I prefer to refer to the list as BIG DADDY K'a 0 SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OF 2024 rather than a top 10, as it's not ranked in any particular order. 2024 was a year of milestones with several Australian bands and institutions celebrating significant anniversaries. Hewre are a few:

1. Public Broadcasting Radio Station RYDE REGIONAL RADIO (2RRRFM)
The station that I have been involved with for 37 years, celebrated its 40th anniversary. Started by a lobby group and initially only broadcasting for a few hours a day from a garage in the grounds of Meadowbank TAFE. Since 1988, the station has been located at Henley Cottage, where it currently has two studios. It now broadcasts 24/7, featuring a wide range of musical genres and talk shows of local community as well as general interest, and runs a radio training course.

The station hosts several alternative rock music programs that would be of interest to I 94 Barflies, most notably “Sonic Stew” on Monday nights, “Virtual Unreality” on Friday evenings, “Timeslides” on Saturday afternoons, and, of course, my program, Sydney Sounds, at 2pm on Saturdays. (Several of the shows are podcasted, or you can stream them live via 2rrr.org.au and all the streaming radio apps).

The station's 40th anniversary was celebrated with a gala dinner event at North Ryde RSL, during which I got to meet internationally acclaimed music and travel writer, band manager, media personality, and record label owner GLENN A BAKER, who had been crowned "Rock Brain Of The Universe"! I got to chat with him about his Australian '60s psych/garage rock compilations, "So You Wanna Be a Rock and Roll Star Vol. 1 & 2'"on the Festival label and "Ugly Things" on his own Raven label, which are an essential part of any record collection for anyone who has an interest in Australian rock music history, as well as books he had written and band trivia.

2. RADIO BIRDMAN 50th ANNIVERSARY
Billed as RADIO BIRMAN FIVE-O, with a weekend of three consecutive sold-out performances at the Manning Bar in the grounds of Sydney University in July, as well as shows in Melbourne and other states, which they also said would be their last shows. For the four weeks leading up to the event, musician and record collector Stephen Frosoni (Men from U.N.C.L.E., Glen & Glenda, The Pill Poppers) and myself presented a series of Sydney Sounds programmes highlighting the careers of the three highest-profile members, Rob Younger, Chris Masuak, and Deniz Tek, and Radio Birdman's three studio albums, singles, and live recordings. I managed to catch the band's awesome final show on the Sunday, getting the chance to hear and see their classic songs performed live for the last time.

3. PSYCHOTIC TURNBUCKLES 40th ANNIVERARY
The Psychotic Turnbuckles celebrated 40 years as the undefeated Rock and Roll Wrestling tag team champions from Pismo Beach with their fun garage and surf-influenced sound at The Crowbar. During their Xmas show I had the dubious honour of being invited on stage and inducted into their Hall of Fame and presented with their Magic Eye ring.

4. THE STEMS
They also celebrated their 40th Anniversary with a fantastic show, performing Dom Mariani's melodic '60s garage-influenced power pop, supported by a blistering performance by The New Christs, who I also saw at their increasingly rarer performances at The Marrickville Bowling Club.

5. HARD ONS 40TH ANNIVERSARY
Hard-Ons also turned 40. I didn't see their commemorative gig but did catch them several times during the year, their always dynamic performances enhanced by vocalist TIM ROGERS. I haven't seen their documentary yet. Stephen Frosoni and I celebrated the above milestones with a special "Sydney Sounds" show on 2RRR show covering the careers of the above bands.

6. VAN RUIN
Out of the Ashes of CIRCUS CHAPLAINS and SONIC GARAGE arose VAN RUIN, featuring guitarists PHILLIP VAN ROOYEN (CHICKENSTONES, PANADOLS, CIRCUS CHAPLAINS and SONIC GARAGE) and ALAN CREED (PANADOLS, DR FRUITWORLD, ABBERATION and THE NEW CHRISTS) and drummer STUART WILSON (THE CONNECTIONS/LOOSE PILLS/LIME SPIDERS/ABBERATION/THE NEW CHRISTS/THE CRISPS). They released their debut E.P., "JAIL, DEATH, AND INSTITUTIONS," which features tributes and compositions by their fallen comrade (the late) LUKE LOVELOCK (CIRCUS CHAPLAINS), whose surname would be familiar to any fan of Aus alternative rock.

I saw their debut gig at The Link and Pin, where they were augmented by bass player PETER TRIFUNOVIC (MUSHROOM PLANET, SONIC GARAGE) and they're now augmented by the return to the live scene by bass player ANDY NEWMAN (ME 262, DECLINE OF THE REPTILES, KLONDIKE'S NORTH 40, THE VISITORS, JOEYS COOP, DENIZ TEK BAND. THE SOUL MOVERS.).

7. JUPITER 5
Having Roots in '60's garage revivalist band THE CONSPIRATORS from the 1980's and '90's act 69BC, these guys were lost in space gor several years, finally managing to return to earth, but not before singer JAY YOUNIE was transformed into a green reptilian alien creature! Syphoning influences of '70s glam rock, '60s garage, Black Sabbath heavy metal, and trashy TV and channelling characters such as EL PSYCHADELICO and SHEEK THE SHAYK, as well as arch nemesis FLIM THE FLAM. You never quite know what to expect from a Jupiter 5 performance. During a radio interview, bass player PETER ROSS told me: "Jay never lets the band know what he is likely to do, but warns us to be wearing protective clothing by the third song!"!

