Diana Anaid (born
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
, 8 April 1976) is the performance name of Diana Gosper, an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter. From 1997 to 2003 she used the
moniker
A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...
, Diana ah Naid. Anaid has issued five studio albums, ''Diana ah Naid'' (8 April 1997, her 21st birthday), ''I Don't Think I'm Pregnant'' (September 1999), ''Beautiful Obscene'' (20 April 2004) ''Diana Anaid'' (2010) and ''My Queen'' (2017). 2007 also saw the release of Diana Anaid's first live album "Live At Bush Theatre" which was recorded in her home town of Nimbin, NSW.
Her debut single, "I Go Off" (June 1997), peaked at No. 35 on the
ARIA Singles Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
and soon became a fan favourite, having been given high rotation on TripleJ Radio. Another single, "Last Thing" (2004), reached the
Top 40 Tracks
Top 40 Tracks was a chart from ''Billboard'' magazine. It debuted in the issue dated December 5, 1998 to preserve the notion of Hot 100 Airplay when it expanded to include airplay data from radio stations of other formats such as R&B, rock and cou ...
on ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''s component chart.
Early life
Diana Anaid was born as Diana Gosper,
[ Note: User may have to click 'Search again' and provide details at 'Enter a title:' e.g Addiction; or at 'Performer:' Diana ah Naid] in
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
,
on 8 April 1976.
Her mother died when Anaid was one year old.
With her father and two older brothers, she "lived the archetypal hippie commune life, travelling around the northern part of the state".
Anaid later recalled "my dad was travelling around the country trying to escape from his inner demons... It was a gypsy lifestyle and it was quite poor."
She had "a long childhood involving children's homes, foster parents, charity organisations, food vouchers and freaks – often on the run from authority but with nowhere to go."
By the age of 15 Anaid had settled in the
Lismore-
Nimbin area, with her two brothers – their father had moved on.
She turned to music, "I picked up the guitar... and taught myself how to play";
and performed in "folk / blues clubs and cafes of the region".
Anaid undertook a year of education in Canberra, and with her then-partner, returned to Lismore.
At the age of 16 Anaid had a son, Stone, and, for three years, she dropped out of the music industry to look after him.
She used the moniker, Diana ah Naid, as an almost
palindrome
A palindrome is a word, number, phrase, or other sequence of symbols that reads the same backwards as forwards, such as the words ''madam'' or ''racecar'', the date and time ''11/11/11 11:11,'' and the sentence: "A man, a plan, a canal – Panam ...
, "a reverse of her first name – except she added the letter 'H'"
The 'H' was added for
numerological
Numerology (also known as arithmancy) is the belief in an occult, divine or mystical relationship between a number and one or more coinciding events. It is also the study of the numerical value, via an alphanumeric system, of the letters in ...
effect, as it "represents the number '8' which signifies 'power' and 'forcefulness' and 'infinity'."
Career
1997–99: First albums
Anaid recorded her debut album, ''Diana ah Naid'', in
Byron Bay
Byron Bay ( Minjungbal: ''Cavvanbah)'' is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia on Bundjalung Country. It is located north of Sydney and south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a hea ...
for the cost of
AUD
The Australian dollar (sign: $; code: AUD) is the currency of Australia, including its external territories: Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island. It is officially used as currency by three independent Pacific Island s ...
$10,000, she had 500 copies pressed and launched it at the Nimbin Bush Theatre on her 21st birthday, 8 April 1997.
Her sponsor was a Greenpeace activist from the Netherlands.
She sent a copy to
Triple J
Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...
's radio presenter,
Richard Kingsmill
Richard Kingsmill (born 29 January 1954) is an Australian radio announcer, music journalist and currently Group Music Director of triple j, triple j Unearthed, Double J and ABC Local Radio.
Career
His career at triple j started in 1988 as a p ...
, who played its lead track, "I Go Off".
Anaid signed with Origin Records, an independent Sydney-based label.
Graham Bidstrup
Graham Leslie "Buzz" Bidstrup (born 30 August 1952) is an Australian musician, songwriter, music producer and talent manager. He was a member of the Angels (1976–1981), the Party Boys (1983–1984) and Gang Gajang (1984–1987, 1993–1996, ...
