Motor Ace were an Australian alternative rock band. The lineup consisted of: Patrick Robertson (vocals/guitar), Damian Birchall-Costin (drums), Matt Balfe (bass/backing vocals) and Dave Ong (guitar/backing vocals).
The group was formed in 1998 and released three studio albums before disbanding in late 2005. Motor Ace received heavy radio rotation in Australia especially at Triple J early in their career as well as promotion for their touring schedule. This resulted in their debut album, Five Star Laundry debuting at #4 on the ARIA album chart. Death Defy, one of the Singles from Five Star Laundry, featured as the theme song to the popular Australia television show The Secret Life of Us.
Their second album, Shoot This was similarly successful, debuting at #1 on the ARIA chart, although the album was not as well received among fans due to slower pace of the album. The lead single to Shoot This, Carry On was their most commerically successful single reaching the top 20 in the singles chart. In 2003, Motor Ace went on a hiatus that lasted more than a year. The band returned with a new album in 2005, Animal which marked a change in sound for the band as the songs were more emotive, and less straight upbeat rock. While Animal received good reviews in the press, the album was by far the least successful commercially as it dropped out of the ARIA top 40 after three weeks. Following a national tour, Motor Ace announced that they would split at the end of the year with final dates announced. |
