Sean Greenway, a great friend and rock'n'roll comrade of mine was a very unique and down to earth man. Like me, He also chose to express himself in life through music as a singer/songwriter/guitarist and he was only just beginning to fulfil his never reached potential. He started out as a 13 year old in his first band called Foot and Mouth and later went on to play in God, The Freeloaders and finally to form what was truly his own band, The Yes Men.

Sean passed away on the 21st of January from an accidental heroin overdose and his funeral was held on the 26th January at St Josephs Church, Elsternwick, Victoria.

Playing guitar in Melbourne's God in the late 80's Sean saw enough of the music industry to form his own opinion of what he wanted to do and how he wanted to do it. He preferred to fight along in the margins rather than cruise in the middle of the road and this will explain why many of you who are reading this have probably never heard of the little fella. Sean knew and instinctively understood and lived rock'n'roll, he had no ego about it - from Kiss to the MC5 to Steve Earle or Black Flag and Johnnie Johnson, you name it- Sean loved and could relate to you about it passionately and freely. He could also see through what was mindless music industry crap more clearly than anyone I have ever met - and his ability to be positive about his music and underground rock'n'roll in general (in the face of constant ignorance and disinterest in this country) was a constant source of inspiration to me and other fellow musicians around Sean.

I met Sean when he was in God and I was in The Proton Energy Pills and over the years we would constantly run in to each other. I brought the Freeloaders to Sydney twice to tour when Sean was in that band and we had some wild and fun times, later I would be asked by Sean to play guitar on his new project - The Yes Men - and what would turn out to be the last thing he released on this earth, the album was called Prosody. I was intrigued by Sean at the time and I wanted to see this smart and talented but up till then, unlucky bastard, get some success out of what he loved doing.

Sean was genuinely happy with this record and saw it as the best thing he ever did and he was right!! It is a great record and one that will grow and change with you over a long time - it is the kind of record Sean always wanted to make, and at least he got to see some of the glowing things that have already been written about it since it's release locally in April 2000 on Stolen Records/International Trash and OverSeas on the White Jazz label in Europe earlier in 2001.

The album Prosody is a good reflection of Sean's personal depth, the lyrics reflect his intelligence and understanding of life and emotions and his love of rock'n'roll - this ain't pop music, it's tough and dark and literate (I will always remember Sean as the most voracious reader I have ever met). I am sad that he is gone and will always find it hard to accept but I will console myself with the fact that Sean had a full life - he went OS, he rocked and recorded, he was in love with his fiancé, Noni, and his family and friends were never in short supply.

A memorial gig was organised for the 4th February at the Tote Hotel in Melbourne and the following bands played...The Mystaken, Joel Silbersher and Charlie Owen, The Onyas, The Seminal Rats, The Powder Monkeys, Rocket Science, The Casanovas and the Yes Men (with Simon Splatterhead doin the vocals). The money raised from the night is going to help release the leftover/unreleased and unfinished Yes Men recordings of Sean's Songs. There is a memorial website set up at www.mattyw.com/sean/

Thankfully Sean got some more of his music out to a wider audience before he passed away and from a personal point of view, the Prosody album will stand as a memorial to the times I spent recording and playing with him and to the great person I knew. I can only hope that one day I get a call from somebody in 10 years time asking me about Sean Greenway and that record, and maybe they will tell me how people still listen to it and that it is well-regarded, collectable, a cult album etc. For as much as Sean's music meant to me (and a handful of knowing people around the world) it would be fitting that at least in his death he was afforded some recognition for the brave and talented man that he was. See ya later Sean, you were great and I will miss you.

Stewart "Leadfinger" Cunningham
16/2/01

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