PANEL OF JUDGES

Panel of Judges was a rock band from Melbourne. Dion Nania began the group in 1997 as a solo project, then added Alison Bolger, Michael Nichols and Paul Williams soon afterwards. The band's sound had this harsh velvet poprock to it like many records on Flying Nun Records were famous for. Nania, originally from Geelong, had played with the Golden Lifestyle Band; Bolger, originally from Brisbane, had played bass in Clag and Sleepy Township and in looser configurations such as an improvisational group with Mia Schoen and Ellen Turner; Williams had been a member of Perth group Molasses and, in the early days of Panel of Judges was also drumming in Melbourne band Jaguar is Jaguar; and Nichols had been a formative figure in the Hanshalf Trio in Melbourne, Crabstick and Blairmailer in Sydney, and the 'travelling' group Ruff Buff.
Panel of Judges' first release was an EP, Blind as a Bat on Chapter Music in 1998; their debut album Cool Fool was released later that year after which Nichols left and the band continued as a three-piece. They travelled to Europe in 2002, playing in London and Paris, and returned in 2004 to record their second album No Scandal - No Future - In Heaven, the title of which was 'stolen from a card left on Serge Gainsbourg's grave'. They have since toured Japan and New Zealand; their third album, Bad Vibrations was released on Mistletone Records in late 2008. Soon after their fourth album "Moods on the Move" was released in 2012, unfortunately, the group disbanded. However, Dion Nania is now playing in the great band FREE TIME.

    m o o d s o n t h e m o v e   

   l i v e a t t h e o l d b a r m e l b o u r n e 

   l i v e a t t h e c o r n e r h o t e l m e l b o u r n e   

   b a d v i b r a t i o n s   

   n o s c a n d a l. n o l i f e. i n h e a v e n.   

   c o o l f o o l