Kick Out the Podcast Jams, Chickenpluckers

A Podcast about chicken. C'mon, give some points for originality!

Get it in iTunes, download it from the link or listen to it by clicking on the player on the I-94 Bar. There should be a player on this here blog, if you look down the right-hand side.

Here's the playlist:

Super Chicken (Toon Tunes: 50 Favorite Classic Cartoon Songs)

Cockblocked - The Jack Saints (Rock and Roll Saved Our Lives...But Now It's Trying to Kill Us!)

Chicken Scratch - The Raunch Hands (Learn To Whap-A-Dang)

The Greasy Chicken - Andre Williams (Movin' On - Greasy And Explicit Soul Movers 1956-1970)

Run Chicken- The Milkshakes (Rockabilly Psychosis and the Garage Disease)

Flight Of The Shit Bird - Six Ft Hick (Canetrash)

Thunder Chicken -The Mighty Imperials (Thunder Chicken)

Chicken Of The Sea - The Raunch Hands (Learn To Whap-A-Dang)

Chicken Head- Whiskey Daredevils (The Essential Whiskey Daredevils)

Chicken - Spark Plugs (Born Bad - Volume 4)

Kicks & Chicks - The Zipps (single)

Finger Lickin_ Chicken - Radors (single)

Chicken Thighs - Andre Williams (Movin' On - Greasy And Explicit Soul Movers 1956-1970)

Chicken Hawk -The Pink Fits (Fuzzyard Gravebox)

Barnyard Blues - 13th Floor Elevators (Bull Of The Woods)

Secret Track

Friday dilemma.

Something of a culture clash this Friday, 20th. March.
At the Thornbury Theatre, something special.
Melbourne’s exceptionally gifted Mann brothers perform on a rare double bill in the splendour of the palatial Thornbury Theatre. This is a final hometown show before Oliver Mann departs for a European tour, while the prolific Grand Salvo (aka Paddy Mann) will preview new songs from his forthcoming album, before he also heads off overseas.

Oliver Mann is extraordinary- his album, "The Possum Wakes At Midnight", was an astonishing highlight of last year.
But, very much on the other hand, the mighty Pink Fits are in town launching their new album, "Deja Blues", (out now on Off The Hip) at the Tote, with support from the Vandas and Midnight Woolf.

Diversity makes for some tough calls, people.

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.

A weekend and a half

Well, that was a weekend and a half. 15 goddam bands in 2 days. Late nights, a few beers, and a lot of fun.
There are some pics and words of the Visitors here  if you need background - for all the reformation/reissue angle,  there was not one minute of their set that felt gratuitous or nostalgic.  Maybe it's because they have been dormant for so long, but they brought real freshness to a solid set, which took in about everything I could have hoped for:

Despite ripping off/paying homage to his "Minister of Defence" tag for my "Minister of Offence" role with GOD many years ago, I've never seen Mark Sisto perform before. He was excellent- in great voice, punchy, sly and very funny too. Pip Hoyle and Deniz Tek didn't disappoint the Birdman tragics in the crowd either, though having said that I'd reckon that you could enjoy these guys for the class act they are, without any knowledge or experience of their past activities. CD details are here if you are interested.
It was a bit of a struggle getting my arse into Flip Out for the 3.00pm kick-off the next day, but I made it and I'm glad. In the past festivals have been a bit "meh" for me- they all seem to go on too long, have too much dead time, may involve standing round in a field, or a combination of all three. This thing really hit the spot though. Highlights were the Pink Fits bruising, high-energy set, the return of the Stabs, US legend MOTO's deranged guitar riffery/perversion and ECSR's killer closing set. There were old friends and new friends, there was "Creature From The Black Lagoon" on the big screen, there was beer, there was the promised free CD- all good. 

Flip Out

Now, ordinarily, this show, at the Espy on Friday night, would be head and shoulders above the rest:

The Visitors were one of a clutch of bands (see also- the Hitmen, the Other Side, Comrades of War, New Christs and New Race) formed from the debris of Radio Birdman on their return from Europe in 1978. They played a dozen or so shows, recorded an album, released an EP's worth of it, and then disbanded. The album eventually emerged years later, and is now being reissued, on Citadel Records, to mark their reunion. I never saw them, and am really looking forward to this. I mean, it's not often you get to see legends play. Vocalist Mark Sisto's role as Birdman's "Minister for Defence" led to me being christened "Minister for Offence" during my time roadieing for GOD. And, it's free, yet. Make the most of it.

