Dale Nougher

Australian musician and photographer. Dale Nougher (pronounced NOYA), was born on the 1st March 1960, Dandenong, Victoria, Australia into a very musical family where the piano was an integral part of the family upbringing. At the age of 10, Dale had his first piano lesson and the proceeded to teach himself 'by ear'. In 1971, the family leased the 28,000 acre Clarke Island in the Bass Straits' Furneaux Group. They were Clark Islands' only inhabitants. Dale & his dad started to duet the music of Scott Joplin, (and with his mothers' classical training thrown in), those initial chord structures gave Dale a very clear insight into music. Within a few months Dale was playing & singing his own songs. In 1976, Dale joined his first band and by 1978 he was playing in the Tasmanian band 'EARSHOT', supporting bands like 'MONDO ROCK', 'MISEX' and other mainland acts when they toured Tasmania. By 1980, Dale was living in the beautiful Tasmanian valley of Lorinna, when Dales' daughter, Amber Rose was born. A peaceful time in the remote northern regions of the island sharing a very simple lifestyle of no phones, no power, no shops and no rent, with the local community, ILLUSION FARM, (also the base for ILLUSION CIRCUS THEATER COMPANY). In this environment, with cumbersome battery packs, Dale first experimented with synthesizers and special effects while composing for the theater company productions. In 1982, Dale moved to the Sydney music scene. Within 1 year Dale had teamed up with the avant-garde electro sounding band IQ. The musical experience of IQ helped set Dale up in live performance and merchandising paving the way for a career in instrumental music. By 1984, Dale was selling his first recording aptly titled 'OPEN' at gigs and by 1987 had recorded 5 albums. Dale began playing solo piano at Paddington markets in April 1987 with resounding popularity. By November the album '3 ROSES' was released which gained a cult following and sold all over the world, especially amongst the pioneering days of alternative lifestyle healers and spiritual communities. Dale left Sydney in 1989 with regular dance parties becoming a feature of the community coming together and celebrating. After 6 years of living in Byron Bay, recording albums at 'Music Farm' and 'Rockinghorse' Studios, Dale moved back to Sydney and has been recording solo albums ever since.