The Wiggles
The Wiggles recorded their first CD in 1991; it sold 100,000 copies. Field worked as a preschool teacher for two years before the success of The Wiggles and their extensive touring schedule, which Field strongly disliked, forced him to quit. After the production of their second album, The Wiggles adopted colour-coded shirts to wear on stage. According to Field, he wore blue because Cook and Fatt already owned shirts in their colours, so he and Page "met in a Sydney department store and literally raced to see who got the blue shirt". Each Wiggle developed a "schtick" based on their actual behaviours, which evolved into caricatures, and served the same purpose as the uniforms in differentiating their characters and making them memorable to young children; Field's was eating. Field created and played the original Captain Feathersword; the role was taken over by Paul Paddick in 1993. Field also played Wags the Dog until the role was taken over by dancers.
By the mid 1990s, despite the success of The Wiggles, Field reported being suicidal and "frequently gripped by anxiety, sadness, and negativity". By mid-2004, shortly after his marriage and the birth of his oldest child, Field's serious medical issues, worsened by their heavy tour schedule, caused him to consider quitting or re-inventing The Wiggles, despite their great success in the U.K. and North America. After meeting chiropractor James Sloxen in Chicago in 2004, Field improved his health to the point that he was able to continue. He began to hire teams of chiropractors for himself, his fellow bandmembers, and castmembers in every city they performed, which he credited with making it possible for them to fulfill their touring requirements.
Field's musical influences include Lightning Hopkins, Elvis Presley, and the Rolling Stones. He plays several instruments, including the tin whistle, bagpipes, guitar, drums, trumpet, violin, and didgeridoo. Field, with input from the other members, did most of the production of the Wiggles' music, DVDs, and live shows.
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