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1. Radio Birdman - Manning Bar, Sydney
There was magic in the room that night: magic and love. Love from the audience who knew them as either family, friends, heroes, or all three. Everyone no doubt had different stories to tell but we were all there for the same reason - to bid farewell and to hear those songs played live one last time.

The songs that had formed a soundtrack to our lives. It led me to reflect on my own musical and life journey – is this really their last show? Am I heading that way too? I enjoyed being in the space and it brought back fond memories as I spent so much time in Manning Bar in the old days when I was studying at Sydney Uni with Louis Tillett. This show was so worth making the trip up to Sydney for! Great support from the Hard Ons too. Heartfelt thanks to everyone for a magnificent evening and beyond.

2. Mudhoney/Kid Congo - La Trabendo, Paris
It was a fabulous night at a cool venue in the beautiful le Parc de la Villette. I was staying in Paris and couldn’t believe my luck that two of my favourite bands would be sharing a bill. It was a stunning show, as you would expect. A crowded Mudhoney gig in Paris is much the same as one in Melbourne complete with t-shirts, leather jackets, jeans, boots, and slam-dancing, although the French seemed to have a certain je ne sais quoi about it all.

3. The Breeders – Forum, Melbourne
They have lost none of their charm. So amazing - the whole band! There were some killer guitar sounds from Kim and Kelley Deal in addition to those catchy quirky songs. Have you heard Kim Deal’s latest solo album “Nobody Loves You More”? It’s a brilliant work and gives us another glimpse into her versatility as a musician.

4. The Saints '73-'78 – Northcote Theatre, Melbourne
The band truly locked in together and created something beyond the sum of its parts. Everyone fitted in so perfectly. It was such a pleasure to hear something so seamless and timeless. Mark Arm was cool, calm, and collected as he spat out the songs with attitude word for word. How much work would have gone into learning all those lyrics? I thought to myself. A magnificent job from everyone all ‘round. I listened to the "(I’m) Stranded" box set at James McCann’s place and it sounded awesome. It was refreshing to hear those songs presented in a slightly different light. By the way, here is my take on the song "(I’m) Stranded" which I recorded with the late Richard Andrew a couple of years ago:

Sadly, Richard sadly passed away this year. He was a multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer who played drums in the Underground Lovers, amongst his many achievements.

5. St Vincent – Palais Theatre, St Kilda, Melbourne
I’ve only recently caught on to St Vincent thanks to her brilliant album “Daddy’s Home” which was released in 2021. Her band at the Palais was striking and comprised two other female musicians (keyboards, bass, and backing vocals) and two male musicians (guitar and drums). St Vincent is a fantastic singer, songwriter, and guitarist. There’s no doubt about it - she and her band put on a classy and riveting show.

6. Kim Gordon – Northcote Theatre, Melbourne
Kim Gordon had a killer backing band of female musicians who I assume were the same musicians who played on her album “The Collective”- Madi Vogt on drums, Sarah Register on guitar, and Camilla Charlesworth on bass. Kim moved effortlessly between being the singer/ front person and picking up her trademark instrument at various times. The music combined a retro-punk attitude with a modern feel – fierce!

7. Joseph Keckler - Recital Centre, Melbourne
Joseph Keckler is a singer, musician, performance artist, and writer based in New York. He accompanied Lydia Lunch on her “Tales of Lust and Madness” Australian tour. He writes and performs absurdist operatic monologues and eerie, emotive ballads delivered in a stream-of-consciousness style, with a dark sense of humour and a punk aesthetic. I believe he’ll be back in Australia in February next year. Catch him if you can! He’s quite a revelation!

8. Hoodoo Gurus – Palais Theatre, St Kilda, Melbourne
Truly this was a year of nostalgia! This concert was part of their Return to the Stoneage tour, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their 1984 debut album “Stoneage Romeos”. They held me spellbound with those prehistoric sounds and visuals. As the show progressed The Gurus added their later hits into the mix and the crowd went wild.

9. The Beasts – Northcote Theatre, Melbourne
Ex Hoodoo Gurus drummer James Baker showed us the metal he’s made of amongst the usual and unusual suspects that comprise The Beasts. Gotta be one of my most beloved bands in whatever format. This show was a testament to their resilience as well as to their musical prowess.

10. JJ McCann Transmission – Lulie Tavern, Melbourne
James McCann is an all-rounder – guitar playing, singing, and songwriting elevated to another level in his deft hands. His band rocked too! Lulie Tavern is a small but great-sounding room although JJ McCann Transmission deserve to be on a big stage under the spotlight.

As for me, 2024 was a busy year with shows in Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra with my Melbourne-based band Penny Ikinger’s Marbles. I also performed with Jack Howard’s Epic Brass and did a reading of my work in progress memoir at Kindred in Yarraville (Melbourne) as part of wild bohemian Malcolm Hill’s Live Flesh Rock Cabaret.

I toured France and Spain backed by The Not (France) in October. Highlights for me included performing live on Spanish national television on Los Conciertos de Radio3. You can catch our TV performance on YouTube here:

We also headlined the VIII ZZ Rock Jaialdia, in Zumarraga, Basque Country. Oh, how I love the Basque Country!

I performed live-to-air solo during an interview on El Sotano de Radio 3 which I enjoyed because it’s a unique show and presenter Diego knows his stuff. An unexpected and welcome twist was that my image was projected on the front of Chillida Leku Museum building (Hernani, Spain) as part of a Rock exhibition by the brilliant photographer Juxe Areta Goñi (Spain).

Gracias to Luna Live for the booking and promotion of this tour, The Not for backing me, Gerardo from Los Chicos for his help with the gear, and everyone else who contributed in one way or the other.

Last but not least, I released a video for the song "Voodoo Girl" from my latest album, “Travels and Travails”. The audio was recorded and mixed by Jim Diamond (ex The Dirtbombs) in France and performed by my French band Penelope Inc. This video is an edit of George Romero's film "Night of the Living Dead" (1968) by Rob Wellington (Melbourne). Hold onto your hats, it’s a scary ride!

Thanks so much to everyone who supported my music over 2024. I hope to see you in 2025 for another round of rock’n’roll revelries! x