Race and Russo announce "100 Years" Australian dates

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By The Barman

The Barman

05 July 2025

Hits: 621

Hugo Race, founding member of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and The Wreckery, is bringing his recent European touring partner Michelangelo Russo home to Australia for select Victorian, New South Wales and Canberra dates.

The duo have a spectacular European run under their belts and will be supporting their well-received album, “100 Years” out now on Gusstaff/MGM.

Blending experimental blues, ambient soundscapes, and electronica, “100 Years” is  a bold, immersive record born from a two-day live session at Soundpark Studios in Melbourne. Layered with echoing guitars, smoky vocals, and primal percussion, it’s been hailed as “a hauntingly raw and transcendent listen”.

Race is known for his signature haunting vocals and evocative guitar work, while Russo, a solo artist who was also a member of  Race's The True Spirit, adds hypnotic layers of electric harp and psychedelic textures.

Their live performances are highly improvisational, emotionally resonant and each show is reputed to be a one-of-a-kind sonic experience that redefines the boundaries of blues. The shows are presented by Luna Live with tickets here.

Hugo Race and Michaelangelo Russo
100 Years Tour
JUL
31  – Camelot Lounge, Sydney
AUG
1  – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra
2 – Qirkz in the Hunter, Abermain, NSW
3 – Franks Wild Years, Thirroul, NSW
8 – Tanswell’s, Beechworth, VIC
23 – Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne
SEP
12 – Odessa, Creswick, VIC
Tickets

• hugo race
• michaelangelo russo
• australian tour
• 100 years

Good day, (Mr) Sunshine

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By The Barman

The Barman

03 July 2025

Hits: 733

Mr Sunshine – The Autumn Hearts (self released)

It’s brash, bracing psychedelic pop from a Newcastle band that deserves to be known outside their hometown.

You won’t find a big digital footprint when you go looking for their backstory, but don’t let that stop you. The Autumn Hearts formed in 2016 and are seasoned players with songwriters Ed Peters (bass, guitar, vocals) and Dave Robson (guitar, vocals) at their core.

Members were in a Newcastle band The Longknives who were active in the 1980s, and The Autumn Hearts have a solitary eponymous 2018 EP in their back catalogue.

• powerpop
• newcastle
• mr sunshine
• the autumn hearts

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Let's Get Funky, shall we? The Beasts celebrate "Black Milk"

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By The Barman

The Barman

03 July 2025

Hits: 1292

You can't keep them down: The Beasts are back for one special show in September, celebrating the memory of departed members and the 35th anniversary of celebrated Beasts of Bourbon album "Black Milk". 

It's a one-off show at The Forum in Melbourne on Friday, September 12, with support from Cash Savage, The Johnnys and Ezra Lee, and tickets are on sale here at 0900 tomorrow.

The $64,000 quesiton has been answered. The drum stool that belonged to the recently departed James Baker will be inherited by Evan "Rock" Richards, stage roaide and an adept player in his own right whoi shadowed The Late Great Man on recent tours. 

• the johnnys
• the beasts
• ezra lee
• black milk
• cash savage
• the forum

This Woy Woy line-up is Outtaspace

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By The Barman

The Barman

02 July 2025

Hits: 897

Prepare for a massive weekend in Woy Woy, the former New South Wales hometown of Spike Millgan.

Much-loved venue The Link and Pin Cafe and its in-house record label Outtspace, are hosting "The Outtspace Weekender" from September 5-7. And it's free to catch Warts, Antibodies, Cannanes, Wraylettes, The Sugar Beats, The Strike Outs, The Siiver Dragons, The Dunhill Blues, The Cannanes, Leftards, Love Me, The FNCs, Punktiious and Chris Walsh & The Gibberish Collective.

There will be more names to come but that's already a formidable slab of Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Central Coast and Far Northern NSW garage rock, surf and punk talent. Keep an eye on the label website or Link and Pin's Facebook. 

