Album a gift of love
Noga’s posthumous record
LAUDED artist Mike Noga announced a solo album was coming just a month before his unexpected death last year.
Now, his family and musicians from around the world have celebrated his posthumous record.
Noga’s death in August last year at age 42 shocked the music industry – here and abroad.
The former drummer with The Drones and solo artist had announced on Facebook the previous month he was set to launch a new album Open Fire, which he had recorded in Bob Dylan’s home town Duluth, Minnesota.
“I couldn’t be prouder of this one,” he wrote.
His father Val Noga said the family wanted to launch the album “as an act of love”.
“It was a way of honouring Michael and completing the work that he’d started,” he said.
“It gave us joy to be able to make this available for other people to see and hear.”
Open Fire was launched at Hobart Brewing Co earlier this month and livestreamed across the world. Famed singer-songwriter and founding member of Wilson Pickers Ben Salter counted himself lucky to attend in person.
Noga had sent Salter a “very small snippet” of a song he had recorded, but Salter couldn’t bring himself to listen to it until the day of the launch.
The album was played through for guests alongside visuals of Noga’s favourite Tasmanian wilderness walking trails.
“At the very end, photos of Mike came up and that was really difficult,” Salter said.
“It was one thing to hear him, but to see his face, it was quite emotional. I kept thinking just to not be able to tell him what a great album he’d made, it’s difficult to not be able to say to him ‘you’ve made a really great thing’.”
Salter said he and Noga had “5 million in-jokes”.
Val Noga said the event had a “beautiful atmosphere”.
“There were a lot of tears, lots of applause for his songs, it was enjoyed by everyone,” he said.
“Michael was a very loving person, he was highly creative.
“I think he would have been honoured doubt very pleased.”
Salter joined artists Glenn Richards of Augie March, Chris Coleman, Ewah Duo, Jethro Pickett, Julian Teakle and Lasca Dry to perform covers of Noga’s work at the album launch.
He said the “charismatic” Noga was a sublime drummer and a great friend who “never failed to make an impact”.
“He was a man of extremes and when he was low he got very, very low and it was difficult to watch when he was quite anxious and depressed, which is something that afflicts a lot of musicians and artists,” Salter said.
The Noga family said the musician’s death had been “accidental due to a rare condition which caused an aneurysm”.
“Mike had a lifelong struggle with anxiety and depression which became particularly difficult in the last three years of his life,” the statement read.
“We all know what an outstanding musician Mike was however, behind his humour and engaging personality was a gentle, sensitive person with a lot of emotional intensity and he often struggled with the lifestyle that came with being in the music industry.
“Being on the road constantly made it difficult for Mike to get professional help for his anxiety and depression.”
The album launch also raised funds for Support Act; a charity offering crisis relief and mental health services to people working in the music industry.
Alan Sparhawk of the band Low produced Open Fire and said in the album’s liner notes Noga had an “eye for style”.
“The relentless heart he put into every song inspired us, while his generous friendship and vulnerability made us stronger people,” Sparhawk said.
“He put in long hours, pushed through doubt, worked out glitches, and found the transcendence he so desperately hungered for. I feel we were witness to magic.”
Open Fire is available as a vinyl LP through Part Time Records, and on digital streaming platforms.