Here’s a sight you thought you’d never see: That’s Saints guitarist Ed Kuepper with B1 and B2 of kids TV show "Bananas in Pyjamas". Confused? Besides the fact that Ed is a Queenslander (and don't all Queenslander love bananas?), all three of the above are now labelmates on ABC Records, who announced today that they’ll be putting out the new studio opus for Kuepper’s current band The Aints!, the grandly titled “Church of Simultaneous Existence”.

You thought Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un were breaking new ground in geopolitics? Deniz Tek and solo band are undertaking a quick-fire tour of China this week. 

The seven-date tour includes a Shanghai screening of "Descent Into the Maelstrom". The shows are being organised with the assistance of Shanghai-based Round Eye, a band comprised of US expats who have previously played Chinese gigs with M.O.T.O. and Paul Collins Beat. .  

Family and friends are invited to celebrate the life of Exploding White Mice and ProTools bassist Andy MacQueen at the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel in Adelaide this Sunday from 4pm. Andy passed away suddenly earlier this month. 

In lieu of flowers, Andy's family has requested that a donation be made to the Survivors and Mates Support Network .

Radio Birdman is playing a limited number of Australian East Coast shows over two weekends this September/October, before heading off for a 22 date tour of Europe.

The Australian run will coincide with the release of "Descent into the Maelstrom”, the Jonathan Sequeira-produced documentary dealing with the band's rise and demise in the late 70's and later re-emergence.

The documentary has received great attention at various film festivals in London, Glasgow, Norway, Amsterdam and Detroit and is now scheduled for local release on DVD with bonus content this September.

It will be available at the band's shows, online and via discerning retail outlets.

Supports on this tour will include Adalita (Melbourne), Brisbane's Hits (Brisbane and Sydney) and all shows will feature special guests from Spain Los Chicos.

RADIO BIRDMAN
AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2018
SEPT
27 - Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne
+ Adalita + Los Chicos
28 - The Triffid, Brisbane
+ Hits + Los Chicos
30 - The Gov, Adelaide
+ Los Chicos + The Sunday Reeds
OCT
6 - Manning Bar, Sydney
+ Hits + Los Chicos + DJ Frank Cotterell

Tickets for all shows are on sale from Wednesday. June from Oztix.

_{Spencer with The Escape Committee. Richard Sharman photo.}

An emergency GoFundMe account has been opened for legendary Australian guitarist and songwriter Spencer P Jones as he continues his fight against terminal liver cancer. 

Spencer's longtime partner Angie has had to take a cut in her working hours in her day job to care for Spencer and the couple are finding it hard to make ends meet. Donations can be made here. More info in our story here.

Grammy winning guitar legend Albert Lee is returning to Australia for his first local shows this decade. He’ll play a stack of headline gigs across the country, plus make appearances at Adelaide Guitar Festival, Melbourne Guitar Show, Sydney Guitar Festival and Gympie Muster.

Albert Lee is one of the greatest guitarists in both rock and country music history. Included on Albert’s cv are performances and recordings with Keith Urban, Tommy Emmanuel, Dave Edmunds, Willie Nelson, Bill Wyman, Carlene Carter, Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash, Bert Jansch, Herbie Mann, Keith Richards and Dolly Parton.

With a live show that kicks off with a blistering rendition of Fat’s Domino’s “I’m Ready” and makes joyous pit stops for classic tunes by Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Hoyt Axton, Buddy Holly, Jimmy Webb and Ray Charles, we’re assured a sensational night of fabulous music from a man renowned as a living history of rock and roll.

Inspired by Elvis’s guitarist Scotty Moore, British born Lee first displayed his awesome chops trading licks with the likes of Jimmy Page and sharing stages with Deep Purple, Humble Pie and Grand Funk Railroad as part of the fabulous Byrds/ Flying Burrito Bros inspired Heads Hands & Feet.

He moved to the USA where he recorded three albums as a member of The Crickets, and then joined Joe Cocker at his peak. In 1976, Albert become part of Emmylou Harris’s Hot Band alongside Ricky Skaggs and Rodney Crowell.