(of
GANGgajang
Ganggajang (styled as GANGgajang) are an Australian pop rock band which formed in 1984. The four founders are frontman Mark 'Cal' Callaghan (ex- Riptides) on guitar and lead vocals, Chris Bailey on bass guitar, Graham 'Buzz' Bidstrup on drums ...
) remixed and, with Anaid, co-produced the album, which was re-released in September.
Australian musicologist,
Ian McFarlane
Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the '' Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017.
As a journalist ...
, described it as "a restless, funky brand of acoustic guitar folk with urgently charged vocals (akin to Ani DiFranco) backed by an emotional, primal energy."
Tom Schulte of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
found it was "promising and deserving of attention from those that like hyper-individualist/feminist folk-rock with the emphasis on rock."
"I Go Off" was issued as a single in June 1997, which peaked at No. 35 on the
ARIA Singles Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
.
McFarlane felt it "highlighted ah Naid's confident and passionate delivery over sparse yet adept guitar work."
Anaid had written the track after the father of her then-boyfriend, who had seen her perform at
Byron Bay Bluesfest
The Byron Bay Bluesfest, formerly the East Coast International Blues & Roots Music Festival, is an annual Australian music festival that has been held over the Easter long weekend in the Byron Bay, New South Wales, area since 1990. The festiva ...
in 1996, had told her she would never succeed, "because you just don't go off."
It received extensive airplay on Triple J; where it was listed at No. 58 on the annual listener's poll,
Triple J Hottest 100, 1997
The 1997 Triple J Hottest 100, was a countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J, and was broadcast on Australia Day 1998. A CD featuring 31 of the songs was released. A countd ...
.
It was included on the various artists compilation CD for that year, the ''Triple J Hottest 100, Volume 5''. At the
ARIA Music Awards of 1998
The 12th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 20 October 1998 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. Presenters, including Democrats deputy l ...
she was nominated for Best New Talent and Breakthrough Artist – Single for "I Go Off".
[ARIA Music Awards for Diana ah Naid / Diana Anaid:
* Search Results 'Diana ah Naid':
* 1998 winners and nominees:
* 1999 winners and nominees:
* 2000 winners and nominees:
]
Early in 1998 Anaid supported concerts by Cake, Wendy Matthews and The Whitlams.
She followed with an appearance at
SXSW
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...
in Austin, Texas and gigs in New York and Los Angeles.
Anaid developed a cyst on her vocal cords, which she had surgically removed in 1998.
Her recovery prevented performing for about a year.
Nevertheless, two singles were issued during the year, "Leaving the Country" (April) and "Oh No" (October).
At the
ARIA Music Awards of 1999
The 13th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 12 October 1999 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Hosted by Paul McDermott and Bob Downe, and present ...
"Oh No (Curbside Lullaby)" was nominated for
Best Independent Release.
Anaid's second studio album, ''I Don't Think I'm Pregnant'' (September 1999), was produced by Ashley Manning.
It was released on Origin and distributed by
Shock Records
Shock Records (now part of Shock Entertainment) is an Australian independent record label.
History
The three founding members had all previously worked in music retail or distribution: Williams for a Melbourne distribution company called "Musi ...
.
McFarlane opined that it "was a convincing follow-up."
The album provided three singles, "Perfect Family" (August 1999), "Love Song for a Girl" and "Don't Believe in Love" (February 2000).
Her backing band were Natt Prang on guitar, Doug E. Styles on drums and Jed Venus on bass guitar.
"Perfect Family" was listed at No. 55 on the
Triple J Hottest 100, 1999
The 1999 Triple J Hottest 100, announced in January 2000, was the seventh such countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J. As in previous years, a CD featuring 36 (not necessa ...
,
and was used on the related various artists album, ''Triple J Hottest 100 Volume 7'' (2000). At the
ARIA Music Awards of 2000
The 14th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 24 October 2000 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Presenters distributed 28 awards with the big win ...
''I Don't Think I'm Pregnant'' was nominated for Best Independent Release and
Best Female Artist.
Australian music journalist,
Ed Nimmervoll
Edward Charles Nimmervoll (21 September 1947 – 10 October 2014) was an Australian music journalist, author and historian. He worked on rock and pop magazines ''Go-Set'' (1966–1974) and ''Juke Magazine'' (1975–92) both as a journalist a ...
of In-Site, felt that "Don't Believe in Love" showed Anaid was "One of the most interesting performers and recording artists working on the Australian music scene over recent years. She's still a work in progress. Her songs don't quite match her ambition."
