1. NEWCASTLE MUSIC SCENE
Newcastle is going off!! Happily, I can say out of the 111 gigs I attended in 2025, 74 were in Newcastle. Venues like Oaks Tighes Hill, Hiss and Crackle, Stag and Hunter, Junkyard, Lass O’Gowrie, Croation Club Storage Room are pumping out gigs. So many mini festivals such as Hellnation and West Bloc Fest (100 bands over 12 venues), all supported by fantastic sound engineers such as James Starkey at the Stag, Lu Quade at the Oak and Liam at the Hamilton Station.

Need More proof? We saw 14 LOCAL RELEASES from Drugs in Sport, Lachlan X. Morris, Melvic Centre, East Coast Low, Boudicca, Joint Pains, Autumn Hearts, Acidadz, LauraPanic, Maids of Horror, FÄHM, Golden Gaytimes and vinyl re-releases from Hoax and No Reason… all gigging to support their releases.

2. HISS AND CRACKLE RECORD SHOP
What can’t be said about this amazing Hiss and Crackle Vinyl/Book/ Fashion store in the swamplands of Wallsend. The exuberant Mitchel Eaton not only runs the shop but also organises gigs within the store, plays in two bands, records artist to release on his label HCR (19 all up and four this year!!) Special edition albums come with guitar picks, liner notes, beer coasters, patches, stickers, posters and somewhere in there he also finds time to be a family man. His annual “Hissmas” was a raging success where we saw a great crowd watching local acts such as Boudicca, Fahm, Maids of Horror, LauraPanic,  Trophy Wyfe and Latest God.

3. THE BEASTS AND CHIMERS AT MANNING BAR, SYDNEY 
This gig gave us all the chance to bid the very ill James Baker a grand farewell, as he sadly passed away 2 ½ months later. James was an actual legend of our time and great bloke. I was also so glad to have seen him hit the stage with the Hoodoo Gurus in Decemberr 2024 in his hometown Perth for the last gig of the “Stoneage Romeos” tour. His influence and contribution to inner city Australian sounds and music was invaluable. Very sadly missed and love to Cath.

4. SEX PISTOLS WITH FRANK CARTER AT THE HORDERN PAVILION, SYDNEY
Sex Pistols changed my musical life. One day in about 1978, I was playing "Telephone Line" by ELO, and the next week, I discovered ‘Never Mind The Bollocks”..  I didn’t care Rotten wasn’t there. Three originals were good enough for me and to hear those guitar intros and riffs from Steve Jones….Sublime…

5. JAY AND JAMIE XMAS 10th ANNIVERSARY PARTY AT HAMILTON STATION
First of all, what an amazing line up. Neptune Power Federation, No Reason, Jamie Hays, Hellabores and FÄHM. Secondly, the sound was spot on. NPF absolutely blew the roof off with their two-pronged dualling guitar riffing from Troy and Mike, huge frenetic drumming from Deano and the wonderful operatic metal vocals from The High Princess. No Reason were brutal…I thought Spike was going to explode. Jamie’s set impressed with heartfelt tunes amongst three guitars. Hellebores rocked. Melvic Centre became the undisputed pop punk kings and FÄHM proved that having a hillbilly vocalist (and part time comedian) mixes perfectly with psychedelic dirty blues.

6. DRUGS IN SPORT “IF ONLY WE COULD USE THESE POWERS FOR GOOD” ALBUM LAUNCH WEEKEND
With Lion Island and SXY XMS. Farrkk.. No surprises here about how great this album is. Errol and the lads go from the top shelf to greater heights with this banger that explodes into your eardrums. The live shows are no different. Perhaps it’s why I’ve seen them 55 times!! If you haven’t got this album, then your record collection is incomplete

7. EAST COAST LOW AND BLOW "BADLANDINGS" ALBUM LAUNCH GIGS
With Splodge, The Strike-Outs and The Dark Clouds in Newcastle and Sydney. Another classic album release from these stalwarts of the industry produced by the legend that is Sir Rob Younger!! The live shows were incredible sporting a full brass section with Rudy from X-Ray Spex joining the party.

