One of our favourite Aussie rock and roll cartoonists, Rick Chesshire, is a man of many talents - as this filmclip for "Right On" by Melbourne three-piece The Dive Bombs shows. The Dive Bombs are a new-ish band whose members have a solid pedigree and their releases so far have all been digital and are on Bandcamp. Check them out on Facebook and hit up Rick here for your cartooning, artwork and filmclip needs. 

Featuring tracks from Molting Vultures, Datura4, The Stooges, The Dry Retch, Peter Black, Mick Medew,  Johnny Casino, Smalltown Tigers, The Bot Bots, David Johansen, Paul Collins’ Beat and Sunnyboys. 

It's said great songwriters know to write about the things they know about. Johnny Casino has a new 45 imminent and it reflects the strange times in which we all live.

“Twenty Twenty” was written and recorded in the early days of COVID-19 as the expatriate Australian was stuck in Philadelphia, trying to work out a way to get back to his adopted home of Spain. The flip, “People Say”, is a Bored! cover recorded in Spain in stripped-back style as a tribute to that band’s late frontman Dave Thomas, who passed away in 2020.

The vinyl single is out on Spanish imprint Folc Records on January 15 and available for pre-order here.

“’Twenty Twenty’ explains how i was feeling during the months of March and April 2020,” Johnny says. “I had just touched down into Philadelphia International Airport and my brother-in-rock Billy was waiting to pick me up, and his first words were: ‘Brrother I´m surprised they let you in.¨

“I had no idea what he was talking about!”

Casino explains: “Me and my wonderful wife Mayra live in a smallish seaside town called Denia in Spain and we knew there was ¨something¨ happening but not exactly what! We ain’t much for watching news or current affairs programs.

He never sought the limelight but Greg Sawers was one of Sydney rock and roll's greatest unsung servants. His passing last night after a fight with illness has left a vacuum. 

Greg was a longtime manager of Ian Rilen and The Love Addicts, Louis Tillett and X. He worked with ex-Noiseworks member turned solo artist Steve Balbi, and a raft of others. He was pivotal behind the release of the posthumous Ian Rilen and the Love Addicts album, "Family From Cuba".

A concert rigging crew supervisor, Greg had been battling ill-health for much of 2020.

UPDATE: Greg's funeral will be held at 12:15pm on Friday, December 4 at the Palm Chapel, Macquarie Park Crematorium, Macquarie Park. Wake details to be confirmed. 

Veteran ex-Aztecs, Fanny Adams and BeeGees guitarist Vince Melouney has released a digital single with some high calibre helping hands.

Blondie’s Clem Burke is on drums on the cover of The Easybeats’ “Women” with Tel Shamy producing. Jonathan Lea of The Jigsaw Seen is on additional guitars, Alec Palao on bass and Paul Kopf on backing vocals. Alec and Paul are members of San Francisco-based band Strangers In A Strange Land and also play in the current version of The Seeds.

Check it out here.

Sunnyboys will celebrate 40 years since the release of their eponymous debut EP with a one-off show on December 13 at the Sydney Opera House’s  Joan Sutherland Theatre. Tickets are extremely limited so join the Sunnyboys mailing list by 10am on November 26 for your chance to secure pre-sale tickets. General tickets are on-sale on Tuesday, December 1 via sydneyoperahouse.com