Something different and quite cool

Occasional I-94 Bar Texan correspondent and blogger Ken Shimamoto dropped a few people a line over the weekend about an improv musical project called PFFFFFT! that he's part of. The observant will suspect he's corrupted the moniker from "PTOOF!", the name of a Deviants album. Read on:

Not to be _that annoying guy who toots his own horn via email_, but I've recently done a couple of experimental improv gigs under the rubric PFFFFT! and I'm pretty stoked with the results (particularly set 1, track 12, and the second set in its entirety, which are audible here.

PFFFFT! is Clay Stinnett on drums, Matt Hembree on bass, Tony Chapman on guitar/synth, and myself on guitar. Clay and Tony played together in the great improv band Ghostcar. Matt and I play together in Stoogeaphilia, and he's played bass in some of my very favorite Fort Worth bands: Bindle, Goodwin, and Pablo & the Hemphill 7 (he still does in a couple of those, in fact). Tony and I have played together in "Lee & Carl's Jam" at the Wreck Room (R.I.P.). I don't believe that Matt was acquainted with Clay and Tony before the first PFFFFT! show.

Last fall I played an improv gig with Clay and we vowed to do another "soon," but nothing ever eventuated. Three weeks ago, I was eating a chicken fried steak at Fred's Cafe when Clay walked in. We got to talking, I booked a gig at the Chat Room on Magnolia Street, and we played our first show a week later -- two sets totalling about two and a half hours' worth of music. All of the music was created spontaneously on the spot, without any advance preparation (except for reading a Myspace post about improvisation from ex-Ghostcar trumpeter-in-exile Karl Poetschke).

post-Hats hangover.

Well, I did indeed end up heading over to the Tote on Friday, and I'm glad I did, for many reasons.
Witch Hats were excellent, in top form. They played a great set, drawn mostly from their "Cellulite Soul" LP, and did it in front of a pretty full house, too. If they can keep this up for the length of their forthcoming US tour they'll storm the place. Set details below, for any obsessives out there.Look, they spell "potato" right on their set lists.
I also caught Beaches , a five piece instrumental band who are about an inch away from becoming the best live surf/garage/psych combo I've seen in a long long time, and Kes, too. I've had trouble with "getting" Kes in the past, both live and on CD, but this time round something gelled. I got a copy of the new album from the merch desk,and it's on pretty high rotation right now.
So, yes, all up it was worth a long late night.
And then I found something a bit special to do on Saturday, and won my Scrabble game on Sunday. You can't ask for much more than that on a cold Melbourne weekend, really.

Ramblin' Gamblin' Man - The Bob Seger System

Some good ol' fashioned soulful rock and roll from Bob Seger before he became acquainted with stadia. Dig the big drum sound. Was Iggy thinking back to this when "Lust For Life" was laid down in the studio?

Divisive rock criticism and the Ramones

Rockcritics.com is one of the most entertaining blogs on the Web. And it's Canadian, for shit's sake. Here, blogger Scott ponders the divisive nature of some reviews with reaction to the Ramones' first opus a prime example.

Beasts in Bilbao (R.I.P.)

Yes, it's true. The Beasts of Bourbon have almost certainly shuffled off their mortal coil in a collective sense, breaking up on the eve of their final European tour show in Germany. The outlook for another reformation is grim although no-one seems to be saying anything officially. Here's some footage from a happier leg of the tour in Spain, some hotel hi-jinks from the band we thought might not die.

How Clear Channel Programs America

Clear Channel only owns the music business in America? Think again and have a look around in your own backyard after you read this thoughtful piece about the lengths some people go to to establish and retain market dominance.

Anzackery

So, it's Anzac Day here on Friday, with a public holiday and all.
I'm not an ex-soldier, and so I don't have an excuse to spend the day with a bunch of friends drinking beer and telling war stories- or do I?

