I got in

before Bruce Milne handed over the door stamp to the new management:

So, yes, it was a good night. Pretty much everyone I expected/hoped to see there was there, the sightlines in the revamped bandroom are much better, and the beers were free. The new carpet and lack of stuff on the walls was the only noticeable difference, really.
I don't know if this is the official end of an era, or the official start of a new one. But it's the Tote, and it has bands on again.

Thanks to Carbie for the pic.

The Birmingham 2nd Birthday Show

The Birmy's having their second birthday show this Saturday. It's gonna be pretty rad, check out the poster:

New band room

11.15 – 11.45 GREASERS

10.15 – 10.45 DICK DIVER

9.15 – 9.45 IN TONGUES

8.15 – 8.45 THE PRIORY DOLLS

7.15 – 7.45 BAPTISM OF UZI

6.15 – 6.45 BIG SMOKE

5.15 – 5.45 WIL WAGNER & THE SMIH STREET BAND

4.15 – 4.45 THE BLACK HILL FIVE

3.15 – 3.45 GRIZZLY JIM LAWRIE BAND

Existing band room

11.45 – 12.30 THE STABS

10.45 – 11.15 DEAD FARMERS

9.45 – 10.15 TEEN ARCHER

8.45 – 9.15 SHIPS PIANO

7.45 – 8.15 DOZERS

6.45 – 7.15 THIS WAR

5.45 – 6.15 MADONNA

4.45 – 5.15 KEGGIN

3.45 – 4.15 CHAOS KIDS

The night kicks off from 12 midday with a BBQ for both lunch and dinner, bands start at 3pm

and.... its FREE ENTRY!

Brisbane Secrets

My old pal Georg from Brisbane is putting the word out for a secret show he's in.

If you're a local or going to be in town in early July, check it out.

http://georgart.blogspot.com/

Love Of Diagrams, Miniature Subs, Dick Diver. Tonight uh huh!

-TONIGHT-

Northcote Social Club
$10+bf
http://northcotesocialclub.com/

Love of Diagrams have returned home from yet another successful US tour, where they played coast to coast, with a few days at the Austin Texas SXSW festival in between. This is their first show back and with new songs, and perhaps a couple of rarely played old faves and the band play with new pop sensations, Dick Diver plus Miniature Submarines.

Citadel hits "The Spot"

Citadel Mailorder has a blog (called The Spot) and you should check there for news about the Live In Texas album from Radio Birdman.

CBGB RIP

Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the brand owners? Not much value in a brand without some substance.

Sydney Opera House bans King Khan and BBQ. WTF?

The main reason I didn't opt-in for the recent Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson-curated Vivid Festival shows by King Khan & BBQ and Boris at the Sydney Opera House was the venue. Low art does not belong in gilded cages run by high-brow turds, so why does this not surprise?

SHOW OFF - Friday 18th

I'm dj'ing this as Cowboy Leather with Jack Petty. It's gonna be a good show so make it down if you can.

Friday 18th June

6PM

8 Rankins Lane - near Little Bourke and Elizabeth st's.

I figure i'll do this then head to Yah-Yah's for Constant Mongrel and UV Race.

SHOW OFF - Friday 18th

I'm dj'ing this as Cowboy Leather with Jack Petty. It's gonna be a good show so make it down if you can.

Friday 18th June

6PM

8 Rankins Lane - near Little Bourke and Elizabeth st's.

I figure i'll do this then head to Yah-Yah's for Constant Mongrel and UV Race.

I Like Your Small Opening - Hell Gallery

http://hellgallery.blogspot.com/

This reminds me of Australian Idol

The Tote, Redux!

When the The Tote closed in January i was really curious to see what other venues would step up to the plate. I saw myself going to the The Birmy, Old Bar, Yah-Yah's and The Empress alot more. Having it closed made many people see just how good it was. If i was asked what i missed the most it'd have to be sitting in the front bar eating pizza during Total Doughstruction. Or maybe walking in from the rain to see Black Flag on the shitty little tv and hearing Deaf Wish on the jukebox. I've been going to the place since 2004 when i was just 14 or 15 for the Ska-B-Q shows. 

