IRON MAIDEN (Qudos Arena):
I took my 16-year old son and we were both
blown away by the sheer spectacle and outstanding musicianship of these
metal giants, all the while running around the stage like a bunch of 20
year olds! I've always been a casual fan, and since this gig it's fair to
say i'm mildly obsessed.
The TUBS (Enmore Hotel):
Their 2023 debut album "Dead Meat" was probably
my favourite release of that year, so to see this Welsh quartet play a
free gig in a small pub was an absolute no-brainer! It's hard to
pinpoint their sound but i would suggest classic jangle-pop with the
urgency of The Jam's early material, a truly wonderful band.
SUPERCHUNK (Crowbar):
It's been at least 20 years since i saw North
Carolina's finest & they did not disappoint. Mainman Mac McCaughan was
as switched-on and energetic as back in their '90s heyday, while new(ish)
drummer Laura King was an absolute revelation, smashing the bejesus out
of her kit whilst also employing a subtler approach when required...what
a glorious noise!
LOS CHICOS (Marrickville Bowling Club):
"The Boys" were back in town and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see these Spanish lunatics once
more. Always a fun night of garage rock'n'soul with a ton of energy &
zero pretension. If that weren't enough, The New Christs also played a
blistering set of rock'n'roll goodness alongside killer local punks The
Crankees and quirky French theremin/guitar duo Human Toys. Billed as "Gig
Of The Year", I'm fairly certain it was for many of the punters in
attendance.
The ALLNITERS (Brass Monkey, Cronulla):
I was lucky enough to attend the first
show of their final tour and despite being over 40 years since they
kicked off, the energy and enthusiasm reverberating from the (cramped)
stage was undeniable! The crowd were treated to a selection of their
most loved tunes with a bunch of ska classics interspersed throughout
the set. As always, a joyous occasion despite the sadness of it all
coming to an end.
HUMAN LEAGUE (Enmore Theatre):
I've always been a guitar guy and i'm not
usually a fan of those "play the classic album" gigs (i prefer the
"surprise" element of not knowing what's on the setlist), but I couldn't
pass this one up as i've loved their 'Dare' album ever since it
originally came out in 1981, so it was brilliant to hear these tunes in
concert & worth the price of admission to hear the epic track
'Seconds'live.
ROB SNARSKI (Django Bar / Kingo's Backyard):
I've always loved Rob's
voice and songs going back to Chad's Tree, The Blackeyed Susans and beyond &
iI was fortunate enough to catch him twice this year, firstly with the
wonderful SnarskiCircusLindyBand, a bonafide local supergroup featuring
Lindy Morrison, Evil Graham Lee, Dan Kelly and Shane O'Mara, and again more
recently in a friend's backyard in Marrickville as a duo with Lindy.
Both nights featured beautiful, melancholy tunes interspersed with
wicked & witty banter from Ms Morrison...lovely stuff!
THE HARD-ONS (everywhere):
I unfortunately missed their 40th anniversary
tour, but did catch them at Enmore Theatre with fellow punk legends The
Damned AND both bands were in blistering form! Also, not a live gig per
se, but i caught a screening plus Q&A of the awesome Jonathan Sequiera
doco "The Most Australian Band Ever'" which is highly recommended for
anyone with the slightest interest in Australian music. Not only did
they play a ton of shows locally and overseas this year, they also
released one of my favourite albums ("I Like You A Lot Getting Older"). A personal highlight for me was playing guitar on a couple of tunes on
the forthcoming Peter Black solo album-an utterly terrifying yet
exhilarating experience!
I know i've missed a bunch but special mention also goes to wonderful
gigs by Todd Rundgren and Robyn Hitchcock, plus local luminaries including
The Church, Charlie Owen, Paul Berwick, Toxedo, Antenna, Nunchukka
Superfly, Sick Fizz, ROCKS, Dog Trumpet, Ronnie Simmons & The Redback Spiders, Thee
Repton County Killers, Pocketwatch, Thee Cha Cha Chas, The Johnnys, The Space Juniors and many more.
