Merry Christmas and goodnight (for a week or two)

Last post until early-January. Have a good break. I know I will.

A conversation with Bob Gruen

New York snapper Bob Gruen's one of rock and roll's premier photographers, as much for being on the spot at the right time as being adept at capturing the essence of his subjects. Some of his most famous subjects have been the New York Dolls, the Ramones, the Pistols, Blondie, The Clash and John Lennon. There's an interview in Crawdaddy online here where he reveals a lot of his best photos were captured spontaneously (as many of the greatest are.) He also sounds like the sort of bloke you'd like to have a beer with.

Yule always be a Stooge

Nyuck nyuck nyuck. Stolen from Brad Fitzpatrick's Facebook.

Simon Chainsaw and the Hippy Killers

Simon Chainsaw (ex-Vanilla Chainsaws) has a new CD out, "Alpha Negra", and slipped a copy under the door of Ramones Manor on Sunday, so i guess that means he's back from Brazil for Xmas. It's a goodie and a review will be at the Bar after the break but here's a film clip from his output with the Hippy Killers to give you a clue.

Medicos advocate neck braces for headbangers

True metalheads are a breed unto themselves so this silly season story on "PM", the flagship current affairs program of Australian national broadcaster, ABC Radio, comes as no surprise. The yarn was sourced from the respected British Medical Journal.

But did you know PM host Mark Colvin (the guy making the closing comment questioning which decade the reporter is living in) and who is pictured at right was once a committed Radio Birdman fan who went on to work on then-Sydney radio station 2JJ in its formative years?

Dog Eared Tales

Something of an institution around Sydney, Bunt are planning a DVD of some sort in 2009. This video for "Dog Eared Tales" from 1996 has surfaced. It's from their first self-titled EP.

Will this Suck or won't this Suck?

Horror comic Fangoria's online arm reports that filming will wrap this week in Toronto on Rob Stefaniuk's vampire horror-comedy "Suck". The production boasts an impressive cast of rockers like Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, Moby, Henry Rollins, Alex Lifeson, Dimitri Coates and Carol Pope. Even Cooper's daughter, Calico, has jumped on board.

Written and directed by Stefaniuk, "Suck" is about a group of musical wannabees in search of immortality and a record deal. The rock band THE WINNERS have sunk so low, they will do anything to make it big. After a life-changing encounter with a vampire, they rocket to stardom only to discover that fame and fortune are not all they're cracked up to be.

"I love the mixture of horror and humor,” says Alice Cooper, who stops just short of calling Stefaniuk a genius in this specific area. “And what’s cooler than a vampire?”

I dunno, Alice. Golf?

Lou Reed meets the Sydney press

Lou Reed almost always had it over the journalists in the '70s. These days he tends to be a bit full of himself. This hokey lot didn't stand a chance.

Jonathan Appears

It seems BBC radio's persecuted/outspoken radio personality Jonathan Ross is a Radio Birdman fan. Considering what song to play upon his return from a 12-week suspension for making sexually suggestive remarks, he suggested on microblog network Twitter that the Radios' cover of "You're Gonna Miss Me" might be the go.

Even if he fluffed the song title and looks like he doesn't know it's an Elevators cover, that's still cool. Of the course the snooty Guardian newspaper thinks it should be Blondie but who cares?

Like lakes?

This will be a biggie. Pity it's so far out of town.
Magic Dirt are curating the music and film for this- I don't know what the film festival will be like, but the music looks great. Magic Dirt, Tim Rogers, The Nation Blue, Crystal Thomas & the Flowers of Evil, and more. All for free, too, for them as have a ride there. And back, of course.

A Pink Christmas.

A big line up at the Tote on Friday, when Stained Circles present a Deaf Christmas. Deaf Wish, the Pink Fits, Useless Children and more, with a BBQ thrown in, for only $12.00

I caught Useless Children last week at Roxanne- they are a bit awesome.

The mighty Fits are doing a couple of other shows while they are in town- and on Saturday afternoon, they may well prove to be the loudest thing to hit the Pure Pop backyard yet, before they head around to the Espy later on.

While later on Saturday, the Mistletone folks are hosting a bash at the recently opened Thornbury Theatre, featuring a slew of their finest acts, including this month's deservedly hot item, Beaches as well as favorites like Kes and Ross McLennan.