So to show your love, go in for a drink tomorrow as it's the first day it'll be open for the public.

This is what it looks like under the stairs now, looks good to me.

These are the current lease holders: Sam Crupi, Jon Perring and Andrew Portokallis.

These guys also run Yah-Yah's, Bar Open and Pony.

Here's a statement written today from Bruce Milne:

"When I announced the Tote was shutting the doors in January, I was certain it was the end of an era, certainly the end of the Tote. I didn’t count on the overwhelming community reaction to the news.

That the Tote is reopening is a result of that reaction and the efforts of so many thousands of people that demonstrated, signed petitions, wrote letters and let their feelings be known. It’s the result of a lot of hard, behind-the-scenes, work by FG4LM and SLAM that has affected some real change in the way Liquor Licensing and the government treats live music in this state. There’s still a lot to be done but the future for live music looks a lot brighter than it did a few months ago.

I’m very happy that Jon, Sam and Andy have taken over The Tote. They went out on a limb and took over the licence without any firm guarantee that the high risk license conditions would be reversed. Their accountant must have told them they were crazy.
The Tote will be different but in lots of good ways. As it has under previous owners, The Tote will evolve. Just like Melbourne music. It will continue to be run by music lovers. Many of the old staff can kiss the dole office goodbye as they have been re-employed. It will continue to be a second home for music lovers.

It’s a simple formula – have a beer, watch a band, chat with friends, moan about what should be on the jukebox. As Wally Meanie said, “It’s not rocket surgery!”

7 Evils in ONE

No Vacancy presents:

7 Evils in One!

A group exhibition of illustrations by James Blagden, Mark Silipo, Joanna Anderson, Patrick Kyle, Cougar Flashy, Kelie Bowman and Michael Fikaris.

Don't miss the opening night performance by Melbourne band Love Connection and many thanks to Androniki Douramakos for her mountain installation.

Opening Thursday 10th June 6-9pm. 

34-40 Jane Bell lane, QV 

Melbourne, VIC 3000

Exhibition 11- 24 June

7 Evils in ONE

No Vacancy presents:

7 Evils in One!

A group exhibition of illustrations by James Blagden, Mark Silipo, Joanna Anderson, Patrick Kyle, Cougar Flashy, Kelie Bowman and Michael Fikaris.

Don't miss the opening night performance by Melbourne band Love Connection and many thanks to Androniki Douramakos for her mountain installation.

Opening Thursday 10th June 6-9pm. 

34-40 Jane Bell lane, QV 

Melbourne, VIC 3000

Exhibition 11- 24 June

Royal Headache at Carriageworks

I'm such a drunken fool!
I was fiddling with my camera while R.H were on and managed to delete all the photos i'd taken during my time in Sydney. I bought a bunch of records, saw some bands and drank big with my main man Nathan.

I saw King Khan & BBQ Show do their second last ever performance- at the Sydney Opera House no less. It was a strange show compared to the night previous at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne. Melbourne was a pretty regular show- get drunk and dance for a few hours. The crowd at the Sydney show was dead, they refused to boogie. Then, KK&BBQ didn't play as good. After the show a bunch of hung around Opera House with King Khan drinking and smoking. Then he kind of freaked out and BBQ was telling me he wasn't interested in playing with KK anymore and that he was acting like a rockstar, "As if he's in Kiss or something". Then we drank at Bar Broadway till 4. If you're interested in reading some tall tales by KK, read this. It's an account of his time at the Opera House.

Here's some photos of Royal Headache playing at Carriageworks.

Royal Headache at Carriageworks

I'm such a drunken fool!
I was fiddling with my camera while R.H were on and managed to delete all the photos i'd taken during my time in Sydney. I bought a bunch of records, saw some bands and drank big with my main man Nathan.

I saw King Khan & BBQ Show do their second last ever performance- at the Sydney Opera House no less. It was a strange show compared to the night previous at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne. Melbourne was a pretty regular show- get drunk and dance for a few hours. The crowd at the Sydney show was dead, they refused to boogie. Then, KK&BBQ didn't play as good. After the show a bunch of hung around Opera House with King Khan drinking and smoking. Then he kind of freaked out and BBQ was telling me he wasn't interested in playing with KK anymore and that he was acting like a rockstar, "As if he's in Kiss or something". Then we drank at Bar Broadway till 4. If you're interested in reading some tall tales by KK, read this. It's an account of his time at the Opera House.

