2019 was first year for a while that I wasn’t doing a radio show and being in Canberra for work, I felt I was little bit out of the loop. Nonetheless, it was another memorable rock ‘n’ roll year and here’s my top10 in no particular order.

Kim Volkman and the Whiskey Priests at Marrickville Bowlo in Sydney
This took me back to when I first started seeing bands in Melbourne in the mid ’70s. It was no-nonsense loud rock. Two really good guitarists on top of a solid rhythm section. I loved how the band occupied half the stage and hardly broke formation through the gig. The record’s pretty good, too.

Sue Telfer Tribute in Sydney
It was really sad to lose Sue. She was seriously special and it was great to see so many people come out and so many good bands turn it on. All the bands I saw were great with X as a four piece the standout. I reckon it was the best gig I’ve seen Steve Lucas do.

TOP TEN ALBUMS

1 The Elevator Mood  - The Elevator Mood  (Bandcamp)
2  Bag O’ Bones - The Reverse Cowgirls (Northern Cowboy)
3 Neon Primitives - Band of Holy Joy  (Tiny Global Productions)
4 Dark Times - Doctors of Madness (Cargo Records UK)
5 My War Is Your War - deux furieuses (Xtra Mile Recordings)
6 Heightened Senses - The Cathode Ray (Stereogram Recordings)
7 In Borrowed Shoes, On Borrowed Time - The Sweet Things  (Spaghetty Town Records)
8 More Guitars - Tom Rafferty (Bandcamp)
9 Address to the Nation - Chris Masuak & the Viveiro Wave Riders (I-94 Bar)
10 The Kidney Flowers - The Kidney Flowers (Bandcamp)

Gus Ironside is music editor for "Sogo" creative arts magazine and also contributes to "Louder Than War" (online and print), "Vive le Rock", "PennyBlackMusic" and "Is This Music?" He's based in Angus, Scotland.

Open Season  - Mick Medew and The Mesmerisers
Firstly declaring an extreme bias and a conflict of interest with this one, Mick’s second offering from the Mesmerisers is even better than the last. The addition of ex-Tribesmen tub thumper Michael Charles has added muscularity to the band and they go from strength to strength. Some Sydney and Newcastle Birdman supports really won them some new fans. Brian Mann created a stunning sounding record. My fave album of the year. 


Address to the Nation - Chris Masuak and the Viveiro Wave Riders
Again, another declaration as I’ve worked closely with Chris over the past thirty years. My second fave of the year… beaten by a short nose. Chris writes killer songs… plays guitar better than any player I have worked with and has a band so tight I couldn’t slide a fag paper between it. A great album, and it gave us a few wry smiles.

The Festival of Sue (X, New Christs et al) 
The shock of Sue Telfer’s passing pulled together a stellar line up talent who delivered on an emotional night. There were some killer performances but my top two were the New Christs, whose emotion tinged performance left no doubt that they are a top echelon act… but man of the match for mine was Steve Lucas and X. It was a blinding performance, Steve sang and played better than I have heard the band in years, Kim Volkman & Geof Holmes snarled and snorted like a beast. The Barman and Tiffany Palmer did a great job getting it all together, and we raised a great sum of cash for Support Act. I’d like to think Sue would’ve approved.

Random top 10 bands to see live according to how much I enjoyed them in the tiny backroom bars I’ve been hanging in all year. There were so many, but these spring to mind:

The Lenores
Year 6 Disco
Space Boys
Froth Dogs
Minor Surgery
Flangipanis
Bitchcraft
Sounds like winter
Legal Aliens
Lights Out Holy Roller

Special mention Australis Über Alles.

Ronny Van Dyk plays guitar in Wollongong's BotBots and was vocalist for punks The Leftards (RIP). He runs the Wreckless Enterprises record label and booking agency.

You want me to write a year in reflection? Well, where and how to start? I will bang on these keys and most likely bang on in my usual stoic warm way.

Mind you, I rarely write about music these days. I look back and reflect on the shit I once wrote and it seems all so naïve, sycophantic almost. But here’s a try and since it’s not the 10 best gigs, nor the 10 best recordings, I have license to mix it up.

Best thing that happened – helping out with the band bookings at MoshPit, a small unpretentious little bar down the south end of King St which now fits 120 people. Yes, it’s small, and don’t go there if you feel paranoid or claustrophobic as you’ll probably hate it. But, in the vein of CBGB’s in NYC, Frenches which was on Oxford Street (Darlinghurst) the Old Bar in Melbourne, and its local counterpart Midnight Special in Enmore, this place oozes fun.

Where else can you put on your favourite bands and liken it to your best ever lounge-room party. There’s a whole range of yummy booze, great staff, the co-owners Pat n Wax, + two sound people who know what they’re doing within limitations. Nunchukka Superfly, Thee Evil Twin, Face Command, White Knuckle Fever and Los Monaros are just some of the great local acts that graced there in 2019. We was lucky and their goodwill was priceless. Sydney needs venues like these so in my unbiased best, please support.

Best things I listened to – newish stuff from Pallet, Small Town Incident, White Knuckle Fever, Sounds Like Winter, Syntax Error, Joseph Leonard, Wreckless Enterprise Recordings volume 1 and 2 – compilations featuring Dirty Slutz, Babymachine, Leftards, Minor Surgery, Space Bozzies, Bitchcraft, Piss to Eme.

TOP TEN ALBUMS

Broads - "Stay Connected"
Loved everything they’ve done, and this ain’t any different. Songs, arrangements, voices.

Julia Jacklin - "Crushing"
Wow. This was awkward and difficult to listen to in a good way. So personal; beautifully, simple observations of life. Could be the best of 2019 for me.

Paranoyds - "Carnage Bargain"
New wave 60’s garage pop (?) outta LA. Brilliant.

Levitation Room - "Headspace"
I listened to this on repeat for about three hours and had to make myself switch it off.

Shifting Sands - "Crystal Cuts"
Almost a drop dead gimme that this was going to be superb after "Beach Coma".

Shelley’s Murder Boys - "Above Is A Roar"
Bluegrass from the Inner West. I just love how kinda ‘not perfect’ they are, just as bluegrass should be. Always great to see live.

Chelsea Wolfe - "Birth Of Violence"
She is the Dark Lord.

_{Adam Yee (right) with Stms drummer David Huck-Shaw.}