Pssst...Sonic's Rendezvous Band boxes going cheap

You've heard how wonderful the "Sonic's Rendezvous Band" box set is - six CDs of mostly unreleased stuff from one of the most underrated bands ever to walk the earth. Right? Well, they're going for $A76 a pop in Scott Morgan's online shop (postage and packaging included.) That's 50 bucks less than some shops were selling them for in Sydney a few months ago. Too good to be true. The box is $US55 if you live in the USA. Tell Scott I sent you.

Speaking of things City Slang-related, there are solid rumblings that the Hydromatics (the SRB-flavoured, trans-Atlantic, European-based rock and roll machine) will be cranking up again for recordings and shows. No confirmation yet but Scott Morgan, Dutch madman Tony Slug and a certain Aussie guitarist look like being on board.

Pool scores

For those of you who keep asking, I'm now 6-3 down against my regular partner. All right? I may have to take up pub trivia instead.
And yes, I know Walter Lindrum played billiards, not pool, but what a great tombstone.

Sir David & Lady Clare Keep It Unreal

Time for a break for all things Stooges and Dolls. The Barmaid and I caught Dave Graney and Clare Moore last Friday-week, at the Spanish Club in Sydney. The occasion was the local launch of their fine album, "Keepin' It Unreal" (on Reverberation).

I lost touch with Sir David's output in the late-ish '90s - his breakthrough album "Night of the Wolverine" and the follow-up, "You Wanna Be There But You Don't Wanna Travel" (the Big Rock Production Album) were played to death in these parts - but I've since caught up. "The Soft and Sexy Sound" always had some of the most biting songs Dave's written. "The Devil Drives" deserved more attention than I gave it and even the re-configured band of "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" works a treat, in retrospect.

Dave's songwriting is every bit as good as it was when he was in the thrall of a major label, but he's framing it in all sorts of ways other than your stock-standard, rock band guitar-and-keys. The latest configuration is Dave on acoustic guitar, Stu Thomas on big, thick bass and Clare on vibraphones and harmonies. It's languid, sometimes laid-back and pretty fetching when the trio re-interprets the expansive Graney back catalogue. Is it rock and roll? I'm not sure what the fuck is, but I do know that Dave's unique phrasing and always intriguing lyrics inevitably makes it a weird and wonderful ride, no matter what musical kaliedoscope it's being channelled through.

There were some rock and roll moments when the gig was shifted from the band room (which apparently had an issue with its entertainment license) and the Spanish guitar player of 11 years residency was displaced - only to be called back to fill in when Stu Thomas' flight from Melbourne was delayed. He got there in the end. The band lost its door deal - it's a bit hard to charge diners in a restaurant - so bemused tourists and punters there for the show got more than tapas and sangria for the price of their meal. It was all good.

Dolls confirm Australia-NZ dates

NEW YORK DOLLS DOWN UNDER!! * AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND DATES!

THE DOLLS DOWN UNDER DEBUT ...

Sat 24-Mar AUCKLAND ST JAMES (2,200) (headlining)

Mon 26-Mar MELBOURNE HI FI BAR (950) (headlining)

Wed 28-Mar SYDNEY THE METRO (1,200) (headlining)

Thu 29-Mar BRISBANE TIVOLI (1,200) (headlining)

Sat 31-Mar SYDNEY V FESTIVAL ** (35,000)

Sun 1-Apr GOLD COAST V FESTIVAL ** (25,000)

Tue 3-Apr ADELAIDE MEMORIAL DRIVE ** (10,000) w/ Pixies, Jarvis Cocker and Phoenix

Wed 4-Apr MELBOURNE MYER MUSIC BOWL ** (13,000) w/ Pixies, Jarvis Cocker and Phoenix

Bliss.

I was up late on Saturday, drinking. Champagne. In a tent. Until 3.00am. Woo.
Had an early breakfast of barbecued bacon, and then went over to the beach for a swim. Great hangover cure.
In the afternoon I met up with Greg & his wife. The Prayer Babies let me down, by somehow forgetting to bring the South Of The River gospel choir with them. Ooops. Maybe they left 'em in the car. Whatever, it was all good until some speedfreak started a fight. We left, taking a few Cooper's pale ales with us and drank them while sitting next to a lake watching the sun go down. None of this is very rock and roll of course, but it was all hugely enjoyable.