Here's some photos of Royal Headache playing at Carriageworks.

Super secret special show.

One of the "perks" of this blogging lark is that occassionally it gets you in the door to good stuff. That was the case this week- I've scored an invite to some kinda VIP/media preview of a new venue. So new it doesn't even have a name yet.
I can't tell (yet) how widely the invites were spread, but in any event, no one seems to be talking about it- which is odd considering the recent fuss made over the place in question.
For now, though, I'll just say that I won't be at home if anyone needs me on Thursday night.
More details to follow.

Records For Sale

Hey, just passing on a list of records Brendon from Negative Guestlist Zine is selling.

If you want to buy any of these, send an email through to him to:

dirtyalley@msn.com

Pass this onto anyone who might be interested in any of these also.

-Zac


7"

Black Lips – Not A Problem b/w Dirty Hands Single (Vice Records debut)

Black Lips – O Katrina EP (Aus Tour Single #66/400)

Black Lips/Demons Claw – split EP (Single Series Ed. on Norton Records. Two of the biggest/best.)

Black Orphan – Transmission EP (Hozac Reg. Cover /400)

Black Orphan – s/t (Glow in the Dark cover /100 http://www.myspace.com/gucciquattro)

Blank Dogs – Yellow mice sleep (Proflic baby HoZac /200 copies)

Blank Dogs – The Doorbell Fire (Sweet Rot Records /400 copies)

Blank Dogs – In A Web EP (Daggerman /400 copies)

Bold Ones – Open Your Mouth EP (OG HoZac garage/party punk, pre-vagina wave)

Coco-Coma – 6 ¼ – 125 b/w Take my Time Single (Goner Records)

Contaminators – s/t (First EP from killer neo-KBD band http://www.myspace.com/contaminators)

Crossed Eyes – Rattled Eyes (HC dudes doing killer Irish influenced powerpop)

Dead Ghosts – What to Do b/w God Only Knows (Sick Black Lips/60s style basement spook)

Dead Wife – s/t EP (Female froned party thrash from Canada)

Electric Shadows – Break the Rules b/w Shes All You Got (Douchemaster Records stoner glam)

The Fluid – Tin Top Toy b/w Tomorrow (Sub Pop)

Ganglians – Album Bonus EP (Havent listened /500)

Ghetto Ways – Party Bag EP (limited to 400/White vinyl packed in plastic bag. Party garage punk)

Girls of the Gravitron – s/t EP (Limited Tour Ed. #16/100 Homemade pop)

Heart Beatz – Secret Girls EP (White vinyl /100 copies. Druggy powerpop/svb-Screamers pisstake)

Hunx and his Punx – You Dont Like Rock N Roll (Rare debut EP w/ Dick sticker scratched off)

The Hunt – One Thousand Nights (NY Cold-wave/art punk. Pre-Sacred Bones)

Imaginary Icons – Eye-Cons Single (NY art punk http://www.myspace.com/imaginaryicons)

LCD Soundsystem – North American Scum (Get laid)

Love Battery – Between the Eyes b/w Easter (90s, Sub Pop)

Mark McCoy – The Chzech Is in the Mail EP (spoken word madness, like Armand Schaubroek)

Melt Banana – 666 6 inch EP (rare colored spazz core/freakout slut nosie)

Menthols – 848 EP (Marble Blue Vinyl /100. Clangy, dissonant street rock on Floridas Dying)

Nice Face – Thing in my Head EP (Debut of wasted bedroom-wave punk. Special Edition Sleeve /100)

The Observers – Lead Pill (Canada punk http://www.myspace.com/swallowaleadpilldown)

Poster Children – Thinner, Stronger b/w Pointed Stick (90s, Sub Pop)

Rodent Plague – Blue Wave EP (Ex-A Frames member doing solo Kraut-influenced shit. Creepy and tense.)