First 100 payers through the door get a free CD, too. If it's half as good as last year's collection, it will be worth getting there on time.

Christmas sloth.

Oops. Sorry about that. I seem to be coming up a bit short lately.
I blame two things- a lack of inspiration (combined with general tiredness) and the upcoming Christmas hoo-hah. That shit leaves me cold, I'm afraid.
No, this isn't some anti-Christian or anti-commercialism rant. I'm just over it. And, you know, I can be pretty lazy at times. About many things.



With this in mind, can I ask that anyone who wants to get me a present this year, sponsor a sloth instead. Details are in that link.

"Winterland" - Died Pretty

Died Pretty played Sydney and Melbourne last week. There should be a live review of their Homebake gig up at the I-94 Bar by the time you read this. Here's "Winterland". Turn it up.

"No Fun" - The Stooges

Too much Stooges is never enough and this is a nice montage to go with the tune, no?

"Search & Destroy" - The Dictators

Recent Spain tourists and this is a reminder of their greatness. You never know your luck and they might just turn up on your doorstep.

Clever ways of referring to doing it in rock and roll

The Beatles, Led Zep, Carly Simon and Meatloaf all banged on about nailing someone. This is news? This presentation of the fact is clever. Many thanks to stashdauber for this.

Dr Tek in Sugar Hill supergroup

Sugar Hill Studios is an historic place in Houston, Texas, where you can apparently feel the presence of people who've worked there. Like Roky, the Stones, Roy Head and Janis Joplin. Ex-Radio Birdman soundie Andy "Mort" Bradley runs the show and recorded Hitmen DTK (circa "Moronic Inferno") and Deniz Tek there.

Dr Tek was back there this week to mix a live Birdman album from their final US tour (are you taking note!) and also to work with a combo of past clients to lay down "San Francisco Girls", a song recorded by Texan psych band Fever Tree in 1968 for a forthcoming tribute to the studio. Here's some footage for The SugarHill Gang.



Players included Deniz's ex-US Navy mate (and DTG 1992 Australian tour bassist) Dust Petersen and Fever Tree member Rob Landis.

So is it finally coming out?

The MC5 movie "A True Testimonial". The Metro Times seems to think so but there's been so much misinformation (most likely from the same person who seems to be tipping off the Times) that's it hard to know who to believe.

High praise for Darling Downs

That they didn’t, in fact, rise from the dusty roads of America’s heartland or the slippery banks of the Appalachian Mountains could come as a surprise for some upon first hearing their music. But, it soon becomes inconsequential where the duo hails from; no need to put a regional tag on the soulful sincerity found in such a plain and true collection of songs.

That's Crawdaddy online talking about The Darling Downs, the backwoods music duo of Ron Peno (Died Pretty) and Kim Salmon (Scientists, Surrealists, Beasts of Bourbon.) Read more here.

Brain death.

There, that's more like it.
Things are hotting up in advance of that festival thing, and that Christmas thing.  I haven't seen Baby Brain yet, but I've heard some good things about them, I like the name, and I like this poster:
And they are playing with some other fine folks. What else are you going to do on a Thursday night- go and see some living legends play at a favorite old local venue?  Well, this week you can indeed do just that- Died Pretty are playing at the Prince of Wales. Hmm, I wonder if they still look like this?

While on Friday, the Death To Music boys are tackling 1977- one of my favorite years:

The Adverts, Kraftwerk, The Heartbreakers, Ian Dury, Wire, Dennis Wilson, Brian Eno, The Cars, Radio Birdman, Elvis Costello, Roky Erickson & The Aliens, The Saints, The Damned, ELO, The Jam, Television, Bowie, X-Ray Spex, The Stranglers, Cheap Trick, Talking Heads, Ramones, Split Enz, Ultravox, Iggy, The Clash, Suicide and The Modern Lovers amongst others

It's at the filthy Roxanne, it starts early, and it's free. Bail on that dull office party, bucko, and come on down.

Chinese Democracy and the Art of The Hype

Almost elusive as the thing that its title refers to, "Chinese Democracy" arrived in record shops recently and the buying public went mild. I don't have any time for whatever Axl Rose pretends is Guns & Roses, past or present, but this piece in Crwadaddy online is a ripper.

I won't be buying it so if I hear any tracks it'll be by accident, but I'm betting it's not a patch the CD of the same name that beat it to the racks by Kitty and the Kowalskis.