New Stooges album

A leaked copy of the new Stooges album, "The Weirdness", fell off the back of a virtual truck over the weekend. First impressions are that it's very ordinary. I badly wanted this to be a masterwork, maybe approaching the brilliance of "Funhouse". It's not to be. There'll be a full review at the I-94 Bar in due course but here's a quick and dirty take:

Ordinary songs, ordinary production. Steve Albini has a rep for giving a band their heads in the studio and being hands-off, but this is ridiculous. Rock Action's drums are drier than a dead dingo's donger but Watt's bass rumble is MIA. When Ron Asheton launches into those characteristic wah-wah solos (all too rarely), the guitar's compressed tighter than a Scotsman's wallet or buried. To be really blunt, Iggy's vocals are the weakest thing about the album. Apart from the songs. Lyrical observations on the ordinariness of everyday life, they end up sounding like a dumbed-down parody, sung by a Rolls Royce driving leathery old guy. "My dick is turning into a tree", indeed.

Phew.

Still recovering from last week's pig out, and think I'll be having a quiet one this weekend.
For the record- the Double Agents launch was great, Spencer Jones solo was great, Sixfthick were fucking explosive. A weekend of sweat, heat, beer & loud gritty music. I didn't get down to the Tiger By The Tail video shoot though- if you have a strong stomach there is a snapshot of proceedings here.
This weekend's details are in honour of and for the benefit of the mysterious G, author of the excellent blog Sex Kittens Compare Scratches , who is in town for a few days.


At the Espy Front Bar in St. Kilda tonight- Mach Pelican, The Havenots (Japan), The Gingers, Three Chord Disasters.

But they are up against the "Beasts VS. Drones" show at the Tote in Collingwood. This sounds a bit goddamn special, frankly- "Two of Australia's toughest and dirtiest rock bands attempt to out-cool each other in a rare solo challenge at The Tote, Fri 23rd of February with a special umpire in judicial mode. The night will feature solo sets from the old guards of oz rock: Spencer P Jones & Brian Hooper of The Beast of Bourbon, competing for street cred and raw sex appeal with the new wave: Gareth Liddiard, front person of the Drones, and Christian Strybosch, original Drones drummer. The totally impartial umpire in this death match, who will also grace the stage to break up the general machismo and any spontaneous punching-on, will be the gorgeous and delightful Laura Jean, making this a night of intimate performance from the cream of Melbourne's artistic crop. To enhance your listening pleasure, the normally sweaty Tote will be transformed into a sophisticated club atmosphere, with lounges, tables and candlelight, and all acts performing live in the pit. All that for only $12.00? Bargain.

There are rich pickings on Saturday too. Spencer P. Jones is doing his solo thing again at the idGAFF Bar in the afternoon, which you can follow with ECSR at the Corner Hotel, or maybe Dollsquad over at the Evelyn.

On Sunday , the Prayer Babies are at the Greyhound with accompaniment from the South Of The River gospel choir, from 5.00pm or so. Perfect end to the day.

For stubby holders, silly hats, fridge magnets etc, you're on your own, but they are all easily found in Swanston Street, just up from Chloe's Bar. Enjoy your stay, Greg.

Bo Diddley

is coming to town for one show only, at the Prince of Wales on April 4th. Someone very important to me really wants to meet him, but seeing as she is well underage, I can't just take her to the show.
Any tips? I'm guessing I'm going have to gatecrash the soundcheck.

New York Dolls Down Under

You heard it here second. The New York Dolls (or remnants thereof) are heading to Australia as part of the Michael Coppel-Richard Branson V Festival series. And before you ask (a.) my source is impeccable and (b.) sideshows are unlikely.

So it looks like you can make a beeline for Sydney (March 31), the Gold Coast (April 1) or Melbourne (April 3 and 4 - not sure what night the Dolls will be on) if you want to see them. Along with Gnarls Barkley, Groove Armada and Pet Shop Boys. That's one strange line-up. Headliners are The Pixies, who will probably be tolerable if you like being reminded of the soundtrack to every second party in Sydney in the '80s but you can keep the rest of that lot. And it ain't cheap at $120 a ticket ($110 for each Melbourne date.)