Fellow singer-songwriter,
Ella Hooper
Ella Keighery Hooper (born 30 January 1983) is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, radio presenter and TV personality. Hooper is the lead singer of Killing Heidi. The band formed in 1996 (when Ella was 13) and also featured her older bro ...
(of
Killing Heidi
Killing Heidi are an Australian rock band, formed in Violet Town, Victoria in 1996, initially as a folk-pop duo by siblings Ella and Jesse Hooper. The band has released three studio albums: '' Reflector'' (March 2000), which reached No. 1 ...
) declared ''I Don't Think I'm Pregnant'' as her favourite album of the year, "She's cool, and she rocks!"
2000–10: Third and fourth albums
During 2000 Anaid toured Australia with
Monique Brumby
Monique Brumby (born 16 September 1974, in Devonport) is an Australian Indie pop/rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. Her debut single, " Fool for You", peaked into the top 40 in the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) ...
and
Deborah Conway
Deborah Ann Conway (born 8 August 1959) is an Australian rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, and had a career as a model and actress. She was a founding member of the 1980s rock band Do-Ré-Mi with their top 5 hit "Man Overboard".
Conw ...
.
Anaid and Brumby became friends; Anaid recalled, "although we haven't seen much of each other, we get along so well that when we do hang out we get along like a house on fire."
In 2003 Anaid modified her performance name, dropping the 'H', so that it is a complete palindrome: Diana Anaid.
Her third studio album, ''Beautiful Obscene'' (20 April 2004), was produced by
Kalju Tonuma. Further production was made by
Ted Hutt
Ted Hutt is a British Grammy Award-winning record producer, musician, and songwriter, residing in Los Angeles, California, United States. He was the original guitar player and one of the founding members for The Promise, The Great Unwashed, Gods ...
(
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, they ...
,
Bush
Bush commonly refers to:
* Shrub, a small or medium woody plant
Bush, Bushes, or the bush may also refer to:
People
* Bush (surname), including any of several people with that name
**Bush family, a prominent American family that includes:
*** ...
) and Paul Palmer in Los Angeles.
Anaid was the first artist Palmer signed to his own label, Five Crowns Records.
For the album her backing musicians include Hutt on bass guitar, Nathan Correy on electric guitar, and Florian Reinhert on drums.
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''s Christie Eliezer noted that the album's "outspoken lyrics reflect a traumatic childhood"; she related that "early Faith No More, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Nirvana helped me a lot."
"Last Thing" (October 2004), first single released in America from the album, received airplay across the USA. Anaid toured and promoted her material in the United States. It became her first international hit, when it appeared on the ''Billboard'' component chart, peaking at No. 26
Top 40 Tracks
Top 40 Tracks was a chart from ''Billboard'' magazine. It debuted in the issue dated December 5, 1998 to preserve the notion of Hot 100 Airplay when it expanded to include airplay data from radio stations of other formats such as R&B, rock and cou ...
.
In Australia it reached No. 14 on the ARIA Hitseekers Singles Chart.
During this time, Anaid took another hiatus from the music industry – her father died from cancer – and she was raising her adolescent son.
Anaid issued her first live album, ''Live at the Bush Theatre'', on 20 February 2007, via her own label Forola Music.
It was recorded in Nimbin in July 2006,
with Anaid performing alone on guitar and vocals.
Glen Humprhies of ''
Illawarra Mercury
The ''Illawarra Mercury'' is a daily newspaper serving the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It has been published since 1855, making it one of Australia's oldest newspapers and the second oldest regional newspaper in New South Wal ...
'' felt her lyrics provide "a real portrayal of love and life – warts and all – whether it's about the harsh reality of break-ups ('Perfect Family') or waking up after a one-night stand to have the guy confess he has a girlfriend ('Piece of Me')."
"Cheatin' on Me" was released as her first single, on 27 October, on her label.
On 25 September 2009 her next single, "Cynical on Waking", was released ahead of her fourth studio album, ''Diana Anaid'', which appeared in February 2010. She undertook a tour of the east coast of Australia during October 2009.
During August to September in the following year Anaid co-headlined a national tour with Brumby, each promoted their respective fourth albums.
