Max Q (Australian band)

Biography

Max Q consisted of Hutchence (vocals and songwriting) and Olsen (songwriting and production), who were accompanied by key members of the post-punk scene in Melbourne, Australia; most of whom had previously collaborated with Olsen. The project followed on from Hutchence and Olsen's work on the film, Dogs in Space, where they had first met.

Max Q released its sole self-titled album in 1989 and had minor hits with the songs "Sometimes" (originally recorded by Olsen with Orchestra Of Skin And Bone) and "Way of the World". The album was certified gold in Australia, and was the 93rd highest-selling album of 1989 in Australia. Max Q was less successful in other countries. The album is no longer in print and has never been re-issued. The band never performed any live shows.

Name

While the project was named after Ollie Olsen's dog Max, "Max Q" is also an aerospace term referring to the point at which the dynamic pressure (Q) on a launch vehicle is greatest. Consequently, there is another band called Max Q which consists of astronauts assigned to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Band members

In a 1989 interview, Hutchence revealed his perspective on the Max Q musicians:

Ollie isn't supposed to hang around with pop stars and I'm not supposed to hang around with punk types. The band is made up of rowdy friends from Melbourne. These guys are good musicians who've never had a chance. Most of them have never even been in a studio. These are real underground people who don't have any money. Some of them have never been on a plane before. They were worried that working with me, they'd lose their underground status.

Additional musicians

Albums

"Max Q" – AUS #13, NZ #27, UK #69, US #182

Japanese bonus tracks