Here’s my top 10 live shows from 2025, in chronological order: 

1.  The Schizophonics: La La La’s, Wollongong & Factory Theatre, Marrickville – January  
I was fortunate enough to catch The Schizophonics twice in January. A cracking rock band fronted by an over medicated hyperactive octopus, Pat Beers. They had the entire audience smiling their whole set both nights. Most excellent! 

2.  The D4: Mary’s Underground, Sydney – February 
I’ve dug the The D4 since their first album, 20 odd years ago, so there was no way I was missing their first Sydney show in yonks. Gotta admit to being a bit nervous though, would thThis Woy Woy line-up is Outtaspaceey still have it? Would they be a good as I remember?? Yeah they fuckin were!! Ripping set! Killer Rock n roll with all the hits! Dion thrashed his geetar at the end ensuring no encore, perfect! 

3. Sun Ra Archestra: Factory Theatre, Marrickville – March 
Sun Ra’s free jazz is soothing for me, so this show was a must. A 20-odd ensemble of musicians playing spaced out free jazz in psychedelic outfits - memorising! The 70-year-old band leader doing backflips at the end was the icing on top. 

There's been so many killer bands/releases/shows/etc this year that I've loved which makes it damn hard to narrow it down to 10 highlights. Cos I don't really bother with digital or streaming when it comes to my music addiction, this is the 10 (mostly) physical music things that have kept me coming back for more in 2025 - in no particular order.

Blast Module – “Demo 1” EP
I heard some snippets of these tracks online early this year and they snagged my attention immediately. Their debut EP came out in May and its been on heavy rotation ever since. “Demo 1” is a total high energy synth punk burner from top to bottom. Riffs, hooks and melodies all wrapped up in 8 bit video game goodness. I've managed to catch these guys live a couple of times during the year and they deliver the goods on stage too. Check out their track Helenova for a taste.

Swami John Reis – “Time to Let You Down” LP
Any time the Swami puts out new music I'm on board. It’s ridiculous that this one guy has been at the centre of so many great bands. I'm not complaining - I'm in awe.

The new “solo” album is maybe a touch more punk than the last few records and it completely rocks. Fast and furious downstroke rockers front to back. Its a great pick me up record that’s been on the turntable repeatedly. I havent heard the new Plosivs album yet but I'm sure that'll be getting lotsa spin time, too. 

Top Ten Sydney Tunnels and Bridges

What? Tunnels and bridges not rock'n'roll enough for ya? So, sue me. 

The Molly Fet Circuit were in Sydney for a couple of gigs recently and I could not believe how much the place has changed; I was here last only a year or so before covid - not sure how long it'd been for musician Shaun C. Duncan (Die Like a God, Council of Elders, Iron Phallus), but quite a bit longer I think.

Our friend Nathan Iowa (Shark Arm) was extremely helpful, driving us hither and yon - to the point where I realised that, without his help, we would've been either frequently lost or forking out hundreds in cab fares. Never mind anything else, we might not have even found the fucking gigs.

Top Ten Filthy Rock and Roll Songs

1. "Blitzkreig Bop" - Ramones

2. "Shake Appeal" - Iggy and the Stooges 

3. "Dirty Robber "- The Sonics

4. "New Rose" - The Damned

5. "Communication Breakdown" - Led Zeppelin 

6. "Oh Carol" - Rolling Stones

7. "Revolution" - The Beatles

8. "Lucille" - Little Richard

9. "Eruption" - Van Halen

10. "Let There Be Roc" - AC/DC

Find Richard Lawson here.

_{Julian Wu photo}

The Barman has sent out the call for Top Tens. I have ditched my Imperial Wardrobe to deliver a stripped-down Metallic KO Top 10. Lean on words and mean on content – old, new, stolen, and blue – five live and five vinyl – here we go for the tip of the iceberg of my musical stuff of 2025. Time won’t permit my top 500.

This is seriously in no order - just random awesome things in a pretty bloody awesome year

1. Davey Lane - Finally, A Party Record
Excellent pop! Not scared to touch Yacht and Soft rock either

2. Rubber Necker - Bad Behavior album and one of their gigs at the Duke in Enmore
The show as wild "somehow held together" post rock. Whoooo!

3. Cammy Cautious and the Wrestlers
Only saw em once and CAN NOT FORGET IT!! Took me head clean off

4. Some awesome aussie books Radio Birdman - "Retaliate First" by Murray Englehart and "Orstralia A Punk History" by Tristan Clark. Loved 'em .. got John Foy's book next up.

_{"The stars, baby, the stars": Tex Perkins with Dave Graney at The Beasts' "Black Milk" show in Melbourne. Amber Schmidt photo}

Dave Graney Top 12 for 2025

1. Dave Graney and the Soft n Sexy Sound 30^th Anniversary Sound tour.
This was so enjoyable for me. So great to play the music and crack the codes to the album. Extremely challenging to perform it and to present it to people. Very tense to start it each time we did it on the 21 date tour. It had peaks and it flowed. It started from silence and ended on a long fadeout.

Sometimes, we think we have a grasp of something when we simply don't. And meaning, which we think we understand, slips out of our hands as readily as an eel (understandably) reluctant to grace our dinner plate.

Earlier this month, Sydney's favourite rock 'n' roll pollie, PM Albanese, said that the Coalition were “delulu with no solulu”. 

Poor bloke wasn't really advised too well with that one. See, the meaning is now in fact the reverse; that delusion really is the solution. Although meanings, especially with slang, can twist and slide out from under like an eel.

In the middle of Adelaide is Victoria Square, with the obligatory statue of the late queen. It also boasts the poxy (and recently-moved) “Three Rivers” fountain.

Originally built to commemorate the 1963 visit of the king and queen, in true Adelaide fashion the monstrosity was finally unveiled in 1968.

A Virtual Unreal Top 10
A little quieter for me in 2024. It’s getting harder to get me off the mountain or am I just getting old?

1. Birdman Five-0
Birdman at 50? I first saw them in Melbourne in 1977 at La Trobe uni. My mates hated them. I loved them.

I nearly didn’t go to this one because I’ve seen them so many times, but when I was told that these were to be their last gigs, I pulled the finger out and got a ticket to the last show. In a word, fantastic, but they always are. Deniz and Dave play so well together, Rob remains one of my favourite frontmen and everyone else does their bit.

Hard Ons were great in support. Glad I went.

2. Murray Engleheart’s Birdman book
What a book! I loved every word of it and it told me so much that I didn’t know, including stuff about myself. His retelling of how the band came together is a sublime piece writing. You’re practically watching these guys get into each other’s orbits and once they did, forming a band was inevitable.

These are complex people and Murray deals with the tensions and frustrations within the band very fairly. Everyone gets a good run. An extremely satisfying read.