_{Graham Steel (left) tries to convince Graham Hood from The Johnnys that the bar's shut and it's time to go home.} 

Earlier this year, Newcastle’s mainstream media reported that the closure of The Cambridge Hotel was going to have a huge impact on the Newcastle music scene. But, in fact, the opposite is happening. 

Newcastle is going off! 

2023 may have been marked by that venue closing but it actually reopened not long after, just up the road next to the King St Hotel, in a similar format of two band rooms. Then the virtually dilapidated “The Oaks” at Tighes Hill was quietly renovated and opened a month or so ago to a swagger of gigs already, and the Hamilton Station Hotel re opened the renovated larger back room mid-year to accommodate larger bands. 

Add in a few venues around Maitland, now keen to accommodate live original music, as well as the usual haunts, and the Newcastle music scene is in fact booming.(try booking a gig before April 2024!). 

CHRIS “KLONDIKE” MASUAK TOP SEVERAL FOR 2023

1.   APPARENTLY, THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY GENOCIDE.
This year has demonstrated beyond any possible doubt that the human race is blithely and psychopathically genocidal.

And if daily reminders of this sad and truly distressing reality aren’t enough, next to nothing has been effectively done to redress the horror because of the not entirely surprising confirmation that a great number of the people you know are …

a. Cruel and nasty.
b. Wilfully ignorant.
c. Racist.
d. Chickenshit.
e. All of the above.

Protest, agitate, donate … do something. Anything.

Let’s at least pretend to be interested in creating a better future.

1. In February, we played a gig at the now closed Platform 5 in Clayfield, Brisbane. This venue was always good to us and we were very sorry to see it go.

2. In March, we used our frequent flyer points to head to Melbourne to launch our 2022 album, “Love Is Calling”. (ED: WHAT NO RECORD COMPANY TAB?)Dave Graney and Clare Moore invited us to open for them at The Night Cat in Fitzroy. What an honour! And what a great turn-out. We then played on the southside at The Lyrebird Lounge with special guest Penny Ikinger. Thanks to Suzi and all our Melbourne (and even Tasmanian) friends and fans who made this trip so special for us. We'll be back!

Righto, Squatter the Cockatiel here with my Top Ten for 2023.  

For those of you who don't know how famous I am, I allow Chris Converse and Cathy, both of Punkfest Brisbane and 4ZZZ, to share a house with me so I meet a lot of cool people.  I would say cool cats, but I don't get on well with cats.

Five out of five chirps for the following (in no particular order):

Glitoris - Self titled album

The Go Set-- The Warriors Beneath Us album

Blowhard- All the Kings Horses 

Vicious Circle – “Split This Open” album

Dad Fight - “Guillotine” single 

The Owen Guns - “Monks in Sexyland” mini album

Whoroboros – “Consuming and Being Consumed” EP 

Piss Shivers - Self titled album

Painters and Dockers – “Advance Australia Where” single

Square Tugs – “One Minute Love Song” single

01 - L7 in Melbourne. 
This was a blast. Playing “Bricks Are Heavy” in full ,plus all those other wonderful tracks from the ‘90s. It’s number-one because it’s recent.

02 MONAROS – “Can’t Polish a Turd”.
As good as it gets. What a bloody great record with songs like “Kareen”, “Best Cop In Town” and the awesome “Mum Washed Me Cum Sock”. It’s a no-brainer for the #2 slot.

(Vale) Top Ten

10. Star Crazy. Great, rockin’ live band, cool humans and for me without doubt, the award for earworm of the year:."Egging Me On".  Check ‘em out.

_{Jo Forster photo}

PETER BLACK/ TIM STEWARD @Frank’s Wild Years…two of my local faves doing an intimate  double header.

LUCINDA WILLIAMS/ STEVE EARLE @Enmore Theatre…a master class in Americana from two of the best.

THE DELINES @The Great Club…Portland county soul comes to the Sydney Inner West, featuring one of my favourite authors aka Willy Vlautin.

