australian tour

Australian crowds will have their first opportunity to experience Japan’s best, premium high-energy garage rock band when The Fadeaways make their debut on these shores in July 2024.

The Fadeaways have been wowing punters in their homeland since forming in Tokyo in 2005. Sharing a mutual love of ‘60s garage punk, ‘70s punk and trash, Toyozo (vocals and bass), Assman (guitar) and Ozzy (drummers) quickly established themselves on the tight-knit and fanatical Japanese underground music circuit.

This July 2024, prepare to be swept off your feet as Japan's high-octane garage rock sensation. Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s an eyewitness account:

JFK’s Top Ten For 2024

As some here will know, I’ve spent the last year on the road in Spain. So when I was asked for a Rock and Roll Top Ten, I couldn’t really scrape together a list of ten concerts or records because I just hadn’t attended or listened to that many. I’d done a lot of rolling down the road. But the only rock I’d experienced was at Gibraltar.

What I had been doing had more to do with bricks and mortar than rock and roll. While I spent most evenings in my life enjoying music, I’d been earning a living by day as an architect. So my travels around Spain were full of visits to architectural wonders. I can tell you, I’ve been enjoying architecture more in the last year than I ever did working in architectural companies. So here’s my Top Ten list of Spanish architecture listed in the rough chronological order that I discovered them in:

1. The Ferreres Aqueduct, Tarragona. I love Roman aqueducts. Finding a structure that’s still standing  and in reasonable condition 2,000 years after it was built is just amazing. The simplicity and geometric perfection of the design are so impressive.

_{Jye Talbot Area photo}

Following the release of their sold out 7" singles boxset and run of five nights of hometown celebrations at La La La's in Wollongong just before Xmas, Tumbleweed steps into the new year with an announcement that was meant to come last year.

Pismo Beach's Kings of the Ring, the Psychotic Turnbuckles, kick off their anniversary "40 Years Undefeated" tour of  Australia's East Coast at The Tote Hotel in Melobourne this Saturday. Supports are crazy great Sydney glam rockers Starcrazy and hometown retro champions The Vibratones.  

Asked how the Turnbuckles would fare with no competitive matches under their collective belts since last October's triumphant Japan tour, frontman Jesse The Intrudertold us: "Champions never fold. We've been training hard in the Pismo Clam Club gym and amping up on Turnbuckle Tonic. We will wipe the floor with those pathetic support bands". 

Man of few words and drummer Buddy "Bam Bam" Balam The Brooklyn Bruiser added: "They are bums. So are you. Get out of my way."

Tickets for The Tote, Sydney (July 13) and Brisbane (September 7) shows are here, and are presneted by The I-94 Bar (Melbourne and Sydney) and Punkfest (Brisbane).

In the 1980s, they were at the forefront of Australia’s own version of the Paisley Underground. Now, jangle-pop veterans Ups and Downs are celebrating the 40th anniversary live shows with The Crystal Set that we told you about with a vinyl anthology, “Stained Glass Memories”,  in March 2025.
 
The album is available for pre-order in coloured wax and can be had here.

The Sydney show is sold-out (you can be on a waitlist via the link below) and Brisbane and Melbourne are going the same way.

Ups and Downs and special guest
The Crystal Set
MAR 
8 - Marrickville Bowling Club, Sydney - waitlist
14 -  Brightside, Brisbane - tix   
22 - Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne - tix

Formed in Brisbane in the early 1980s, Ups and Downs quickly became known for their jangly guitars, melodic hooks, soaring harmonies and introspective lyrics, cementing their place in the hearts of indie music fans. 

_{Luther Russell and Jody Stephens in Those Pretty Wrongs duo format.}

As drummer and a founding member of the legendary Big Star, Jody Stephens is an icon to so many of today's musicians. The musical legacy of Big Star is as omnipresent as it's ever been and undoubtedly this enormous global respect is due to the band's recording of three of the greatest albums ever set to vinyl.

A hugely successful reformation by Big Star in the early ‘90s produced a world tour and a fine fourth album. Pleasingly, over this past decade, Jody has gone on to create even more marvellous music wth a duo outfit with Luther Russell, Those Pretty Wrongs. 

As a songwriting pair, their music is refreshingly honest, supremely melodious and inherently tender in its style. And the recordings are super hi fi harking back to the quality of John Fry’s famous work at Ardent Studios with Big Star. 

It is therefore the music of Those Pretty Wrongs I primarily wished to focused on in this Q&A in advance of Those Pretty Wrongs’ exciting upcoming second tour of Australia. I was especially keen to seek a deeper understanding of how Jody’s own musical journey influences the music of Those Pretty Wrongs. 

The much-anticipated return of Endless Boogie and the Australian debut of Howlin’ Rain will happen, and has now been moved from April to late October and early November.

Both bands will be appearing at the rescheduled Boogie festival (October 30-November 1) in rural Victoria and at the same East Coast venues they were originally booked into. All existing tickets will be honoured. 

Endless Boogie & Howlin' Rain
OCT
29 - The Tote, Melbourne, Sydney
NOV
5 - Crowbar, Sydney
+ feedtime
Endless Boogie only
6 - Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
7 - Eltham Hotel, NSW