from 1993-1995. Pin saw a return to pure rock n' roll.
David Virgin and Pin rocking out in Dublin in 1993. (from left: Fran Scattergood, John "boy" and David Virgin) David's younger brother John Boy has played drums with him on and off since 1977.
The latest release titled "VIRGIN & RUMOUR" recorded Winter 2004 is a special coming together for these two elder statesmen of Australian Underground Music.
David Virgin and Dan Rumour around the time of recording the Virgin & Rumour album in 2004.
David Virgin, Dublin 1994
David trying to stay cool in the sub-tropics.
on screen
(from left)Preacher Kim McLean, Doc. David Virgin M.D and The Blind Judge in "BlackTrain", a dust bowl cowboy blues outfit, that David and Kim founded in 1990 at the Sandringham Hotel, Newtown. Pictured here playing at a North Coast art gallery in 2003.
David Virgin, Dan Rumour and Pete Mullaney came together for a one off gig at the Winsome Hotel, North Coast NSW in 2004.
Fist of Fury.
David Virgin 2004 sitting on his beloved 1976 Holden Torana, looking like a country hick, flip flops and all.
David Virgin with Rohan at the Viper Room in Dublin 2005.
These days David likes to play
solo or duo gigs, usually with some tasteful electric guitar accompaniment.
Most recently he has toured the East Coast with Cat Power, Lloyd Cole, Billy
Bragg and Tim Freedman.
He will be releasing a new David Virgin album in 2006.
David is currently based in Dublin.
David Virgin on his three acres in Lismore, Dan Rumour actually lived in this caravan while recording the Virgin & Rumour album in 2004.
David and Rohan recording in Dublin 2006.
For free David Virgin music downloads CLICK HERE
To visit David Virgin's myspace page CLICK HERE.
In the bush, Virgin, Willing and Daley
(from left) David Virgin, Jimmy Willing(David played rhythm guitar and wrote songs with hillbilly punk, puppeteer and showman Jimmy Willing and his band The Real Gone Hickups in 2003 and 2004) and Mick Daley of The Re-Mains, the kings of next-gen country rock n' roll.
In Dublin 2006 in his studio.