These are the answers to the most commonly asked Noiseworks questions. If you have a question that you think should be here, or think something i've said is inaccurate, feel free to E-Mail me!

Who are Noiseworks anyway?
NOISEWORKS was Jon Stevens (vocals), Stuart Fraser (guitar), Kevin Nicol (drums), Steve Balbi (bass) and Justin Stanley (keyboards).
NOISEWORKS II was Jon Stevens, Stuart Fraser, Kevin Nicol, Barbara Griffin (keyboards) and Chris Bekker (bass).

OK, the nicknames are all confusing: which nick belongs to which Noiseworker?
Jon Stevens = 'Rangi'
Stuart Fraser = 'Chet'
Justin Stanley = 'Stan'
Steve Balbi = 'Vern'
Kevin Nicol = 'Buck'
Their manager Michael Browning also earned himself a nickname...'Baz'.

How did the name 'Noiseworks' come about?
This is a popular question. Before being signed, they were known as The Change and they released a single called Forever Young. When Michael 'Baz' Browning took them under his wing and their record company decided to sign them on, they found out there was already a band in the US called The Change. So Stuart came up with the name Noiseworks.
"Michael came up with Dreamworks," Jon once said. "We hated it! It made us sound like wankers! Then Chet said that if it was going to be anything, it would be Noiseworks. When he suggested it no one laughed so we thought it might be OK." Stuart picks up on the story, "Then a couple of days later Michael came in. He said, 'The agent refuses to book you because they hate that name, the record company hates it too, and i'm not too keen on it myself.' So we know that it was the one!"

How many albums have Noiseworks released?
Four official albums, although there are plenty of audio bootlegs in circulation of various concerts.

What record company was Noiseworks with?
Noiseworks were with Sony Music Australia, previously known as CBS.

Who managed them?
Noiseworks were looked after by Michael Browning of Michael Browning Management, whose CV also boasts such names as Doug Parkinson, Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, Melbourne's Hard Rock Cafe` and AC/DC.

Who are Noiseworks's personal musical influences?
Tom Jones, anything Motown, Def Leppard, The Beatles and some others were their personal influences at the time they were together. These are just a few - they had a rather eclectic mix of musical fancies.

Have any members of Noiseworks played in other bands?
They all played in various bands before Noiseworks, although most were low-key. Stuart was a member of Blackfeather (later shortened to Feather) for a while, Kevin played in Dial X and Steve played with Rose Tattoo.

So why did they break up?
In 1992 they were all tired of the non-stop touring, not being able to see their family and friends and they were starting to get on each-other's nerves. Eventually they all got together and decided to pursue other interests.
Some have said, including an Australian DJ, that Noiseworks broke up because of money problems and debts. Given all the bullshit that goes in deep in the bowels of the music industry, it's possible that this was a contributing factor to their demise. Basically, there are many factors that would've led to the split - it's never just one thing, but an accumulation of garbage.

Who are the Electric Hippies?
After Noiseworks broke up in 1992, Justin and Steve went on to form the Electric Hippies, more of a 70's-style psychadelic pop band. They released a song called 'Greedy People', which was allegedly a swipe at Jon. The situation worsened with 'Jonny Courageous'. However, Jon insists that there are no hard feelings - in fact, Justin and Steve were invited to join them on the 'Noiseworks II' tour, but they declined due to dedications to other projects. Steve promised that he would check out one of their shows - but it's unknown whether he eventually did or not.

Are they EVER going to reunite?
Not on a permanent basis. In December 2004, the boys brought the band out of the box for a while to play a few shows in NSW. All members were there except for Justin. Noiseworks also reunited for one-off events such as Reach Out For Asia, a benefit concert to raise money for the regions destroyed in a tsunami - the benefit was named after a famous line in the chorus to "Touch".
In 2007, Noiseworks (again, minus Justin Stanley) reunited to perform at A Day For Newcastle, headlining in place of Jimmy Barnes who was recovering from heart surgery. Their performance was such a success that they decided to tour Australia, and are continuing to do so.
However, the band is hesitant to announce a permanent reformation, stating in an interview that they are just 'trying it on' and simply getting together to play music and have fun.