On Thursday night, the Sacred Cowboys play at the Northcote Social Club, with the Green Mist and the Poker Hearts. I'll probably skip that one in favour of the Cowboys' show at the Greyhound on May 2nd, actually. As long as I get along to one of them.
On Friday itself:

Mistletone presents the first in what will become a seasonal happening - Autumn Tones at The Tote on ANZAC Day, Friday April 25th.
This inaugural ''Tones'' event will feature a bunch of our favourite Melbourne bands who we reckon will help create a cosmic autumnal evening of epic proportions.
The lineup for Autumn Tones will feature Witch Hats, Kes Band, Beaches, Embers, The Ancients, The Sun Blindness+ djs Shags and Switchblade Sisters Sound System
Doors 5:30pm til late. $15 with free bbq.

Mistletone is a great local label, and it's good to see they've booked bands from outside their own roster for this, too.
Saturday? Who knows? But on Sunday I believe I am booked to play my annual game of Scrabble- and it's competitive Scrabble, at that.

Drinking with Drunk & Disorderly

The latest I-94 Bar Podcast (number 13, if you're counting) is chockful of songs about drinking. Download/play/subscribe via the interface at right. Here's the playlist:

I Wanna Drink - The Deviants (This CD Is Condemned - Total Energy/Alive)

Drunk - Alcoholics Unanimous (20 Years of Tanked Up Tunes - Steel Cage Records)

Good Morning, Headache - Dark Carnival (The Last Great Ride - Sympathy For The Record Industry)

Two Days Off, Five Days On - Hell To Pay (Two Days Off … EP)

Super Fucked-Big Drunk - The Me-Thinks (The Make Mine A Double E.P. - Indian Casino)

Drinking Alone Under The Moon - Sour Jazz (Rock & Roll Ligger - Acetate Records)

This Bar - Hitmen D.T.K (Moronic Inferno - Zeus Records)

BBQ Liquor - The Pink Fits (Fuzzyard Gravebox - Off The Hip)

Booze To Blame - Ian Rilen & The Love Addicts Ian Rilen (Passion, Boots & Bruises - Phantom Records)

Drunk On a Train - The Painkillers (Drunk On a Train - Blazing Strumpet)

Broke, Drunk & Stoned - The Hangmen (Metallic I.O.U. - Acetate Records)

Pub - Cosmic Psychos (Go The Hack - Survival Records)

Drive Thru Bottlo - The Veebees (Crack Us Anotha! - Ocker Records)

Half Price Drinks - The Deviants (This CD Is Condemned Rock - Total Energy/Alive)

Hey! If you leave spam as comments, I'll ignore you!

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Cherry Rock not so cheerful

An update on this year's Cherry Rock festival hit mail boxes all over town last night:

URGENT MEDIA RELEASE

CherryRock008 moves to
Palace Theatre
(former Metro, 20 – 30 Bourke Street, Melb)

The CherryRock008 rock n roll music festival proposed for this Sunday 20 April from 12noon to 10pm in AC/DC Lane and at The Cherry Bar has had to change venue due to a liquor licensing issue. The event will now take place predominantly at The Palace Theatre (the former Metro, 20 – 30 Bourke Street Melbourne) and slightly at Ding Dong Lounge (18 Market Lane, Melbourne).

Cherry Partner James Young said, "blah blah blah".

The ten major acts from CherryRock008 (Supersuckers, Raveonettes, Hitmen, Galvatrons, X, 6 Ft Hick, Legends of Motor Sport, Hell City Glamours, The Exploders and The Devilrock Four) will now play at The Palace Theatre between 3pm and 10pm. And super keen rock fans can see the hot up and comers (Zombie Sex Gang, Bring On The Junta, Tigernauts and Killer Birds) beforehand at Ding Dong Lounge between 12noon and 3pm.

All purchased tickets remain valid for this new scenario and tickets will be available on the Palace Theatre door on the day for $70.

The liquor licensing issue in question is quite boring blah blah blah.