Sabouters – s/t EP (Drug fucked Cali. KBD)

Scaphists – s/t EP (raw garage/shitgaze crossover http://www.myspace.com/scaphists)

Sharp End – Crack Trap EP (Canadian Ian Curtis/Warsaw worship. Heavy)

The Shemps – To Hell and Back EP (Fleshies/Sick Fits style garage http://www.myspace.com/theshemps)

Shit Eagle – Girls at School EP (blown out weird-punk w/ limited /100 spray painted/stickered cover)

Sick Es – s/t EP (Cali synth KBD)

Sick Es – Mankind EP (Better EP of Cali Synth KBD)

Sonic Chicken 4 – Don't Let Me Down b/w Sonic Night Single (Black Lips/Hasil Adkins garage from France)

Sonic Chicken 4 – Toe Man b/w Midnight Girl Single (Blue Vinyl http://www.myspace.com/sonicchicken4)

SPIDER – Back to the Wall b/w Down and Out Single (Powerpop/Punk Reissue)

SYZ – Complicated EP (Sick early HoZac release)

Tuff Bananas – Dance to Rock N Roll EP (modern bubblegum shit, sick. http://www.myspace.com/bananashalalalala)

Vivian Girls – I Cant Stay Single (First release on In the Red, pre-Pitchfork fingering)

Volt – s/t EP (Green Edition /200) http://www.myspace.com/voltklub

Wax Museums – Claw You Like a Cat EP (Red Vinyl /200 HoZac)

Wax Museums – Magnet EP (Fashionable Idiots/Mike Sniper BLANK DAWGS artwork)

Wicked Awesomes- Information Entropy (Gypsy punk/weird pop shit on Almost Ready)

Young Offenders – Situations EP (Irish powerpop on Parts unknown, like Wipers/Wedding Present)

CASSETTE

Blank Dogs – On Two Sides (Rare Fuck It Tapes pressing of first LP. Sounds better on tape)

Blank Dogs – untitled (Bonus cassette that came w/ limited version of first LP. 100 copies)

Car Commercials -

Vivian Girls – s/t (Rare Fuck It Tapes pressing of first LP. Sounds better on tape)

Records For Sale

Hey, just passing on a list of records Brendon from Negative Guestlist Zine is selling.

If you want to buy any of these, send an email through to him to:

dirtyalley@msn.com

Pass this onto anyone who might be interested in any of these also.

-Zac


7"

Black Lips – Not A Problem b/w Dirty Hands Single (Vice Records debut)

Black Lips – O Katrina EP (Aus Tour Single #66/400)

Black Lips/Demons Claw – split EP (Single Series Ed. on Norton Records. Two of the biggest/best.)

Black Orphan – Transmission EP (Hozac Reg. Cover /400)

Black Orphan – s/t (Glow in the Dark cover /100 http://www.myspace.com/gucciquattro)

Blank Dogs – Yellow mice sleep (Proflic baby HoZac /200 copies)

Blank Dogs – The Doorbell Fire (Sweet Rot Records /400 copies)

Blank Dogs – In A Web EP (Daggerman /400 copies)

Bold Ones – Open Your Mouth EP (OG HoZac garage/party punk, pre-vagina wave)

Coco-Coma – 6 ¼ – 125 b/w Take my Time Single (Goner Records)

Contaminators – s/t (First EP from killer neo-KBD band http://www.myspace.com/contaminators)

Crossed Eyes – Rattled Eyes (HC dudes doing killer Irish influenced powerpop)

Dead Ghosts – What to Do b/w God Only Knows (Sick Black Lips/60s style basement spook)

Dead Wife – s/t EP (Female froned party thrash from Canada)

Electric Shadows – Break the Rules b/w Shes All You Got (Douchemaster Records stoner glam)

The Fluid – Tin Top Toy b/w Tomorrow (Sub Pop)

Ganglians – Album Bonus EP (Havent listened /500)

Ghetto Ways – Party Bag EP (limited to 400/White vinyl packed in plastic bag. Party garage punk)

Girls of the Gravitron – s/t EP (Limited Tour Ed. #16/100 Homemade pop)

Heart Beatz – Secret Girls EP (White vinyl /100 copies. Druggy powerpop/svb-Screamers pisstake)