• link and pin
• woy woy
• outtaspace records

This should shake your winter blues

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By The Barman

The Barman

29 June 2025

Hits: 364

• chris masuak
• australian tour 2025

You'll be Spitting Chips if you miss this

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By The Barman

The Barman

28 June 2025

Hits: 346

• cosmic psychos
• marrickville bowling club
• spitting chips
• the sugar beats

Craic is a cracking good read

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By The Barman

The Barman

26 June 2025

Hits: 1302

Craic As It Happened
By John Foy
(Past Present Future/Skull Printworks)

Tis the season for confessional show-and-tell Australian music books. Journalist Stuart Coupe had a shot with the entertaining “Shake Some Action”, and then underground label head-turned- mainstream industry publishing chief, Roger Grierson, gave us the rollicking “Lowbrow”. Now it’s John Foy’s turn.

Foy spent many years as a behind-the-scenes operative in the febrile underbelly of the Australian underground music scene. He kicked off in retail, made a mark as a poster designer and then became the driving force behind the Redeye and Blackeye record labels.

Like his mate Roger Grierson, he’s never been a household name, but if you bought or heard a record by Beasts of Bourbon, The Clouds, Deniz Tek, The Crystal Set, The Cruel Sea, Kim Salmon and The Surrealists and even Radio Birdman in the mid ‘80s or early ‘90s, you entered his orbit. Redeye gave the bands wide distribution via a hook-up with the multi-national Polygram/Phonogram major label operation.

• john foy
• redeye records
• craic as it happened
• skull printworks

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The Blues had a baby

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By The Barman

The Barman

26 June 2025

Hits: 1133

Blues Portrait: A Profile of The Australian Blues Scene Volume 5
By Pauline Bailey (Pauline Baileyu Art)

You could call Melbourne visual artist and author Pauline Bailey a “blues preacher” but James Blood Ulmer got there first with an album title. “Blues evangelist” works better anyway.

Pauline’s been self-publishing this series of soft cover “Blues Portrait” books since 2019 but the title is a misnomer. “Blues” is a tag in such broad use that it’s slipped its shackles almost to the point of redundancy. It means many things to most people.

The Blues were born into impoverished and downtrodden circumstances but are better characterised as a feeling than a school of academic thought. As the author points out, there’s traditional blues and there’s music that’s been influenced by the blues, Her books span both.

• pauline bailey
• volume 5
• blues portrait

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Charlie Owen brings his Search to NSW and Canberra

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By The Barman

The Barman

24 June 2025

Hits: 1858

Charlie Owen’s solo shows under the “Searching for Charlie Owen” banner have attracted full houses and warm reviews.

Long considered “a guitarist’s guitarist”, the music and spoken words sets have taken audiences backstage via Charlie’s warm, funny and sometimes sad reflections on the people he’s met and played with.

The multi-instrumentalist is doing it all again in August with select shows in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

From his influential work with Tex Don and Charlie, Beasts of Bourbon, The Beasts and the “Distemper” period New Christs to collaborations with Louis Tillett, Paul Kelly, Tendrils and Working Class Ringos. Charlie has consistently pushed the boundaries of his craft whilst captivating audiences with his ferocious and at times tender performances.

With a career spanning four decades there are a lot of back pages to explore.  "Finding Charlie Owen" is proudly presented by i94bar.com and Soundpressing Records.

Friday, August 1
with White Knuckle Fever
Smiths Alternative, Canberra
Tickets: smithsalternative.com

Saturday, August 2
with Dave Favours & The Roadside Ashes
& Sam Shinazzi (solo)
Petersham Bowling Club, Sydney
Tickets: humantix.com

Sunday, August 3
with The Howlin’ Rats
Link & Pin, Woy Woy - 2pm
Tickets: oztix.com.au

• beasts of bourbon
• new christs
• charlie owen
• louis tillett
• link and pin
• petersham bowling club
• searching for Charlie owen
• smiths alternative