Hound Hoss Hicks

I dropped into the Hound last weekend, for the first time in a while. This stuff  all seems very long ago now- so far, nothing there has changed, although i see they are now seeking planning permission to put some fuck off big advertising billboards on the St Kilda Rd facade. Anyway, I've managed to miss all the recent sporadic appeareance by HOSS, who are playing there on Friday night. Which would be great, except that I'm probably going to miss them again as it clashes with Sixfthick's farewell show at the filthy Roxanne Parlour:
Medical advice is that their livers have recovered sufficiently from last year's trip for them to take another crack at the unsuspecting French & Germans. The show is being filmed for JTV, apparently, though what possessed those dullards to show an interest in the Hicks is anyone's guess.

Production difficulties

Well, things got away from me earlier this week- here's a basic draft of the chatter that mattered. You'll figure it out, bright penny that you are.



Normal service will be resumed when I finish this bottle of red wine.

Cut Rate Masters

Well, them Cowboys did the business last night. Garry, Mark, Penny, Nick & Stefan pulled out all the stops. Here's the list:

Once again, I got grief from some ape-fucker idiot of a bouncer when I grabbed this, during "We Love You". Like, it's not as if the band need it at the end of the set- and anyway, there were three or four others dotted around the stage. This time round, Mr. Gray saved my bacon, by lurching off the stage, grabbing me in a bear hug and bellowing " Of course we do..." into my ear and the mike simultaneously. A dream end to a dream show.

Sacredsexstkilda

The Sacred Cowboys blow back into their spiritual home, St. Kilda for a one-off in the Greyhound back room, with support from the Exotics and the Frowning Clouds This is pretty much a must-see. If you never saw this band in their early 80s heyday you missed a real experience, some of which can be captured on their double CD “Nailed to the Cross”, just out on Savage Beat, with excellent liner notes.

Fans will be reunited with memories of their compelling combination of mesmerizing lyrics and swirling wall of sound guitars which saw them quickly become one of the hottest alternative bands on the scene back in the day, and a
major drawcard especially in hometown Melbourne and Sydney (where they found kindred spirits like The Scientists).
Something of a post-punk supergroup (with members drawn from the original line-up of Models and Suicide Records group The Negatives), The Sacred Cowboys gained instant notoriety when they appeared in '82, thanks to frontman Garry Gray's chainsaw wielding antics on stage. They played a wild, dangerous and completely unique brand of rockn'roll inspired by the artists whose material they covered, including SUICIDE, ALAN VEGA, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART, CRAMPS, VELVET UNDERGROUND, CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL and ALEX CHILTON.
A reconstituted Sacred Cowboys line-up will be playing a showcase of special Victorian gigs during their Australian tour in April/May 2008. Featuring founding members GARRY GRAY and MARK FERRIE with PENNY IKINGER on guitar, and the band's second phase 'Trouble From Providence' rhythm section of NICK RISCHBIETH and STEPHAN FIDOCK.

More St. Kilda shenanigans tomorrow night- Elbow Room launch their stage version of seminal dirty book “Venus In Furs” at Theatreworks in Acland St.

Venus In Furs inspired the diagnosis of a whole new category of sexual perversion. Since the 1800s, masochism has largely shrugged off its unsavoury reputation, attaining a kind of underground ‘glamour’. Today it has well and truly been embraced by the mainstream, its ubiquity obvious in the burgeoning popularity of all forms of fetishistic entertainment, particularly the recent resurgence of burlesque. In revisiting the original text, Elbow Room brings to the stage the source of an entire genre of sexual gratification and entertainment in a timely reminder of the continuing influence of Sacher-Masoch’s novel.

My 1970 edition of this is illustrated:

But not in as saucy a manner as you may expect, and it is still as dull a read as ever, regardless. What can be done with it onstage remains to be seen.

Note- if I could have been bothered I’d have put a segue in between those two, about the Sacred Cowboys playing “Run Run Run” live or something. But I didn't. Sorry.

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.

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.

This weekend

Well, there are a couple of options. I'm busy on both Friday (BBQing) and Saturday (birthdaying), but you probably aren't.
Johnny Casino is back in town, and both shows are free.

Saturday's show features the Ooga Boogas in their last Australian show before their American tour. Yes, really.


While Actor/Model have managed to get a babysitter, and will be launching their new CD at the Tote with support from the mighty Kamikaze Trio among others, including DJing by Matt from the Stabs. Should be a good night.

On Sunday I will be hungover. Don't call too early.