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- By The Barman
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It had to happen: Californian imprint PR Press is publishing a ground-breaking new book on Australian punk, “Orstralia: A Punk History 1974–1989” by Tristan Clark, on July 9. And on the same date, Clark will self-publish a companion volume “Orstralia: A Punk History 1990 –1999”.
"Ostralia: A Punk History"will be the first comprehensive overview of the story of Australian “punk”, from its beginnings as an underground movement in the '70s through the emergence of hardcore in the '80s, and extending into its commercial ascent in the '90s.
Both volumes seek to go beyond the music to take in cultural context and sociological concerns. They tell the story on a city-by-city basis with regional centres also covered.
Author Tristan Clark has been involved in the Melbourne punk scene for mor than three decades. He has done his homework. Clark conducted 130 interviews, with members of The Saints, Radio Birdman, Boys Next Door/Birthday Party, Babeez/News, Victims, Leftovers, Fun Things, Zero, Psycho Surgeons and X, through to the likes of Depression, Hard-Ons, Cosmic Psychos and Grong Grong, TheLiving End, Bodyjar and Frenzal Rhomb.
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- By The Barman
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Hollywood – The Fiction (Off The Hip)
Much water has passed under the bridge since 1978 when The Fiction was one of a handful of struggling punk rock bands in the womb of a nascent Melbourne underground music scene.
Like a spark, The Fiction came and went. Some of their songs made it into the setlist of mod-flavoured pop-rockers Little Murders, which has become as much a brand as a band for vocalist-guitarist-songwriter Rob Griffiths, its only constant member.
Griffiths (vocals) and Rob Wellington (guitar) remain from the original band and although the passage of time may have buffed off the sharper edges, the reconstituted Fiction still trades in high-energy pop punk.
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 2060
Keeping Chaos at Bay – Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders (Hound Gawd)
Let’s level up: We’re on a Pat Todd and The Rankoutsiders jag at the I-94 Bar and it’s a jones that can only be satisfied by more of the L.A. band’s trademark Heartbreakers punk ‘n’ Stonesy roots Rock Action.
This is their third killer long-player in as many years – their second in six months! - and the prospect of a tour of Australia later this year just increases the high-rotation.
So if “Keepin' Chaos At Bay” confirms the purple patch that is “Sons of The City Ditch” (2013) and “…There’s Pretty Things In Palookaville” (2021) - the keen-eyed will note there’s an EP and some seven-inchers sandwiched in there, too - and you’re one of the uninitiated, well you’re entitled to ask, Why?
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- By The Barman
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Legendary garage rockers, The Stems, have announced supports, an extra show and one venue shift on their tour to celebrate 40 years. .
Power-pop rockers The Prize will kick off the national run as support for both the August 24 show at The Corner Hotel in Melbourne and a newly-added date at the Theatre Royal at Castlemaine in August 24.
Adelaide can expect the dark folk-pop of Romana Ashton & The Reeds as support. Acclaimed indie-pop rock outfit Ups And Downs are set for the Brisbane gig, which is now at the Mansfield Tavern.
In Sydney, The Stems will be joined by The New Christs. The Rinehearts have the main support in WA with Fremantle alt-rock four-piece Vancool opening.
The Stems
40th Anniversary Australian Tour
AUG
+ The Prize
23 - Theatre Royal, Castlemaine. VIC
+ The Prize
24 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
+ Romana Ashton & The Reeds
25 – The Gov, Adelaide
+ Ups & Downs
30 – Mansfield Tavern, Brisbane
+ New Christs
31 – Manning Bar, Sydney
SEP
+ The Rhinehearts
+ Vancool
5 – Freo Social, Fremantle
Tickets here
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- By The Barman
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It will be a gathering of the faithful when some of Michigan’s most respected and enduring rock and roll acts take to the stage at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor for “A Tribute to The MC5” on June 9.
A fundraiser for the late Wayne Kramer’s Jail Guitar Doors Foundation that uses music to rehabilitate jail inmates, it was instigated by former Scott Morgan’s Powertrane bassist and current Mazinga member, Chris “Box” Taylor after the recent passing of the Five’s last man standing, drummer Dennis Thompson.
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 2005
Musical anniversaries are coming at us coming quicker than a Dee Dee Ramone "1-2-3-4" count-in, but there’s a special place in Australian rock and roll sensibilities for the 40th birthday of the seminal Hoodoo Gurus album “Stoneage Romeos”.
The band has already unveiled vinyl and CD re-issues of the their debut LP and there’s a run of Australian dates in November and December this year on which the Gurus will reprise the long-player from go to whoa.
Originally released in March 1984, “Stoneage Romeos” featured the hits “Leilani”, “Tojo”, “My Girl” and “I Want You Back”. It reached #29 on the Australian Album Chart and went on to win Best Debut Album at the 1984 Countdown Awards. “Stoneage Romeos” has consistently appeared in the Top 10 on almost every Top 50 and Top 100 Australian album lists.
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- By Robert Brokenmouth
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I Am Time - Jeremy Gluck (Glass Modern)
This is one of the few times I cannot quantify a musical release. I cannot answer the question: “How many bottles?”
Really? For this? No, you may as well say “I Am Time” is as high as that thing over there, or as round as it is long.
“I Am Time” is a rather startling career overview of the tempting output of one Jeremy Gluck - and, yes, we're all aware of the sniggerment possibilities of Jeremy's surname, so if you quit cackling at the back there we might be able to get to the meat of the matter at hand.
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- By Ken Shimamoto
- Hits: 2991
Dennis Thompson (rear) with Fred Smith, Wayne Kramer, Rob Tyner and Mike Davis.
We are marking the passing of Dennis Thompson, last man standing from the MC5, with this flashback interview. Ken Shimamoto conducted it in two parts, beginning on March 24 1998 and winding up on March 28, 1998.
Besides being the party who propelled the MC5 (and New Order, and New Race, and The Motor City Bad Boys, and...) into the stratosphere with his percussive power, Dennis "Machine Gun" Thompson is also undoubtedly the greatest living high-energy conversationalist on the planet. He talks the same way he plays the drums -- energetically, assertively, aggressively, thoughts spilling over each other two or three at a time, punctuated by explosions of laughter.
K: How'd you get started playing music back in Lincoln Park?
D: Well, what it was, was that I had a friend named Billy Vargo who played guitar, and I'm thinking, how old were we, we were like maybe 15-years-old, and he was the leader of the band. We had three guitars, no bass, and me on drums. And I was doing it, I was playing.
My brother is 10 years older than I am, and he's been a musician all his life. So when he was 16, I was six years old, and they had a rock and roll band, practicing music in my basement, the drummer would leave his drums, so four year old, five-year-old Dennis would run down there and bang on the drums and Mom would yell down there, "Dennis, get off those drums, they're not yours!" But she'd always give me at least 10 minutes, you know?
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- By The Barman
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Grande Ballroom image by Norm Lye.
Vale Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson, who was Last Man Standing from the MC5 until today. “MGT” passed away peacfully in hospital in Detroit where he had been rehabilitating following a heart attack in April. He was aged 75.
The Detroit Free Press reported earlier today that he was still at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital during his initial recovery when he heard that the MC5 was headed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on April 21.
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