The pair co-wrote and performed a duet on a track, "Love Is a Weapon", which provided the name for their tour.
2011 to present
In January 2011, Diana Anaid was nominated in the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards for her song "Charity" in the Sing Out for Social Action Song category.
It was recorded by Anaid on lead vocals and acoustic guitar; Correy on electric and bass guitars; and Dean Belcastro on drums and keyboards.
The track was written by Anaid and Correy.
[ Note: User may have to click 'Search again' and provide details at 'Enter a title:' e.g Charity; or at 'Performer:' Diana Anaid]
In February 2017 Anaid announced that she had recorded her fifth album, titled ''My Queen''.
Its first single, "Can't Apologise", was released in July 2017 with an accompanying music video, directed by
Nick Egan
Nick Egan (born 4 July 1957 in London, England) is a visual design artist and director of music videos, commercials and film. He graduated from the Watford College of Art and Design with a DGA in 1976. While attending college, he created cover ...
.
"Can't Apologise" saw radio support across the country as Diana toured nationally and through New Zealand with Adam and The Ants and her own headline shows. Early accolades for My Queen include "Diana’s a rock ‘n’ roll firecracker... a totally passionate one-off'"- Michael Smith – Rhythms
"My Queen' has all the heartache, wit, poetry and honesty of her most well-known work." – MJ O'Neill-TheMusic and producer Steve James has the following praise for Diana's My Queen album "My Queen stands up as one of the best records I’ve recorded. I’ve got a short list of 10 of the hundreds of records I have worked on, including The Screaming Jets, Monty Python’s – The Rutles, Toyah Wilcox, Weta, The Rumjacks and now My Queen has been added to that list. " Following on from "Can't Apologise" second single "Better Girl" was released early in 2018 to more rave reviews "...wistful and edgy, rebellious and arty, relentlessly creative..with an amazing voice." 100% Rock
"The spirit is honest, heartfelt and pleads with listeners to, well, listen...'" MusicLove
"..the alternative rock/pop on display is world class." OverDrive. Touring nationally in support of "Better Girl" Diana was described as "..the Australian equivalent of Alanis Morissette" and "one of a kind" with the video clip being described as "incredibly powerful" (MGM) and "life changing". 2018 also saw the release of third single from ''My Queen'', the "timeless classic" ''Leaving Town,'' along with its "highly effective" (theMusic.com.au) music video. Diana says about the video "The whole concept of the animation really drew me in when I connected it to the song," adds Anaid. "There were some powerful correlations, beginning with the opening moments, where the girl dives into her inner wisdom, and through to the end where she is a wise, integral, connected old woman.
"Leaving Town also relates to finding ones inner strength and connecting to something deeper, walking your own path and making a positive difference. The whole animation seems to throb and sway naturally with the beat of the song."
Discography
Studio albums
Live albums
Singles
Awards and nominations
ARIA Music Awards
The
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of
Australian music
The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...
. They commenced in 1987.
!
, -
, rowspan="2",
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
, rowspan="2", "I Go Off"
,
ARIA Award for Best New Talent The ARIA Music Award for Best New Talent was an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards. It was presented from 1987 through to 1998.
The award for Best New Talent was first presented in 1987. Crowded House won the award with their single "D ...
,
, rowspan="2",
, -
,
ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Single
The ARIA Music Award for Breakthrough Artist – Single was an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards. It was presented from 1989 through to 2009 and 2011.
This, and the ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Album was merged in 2012 t ...
,
, -
,
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
, "Oh No (Curbside Lullaby)"
,
ARIA Award for Best Independent Release
The ARIA Music Award for Best Independent Release, is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Recording ...
,
,
, -
, rowspan="2",
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, rowspan="2", ''I Don't Think I'm Pregnant''
,
ARIA Award for Best Female Artist
The ARIA Music Award for Best Female Artist, is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Recording Ind ...
,
, rowspan="2",
, -
, Best Independent Release
,
, -
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anaid, Diana
1976 births
Living people
Australian women singer-songwriters
Australian women pop singers
Australian rock singers
Singers from Sydney
Australian indie pop musicians
21st-century Australian singers
Australian singer-songwriters
Australian women guitarists
21st-century Australian women singers
21st-century guitarists
21st-century women guitarists