This year I’m going to go with an all Australian bands top 5 of reissues / older stuff and a top 10 of new stuff.

Old Stuff (in no particular order):

1. SHUTDOWN 66 – Come On Girl Give Me Half A Chance.
Reissue of their 4^th and final long play release, the original was very limited and is super hard to find, so I was stoked to hear that Soundflat Records from Germany was reissuing this awesome garage punk LP.

2. ASTEROID B-612 – S/T
The CD only debut long-player got a long overdue vinyl reissue this year from Spain’s Bang! Records. 

3. THE LIPSTICK KILLERS – “Strange Flash”
One of the most highly anticipated releases from earlier in the year. A great collection of awesome studio and live recordings.

4. THE PROTON ENERGY PILLS – S/T
A collection of their studio releases. A fantastically packaged deluxe gatefold album.

5. BORED! – "Back For More" and BORED! – "Feed The Dog"
A couple of great releases came out this year from Bored! “Back For More” (Bang!) is an awesome compilation with songs spanning the bands career, and “Feed The Dog” (Fantastic Mess) got the reissue treatment with a couple of bonus songs thrown in.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all and thank for your support throughout another year.  Things right across the board have been slower and less frequent although there are still many good things to report.

1. In March Ursula and I began recording out first full length album together.
It is due for release early March 2022 on I-94 Bar Records.

2. April 25 – Died Pretty  
Mick Medew and Ursula supported The Died Pretty  at The Triffid. Ron was in wonderful form as was the band and I continue to find The Triffid one of my favourite venues in Australia to play or have a night out.  

3. May 9  - Dave Graney and Clare Moore at The Junk Bar, Ashgrove. 

This year I honour my dear friend and musical collaborator the late Louis Rohan Tillett (13 March 1959 – 6 August 2023), whose music most readers of this webzine will be familiar with. Louis was a singer, song writer and multi-instrumentalist, who was based in Sydney. Sadly, he passed away in August 2023.

If it wasn’t for Louis’ encouragement and support of my music, I most probably wouldn’t have embarked on the musical path that has consumed my life over the last four decades.

First, I’ll get the rant out of the way. I’ve spent more time working with younger bands this year and there seem to be a few issues… 

Firstly, there are so many new young bands that they can’t find gigs… especially appropriate ones. The King Street strip in Sydney’s Newtown and surrounds has about eight venues and on any given night there are only up to 50 people in each room. 

So it’s February 2024 already and I’ve only now got around to compiling my lists of 2023 musical highlights.  The Barman has given me a late pass.

I’ve got two lists here and I’ve stuck with the age-old format of Top Ten albums and Top Ten EPs/ singles. And of course, these lists come with a disclaimer that there’s still plenty of great 2023 records that I haven’t got around to hearing yet, so of course my lists only cover the stuff that’s found its way to my ears.

1. R.I.P Ron Peno and Louis Tillett
To start on a sad note we lost Two of our greatest vocalist/Front men within days of each other in August last year - Louis Tillett and Ron Peno.

I don't have any of Louis Tillett’s albums apart from The Wet Taxis’ “From The Archives” record, but had seen his live performances lots of times over the years.  Of course, there were his legendary shows with Paris Green during their residency at The Sandringham Hotel in Newtown in the late '80's, and I recall seeing him solo on piano at Bar Broadway in the early '90s.  The last performance I saw him was at The Factory Theatre which I think was one of his last gigs.

Right...2023 from Birminghamham in the UK...here we go...

1 Civic – “Taken by Force”
Great follow up to their first record. Produced by Rob Younger and carrying on the great tradition of Oz rock'n'roll in the good old Saints/Birdman fashion.

2 Skull Practitioners – “Negative Stars”
Steve Wynn/Dream Syndicate guitarist Jason Victor's own thing...Great record...Power trio taking in Proto...Post...And everything in-between..!

3 Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions – “Vol 4 - The Task Has Overwhelmed Us”
Fourth and possibly last of these compilations. All the usual suspects: Cave..Lanegan etc...Great.

A  busy year for SoundPressing. A couple of 7" singles, a show here and there, an LP and a three-stop tour of SE Queensland with the one and only Mr Charlie Owen.

Here is a lil recap in no particular order. Thanks to everyone who came to a show or bought a record.

1. Collingwood- having done these Top Tens at the Bar for a few years now, I had to make a best team category, just so I could get my beloved Pies in. Now we won the flag, no need. The Magpies take their rightful spot as the best of the best of 2023.
   
   
2. Test Cricket- great series of cricket from the Aussies in India and England, and a ripper series between England and New Zealand, as well as the Kiwi’s against Pakistan. And while some controversy dominated the headlines (Johnny, what were you smoking?), at least people are talking Test cricket again.

El, Top Ten list in no particular order.

A lot of folk around the Bar profess a love of professional wrestling often adopting a pastiche of suitable attire and somewhat dubious accents and title belts.  But most of them talk about wrestling like it was something that happened 40 years ago.  Like their record collections really.

But wrestling is currently in a golden age with many of the highlights arising from the women's division (which has really dragged its way out of the two minute gimmick match that used to stink the joint out).

Here's my Top Ten of favourite wrestling related moments and people.  I know some of you folks will be yelling “But Bob!  It’s all fake.”  To which I say thank fuck for that.  If people really did stuff like that, you’d have to arrest them.

And besides, both the Stooges and the Dictators happily acknowledged their love of professional wrestling.  Who am I to disagree?

I have been making lists and, damn, it has been a huge year of music for me; so many records and so many gigs.  I cannot think of a year so jam-packed.  I could have made a Top Ten list by August this year. Best that I don’t count these off or it could be limiting.

1. Loud Hailers at the Hollywood Hotel, Surry Hills, NSW
Ben Fink is one of the most tasteful and sonically powerful guitarists in town, evoking Blind Lemon Jefferson and Jimmy Page. Then there’s drummer Jordon. And vocalist Christa Hughes, who mixes it up, referencing everyone from Nina Simone to Lydia Lunch to a deranged Lisa Minnelli. Confrontational and soulful. Their gigs at the Hollywood set the place on fire. The Sydney inner city band to catch in 2024.

2. Fabels at the Hollywood
Ben Alyward and Hiske Weijers have been making music together for 13 years and have developed a cult following both in the inner city and Europe.  It’s a creative, surreal form of shoegaze with a huge palette of influences. They sit in their own space and avoid the pub rock tradition, forging their own identity and sound.

_{The Barman on tour in Japan at Mr Death's Crampstore with The Grand Wizard of the Psychotic Turnbuckles.}  

Top Ten Albums and Other Things In No Particular Order (with a qualifier that I never review gigs promted by the Bar but, fuck that, it’s my Top Ten.)

Ten Albums
1. Dark Country – Sonic Garage (self released)
This turned up on the eve of an overseas trip so a full review from yours truly isn’t among the glowing tributes already posted. A step up on the debut (which was pretty good in its own right) with lots of weaving guitars and classy keyboard textures. Sydney Old Man Rock and Roll. Just buy it.

2. Hackney Diamonds – The Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones Records)
You might have wanted to hate it. Lead “single” “Angry” was so-so but turned out to be one of the parts of a sum that’s much better than it could have been. There's a formula here but it's not a negative when it's in the hands of its inventors. Trust your own ears: It sounds contemporary but this is still The Stones being the Stones, even without Charlie.