As to the question whether the Dolls would be worth seeing, grab a copy of the DVD of their reformation shows (with the soon-to-be-departed Killer Kane) and the answer will be self-evident. The studio album was respectable in a metally, David JoHo-dominated way but it's the live action where it's happening.

Koala By The Tail

Greetings one and all!
Tiger by the Tail are playing their last show for some time, (basically we ain't got nothing else booked), tomorrow night Saturday at Cherry Bar, AC/DC Lane, Melbourne. We are supporting Paper Planes at their CD launch. We are on early at 9.30pm.
Come along and have a beer.
Oh, and Sunday morning at 8am on South Melbourne/Middle Park beach we will be filming a video clip for the song 'Summertime at the Beach". We will be playing beach volley ball dressed as a koala and kangaroo playing against an ape, tiger, arab and a lebanese youth umpired by two coppers! So if you're out power walking or just coming home from Pony come along, bring the kids or whoever you've gone home with! Should be a laugh!

Worth going just to see these extraordinary athletes in action...

This weekend.

Apart from the Double Agents single launch shows at Exile on Smith Street and the Excelsior, the only other option seems to be Sixfthick:

and that's fine by me.

Fake. Shitty.

Some things just make me sigh.
Like hearing that the fakest of all the shitty fake bands around at the moment are playing at the shittiest & fakest place in Victoria...I thought it was a joke, but no, it's true.
You couldn't make stuff like this up if you tried. Sigh.

The return of X

Last night I was lucky enough to be sitting in the right place at the right time, and so to be invited to watch X rehearse for their upcoming dates.
In a stinky pub back room, that usually holds about 200 people, there were five of us- Steve Lucas, Kim Volkman, John Hall (drummer for these dates) a sound guy called Wal & me.
You can quibble all you like about whether this is the "real" X, but don't ignore the music. For my money, this sounded like the real deal- an opinion confirmed by (long term fan & friend of the band) Fred Negro when he stuck his head in for a minute. Really, though, they needed nothing from me, or Fred, so I just sat and enjoyed it,
"But what did they play?" I hear you ask. What I saw went like this:
"TV Glue"- spiky ringing guitar to the forefront, Steve taking the spoken vocal.
"Degenerate Boy"- again, that guitar sound, wrung out of a new Epiphone.
"Moving On"- some trouble with the final few bars' speed metal assault, quickly ironed out.
"Dipstick"- played faster than I've ever seen it done before.
And more- "Oxford Street Nick" "I Like You And You Like Me" ("Oh, I light up so easily-ah...") "Halfway Round The World" (all slashing old style punk chords) "I Don't Wanna Go Out" (I was grinning like a schoolboy for the duration of THAT) and a very sharp take on Del Shannon's "Runaway"...
Questions?
Yes, Rilen is absent, but yes, I think Kim is a great fit as his replacement. Yes, Steve can still be a bit tetchy at times, but yes, these are his songs and he still enjoys- loves- playing them. Worth noting this is not the only project he has on the go, either. Cathy's absence from the stool was explained to me but it's not something I want to go into here.
You would be a fool to miss your chance here.
Dates, links etc- well, here's the band , here's Steve, here's Kim and here's Cathy .
And this is probably a good place to note that the Aztec Music reissue of "At Home With You" with bonus tracks, is now scheduled for May.

Drones and Dimi Dero Inc. tour

This just in:

All looks good to me. I think there are a few more Dimi Dero Inc. shows to be announced, too.

2007 Erotic Art Prize & Exhibition

For some reason I was not surprised to see Melbourne writer/artist/musician/filmaker Philip Brophy on the list of finalists for this, for his work The Body Malleable
Twenty years after he made "Salt, Saliva, Sperm and Sweat" he's still at it, and he's still out there.
And I have him to thank for the huge Astroboy posters I mentioned earlier too- he curated that exhibition.

Don't be a Stooge and not sign this

There's a string of live Stooges dates being locked in all over the USA right now, but if you're Australian here's a more pressing reason to let your mouse do the walking and show we're interested in a return engagement. Click here.

