Old Man muses the word Punk over a record player

(Pondering the passing of time, punk, and the “new” Young Charlatans record, “'1978”, released on Eminent Vinyl, and featuring a short interview with Harry Howard.)

UK writer Kris Needs expresses it best, I think. In his introduction to his 2010 “Dirty Water 2. More Birth of Punk Attitude” CD compilation, Needs denies trying to nail down "any kind of definitive punk thesis", and instead tries "to show how the age-old attitude which shaped it could not be confined to any one time, place or big bang”.

He goes on to describe punk as "an eternal spirit", explaining that the "desire to achieve or express personal freedom is one major uniting theme, whether an attitude born out of everyday struggle or desire to upend existing musical forms, which could spark in anyone from guitar-toting wild men and electronic alchemists to street corner finger-poppers or expressionistic black music movements such as bebop and free jazz."

Feel free to disagree, of course.

Read more …

• choice
• punk rock
• the birthday party
• harry howard
• the saints
• rowland s. howard
• young charlatans
• eminent vinyl
• kris needs

Grown Up Right! A Power Pop Interview with Dave "Dog Meat" Laing

You may know Melbourne's Dave Laing from many places. He’s been a record label head for decades, with his own Grown Up Wrong and Dog Meat labels, home to such influential bands as Powder Monkeys, Bored! and Hoss, and more recently Lipstick Killers, Screaming Tribesmen and Flamin’ Groovies. 

He’s also worked with the likes of  The Pretty Things, The Imperial Dogs, Dead Moon, The Cheater Slicks, Billy Childish & Thee Headcoats, The Devil Dogs, Teengenerate, The Real Kids, the Screamin’ Mee-Mees, The Barracudas, the Jeff Dahl Group, The New Bomb Turks and Chris D.

What you may not know is that he's a power pop freak - one who doesn't merely trudge through the record crates, either. These days he's a music publicist and (again) runs the two labels that he started way back in the 1980s. He's also an occasional music writer for Ugly Things and elsewhere.

Last year UK label Cherry Red released one of those astonishing box sets that they excel at. “'I Wanna Be A Teen Again! - American Power Pop, 1980-1989”. It was curated by the very same Dave Laing, who also wrote the liner notes and publicised it.

Read more …

• lipstick killers
• cherry red
• dave laing
• grown up wrong
• dog meat
• beathoven
• the breakers
• I Wanna Be A Teen Again! - American Power Pop, 1980-1989

The image is still Rotten

They’re back and they’re not the S*x P*stols.

Public Image Ltd (did you know they are led by John Lydon?) have announced a series of Australian and New Zealand shows as part of their global “This Is Not… The Final PiL Tour.”

Read more …

• public image limited
• australian tour
• new zealand tour
• 2026

Surviving Masters Apprentices announce four shows

Here’s something special: Three founding members of The Masters Apprentices, Rick Morrison, Mick Bower and Brian Vaughton, catching up in Glenelg, South Australia, last week, as uploaded to their Facebook page. .

The Masters Apprentices are still playing live. Obviously without late singer, Jim Keays. As the band explained while announcing three shows: “More than 60 years on from where it all began, the bond is still there. And the music certainly is too.

Read more …

• masters apprentices

Chris Masuak's Spanish band makes a Specactular announcement

The debut album from Los Revelators, the Spanishg band for ex-Radio Birdman, Hitmen, Screaming Tribesmen and New Christs guitarist Chris Klondike Masuak, is out on vinyl on May 15 and its title is “Spectacular”.

Read more …

• chris masuak
• los revelators
• spectacular

Setback for Died Pretty's Chris Welsh as friends renew fundraising appeal

Former Died Pretty drummer Chris Welsh has suffered a setback in his battle against cancer. Tests have revealed the scourge has returned and he’ll consider his treatment later options this week.  

“Fucking cancer. Just when you think you're getting on top of it, it bites you on the arse once again,” Chris posted online on April 21.

“Yes folks, the cancer has returned in the middle of my left lung and there is a new small nodule which has grown on the right lower lobe of the lung. And to top it off, there is a new lymph node growing near my liver.

Read more …

• died pretty
• gofundme
• chris welsh

The Ons and Ons release video single ahead of album launch

“Constance” is the second digital single from Sydney, power pop kings The On and Ons from their new Jem Records album “Luminary”. The accompanying video was made by Libby Blainey with additional live footage from Vic Zubenko.

“Luminary” is The On and Ons’ second album for Jem Records after last year’s compilation “Come On In”. It’s available from all the usual outlets or directly from the band here.

• the on and ons
• luminary
• the exile co
• mixtape

Tokyo duo Sister Paul sets sail for Oz

_{Photo: Band Facebook}

 Japanese duo Sister Paul are playing Austraian shows this month. With roots firmly in the New York strand of late ‘70s and early ‘80s punk and post-punk scene, these Tokyo underground legends pump out a sound way beyond their means.

The Tokyo band consists Susumu on bass and vocals and Mackii on drums, vocals and kazoo.

They’ve toured Europe, playing London’s esteemed 100 Club, and travelled through Europe as backing band for a reformed Doctors Of Madness, themselves a seminal UK proto-punk band that influenced many.

Read more …

• japanese
• australian tour
• sister paul

The Huxton Creepers plan debut LP re-issue, national tour to mark 40

Beloved Melbourne band The Huxton Creepers have announced a vinyl re-issue of their debut album, “12 Days To Paris”, ahead of national tour dates. Cheersquad Records & Tapes will issue the LP on June 5 to mark its 40th anniversary and pre-orders are open here.

The Huxton Creepers were one of Australia's most popular and hardest working guitar bands of the '80s, emerging as a teenaged version of both Sunnyboys and Hoodoo Gurus with a bit of Chris Bailey Saints thrown in for good measure.

Read more …

• 40th
• huxton creepers
• 12 days to paris