2025 Top Tens: Joanne Bennett of Sydney band The Jane Does

 Mine goes to 11 in honour of Rob Reiner.

1. Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter - The Hordern Pavillion
Yes, it would have been awesome if it was with John Lydon, but Frank Carter is great frontman in his own right. Seeing Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glenn Matlock together again doing those songs was pretty special too. 

2. Cronulla Jazz & Blues Festival - Cronulla Beach
Great to have something like this in The Shire. Standouts where Spurs for Jesus and Ellie & The Vandelles (what a voice!). 

3. Australian Labor Party winning the federal election
I was playing a show at Marrickville Bowlo when the results came in so it was quite the celebration. 

4. Ray Ahn’s 60th birthday party – MoshPit
A night of celebration with performances by The Hovering Spooks, Hard-Ons, and Boiling Frogs (featuring past and present members of Hoodoo Gurus).

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• hard-ons
• sex pistols
• ray ahn
• cherie currie
• the church
• top tens
• the jane does
• joanne bennett
• frank carter
• king street crawl

2025 Top Tens: Mark Fraser of Vi-Nil Records, redbackrock.com and Coastal T-Shirt Printing

Ten personal musical highlights from 2025. In no particular order…

1. The privilege of releasing the 40^th anniversary edition of the Hard Ons' "Surfin On My Face" EP on the Vi-Nil Records label. Originally planned as a limited run of 300, it was extended to 500, after 100 or more were sold in the first ten minutes…the remaining copies selling out within a week of pre-sales opening. Hard-Ons have an amazing fan base, and copies of this EP went to all corners of the globe.

2. Hard Ons live at Avalon RSL Club, NSW
In three-piece mode, and still carrying that same passion, frantic punch and infectious affability that they possessed back in 1984. Riding high on the release of their two docos and a host of community awards, they show no sign of ever slowing down. True Aussie icons…and nice guys to boot.

3. The Indie Sounds From the Gong album launch tour.
This tour seems to get bigger each year. Featuring some of the best indie bands from Wollongong and surrounds, this was the fourth release in the INDIE SOUNDS series and saw a tour that took in Bellingen, Port Macquarie, Lismore, ACT, Port Kembla, Ulladulla, Penrith, Dee Why, Woy Woy, Fortitude Valley, Wynnum, Burleigh, Newcastle, Ourimbah and Erina. Fifteen shows over five weeks. An epic venture that saw most of the bands on the comp playing live, along with a handful of awesome blow-ins who jumped on board to fill some slots…namely Tshitaki, CHAMBERLane, Thee Repton County Killers, Punktilious, the Warts, Outer Control, Zipper Clone, Van Ruin, Doxxed, Non Binary Code, A Commoner’s Revolt, I Hate People, Crowbar Scars, Blistered Minds, Hairy Mother of God, Dead Pennies, Eat City and The Nikkis. A massive thanks to you guys, and all the Indie Sounds bands that jumped on the tour.

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• hard-ons
• the owen guns
• the strike-outs
• vinil records

2025 Top Tens: MIck Medew and Ursula 4 leader and ex-Screaming Tribesman Mick Medew from Brisbane

1. "Punk Grandma" hits number-three
The year started with plenty of energy off the back of our "In The Zone" album release with our song “Punk Grandma” hitting the number-three spot in 4ZZZ’s Hot 100 for 2024. Ursula and I were just about shaking when we realised we were going to make the top five. It was a very emotional day at The Triffid for us. Even back in the day, The Screaming Tribesmen only made the Top 10. “Punk Grandma” seems to connect with people. It’s the most successful song that I have been involved with this century!

2.  Touring New South Wales
February marked the drive to Sydney and Newcastle. It’s always great to play at Marrickville Bowlo. A big shout out to the bands we played with, Jupiter 5, and East Coast Low (in Newcastle) and Jupiter 5 and The Dark Clouds in Marrickville. Plenty of great rock ‘n’ roll bands in N.S.W. I always enjoy the road trip and can’t wait for next time.

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• lovejoy
• mick medew
• painters and dockers
• the cave inn
• punk grandma
• in the zone
• mick medew and ursula 4
• will the train ever stop at banyo?
• banshees

Top Tens for 2025: Ex-Waxworks and Dwarf Thrower guitarist and I-94 Bar writer Ed Garland

I thought this was quiet year but, looking back at It, there were many more than 10 gems that stand out for me. So it’s a round-up - with only a slight concession to numbers.

I do see myself as a hermit compared to most people who go to gigs every week and constantly buy albums. But 2025 was a bustling and explosive year for me with some real highlights.  

“South by South West” in Sydney was chaotic, a lottery dip and well worth a look for some superb bands. From Chinese metal art house to the best indie pop this side of Half a Cow Records, I recommend checking it out next year.

For personal musical highlights,  I was honoured to be part of Ernie Oppenheimer’s post- punk album, “The Institutionalist”.  Playing a gig at Geoff Datson’s hootenanny with someone I believe in one is one of the best blues-swamp guitar players, Bones of The Deadly Hume, was a hoot. There will eventually be a YouTube clip.  

Finally, there was a little doco that I was involved with about the photography of Bryan Cook. There will a book out early next year, “Spirits of the Hopetoun” will feature his photos with some magnificent research and interviews by Dr Greg Ferris and Dr Liz Giuffre.

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• ed kuepper
• bob short
• john cale
• edwin garland
• jim moginie
• east coast low
• jim white
• the owen guns
• belle phoenix
• van ruin
• rust
• the sugar beats
• xani
• jeffrey wegener
• Woolworths Flu Shot
• ed garland
• wet leg
• full flower moon band