8. THE SAINTS ’74-’78
I didn't get to see any incarnation of THE SAINTS during their tenure (though I had seen THE AINTS, and ED KUEPPER solo several times). Even before they had performed their first gig, there was some contention amongst punters who felt it didn't do justice to the legacy of THE SAINTS late singer, CHRIS BAILEY, but I looked forward to the opportunity of getting to hear two of the original members as well as a member of THE SUNNYBOYS and BIRTHDAY PARTY/BAD SEEDS performing songs live from teh Saints' first three albums (particularly Prehistoric Sounds, from which they played a lot of songs with a brass section). After the show, there was a mixed reaction, mainly about the poor sound quality at the venue (Enmore Theatre) as well as the band's performance, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

9. BANDS I SAW LIVE IN 2024 THAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING MORE OF THIS YEAR:

MAJESTIC XI
MARK CRASTI (QUEEN ANNES REVENGE/REVENGE OF KAOS) and MATT POSST (REVENGE OF CHAOS, HUMAN TORCH, THE SIDE KICKS) have been performing with various incarnations of MAJESTIC XL for several years. The latest lineup consists of MARK NICHOLSON (HAPPY HATE ME NOT, VANILLA CHAINSAWS, TOYS WENT BESERK) on drums; NED ALPHABET (BALKAN GRILL, KING FELIX) on guitar; PAUL HAYWARD (THE YOUNG DOCTEURS. THE BADDIES, DOBBS CRYPTOPHNICS, THE SIDE KICKS) on guitar, with Matt on bass and Mark C on vocals and Thunder Stick!!! (This is a device of Mark's invention, best seen and heard rather than described). Originally a dub reggae-inspired act but these days perform experimental punk-inspired rock.

THE HOVERING SPOOKS
Guitarist and record producer BRUCE 'CUB' CALLAWAY (THE NEW CHRISTS, THE SAINTS, ED KUEPPER and DAMIAN LOVELOCKS WIG WORLD); guitarist RICHARD BURGMAN (THE SUNNYBOYS, THE SAINTS); bassis PHIL HALL (DROP BEARS, SARDINE v, LOWERS FOR JAYNE); and PAUL LARSEN (CELIBATE RIFLES, NEW CHRISTS). A supergroup made up of members of some of Sydney's most influential alternative rock bands playing songs by each individual member's best-known previous bands as well as new original material and covers.

THE LANG LANGS
They have been performing for several years with a few lineup changes. Fun live act playing tribute to their influences as well as quirky, satirical original songs by CHARLES'HAK NUDESTRUM'WHITE featuring humorous lyrics with pop culture references and titles like "Nude for Satan", "Ice Girls in Muscle Cars", and "Vampire Super Vixens".

There are lots more bands, but they will have to wait 'til next year's list.

10. ROCK AND ROLL CLUB
A monthly event held downstairs at The Petersham Bowling Club on early Sunday evenings. Originally initiated several years ago by musician/songwriter, writer, guitarist, filmmaker, graphic novel author /illustrator, and occasional I-94 Bar contributor BOB SHORT (FILTH, BLOOD AND ROSES, DEAD RABIDS, THE LIGHT BRIGADE), a few years ago at Mojo Record stor,e and resurrected by singer and artist, photographer MARIA MITHCIE-MERLE (GLEN AND GLENDA, THE LIGHT BRIGADE)

It featuries semi-acoustic and rock acts on the fringe of Sydney's alternative music scene. Some of the acts I caught there last year include GLEN AND GLENDA, THE LIGHT BRIGADE, BOB SHORT, THE PILL POPPERS, DATSUN HUGHES, PAUL BUCKBERRY, NED ALPHABET, THE LANG LANGS, CHARLIE LETHAL, and MAJESTIC XL. Maria tells me that Rock and Roll club will continue throughout this year but on a less regular basis.

BONUS - SOME NEW RELEASES ADDED TO THE SYDNEY SOUNDS PLAYLIST:
COWBOY LOGIC—THE SACRED COWBOYS
IN THE ZONE—MICK MEDEW AND URSULA
MODERN AGE—MARC WITH A SEA
BREAK OUT—POCKET WATCH
5TH FROM THE SUN -JUPITER 5
BRIGHT LIGHTS & DEADBEATS-DISGRACELAND
ONCE SO PRETTY- BEIJING BIKINI
BAD BEHAVIOUR-RUBBER NECKER
IN THE KEEP-FLOWERS FOR JAYNE
RIVERS AND BONES-JOSH SHIPTON AND THE BLUE EYED RAVENS
AGAVE SOIREE-THE MEZCALTONES
LIVE AT THE MARRICKVILLE BOWL- JOHN KENNEDY AND THE NEW ORIGINALS/
AILS, DEATH, AND INSTITUTIONS-VAN RUIN
BUCKLE RASH-BROHAM
STU AND THE CONNECTIONS-CRAWLING BACK TO YOU