ups and downs

_{Brian Mann and Mick Medew trading licks in Thirroul. Shona Ross photo.}

Gonna break that rule about not reviewing I-94 Bar gigs, as the second of this two-night engagement was badged thus. If you can’t write about things you like, what’s the point? It’s the ethos of why we do this e-zine thing.



So let’s be up front and say that Mick Medew is a good mate and his band, The Mesmerisers, are lovely people. In customary evangelical spirit, I’m unashamedly going to tell you that if you love rock and roll then you have to see them - in their native Brisbane or on one of their few forays outside of Queensland. 

The first leg of this two-night weekend stand was a support to the mighty Sunnyboys, opening a bill shared with the mercurial Ups & Downs. The venue was the magic Anita’s Theatre in Thirroul, an hour-and-a-bit south of Sydney. The second was a Sydney show at the increasingly familiar stamping ground of Marrickville Bowling Club. The Mesmerisers are making the road trip a family affair with partners and two offspring in tow.

_{Greg Atkinson of Ups and Downs.} 

"Shake Yer Popboomerang 3" Sydney Launch
Ups and Downs
Halfway
The Aerial Maps
Marrickville Bowling Club
Friday February 29, 2020
Photos by Mark Fraser of Redback Rock

This isn’t going to be one of those reviews where someone walks you through a song-by-song recreation of the gig. For starters, I’ve seen Aerial Maps once, Halfway never, and Ups and Downs twice. None of them are really big on song introductions either. So I have no idea what any of the tunes were called, besides a couple from the headliners.

I guess a dedicated reviewer would have gone and had a squiz at the set lists, or maybe bailed up a hapless band member, but to be honest I was too busy drinking with a dear friend I hadn’t seen in ages to worry about that. So it’s going to be more about the vibe, man, and a few observations I jotted down in a notebook.

Australia’s national capital isn’t exactly known for its crop of present day garage bands, so Space Party is a pleasant surprise. 

They might even be Canberra’s only garage band, except their PR sheet helpfully says that they recruited their singer from another outfit called Okinawa Girls, so that means there are at least two. 

(Before any public servants send thoughtfully composed emails of complaint, it’s been many years since I lived in Canberra so I’m possibly talking through my arse. The place does have at least two regular live venues and a cool community radio station in 2XX, so there are signs of rock and roll life amongst the roundabouts and grim Stalinist architecture.)

You might have read our recent rave about the latest “Shake Yer Popboomerang” compilation. It was recently launched in Melbourne and Brisbane. Now it’s Sydney’s turn. 

Ups and Downs(pictured above), Halfway and The Arial Maps will do the honours at Marrickville Bowling Club on February 29. Tickets are on sale here.

"Shake Yer Popboomerang 3" is the latest in a series of compilation albums released on the Popboomerang Records label to document and celebrate the finest melodic pop, jangle, folk and rock music in the Australian scene. The label was founded by Scott Thurling in 2002 and has released more than 80 recordings.

When the Sunnyboys and Ups and Downs were announced to play Brisbane together back in October 2021, locals couldn’t believe that they’d see the cream of Aussie guitar pop playing a pair of back-to-back gigs at a newly refurbished Princess Theatre.

COVID had other ideas and those shows, and rescheduled dates in March 2022, never came to fruition.

Boutique label Soundpressing has released a split Sunnyboys/Ups and Downs seven-inch single to mark the gigs that never were, just in time for the farewell Sunnyboys tour.

It’s a limited edition of 300 copies in three different coloured variants.

And it’s two modern-era songs – “Can’t You Stop” by the Sunnyboys and a new mix of Ups and Downs' “Gideon” - that clearly show the bands have not lost their love of driving guitars and soaring melodies.

Get yours here before they run out...just like Sunnyboys live shows.

Sure sounds a lot like ‘em. Has it really been 31 years since their last new release? That question’s rhetorical, by the way.

Ups and Downs were a Brisbane garage-pop band that was swept up in the signing madness of the 1980s, captured by a major label and transplanted to Sydney where they enjoyed fleeting success. All these years later, they’re more or less intact, but it's an accidental and organic reunion.

A  busy year for SoundPressing. A couple of 7" singles, a show here and there, an LP and a three-stop tour of SE Queensland with the one and only Mr Charlie Owen.

Here is a lil recap in no particular order. Thanks to everyone who came to a show or bought a record.

Renowned Australian guitar pop band Ups and Downs are playing a special set of shows in March 2025 to celebrate their 40th anniversary. They will be joined by The Crystal Set, another iconic Australian indie rock band from the 1980s, playing live for the first time in more than 25 years.

Formed in Brisbane in the early 1980s, Ups and Downs became known for their jangly guitars, melodic hooks, soaring harmonies and introspective lyrics, cementing their place in the hearts of indie music fans. They gained attention with their breakout single "The Living Kind", which became a staple of the Australian alternative music scene, topping the independent charts.

Their EP “Sleepless” and album “Underneath the Watchful Eye” showcased the band’s ability to blend heartfelt songwriting with infectious guitar-driven sounds, drawing comparisons to the likes of R.E.M. and The Church.

Tracks like "Lit by the Fuse" demonstrate their knack for crafting memorable songs that resonate with fans of thoughtful, melodic rock offering a distinctive blend of indie and post-punk.

Known for their swirling atmospheric sound, The Crystal Set made a name for themselves with key songs like "Benefit of the Doubt," "Wholly Holy," and "A Drop in the Ocean." Led by Russell Kilbey,their distinct dream-pop influences cemented their status as pioneers in the Australian indie music scene. 

Ups and Downs will be releasing a brand-new vinyl compilation album, “Stained Glass Memories”, a collection that spans their entire career,. More information and pre-order details soon.