In the 1980s, he joined the band Death of Samantha, a "modernist pop troupe" led by John Petkovic, and Gillard would later be a member of Petkovic's 1990s band Cobra Verde.
In the 1980s, he joined the band Death of Samantha, a "modernist pop troupe" led by John Petkovic. After the breakup of Death of Samantha, Gillard became one of the original members of John Petkovic's 1990s band Cobra Verde.