The important bit:

New CherryRock008 Stage Times

Ding Dong Stage

12 – 12.30pm Killer Birds
12.50 – 1.20pm Tigernauts
1.40 – 2.10pm Bring On The Junta
2.30 – 3pm Zombie Sex Gang

Not AC/DC Lane Stage: Palace Theatre

9 – 10pm Supersuckers
7:30 – 8:15pm Raveonettes
6 – 6.45pm Hitmen
4.45 – 5:30pm Galvatrons
3:30 – 4:15pm X

Not Cherry Bar Stage: Palace Theatre

8:15 – 9pm 6 Ft Hick
6.45 – 7.30pm Legends of Motor Sport
5.30 - 6pm Hell City Glamours
4:15 - 4.45pm The Exploders
3.00 – 3.30pm Devilrock Four

Hmmm, it appears someone can't organise a pissup in a Melbourne laneway- that's quite a feat. The re-jigged playing times seem OK, although the Bowerbirds have lost their slot completely. We'll see, I guess, but spending seven hours in the Palace is not going to be as pleasant a Sunday afternoon as I'd hoped for.

The Stems in London last month

Playing at the Dirty Water Club:



Apr 25 - Annandale Hotel, Sydney
Apr 26 - The Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, Victoria
Apr 27 - Apollo Bay Festival, Apollo Bay, Victoria
May 2 - Settlers Tavern, Margaret River, Western Australia
May 3 - The Leopold Hotel, Perth, Western Australia
May 4 - The Indi Bar, Scarborough, Western Australia
Jun 28 - Primitive Festival, Rotterdam, Noord-Holland

But where do they stand on Japanese whaling?

Spotted by Ken Shimamoto of the Stashdauber blog and I-94 Bar editorial fame: Vision of French band The Holy Curse on their Japanese tour of a couple of years ago.

Sixfthick poppin' cherries

Brisbane's finest, SixFtHick, hit town this weekend, for two shows.
First up, at Ding Dong, on Friday 18th, with Ben Corbett's side project, Gentle Ben and His Sensitive Side supporting

Then on Sunday 20th. they'll be gracing the AC/DC Stage at Cherry Rock 008.

If you can't wait until Sunday to see the Supersuckers, they are playing at the East Brunswick Club on Saturday 19th, with Dynamo and Nici Blue Eyes. If you are really keen, why not take the kids along to the 'Suckers instore at Route 66 in Prahran on Saturday afternoon, and introduce them to the scarey men who sing "Born With A Tail"?
Not a lot of other sideshows confirmed for other acts, though. I thought the Hitmen might have jammed one in, but apparently not. And I didn't look too hard for any Galvatrons shows.

Another one of those Podcast things

Episode 12 is up and you can find it streaming via the player at right or get it here. Playlist as follows:

Gravybillies In The Sky - The Band Who Shot Liberty Valance (Outlaw Death Laser Drinkers From Hell - Turkeyneck Records)

Show Me Your Tits - Stinky Lou And The Goon Mad With Lord Benardo (12 Roots ‘n Boogie Blues Hits - Voodoo Rhythm Records)

4 Flights Up - Screamin’ Stevie And The Credit Union (Four Flights Up - Turkeyneck Records)

Cut You Loose - Digger & The Pussycats (Let’s Go To Hospital - Spooky Records)

Dick Shake - The Juke Joint Pimps (Boogie The House Down Juke Joint Style - Voodoo Rhythm Records)

Baby Jane - The Hydromatics (The Earth is Shaking - Suburban Records)

Frustrating Sound - Radio Moscow (Radio Moscow Blues - Alive Records)

The Colour Of Her Eyes - Laurie Wade’s Cavaliers Pretty Ugly - Incessant Noise Recording)

I’m a Liar, Play With Fire - Sonic Assassin (State is Enemy Forever! - Freakshow Records)

Red Glare -Brimstone Howl (Guts of Steel - Alive Records)

I Am The Light - Even (Even - Rubber Records)

The Sky Belongs to Us - Nunchukka Superfly (If Ya Not Careful With Electricity It Will Kill Ya - Chatterbox Records)

The Devil - The Hangmen (In The City - Acetate Records)

Statistical read-out on Meatloaf

Apologies to whoever I stole this from.