Hunx and his Punx – You Dont Like Rock N Roll (Rare debut EP w/ Dick sticker scratched off)

The Hunt – One Thousand Nights (NY Cold-wave/art punk. Pre-Sacred Bones)

Imaginary Icons – Eye-Cons Single (NY art punk http://www.myspace.com/imaginaryicons)

LCD Soundsystem – North American Scum (Get laid)

Love Battery – Between the Eyes b/w Easter (90s, Sub Pop)

Mark McCoy – The Chzech Is in the Mail EP (spoken word madness, like Armand Schaubroek)

Melt Banana – 666 6 inch EP (rare colored spazz core/freakout slut nosie)

Menthols – 848 EP (Marble Blue Vinyl /100. Clangy, dissonant street rock on Floridas Dying)

Nice Face – Thing in my Head EP (Debut of wasted bedroom-wave punk. Special Edition Sleeve /100)

The Observers – Lead Pill (Canada punk http://www.myspace.com/swallowaleadpilldown)

Poster Children – Thinner, Stronger b/w Pointed Stick (90s, Sub Pop)

Rodent Plague – Blue Wave EP (Ex-A Frames member doing solo Kraut-influenced shit. Creepy and tense.)

Sabouters – s/t EP (Drug fucked Cali. KBD)

Scaphists – s/t EP (raw garage/shitgaze crossover http://www.myspace.com/scaphists)

Sharp End – Crack Trap EP (Canadian Ian Curtis/Warsaw worship. Heavy)

The Shemps – To Hell and Back EP (Fleshies/Sick Fits style garage http://www.myspace.com/theshemps)

Shit Eagle – Girls at School EP (blown out weird-punk w/ limited /100 spray painted/stickered cover)

Sick Es – s/t EP (Cali synth KBD)

Sick Es – Mankind EP (Better EP of Cali Synth KBD)

Sonic Chicken 4 – Don't Let Me Down b/w Sonic Night Single (Black Lips/Hasil Adkins garage from France)

Sonic Chicken 4 – Toe Man b/w Midnight Girl Single (Blue Vinyl http://www.myspace.com/sonicchicken4)

SPIDER – Back to the Wall b/w Down and Out Single (Powerpop/Punk Reissue)

SYZ – Complicated EP (Sick early HoZac release)

Tuff Bananas – Dance to Rock N Roll EP (modern bubblegum shit, sick. http://www.myspace.com/bananashalalalala)

Vivian Girls – I Cant Stay Single (First release on In the Red, pre-Pitchfork fingering)

Volt – s/t EP (Green Edition /200) http://www.myspace.com/voltklub

Wax Museums – Claw You Like a Cat EP (Red Vinyl /200 HoZac)

Wax Museums – Magnet EP (Fashionable Idiots/Mike Sniper BLANK DAWGS artwork)

Wicked Awesomes- Information Entropy (Gypsy punk/weird pop shit on Almost Ready)

Young Offenders – Situations EP (Irish powerpop on Parts unknown, like Wipers/Wedding Present)

CASSETTE

Blank Dogs – On Two Sides (Rare Fuck It Tapes pressing of first LP. Sounds better on tape)

Blank Dogs – untitled (Bonus cassette that came w/ limited version of first LP. 100 copies)

Car Commercials -

Vivian Girls – s/t (Rare Fuck It Tapes pressing of first LP. Sounds better on tape)

Adam D Mills.

Music journalist Adam D Mills died last week.
There is a very good tribute here, which was put together by Anwyn Crawford and Shaun Prescott. They were friends (and admirers) of Adam's, and it shows. It will tell you all you need to know about the way he affected people he knew and worked with.
I never met him- our contacts were confined to various electronic formats, including a recent massive email exchange that seems to have already entered Australian music folklore.
But it seems pretty clear to me, in these times of digital downloads, fragmented markets and increasing industry dependence on manufactured "stars", that we cannot afford to lose anyone with Adam's degree of passion and commitment.
The man sent himself broke, and stayed on the breadline far beyond any reasonable measure, in his determination to keep putting out the music he loved and wanted to be heard by others.

RIP ADM.