Are they EVER going to make a new album?
Jon has also revealed that Noiseworks (minus Justin Stanley) will be heading into the studio in 2008 to record their first album in 16 years - more information will be posted as it happens. Those who attended the 2004 NSW shows would have heard a brand new track, "Let It Go". This is not available anywhere as yet, but there is a strong possibility that it will appear on the 2008 studio album.

What nationality are the lads from Noiseworks?
All except Jon are born Australian. Jon was born and raised in Upper Hut, New Zealand, but he became an Australian citizen in 2000 - he's officially one of us!

How did Noiseworks meet?
Oh, this could fill a few pages. To cut a long story considerably short, Jon was stuck in a bad contract and a friend, Michael Browning, helped him out of it. Eventually he introduced Jon to Stuart Fraser, a promising young guitarist from Gosford. They got along wonderfully and discussed forming a band. They were friends with Kevin, Justin and Steve before the band was formed - Kevin was in another band with Jon previously. When The Change was created it was only Jon, Stuart and Kevin - they had to pester Steve and Justin for a whole year before they finally agreed to join! Steve and Justin were now onboard, and the team was complete.

Did they have any other jobs before Noiseworks?
Stuart was working in a Festival Records warehouse packing records while struggling with a failed solo career, while Jon swept floors at Sony. Kevin, Justin and Steve's previous jobs are unknown.

Are any members of Noiseworks married or have partners?
Jon was married to Tracey for twenty years, but they separated in 2007. They have two children, Millie and Levi. Stuart is married to Sabrina (with a couple of kids), Kevin to Daniella, Justin to Nikka Costa...Steve was previously married to Dee Smart (an Australian actress), but they have since separated. His current partner is unknown, but Steve has three children.

Are any members of Noiseworks gay/bisexual/transexual?
If they are then their wives and girlfriends would be pretty pissed off, don't you think?

Who was Millie and why was a song written about her?
Millie was Jon's mother who died of cancer in the 80's. During production for Love Versus Money, he woke up with Millie on his mind and suddenly waves of lyrics flooded into his mind. He began to write what was to become one of their most popular and emotional songs, "R.I.P. (Millie)".
The song is very difficult for Jon to sing in concert - he often has to distance himself from it. The song still has a strong emotional impact on Jon to this day.

Who wrote the lyrics and music in Noiseworks?
The entire band did - they are professional lyricists and musicians and love to work as a group. Some of their songs, though, were written by others, but the majority of their songs they wrote from scratch and were often based on personal experiences.

Who produced their albums?
NOISEWORKS - Mark Opitz
TOUCH - Chris Kimsey and Noiseworks
LOVE VERSUS MONEY - Noiseworks and Randy D. Jackson

What was Jon's involvement in INXS?
Jon was invited to provide guest vocals for INXS when the remaining band, eager to move on after the untimely death of Michael Hutchence, decided to hit the stage again. Jon was so popular with audiences, and so admired by INXS, that they eventually kept him as a lead singer, officially announcing him as a member of INXS after two years.
However, Jon is no longer with INXS - he has parted ways with them, citing differences in the vision and direction of the band. Jon has always been a person that wants to move forward and continue creating music, so it's understandable that he may not have felt creatively fulfilled in INXS - a band that seemed happy to play the old songs continuously.

Is there a Noiseworks fan club?
There used to be one when Noiseworks were around, called the Noiseworkers, but when the band broke up it shut down. Copies of the newsletters are extremely hard to come by nowadays. However, some fans have done brilliant detective work and have found copies of the old fan club newsletters/postcards/fact sheets!

Is there an official site?
Noiseworks' official website is now online - visit noiseworks.com.au.

Do the band ever use the internet?
Most of them have regular internet access.

Can I please have their E-Mail addresses?
Of course not. Their privacy needs to be respected.

I have something to contribute to Noiseworks Unlimited. Where do I send it?
Pass it along in this direction!

Do you have any sheet music?
Yes, I do, though not for all Noiseworks songs. If you'd like to obtain these tabs, or if you have any that you think i'd be interested in, please get in contact with me. If I find any online, they will appear on this website.

This FAQ sucks.
OK.

Noiseworks sucks.
If you have spent enough time on this website to reach this FAQ, then you can't hate them very much, could you?