Got nothin'

There is so much going on this weekend I couldn't get anything together.
All I know is I'm going to look at a swarm of wild bees.

Pool scores

While I'm here & posting, can I just say that it is really fucking bad manners to whine when, despite all the cue gymnastics, you start your half-arsed game off with a foul break, and then try and steal shots when your opponent is at the bar/putting money in the jukebox/lighting a cigarette?
A very satisfying win, that one. Oh yes.

Radio Birdman tour news- update

This just in:

Russell Hopkinson has parted with Radio Birdman and has been replaced on drums - for a planned American tour at least - by former MC5 drummer Dennis Thompson. He played with three Birdmen in the 1981 Australia-only combo New Race. Hopkinson had too many You Am I commitments to remain with the band.
Radio Birdman has pencilled in a June-July run through the USA and Canada but since Thompson has ongoing recording and live commitments with DKT (Davis-Kramer-Thompson -the collective of surviving MC5 members), his tenure with Radio Birdman will be temporary.
Some limited Australian dates before the USA have not been ruled out.

thanks to the Barman for the heads up on this.

the professor speaks, part one

Did I dream this or overhear it somewhere? Maybe I made it up.

70, no, make that 80 percent of what is known today as rock and roll performance is utter bullshit, that requires the total and willing suspension of disbelief on the part of the audience to get off the ground, let alone fly any distance (says the professor, drink in hand, and fat arse firmly planted on a Tote barstool).
Buying a Strat and a Marshall amp does not make you a god. Leather pants? Don’t make me laugh! But people will still go for it if you’re lucky. And Danny Sugerman's “shaman” theory of Morrison, Jagger & Rose -yeah, stop sniggering at the back there, he did really mean AXL Rose- is complete cock, too, but those moves still pull ‘em in.
For most of the bad boys, though, the highway to hell actually leads them to semi-comfortable retirement, plugging old tunes at reunion shows & hoping that old hit gets picked up for use in a beer ad. Unless, of course, that shit really does kill you, in which case it’s game over for everyone except the lawyers & the record company.
Now, (belch) if someone wants to stick a dollar in the juke box and punch in “My Pal”, let’s move onto today’s classics lesson…

There's more of this to come, I think. Comments welcome, film & TV rights still available

You know what I hate?

You're on your second-last day at your place of employment - a very serious, blue-chip multi-national - having landed a big fat redundancy package to make years of kicking (against some gold-plated pricks, in a few instances) just all that more bearable. You hang a huge Ramones poster (you've left it in your will for your assistant) on your office's external wall, in a final act of defiant non-conformity. A Director walks past, taps his hand on the poster, pokes his head into your office and says: "You know - their first album was THE best ever."

At least he wasn't cluelessly wearing one of their T-shirts.

Drunk & Disorderly Episode 2

Podcast number two is live here

Girl I Love - Stoneage Romeos (Lost in Spice - Action Records)
Kent’s Theme - Kent Steedman & The Tubular Greens (Live at Gruta 77 - Dock thru Reverberation Records)
Surf Left Alright - The DangerMen (The Dark Place - Merenoise Records)
Cool Ice Cream - Eddy Current Suppression Ring (Dropkick Records)
One Way Street - Dirty Burds (Hellbound Honeys vol 1 - Off the Hip)
Hollywood - Kevin K (Hollywood - Full Breach Kicks)
See No Evil - Peter Blast (Pure Organic Junk - Poptown Records)
Sha la La - The Boobytraps (Hellbound Honeys vol 1 - Off the Hip)
Rock and Roll Star - Sour Jazz (Acetate Records)
Conquest - Bored! (Self Titled EP/Take It Out On You & More - re-issue - Afterburn Records)

Louis Tillett live

I promise, I will stop doing the cross-posting thing.
But someone involved in this show sent me a very positive message about this I94 Bar piece, and I figure they would be happy for it to be spread around a little.

How was your weekend?

Mine was hot, and countrified- you can get a glimpse of Saturday's Jon Langford show here.

Pool scores- lost another one.

More to come soon, I promise.

Sneak peek of "The Weirdness"

Yeah, it's been a long time betweeen posts but the pace will pick up from here, I can assure you.

