pocoloco.com.au

              B.J. Ferrier (left) & Brian Watt (right), members of "Poco Loco".
 

 
Barry  Ferrier… Guitar,  piano accordion, flute, vocals.

Barry has had a long and diverse career as an entertainer, composer and musician, beginning with appearances in the original Harry M. Miller production of the acclaimed rock musical "Jesus Christ Superstar", which launched the careers of so many prominent Australian music artists. During this formative experience he also met and began his life-long collaboration with Poco Loco colleague Billy Miller.

Barry went on to perform in many stage productions including "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" with Mark Holden at the Seymour centre in Sydney, and a national tour of Steve J. Spears 'savage musical', "Africa". He was then invited to write music for and perform with British-based theatre/mime legend Lindsay Kemp. This music featured in Kemp's sell-out season of  Oscar Wilde’s “Salome” at London’s Roundhouse (the music was described by the London Times as “thrilling”).

In the late 70s continued to collect interesting music experiences, recording singles and touring for R.C.A. international as half of 'Lindon Ferrier' with Cammie Lindon, along the way supporting the Norman Gunston Christmas Show, leading the backing band for Dobie Gray on a live-to-air Triple J show and playing bass guitar with chart-topping Australian pop band “the Ferrets” (continuing his association with the Ferret’s lead vocalist Billy Miller).

In the 80s he composed for, and conducted a 40-piece orchestra and 150 voice choir in Robyn Archer’s epic “Three Legends of Kra”, starring Diane Cilento and directed by Nigel Triffit (for 9 performances at the opening ceremonies for The Brisbane Performing Arts Centre). He composed and conducted a groundbreaking electronic music/performance art piece entitled “Dreams and Machines” at the QPAT Concert Hall featuring Fairlight Computer Music Instruments and live video processing, and composed the quadraphonic music for the QANTAS “Light Fantastic” animatronic floats parade which were a feature of Brisbane’s Expo’ 88.

He has had three other original stage shows performed professionally in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, ("Magical Frank", "The Boy Who Dared to Dream" and "Goodnight World") and albums recorded of these shows have featured John Paul Young, Reg Livermore, John Waters and Billy Miller.

As an acoustic performer he has opened for some eminent international music acts, including blues legend John Hammond, and for Ry Cooder and David Lindley at the Palais Theatre, at Melbourne's Palais Theatre.

With his dynamic original band “Giant Steps” he opened for many top-line Australian rock acts including Cold Chisel, Icehouse, Dragon, the Divynals, and the Black Sorrows.

He was musical director and guitarist for international superstar Eartha Kitt on her 1995 Australian National tour, which included a performance at the Gold Coast International Jazz and Blues Festival televised live nationally by the ABC. The following year he headlined the same festival with guitar prodigy Nathan Cavalieri.

"Dr Baz" is one of the originators of the thriving music scene in the Byron Bay region (northern NSW Australia), having been a consistently successful entertainer and innovator in the region since 1980.

He has twice been awarded the North Coast Entertainment Industry Association Dolphin Award for Blues, also winning Dolphin Awards for a cappella music and for Music Theatre composition.

He performed in Norway and Ireland during 2004 & 2005 as half of the duo “Slim Pickens & Dr. Baz”, also performing with Slim in 2005 at the East Coast Blues & Roots Festival, Blues on Broadbeach, The Gympie Muster, and during 2006 the Tamworth Country Music Festival, and Blues on Broadbeach.

As a composer, he won the Dept. of Ethnic Affairs Multicultural Award for his soundtrack to the film “Green Tea”, and the Australian Society for Excellence in the Arts award for his music for the environmentally-themed children's stage show “Simon and the Big Cat” at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

He has worked extensively with aboriginal community groups in the Northern Territory and won the national “Golden Reel Award for Community Radio” for his work on the aboriginal health radio series “Bushfire Radio” in collaboration with Bill Davis . 

Barry was Assistant Professor of Multimedia at the Gold Coast's Bond University for four years, and has lectured in multimedia and music at four universities over the past 7 years.

(Further biographical information and lot's of other weird/interesting stuff can be found at www.barringtonferrier.com).