Last Tram Home now has a webcam

Yes, a recent upgrade means we have the means to post live streaming video and snapshots.
What am I wearing right now? Pretty much the usual.

Don't get too excited, pervert.

Visitors live 2008: Living World

From the revived Radio Birdman-outgrowth's recent support spot to the BellRays in Brisbane. Pity you can't hear Pip.

X: Mother

The (Australian) X's cover of John Lennon's "Mother" has long been a set highlight, a cathartic mid-set primal scream. Few people have seen the filmclip the band shot to go with it. Now you can.

It's not embeddable to go here to watch it on YouTube.

Another Drunk & Disorderly podcast

It's streamable from the interface at right or downloadable from here.

Onetime punk toilet is now truly disgusting

Thanks to NESB Hallucinate for the heads-up: NY Press drops by the former site of CBGB - now a home to $750 Cheap (sic) Trick T-shirts and Doobie Brothers (puke) clothing. Read it here. Weep.

This weekend- three nights of action.

Well, there I was all quiet and shit last night, and a whole mess of stuff popped up on the radar for the weekend. Good thing I rested up.
On Friday night, Cold Harbour are giving you the chance to get your very own "wooo-hoo!" recorded for posterity, along with a few of their songs, at the Greyhound, where they'll be playing two sets for recording as a live album.


Then on Saturday, Gimme Shelter is running from 9.00 til late at the Exford

My idiot sheet says:
$3 entry 9pm-10pm
$6 entry 10pm - 2.30am
9 - very late

AND on Sunday, there's a kinda special event at the Tote. I can't add anything to this, really, except to say that I hope a lot of people go.

The Meanies, Headache, Budd, The Oxymorons, Cut Sick, Ricey & Macka (The Guttersnipes)
On Sunday March 12, The Tote will host a memorial for Dennis DePianto, best known to music fans as D.D. Meanie. D.D. was guitarist in The Meanies from 1988 until 1995. His relentless guitar style is stamped on many of the most well-known Meanies' classics, including Darkside, Paranoid, Ton of Bricks, 10% Weird, Mr. Authority, Big Bertha, etc. He was also the founding member of legendary band The Oxymorons. D.D. had muscular dystrophy from childhood but he refused to let it stop him from pursuing his dream to be a rock guitarist. D.D. passed away after a short but stubborn battle with cancer on Feb. 14, 2008.
The Meanies, Budd, Headache, The Oxymorons and Cut Sick play in honour of D.D, Sunday April 13. Proceeds will be donated to Muscular Dystrophy Australia.

Wednesday night- I got nothin' but an urge.

So, a quiet midweek at home. Tomorrow night I will be admiring expensive & beautiful glass at Kirra Galleries, in lieu of taking up a friend's kind offer to go and see Matchbox 20 for free.

But tonight, a bit of stimulating reading:

The cover is a bit battered, frontispiece is in better nick:

It's more interesting than you may think, though a bit turgid- GBS had not yet hit the form that won My Fair Lady eight Oscars. And no, there are no simple parallels/analogies to be drawn with today's artists, if you thought that was where I was going with this. That would be too easy.
This is the only book I own- and one of very few I have ever seen- that actually came from Melbourne's legendary Cole's Book Arcade, by the way:

Links

I've just updated the links section- culled a few dead ones, added some new ones.
The team at Across The Rooftops have gone a bit quiet lately, but there is plenty to keep you occupied until they catch up.
Andy Ramadge's Pop In Print is more regular- he has a keen eye and a good ear.
Tom Reynolds talks about cars and motorbikes a lot- that's his job- and he too has a very keen eye. Check out his take on the Princess Diana conspiracy theories. I've been for a couple of memorable drives with him.

I've also added some more unsolicited endorsements- those are always welcome.