But even that looks like being relegated to warm up status, because on Saturday the first (of many, hopefully) Flip Out Festival hits the Corner Hotel.

A solid attempt to get a decent festival going in Melbourne, without the big bucks and sponsorship. There is so much going on here, in addition to the music. The first 200 people through the door will receive a free 18 track Aarght Records/Stained Circles sampler. There's a record fair 2 – 6pm, a rooftop BBQ will run from 5 – 8pm, and the Gimme Shelter and Primitive DJ’s will be playing tunes in the front bar.

PERFORMANCE TIMES - OVER 2 STAGES:
3.00 SUPER WILD HORSES
3.45 THE UV RACE
4.30 THE STRAIGHT ARROWS (SYD)
5.15 THE FROWNING CLOUDS
6.00 THE PINK FITS (SYD)
6.45 DEAD FARMERS (SYD)
7.30 KNIFE FIGHT (NZ)
8.15 THE STABS
9.00 KING AUTOMATIC (FRANCE)
9.45 DEAF WISH
10.30 M.O.T.O (USA)
11.15 BEACHES
12.00 EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING

And if that isn't enough for you, the Straight Arrows are using Flip Out to kick off a tour to launch their new single, and you can go and see them again on Sunday at Bar Open in Fitzroy.

That starts around 8.00pm, with the Arrows on at 11-ish.

Monday morning is far away as I write this, but I suspect it won't be a pleasant awakening.

Pink Fits hit

Wollongong's excellent Pink Fits make a lightning visit to Melbourne this weekend, but still manage to cram three shows into two days.

I've heard the new mini album, just out on Off The Hip, and it's excellent. I missed them last time around, won't be making that mistake again. And that Tote afternoon show is with the Ooga Boogas, too. Tasty.

Halloween and onwards

So I write this sitting in the deepening twilight, with a bag of chocolate frogs and some glow in the dark M & Ms at the ready, listening to Kopper's special Halloween Savage Kick podcast

but none of the neighbourhood kids seem keen.

Anyway, there is lots coming up.
Friday at the Espy sees the Lime Spiders headline a massive bill of local and interstate acts- the sort of bill you usually only see on New Year's Eve, and for only $15.00

On Saturday the Bakelite Age are launching their (excellent) new album, "Return Of The Magical Molerat" at the Tote.

While on Monday, Route 66 are holding Wolfcall 2007 over at the Central Club in Richmond


AND FINALLY on Tuesday (officially known as "Horse Day" here in Melbourne)Wagons are showing off their newie, "Curse Of Lightning", over at the Northcote Social Club.


phew!

Another big week.

I've mentioned the return of X this week, at Ding Dong, in a previous post.
Cherry Rock 007 is on in AC/DC Lane on Sunday, but if you want to avoid the crowds and are happy to see only see a few of the acts, Eddy Current Suppression Ring and the Pink Fits are at the Espy on Friday night, for free.

This weekend.

Show of the week has gotta be the BellRays at the Spanish Club. I can't find confirmation of all the supports, but the Pink Fits are in there somewhere (as well as doing their own thing at the Espy on Saturday).
What else...ummm...a trip down the peninsula for me, but that won't interest anyone...nope...looks like it's the BellRays or nothing, I'm afraid. Oh, and maybe a game of pool. If I find anything else of interest I'll be sure to let you know, OK?
NEXT week is gonna be a killer, though.

Magnificent

is pretty much the word I'd use for the New Christs at the Espy on Saturday. Actually, it's definitely the word. But then they have never let me down. If Rob Younger & Jim Dickson gave it all up during Radio Birdman's world tour recently, well, they've managed to recharge their batteries somehow since then. The Pink Fits were excellent too. Some discussion here.
Many friends there, some interesting sights too, from a dancing dwarf to someone filming footage of a toilet door on their mobile phone for a band video .
I may have made a disasterous personal decision in choosing to go, rather than keep another appointment, but I guess I'll have to live with that.