sedition

TOP TEN GIGS 2019
Ashley King photo

It is always hard to cut it down to ten but here goes.

Ice Cream Hands supported by Bryan Estapa Band- Factory Floor, Sydney 
A great night of cleverly and carefully crafted power pop from Ice Cream Hands as Charles Jenkins and co bewitched us again with their sublime sounds. Support act Bryan Estapa Band were also a delight with their songs that owe a bit of a nod to high quality 70s AM radio sounds.

Charlotte and The Harlots/COFFIN/Turbobelco/Generation Landslide/Hy Test/Neptune Power Federation – Marrickville Bowling Club, Sydney
All killer no filler as this mighty bill saw each band up the ante and be better than the one before them. COFFIN and Neptune Power Federation were especially outstanding.

Thee Marshmallow Overcoat – The Caravan Club, Oakleigh, Melbourne.
Ashley Naylor, Davey Lane and Brett Wolfie playing two sets of their favourites from the 60s and 70s. Do I need to say more?

Ice Cream Hands – The Caravan Club, Oakleigh, Melbourne.
Oh yes, the night after Thee Marshmallow Overcoat, at the same venue. Bliss, heaven on a stick and a more sympathetic mix than was apparent at the Factory Floor show.

The Dark Clouds/Mick Medew and The Mesmerisers/Radio Birdman – Factory Theatre
The Dark Clouds showed why they are one of the best hard rock bands around but it was Mick Medew and The Mesmerisers who wowed the crowd with their set. Peppered with tracks from the Open Season album and select gems from Mick’s back catalogue they were the stars of the night. Radio Birdman also delivered a fine set and it was probably Rob Younger’s best vocal performance with RB for some time.

Sedition 2019 is a Celebration of Public Art and Protest in Sydney during the 1970s, running across various venues and spaces this August-September. To celebrate, Feel Presents have put together a live music component featuring some musical giants from Sydney’s fertile post-punk scene of the late 1970s.

Mark down Saturday, August 31 at Paddington RSL for a show by The Aints!, Flaming Hands, Shy Impostorsand The Professors. DJ Dr Rock with be providing the soundtrack between sets. Tickets go on-sale at 12 midday today here. 

Ed Kuepper needs little introduction; as a founding member of Brisbane world beating proto-punks The Saints - residents of Sydney for a short four months in Jan-April 1977 - and Sydney’s post-punk giants the Laughing Clowns (1979-1984) Kuepper is almost single handedly responsible for igniting two musical movements. 

The Aints! is a continuation of those both projects having lain dormant for some 35+ years but reignited with a passion in 2017 that has thus far seen the release of two full lengths albums, a mini-album and a series of scorching live shows.

Flaming Hands and Shy Impostors both sprung from the ashes of Sydney's exclusive Detroit scene headed by the pioneering Radio Birdman during their reign of 1974-1977.

That sold-out Celibate Rifles-Filth show, being held on September 11 as part of the Sedition 2019 festival at Oxford Art Factory in Sydney, has been cancelled. Organisers issued an online statement this afternoon:

We regret to inform you that we have had to cancel the “Do You Feel Lucky, Punk - Celibate Rifles + Filth” event.  After the death of Damien Lovelock, the lead vocalist for the Celibate Rifles, we endeavoured to find an alternative line up however we couldn’t make it work. We deeply apologise for any inconvenience caused by the cancellation of the event. If you have purchased tickets for this event and have not yet received an email from us, don’t hesitate to get in contact and we can refund you the cost of your ticket/s.

Meanwhile, the Rifles will celebrate their late much-loved frontman with a tribute gig at the Factory Theatre in Sydney in September. Guitarist Ken Steadman told the band's Facebook page:

On Sunday September 22nd at the Factory Theatre, we'll be performing "Damo the Musical". We will do our best to say farewell in honour of him in our own style. Likely to run from around 4pm till 8pm with the music he loved, grew up with and contributed to. A few covers, some Wigworld tracks and plenty of Celies with guest musicians and multi media tributes to Senor Lovelock. Tickets will be available in a few days.

There's some more news about that one-off show featuring Filth with the Celeibate Rifles at Oxford Art Factory in Sydney on September 11.

A limited edition vinyl EP will be issued on the night, featuring four songs originally played by Filth in a run of just 150 copies. Roll-over the image to check out the tracklist. They are not recording by the original line-up.  

"Do You Feel Lucky, Punk" is the name of the event and tickets are on sale here.

It's part of the broader Sedition 2019 Celebration of Public Art and Protest in Sydney during the 1970s, more of which we'll be bringing you soon. Check it out here if you can't wait. 

And don't delay if you want to see The Aints!, Flaming Hands, Shy Impostors and The Professors at Paddington RSL on August 31 as part of Sedition.

Those tickets won't last long and are selling here.