Harem Scarem- reformation.

Well, as noted previously, these boys hit the boards again recently, in front of a packed house at the Corner. Many old friends and faces there, and a great set. I got punched in the head by an over-zealous security guy when I ripped this from the stage:

even though the encores were over.
It was a great set- Chris, Charlie & Barry seemed to be enjoying themselves hugely. Mark Ferrie played bass like the goddamn pro he always is. Personally, I woulda liked to have heard some harmonica in there, and considering "Dirty" Kurt Lindner was in the crowd, and willing to step up, I'm a little puzzled as to why there was none.
Whatever, here's hoping they do it again.

the Rezillos

I listen to a fair bit of what could broadly described as “old stuff”, and one thing I really like is old new wave pop- think Devo, XTC, the B52s…and Scotland’s finest, the Rezillos.
I’ve been listening to the extended CD of their debut album “Can’t Stand the Rezillos” a lot lately.

One of the earliest punk bands in town, they formed in Edinburgh in 1976, and drew from similar trashy inspirations as the Cramps, but with a very UK slant- it was all go-go skirts, Top Of The Pops, Thunderbirds (the TV show, not the car) and greasy Triumph biker boys.
Their covers ranged from the classic Merseybeat of the Dave Clark Five’s “I Like It” to the obscure (pseudonymous) Fleetwood Mac tune “Somebody’s Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight”, to the Sweet's “Ballroom Blitz”. Their own tunes- “No”, “(My Baby Does) Good Sculptures” and “Destination Venus” were fantastic- strange, short numbers with amazing energy and some great lyrics. Check out this, for instance, from “Destination Venus”:
Further modulation of the frequency rotation
Triggered waveband activation - near elation
Somewhere in the distance I could hear a voice one instance
Then it faded from existence - no persistence

What does it mean? Who knows, but this is what it looked and sounded like at the time

It's odd to think that guitarist Jo Callis, who wrote all the band's originals, went on to join the Human League and basically conquer the world with synth-pop a few years later. Oh well, enjoy.

The Negatives/the Reals- “Dumbworld”

I’ve been waiting for a release copy of this one for a while, having had some (minor) involvement with it earlier on, and now it’s finally available.
Subtitled “original punk rock from Melbourne, 1974-1978”, it’s basically a collection of home recordings featuring future Sacred Cowboy frontman Garry Gray alongside teenage chum & future Moodist Chris Walsh, in a couple of early outfits, the Negatives and the Reals. They rip through some bruising Stooges covers in between throwing out a few snarling fistfuls of their own teenage anthems. This is the real deal, kids- suburban punk rock being made & played before the term even existed. It also includes a version of the Negatives’ “Lethal Weapons” contribution, “Planet On The Prowl”, without the producer’s unhelpful tinkering/overdubs.
You need to bear in mind that this is not the usual collection of rarities, b-sides and unreleased studio recordings- indeed it would be too charitable to describe some of them as demos- and you may need to have specially tuned ears to appreciate the nature of this stuff. That said, I reckon they sound great. They catch some great early musical moments and provide another layer of insight into the early days of the Melbourne scene-there are a couple of sample tracks up here. "Dumbworld" is out on Savage Beat, through Shock, and is well worth getting hold of.

This weekend- New Christs and more

The New Christs are back in town, playing at the Espy on Saturday 5th April, just a few weeks after their Ding Dong show in late May. With Radio Birdman once again returning to indefinite retirement, this will be your last chance to catch Younger & Dickson live for a while- though European readers have a forthcoming New Christs tour to look forward to.
Supports include excellent locals Cold Harbour, who seem to be hitting the boards fairly regularly lately, and who I think have an album due out soon, as well as a stack of others including the Bower Birds and the Killerbirds. All this,and for free, too.
The post-development Espy is still an OK place to see bands, especially when they put on big line ups like this, otherwise it’s just a frustrating place to deal with the hordes of backpacker types who treat it as their local.