Bio

“Wayne Gillespie ..has a great way of weaving words together, creating nice juxtapositions and irony, with a strong sense of landscape and place, and a way of expressing personal feelings, ideas and emotions universally. His songs manage to be personal to both himself and the listener… One of our unsung heroes”

Steve Garden 2005.

"His songs shine with dark brilliance" Colin Hogg.

Singer/songwriter Wayne Gillespie and Auckland based guitar virtuoso Nigel Gavin celebrate 20 years of music making together with a live acoustic album recorded at the Devonport Bunker.

The album features five new songs as well as live versions of nine previously recorded Gillespie originals. Acclaimed local singer Caitlin Smith and Narcs bass player Tony Waine also make guest appearances on several tracks

Auckland born Gillespie made his professional debut busking in Paris subways, playing to audiences in London folk clubs and Sydney's Darlinghurst cafes before returning to Auckland in the early 80's.

Wayne Gillespie's first solo album, the acoustic 'Wayward Son' was released on his own label in 1984 and made the finals of the New Zealand Music awards in two categories: - Most Promising Vocalist & Folk Album of the Year. The song 'Away with You' off this album also won a special APRA award in the same year.

Gillespie quickly became one of the leading figures in the prominant Auckland Acoustics movement playing pubs, cafes and folk clubs augmented by his band of brilliant musicians, Denny Stanway (vocals), Brendan Power (Harmonica) and Bob Shepheard (Fretless Bass).

In 1985 he contributed two tracks to the Auckland Acoustics Album (also featuring local acts such as Mahinarangi Tocker, Kaith Tait, Acoustic Confusion and Chris & Lynne Thompson). Later in the year Gillespie shared production duties with Chris Knox on songwriter Nick Smith's debut EP 'Flanker' released by Real Groovy Records.

The success of 'Wayward Son' resulted in Gillespie coming to the attention of producer Trevor Lucas (Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, Goanna) and being signed by CBS Records (NZ). Lucas produced Gillespie's second album; the electric 'New Locations' in Jan-March 1986, which achieved chart success and critical acclaim. Live highlights in 87/88 included shows with Suzanne Vega at the Auckland town hall , with Peking Man at the Gluepot and Dave Dobbyn at the Manly Hotel Sydney.

Gillespie's third solo album finally came to fruition through the support from the local community of musicians (such as Dave Dobbyn, Margaret Urlich, Amanda Brown (Go-Betweens), Pedro Bull (Paul Kelly), Mal Green (Split Enz), Dave Sparks (the Saints), Peter Moloney (Johnny O Keefe), Shanley Del, Tony Waine (Narcs) and Nigel Gavin (Ex-Robert Fripp)) who all contributed their talents to this album.

Living in Exile was released in 1993 by Sony (NZ) and in 1995 through Ravenswood/Larrikin/Festival in Australia.

Live appearances around this time included performing with Dave Dobbyn, Neil Finn and Shona Laing at the closing night of Aucklands legendary Gluepot venue as well as supporting US Bluesman Chris Whitley at the Basement in Sydney.

Several years later Gillespie was invited by the Narcs to produce their third album Push the Boat Out (1997) in Hamilton.

During the 90's Wayne also completed a psychology degree at Macquarie university. His thesis 'The Personality of Rock Musicians' was published in the UK Journal of Music Psychology in October 2000.

Wayne came out of several years of performance retirement to play at the infamous Sweetwaters festival in 1999 and has remained active writing and performing since then.

Wayne currently resides in Sydney balancing his songwriting career with work as a counselling psychologist.

His latest album 'Live at the Bunker' (2005) with guitarist Nigel Gavin is an acoustic live perormance recorded at the Devonport Bunker.

Gillespie & Gavin also played live from the Auckland Domain on April 24th 2005 to over one million Aussie listeners the ABC radio show Australia All Over.

Expect a new studio album with band in 2007.