8. X AT PETERSHAM RSL, SYDNEY
With Tantichrist and To Be Human. WOW!! I never miss an opportunity to see Steve Lucas in full flight. First saw X in about 1984 at the Trade Union, so very happy to be hearing that iconic voice belting out these classis songs. If I die and you read this and remember, Please have Steve sing “Don’t Cry No Tears” at my funeral

9. LACHLAN X. MORRIS “ILLUSIONAIRES” ALBUM LAUNCH
With Joint Pains at RTN and Stag and Hunter. After a long hiatus, LX.M finally graced us with their fifth album. And it’s a bee-u-tee!! To quote one review: “Lachlan X. Morris reaffirms the bands knack for crafting songs that feel timeless yet fresh, drawing in listeners across generations. The album is an exhilarating journey through shimmering guitar lines, driving rhythms, and thoughtful lyricism—a sound both nostalgic and forward-looking”.

10. MICK DALEY AND WASHY’S GIBBERISH COLLECTION AT OAKS TIGHES HILL
This could have been a jam session at RTN with the people that attended, many of whom were coaxed into the stage (with Coopers Sparkling brew), unrehearsed, to take on Chris/Beefweek/Daley tunes. Opening with a solo set from mega talented Will Hilton Mitchell, the Gibberish grew from a Chris solo, to be joined by Framo on the bass, to Mullard joining on guitar and, Errol reluctantly joining the  Gibberish Collection on drums over the period of the afternoon.. Mick Daley, who should be in the ARIA Hall of Fame, rounded off the Gibberish and closed out the set with five or six classics from his vast and extensive catalogue of tunes. Perhaps my favourite gig of the year!

MY TOP SONGS CHOICE OF 2025
“Embrace Absurdity” ~ Drugs In Sport
“Everything Considered” - Joint Pains
“Thin” - Melvic Centre
“Ship to Shore” – LauraPanic
“River of Doubt” - FÄHM
“Back Room” - Sugar Beats
“You’ll Never Know” - SXY XMS 
“Andy Says” - Hovering Spooks
“Bleary Eyed” - Nunchukka Superfly
“Nonchalant” - Lachlan X. Morris
“Midnight Dancer” - East Coast Low
“Baby in The Boneyard” - Maids Of Horror
“Three Words Only” – Acidadz
“The Dead Walk - Lion Island
“Had Enough” – The Owen Guns
“Serpentine” – Boudicca
“Cozzie Livs” - Golden Gaytimes
“Service Station Chicken” - Dave Favour and the Roadside Ashes
“Boot Lickin’ Blues” - Sick Fizz
“Jump Right In” - Van Ruin
“Mr Sunshine”-  The Autumn Hearts

OTHER MEMORABLE GIGS
- Reunion Gig for Hoax /No Reason Oak Tighes Hill
Brown Eyes and Norros Catwalk Action/VeeBees/Grounds/ Australian Beefweek Show at Junkyard Maitland.
- Kim Salmon and Smoked Salmon with Howlin’ Rats /Medheads at Hamilton Station.
- "Hellnation" with Marones/Pilots of Baalbek/ Where’s Jimmy/Front End Loader/Hard Ons/ Rubbernecker/Strike-Outs/The Dark Clouds/Buddhadatta et al with the band of the day being LAURAPANIC. Wow. When they are on, they are on.. Chills!!
Hamilton Station. Another Justan Saunders and Dogshot production success!!
- The Johnnys in the main room with Dave Favours and the Roadside Ashes/ Van Ruin / Australian Beefweek  Show in the front bar at The Sydney Crowbar.
- One of two gigs for the month for New Christs with The On and Ons at Marrickville Bowlo.
- Hovering Spooks/Autumn Hearts at Junkyard, Maitland. Have you seen who is in HOVERING SPOOKS!!??
Rosie’s 40Th Birthday with Joint Pains/Melvic Centre/Drugs In Sport/ Boudicca at  Marks Point 80’s Timewarp Sports Club.
- Spitting Chips/ Sugar Beats/Jupiter 5 at Marrickville Bowlo. Spitting Chips are  OG Cosmic Psychos.
- Nunchukka Superfly/ LauraPanic at Oak Tighes Hill.
- The rare performance of Motherlode with Minus Zero/ Splodge at Oak Tighes Hill. Legendary  Bob Log III with Fahm at Stag and Hunter.
- Meshky at Springfest and with FAHM at Moshpit in Sydney.
- The Sugar Beats/Headstones/Peter Simpson and the infinite Mirrors at the MoshPit.