JENNY DON’T & THE SPURS @Enmore Hotel…speaking of Portland, retro rockin, honky tonkin’ good times always guaranteed. Don't miss them when they return!

AMENDS @Mary's Underground...walked into a bar on a quiet Sunday night & these western suburbs kids blew my head off! Kinda like Husker Du meets Drive-By Truckers...the Los Angeles headliners were like lukewarm water in comparison. Bonus points for the singer rockin' a Flying V.

2023 Top Ten(ish)

Gigs

The Smart Folk/ The Golden Rail/ The Autumn Hearts, Marrickville Bowling Club, NSW. A bittersweet occasion for me as a member of The Smart Folk but it was a great night thanks to the stellar support of The Golden Rail and The Autumn Hearts.

The Apartments/Halfway - The Great Club, Marrickville, NSW.

Raising Ravens/DOWNGIRL/Gaia Rising: Marrickville Bowling Club, NSW.

The On and Ons/ Penny Ikinger Band: George Lane, St Kilda. Great venue, great bands, great company.

The Silversound - Brunswick Ballroom, VIC: Mind blown, album immediately purchased.

Snarski Circus Lindy Band - The  Great Club

Jo Meares’ Silver Bullets - The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville, NSW:  Jo brought his Melbourne combo with him and wow, did they deliver.

Dane Blacklock and the Preacher’s Daughter: The Duke Hotel, Enmore, NSW: Satanicabaret!

Is it that time of year again? The Top Ten music things?

Well, I've barely seen 10 bands, or heard anything like a cross-section of music this year to be honest about any sort of top ten in music. 

So, I thought, what else is there? Ten top heroes from Doctors Without Borders? Ten top stupid religions? Ten top pointless and cruel conflicts?

So, what's my other thing? Books. Ten top books I've read this year? Hmmm... Kim Stanley Robinson, Richmal Crompton, Edwin Balmer and Philip Wylie and a ton of Conan books and Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith ... and a pile of Bomber Command books. Uh-huh. Top ten Conan books? Top ten 1930s scifi? Perhaps not.

... or ten top books on the topic I'm burrowing into again ...

1- Ed Kuepper at the National, world class all the way.

2- Handgrenade Hearts at the Town Hall Hotel. Punk/powerpop teenagers, and my new favourite band.

3- Munster Zine, approaching issue 40, keep it up young man.

4- The Victims + Chimers at the Brunswick Ballroom, Chimers BOG, great to see the legendary James Baker on the tubs one last time.

5- Civic “Brute Force”, hints of Birdman and Eddy Current Suppression Ring.

6- Those Pretty Wrongs + Alexander Harvey at the Brunswick Ballroom, heartfelt, sublime, AH I need to revisit.

7- The Prize “Wrong Side Of Town”,  If Amyl and The Sniffers had a song this good they’d be as big as Blondie, if……..

8- Civic live at 3RRR.

9- The Fiction at the Northcote Social Club supporting Chris Masuak and Dog Soldier. Best I’ve seen them play.

10- Ballarat Gallery: Walker, Luke, Counihan, more; love the revamp, can’t wait to return over the summer.

Top Tens for 2023: Mark Fraser of Vi-Nil Records and Redbackrock Surf & Snow Clothing. Former partner in Link & Pin Cafe, Woy Wo

Fave releases:

DMA’S – “How Many Dreams”
A virtual hit factory from go to woe. Melodies. Feelgood. Pretty much perfect. 

HARD ONS – “Ripper 23”
Clever cover art. Clever songs. Pop-etched perennial punk from here to Punchbowl.

LION ISLAND – “Pilot Termination Kiosk”
Infectious and dangerously catchy indie rock with an A plus report card. 

COUSIN BETTY – “Self Titled”
Hard and fast, some softer moments that build and explode, some quirky side-tracks, and plenty of sheer aural insaniity. This thing is a beast. 

OWEN GUNS – “Monks in Sexyland” 
Beautiful irreverence that never ever holds back. That’s The Owen Guns. This eight-slab smacker is a doozie! 

 
Frank Meyer (Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, Trading Aces, Highway 61) Top Ten Records for 2023: