_{Fuck The Neighbours leader Simon Chainsaw.}

Fuck The Neighbours
+ The Molly Fet Circuit
MoshPit Bar, St Peters, NSW

WORDS: Geoffrey Datson
IMAGES: The Barman

There was some confusion, so I’m arriving at the bright Saturday afternoon gig late.

Into the long dark venue.

It seemed there’d been some mishap?

A first responder with a head torch on  is stumbling through debris, where the stage used to be.

Peterbilt b/w From The Ashes – Zeke (Hound Gawd Records)

If you have to ask what it sounds like you’ve never heard a Zeke record. Like most, if not all of them, ”Peterbilt” throttles along like a speed-freak with a headful of crank chasing white lines down an autobahn where there’s no posted limit. If it’s too fast you’re probably too old (and I might will be.)

Live, the band is visceral. On record, they’re all heat with no shade - and so it is with this 45.

“From The Ashes” is dominated by the declaration “this is the night – let’s go” and does what it’s told. The A side might be a song about the “Peterbilt” truck brand but ends up a blur, so it’s hard to tell without a lyric sheet. The briefest of guitar solos tears through the middle like high-beam headlights.

Let’s be real - if you’re chasing Zeke thrills you’re not in search of sensitive balladry and the words don’t much matter anyway. This single likely won’t be streamed and will end up selling out, so it’s for the fans. The blurb calls it "a must-have for punk vinyl collectors and anyone who craves explosive riffs, breakneck drumming, and pure punk chaos" and I don't feel like arguing. 

Buy it 

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.

Third In Line For The Throne b/w Yeah Orright – The VeeBees (Evil Twin)

Twenty-five years of The VeeBees? Hard to believe but here’s the proof that they still excel at excess. The A side is a stringing sub two-minute trip of raging guitars and fun. The VeeBees’ engine room has never sounded more powerful.

And the lyrics? They’re about lining up when you really need to lay a cable and (thankfully) have nothing about the succession plans of entitled and terminally boring Royals.

At a tick over three minutes “Yeah Orright” is an odyssey in comparison. The band eases off the throttle and while Its lyrical journey doesn’t go much further than the chorus, the chugging guitars stick like shit to a blanket. That term could apply equally to "Third In Line".

The VeeBees don’t own Yob Rock but they’ve carved out their own little corner, spanning Canberra and Wollongong. More power to their (drinking) arm. As the boys themselves say: "Four blokes, 3 chords, 2 brain cells, 1 carton of beer." 

1/2

Buy the download

Buy the vinyl

We're in the home straight in ther run towards the I-94 Bar-promoted annual Xmas show by Pismo Beach's Psychotic Turnbuckles at Marrickville Bowling Club in Sydney this Saturday. Tickets are moving briskly for the Kings of The Combat Zones' match-up against heavyweight hard-rockers The Dark Clouds and fuzzily effervescent The Sugar Beats. 

Turnbuckles frontman Jesse The Intruder says he has some special moves in store for the challengers but the headliners seem to be in an unchracteristically magmanious mood, promising all advance ticket buyers a present. We'll believe that when we see it but you can secure your ringside spot right here.  

https://youtu.be/momSWBWCCVI?si=PDF53WJRoGWUttsq

_{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.