First up, have a listen to "My Idea Of Fun" from the forthcoming Stooges album "The Weirdness" at the band's official myspace. If you've been paying attention you'll recognise the tune from the Skydog live release "Telluric Chaos". It's OK with all-too-obvious nihilstic lyrics but there's better to follow, I hear. At least the production is suitably raw and in your face. Expect the album in early March.

Next, go jump into the band-approved website for Sonic's Rendezvous Band, the legendary Michigan band from the late '70s/early '80s. There's a message board if you like that stuff, and a growing collection of photos, handbills and articles.

If you were wondering about that often-threatened Hitmen reunion, you can glean the line-up from a quick perusal of their new myspace site. The principals say the shows are happening, if only the person writing the liners for the CD re-issues (chockful of bonus tracks) would pull his finger out, the world would be happy.

That's all for now.

Duh.

Goddammit, how did I forget about this?

I Won't Pay For Punk Records... and you won't either.. when true to form reunited Sydney punks The Thought Criminals, give one away free to each person attending their Melbourne show at The Tote on Saturday February 3rd. Written and recorded over 3 days, the Peace, Love and Under Surveillance 5 track coloured vinyl 7" EP (or CD, the choice is yours) features all new tracks that were previewed when the band recently supported The Buzzcocks. You excited? You should be, as The Thought Criminals will be joined by special guest TV Smith of ex '77 UK punk legends The Adverts. In addition, comedian Bruce Griffiths, founder of infamous Sydney punk label Abberant Records, will be kicking the night off.

Pool scores: 1 - 1

It's all even after my 3 ball choked in the lower left pocket FOUR times. Damn. Ended up rifling it up the table & into the top pocket.
More to come.

Can't think what to call this one.

So much going on this weekend...

One of Melbourne's living rock & roll treasures, Mr. Fred Negro, is inviting everyone in town to his birthday party at the Pint on Punt in Windsor on Friday 2nd February. He'll be taking the stage with the Twits , and has promised special guests, fun and drunken depravity. Well, he didn't actually promise drunken depravity but it's a safe bet, trust me.

I like this graphic for the Devil's Kitchen Festival, which is on over the next two weekends at the CERES eco-park, hippy sanctuary or whatever it is.


At this stage it looks like I'll be taking my own advice - someone has to- and seeing Jon Langford on Saturday afternoon.

Hmmm, what else?
Oh yeah- that old charmer Quincy McLean reminds me that Blue Ruin have re-tooled their 1986 LP "Flame" for CD, and are re-launching it at the Corner Hotel with support from Kill Devil Hills and James McCann & the Dirty Skirts on Saturday night.

I'm sure there is something going on on Sunday too, but I plan to be somewhere quiet, with a hammock & a martini shaker. Somewhere like this:

Jon Langford house party

This has been getting a fair run on myspace, but there is still room on the RSVP list. It promises to be a unique afternoon's entertainment, get there if you can.

The postmodern man of BBQ, Mr Julian Wu is hosting a house concert featuring the renaissance man of insurgent country music -- Mr JON LANGFORD!!
Founder of legendary UK proto-punkers MEKONS, Chicago hellfire country band THE WACO BROTHERS, star-studded western swing ensemble THE PINE VALLEY COSMONAUTS, duet partner with SALLY TIMMS, death penalty campaigner, visual artist extraordinaire, collaborator with the famous and the obscure, radio personality on WXRT, papa bear figure to the entire Chicago indie music scene -- is there nothing this wiley Welshman can't do?!

Come join us for a house concert with Jon Langford, raconteur, provocateur and drinking partner par excellence, on Saturday February 3 from 3pm (music starts 5pm).
Jonboy's band for the occasion will feature Nev Anderson, Dave Hastings and Roy Payne of Fat Dusty + Jason Walker (Last Drinks) on steel, and maybe some added mando and accordion for good measure.
There will be several amazing Langford paintings on display (and available for sale), including his portraits of the Aboriginal country musicians featured in Clinton Walker's "Buried Country" documentary.

This here party is hosted by Julian Wu, Melbourne Music Identity and Iron Chef (BBQ), famed for his rock'n'roll hospitality and mouth-watering Wu-B-Q.
Tickets only $15 and that includes Wu-B-Q!!

Click to RSVP Sophie Best via email.