Martin Cilia

Martin Cilia (born December 1958) is an English-born Australian musician. Cilia is best known for his songwriting skills, and his membership in The Atlantics, where he performs on the guitar. Cilia played his first gig in a school hall in Morley High in 1972 with fellow students. He remembered playing songs by The Shadows, The Monkees, The Beatles, and Cat Stevens.[1]

Martin Cilia
Cilia playing surf guitar, 30 April 2013
Background information
Born1958 (age 62–63)
Rochford, Essex, England
OriginPerth, Western Australia, Australia
GenresRock, surf rock, pop, garage rock
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
InstrumentsVocals, guitar, bass
Years active1974–present
Associated actsThe Atlantics, Dave Warner, Mental As Anything
WebsiteMartinCillia.com

Start of career

At age 14, Cilia became a professional musician. He played in various bands in and around Perth before spending a year in London in 1979. In 1982 Cilia joined Invasion Force where he met locals Alf Demasi and Lloyd Allanson. Together they formed the Perth band The Flying Fonzarellis. The Flying Fonzarellis released several recordings and toured Sydney in 1984. The band released the studio album Having a Party, which peaked at number 58 in Australia in 1984.[2] Singles "Honey Bee" and "Stay" peaked inside the Australia top 100 in 1985.[2]

The Martin Cilia Band

After the Fonzarellis, he went on to play in Dave Warner's Sensational Sixties and then with Midget and the Farrellys who were extremely popular in Fremantle throughout the Americas Cup. Already his passion for that stinging surf music guitar sound was obvious.

He went on to tour and record with Dave Warner's band, Dave Warner’s From The Suburbs. Cilia moved to Sydney in 1989. He played & recorded with The Brookes. He toured Western Australia in 1993 with the Big Land - Big Heart tour. That band contained Dobe Newton of the Bushwackers, Ernie Dingo, Dave Warner, Greg Macainish of Skyhooks, Paul Hitchins, (Sports) Dave Clarke and Cilla. They toured Vietnam with a similar concept in January 1994.

In 1998 he recorded some instrumental guitar songs. Bosco Bosanac, the bassist with the Australian surf group The Atlantics heard one of his demo tapes. The band is noted as the "Australia's own surf music maestros".[3]

One Friday afternoon Bosanac called Cilia. He said "You sound all right on the recordings but can you play live?" His band's guitarist had just called in sick. Cilia played at the gig and Bosco told the other members from The Atlantics about him, and Cilla has been an integral and permanent member of the band since. The Atlantics have gone on to record many of Cilia's songs, which have appeared on various Atlantics records, in feature film soundtracks, surf movies, and PlayStation games.

In August 2007, Cilia released his first solo album Revenge of the Surf Guitar. The album brought him first place internationally, both as an artist and songwriter in the Surf song category in 2009 at the Just Plain Folks Music Awards.[4] Song WinnersHis next album The Odd One Out was released in 2009. Surfersaurus was released in 2011. The next solo album Going to Kaleponi was released on 5 April 2013. After that came Electric Christmas (2015), an EP called SleepWalk (2017) and Espresso Martino (2018). In 2019 he released Shadowman, a tribute to the British Instrumental group, the Shadows, containing some covers and many original songs.

After The Atlantics retired from touring in 2013 (at the end of their European tour) he joined Aussie pop icons Mental As Anything. The band toured constantly from 2013 - 2019, but left the road due to the untimely death of lead singer Greedy Smith.

Equipment

Cilia is an avid collector of classic and unique electric guitars. Some of his most valuable guitars can be heard on Revenge of the Surf Guitar including an original candy apple Red 1963 Fender Stratocaster, a black 1963 Fender Jaguar, a 1957 Fender Precision Bass and a 1965 Fender Jazz Bass. Pieces from the collection are featured on his website with a story about each item, a new one is added each month - Guitar of the Month.

Inspired by a 2012 trip to Hawaii and California (the Hawaiians call it Kaleponi) and a chance meeting with surf guitarist Dick Dale, Going To Kaleponi has Martin and his classic guitar collection in full flight.

In August 2013 Martin and his band will tour the East Coast of America in support of the new album.

Discography
  • Revenge of the Surf Guitar (2007)
  • The Odd One Out (2009)
  • Surfersaurus (2011)
  • Going to Kaleponi (2013)
  • Electric Christmas (2015)
  • SleepWalk EP (2017)
  • Espresso Martino (2018)
  • Shadowman (2019)

References
  1. Cilla, Martin Martin Cillia Official Website
  2. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 114. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  3. ABC Ballarat Retrieved 30 April 2009
  4. "2009 Just Plain Folks Music Awards Song Winners". 1st place, Just Plain Folks Music Awards. 2009. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
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