Take a Chance on Me: Brooke Delarco and the sound of the Heartbreakers at the Village Gate

Want to know what the classic line-up of Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers sounded like live? Most of us missed them the first time around and with three of them no longer with us there’s no chance whatsoever of them reforming - at least in this life.

So you’ll just have to settle for listening to “Live At The Village Gate”.  

Glad you asked.

“Live At The Village Gate” is a newly-minted album on Los Angeles label Cleopatra Records. It’s out on LP and CD. It was recorded at the legendary jazz venue, The Village Gate, in New York City in 1977. Our review is here.

To many ears, it represents the ultimate recording of the infamous Heartbreakers at their highest peak. No slop, no pop. Pure power and energy that’s powerful enough to level a New York City block. It captures the notoriously drug-addled quartet in clear-eyed form and totally on their game. Out to impress and definitely Down To Kill.

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• heartbreakers
• cbgb
• television
• johnny thunders
• village gate
• brooke
• delarco
• feelies

Birdmen are back

Radio Birdman's 2015 European tour made enough successful noise for them to gain spots this coming June on several European festivals, most notably Spain's Azkena Rock Festival and Belgium's Sjock Festival.

The impact of their sold-out London show was such that they have been invited back to the UK with Manchester and Leeds added onto the itinerary and several other shows being slated.

The good news for Australian fans is that prior to their return to Europe, the band will play a limited number of local shows over the first two weekends of June. These are expected to be the band's only Australian shows for 2016.

Tickets go on sale Monday, 1st February from 12PM AEDT:

RADIO BIRDMAN
AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Friday, 3rd June 2016
The Factory, Sydney NSW
Tix: http://bit.ly/1JDGYd7

Saturday, 4th June 2016
The Triffid, Brisbane QLD
Tix: http://tickets.oztix.com.au/?Event=59587
Tix: http://tickets.thetriffid.com.au/?Event=59587

Friday, 10th June 2016
The Brisbane Hotel, Hobart TAS
Tix: http://brisbanehotel.oztix.com.au/?eventId=59552
Tix: http://tickets.oztix.com.au/?eventId=59552

Saturday, 11th June 2016
Max Watts, Melbourne VIC
Tix: www.maxwatts.com.au or 1300 724 867 or www.oztix.com.au

Sunday, 12th June 2016
The Gov, Adelaide SA
Tix: http://thegov.oztix.com.au/?Event=59520

• tour
• radio birdman

Kicked Out of Eden – Javier Escovedo (Saustex)

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• javier
• escovedo
• zeros

World premiere for Leadfinger's new single "Cheer Squad"

Here’s the exclusive debut of “Cheer Squad”, a non-album digital-only single and taster on Conquest of Noise for Leadfinger’s forthcoming album “Friday Night Heroes”.

“Cheer Squad”is a high-energy bolt from the zeitgeist...it's a song about social media and not fitting in with the crowd, with an attitude that harks back to the ‘70s punk era. “Cheer Squad” is backed up by “The Man I Used to Be”, from the upcoming album. Buy and download the single over the next month and you’ll also get an amazing non-album bonus track called Three Brothers. Three great songs for $A4 and they’re all available here.

Leadfinger will play "Cheer Squad" this Friday night at an I-94 Bar show at Sydney's Marrickville Bowling Club with special guests Simon Chainsaw (with an all-star band of ex-New Christs, Hell Crab City and Filth members) and the garage groove of The Escapes. 

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• leadfinger
• stewart
• cunningham
• asteroid b612
• brother brick
• the escapes
• simon chainsaw
• proton energy pills

Clown Town - The Circus Chaplains (self released)

I’ve played this CD several times since I received it, and the reason it gets only three bottles is that while it’s really good, it just doesn’t seem to get up and grab me. Maybe that’s me, maybe that’s the production, or the recording on the day. Call me a bastard, feel free, but to me the pace seems just a little too slow, lacking in attack… or something. I can’t quite nail it.

It seems that the imperative a band like this should have has not come out. This happens far too often with recordings (several favourite Adelaide bands who I absolutely loved have released CDs and LPs which seem sheepish rather than roar like a bull buffalo in Kakadu; the worst part is, when a band know the record isn’t up to snuff, they know it and feel bad. The next step should be to determine to do better next time).

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• garage
• circus chaplains
• clown town
• panadolls
• kelpies

Henry Hugo live in Adelaide

Credit: Barry C Douglas (Barry Takes Photos)

Zurich-based Henry Hugo has been in Melbourne for a few weeks, playing with a variety of Melbourne talent so glittering it fairly takes your breath away. I believe there might be a couple more gigs to come, so I suggest you get your hat and coat and wallet and get out the door right now.

Before I go on, I missed opening act the St Morris Sinners. I have heard endless good things about them and I must catch them soon. But it wasn’t to be tonight.

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• nick cave
• henry-hugo

Deli Oriental Meat Style & Food - The Ex-Boyfriends (Cash-Core Records)

Listen up, punks and noiseniks: The Canadian band’s fifth album in 17 years is inarguably their best. It rocks like fuck; It scratches like a rabid kitten. It’s tuneful and noisily offensive at the same time. All of which should tell you something about The Ex-Boyfriends even if you’ve never heard of them.

The Ex-Boyfriends come from Calgary and I’m willing to bet they’re the best-in-breed in that neck of the woods. If Calgary’s music scene is half as fractured as anywhere else, it takes a lot of balls to be a rock and roll band. Big ones if you play noisy punk rock. Shamefully, I’d forgotten they were around until a notice about this heavy-diuty chunk of vinyl landed in the post box.

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• punk
• saints
• television
• richard hell
• the ex-boyfriends
• calgary
• punk rock

Anarchy? What Anarchy? Glen Matlock just wants to have serious fun

_{Men Of No Shame: Earl Slick, Glen Matlock and Slim Jim Phantom}

Sweat is pouring down my neck and back. Rob from the C-Bombs is dangling pictures of his empty pool at me on facebook and I suddenly remember to start dialling.

I’m calling Glen Matlock in London. It will be something like 8.30 in the morning there. He’s organised, sounds quite sober, matter-of-fact and down to earth. Which is pretty good, cos if you’ve never heard the bugger’s name you’ve certainly heard at least one of the bands he’s been in, and helped write the songs for: The Sex Pistols.

Glen is coming to Australia for the ‘Men of No Shame’ tour with Earl Slick and Slim Jim Phantom.

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• sex pistols
• new york dolls
• glen matlock
• earl slick
• slim jim phantom
• stray cats
• david bowie

Voidoids guitarist Ivan Julian fighting cancer

Onetime Richard Hell and the Voidoids guitarist Ivan Julian is battling cancer, his record label has revealed.

“The prognosis looks good for Ivan, but for the next six months or more, flexibility to do his work will be greatly diminished, which means a direct impact on his income,” Plowboy Records said in a statement on its website. Julian was diagnosed almost immediately after writing and recording The Fauntleroys’ new single, “Wait For Me”  b/w “All The Way Down (In The City Of Angels).

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Plowboy Records and The Fauntleroys are offering the new singles in digital, vinyl and CD formats with all profits going to Ivan Julian. Go here to score the new single or the band's debut EP and help a punk rock icon.

Plowboy is also home to ex-Dead Boy Cheetah Chrome.

With the late Robert Quine, Julian was one-half of one of the most innovative guitar combinations on the New York punk scene and more recently had worked with Matthew Sweet. 

• new york punk
• plowboy records
• richard hell
• voidoids
• ivan
• julian