Here’s my top 10 live shows from 2025, in chronological order: 

1.  The Schizophonics: La La La’s, Wollongong & Factory Theatre, Marrickville – January  
I was fortunate enough to catch The Schizophonics twice in January. A cracking rock band fronted by an over medicated hyperactive octopus, Pat Beers. They had the entire audience smiling their whole set both nights. Most excellent! 

2.  The D4: Mary’s Underground, Sydney – February 
I’ve dug the The D4 since their first album, 20 odd years ago, so there was no way I was missing their first Sydney show in yonks. Gotta admit to being a bit nervous though, would thThis Woy Woy line-up is Outtaspaceey still have it? Would they be a good as I remember?? Yeah they fuckin were!! Ripping set! Killer Rock n roll with all the hits! Dion thrashed his geetar at the end ensuring no encore, perfect! 

3. Sun Ra Archestra: Factory Theatre, Marrickville – March 
Sun Ra’s free jazz is soothing for me, so this show was a must. A 20-odd ensemble of musicians playing spaced out free jazz in psychedelic outfits - memorising! The 70-year-old band leader doing backflips at the end was the icing on top. 

There's been so many killer bands/releases/shows/etc this year that I've loved which makes it damn hard to narrow it down to 10 highlights. Cos I don't really bother with digital or streaming when it comes to my music addiction, this is the 10 (mostly) physical music things that have kept me coming back for more in 2025 - in no particular order.

Blast Module – “Demo 1” EP
I heard some snippets of these tracks online early this year and they snagged my attention immediately. Their debut EP came out in May and its been on heavy rotation ever since. “Demo 1” is a total high energy synth punk burner from top to bottom. Riffs, hooks and melodies all wrapped up in 8 bit video game goodness. I've managed to catch these guys live a couple of times during the year and they deliver the goods on stage too. Check out their track Helenova for a taste.

Swami John Reis – “Time to Let You Down” LP
Any time the Swami puts out new music I'm on board. It’s ridiculous that this one guy has been at the centre of so many great bands. I'm not complaining - I'm in awe.

The new “solo” album is maybe a touch more punk than the last few records and it completely rocks. Fast and furious downstroke rockers front to back. Its a great pick me up record that’s been on the turntable repeatedly. I havent heard the new Plosivs album yet but I'm sure that'll be getting lotsa spin time, too. 

Top Ten Sydney Tunnels and Bridges

What? Tunnels and bridges not rock'n'roll enough for ya? So, sue me. 

The Molly Fet Circuit were in Sydney for a couple of gigs recently and I could not believe how much the place has changed; I was here last only a year or so before covid - not sure how long it'd been for musician Shaun C. Duncan (Die Like a God, Council of Elders, Iron Phallus), but quite a bit longer I think.

Our friend Nathan Iowa (Shark Arm) was extremely helpful, driving us hither and yon - to the point where I realised that, without his help, we would've been either frequently lost or forking out hundreds in cab fares. Never mind anything else, we might not have even found the fucking gigs.

Top Ten Filthy Rock and Roll Songs

1. "Blitzkreig Bop" - Ramones

2. "Shake Appeal" - Iggy and the Stooges 

3. "Dirty Robber "- The Sonics

4. "New Rose" - The Damned

5. "Communication Breakdown" - Led Zeppelin 

6. "Oh Carol" - Rolling Stones

7. "Revolution" - The Beatles

8. "Lucille" - Little Richard

9. "Eruption" - Van Halen

10. "Let There Be Roc" - AC/DC

Find Richard Lawson here.

_{Julian Wu photo}

The Barman has sent out the call for Top Tens. I have ditched my Imperial Wardrobe to deliver a stripped-down Metallic KO Top 10. Lean on words and mean on content – old, new, stolen, and blue – five live and five vinyl – here we go for the tip of the iceberg of my musical stuff of 2025. Time won’t permit my top 500.

This is seriously in no order - just random awesome things in a pretty bloody awesome year

1. Davey Lane - Finally, A Party Record
Excellent pop! Not scared to touch Yacht and Soft rock either

2. Rubber Necker - Bad Behavior album and one of their gigs at the Duke in Enmore
The show as wild "somehow held together" post rock. Whoooo!

3. Cammy Cautious and the Wrestlers
Only saw em once and CAN NOT FORGET IT!! Took me head clean off

4. Some awesome aussie books Radio Birdman - "Retaliate First" by Murray Englehart and "Orstralia A Punk History" by Tristan Clark. Loved 'em .. got John Foy's book next up.

_{"The stars, baby, the stars": Tex Perkins with Dave Graney at The Beasts' "Black Milk" show in Melbourne. Amber Schmidt photo}

Dave Graney Top 12 for 2025

1. Dave Graney and the Soft n Sexy Sound 30^th Anniversary Sound tour.
This was so enjoyable for me. So great to play the music and crack the codes to the album. Extremely challenging to perform it and to present it to people. Very tense to start it each time we did it on the 21 date tour. It had peaks and it flowed. It started from silence and ended on a long fadeout.

You asked... we'll deliver!

2025 Top Tens coming soon.

1. Big Bongin’ Baby
Gutterball Pete is perhaps the only person currently alive who can vomit during the middle of a guitar solo and not fluff a single note. He’s a character – an amalgam of Nikki Sudden, Ronnie Wood and Peter Perrett in style and grace. The affectionately –named Bongers have played around town for over 25 years and like the Saints, failed the Academy of Music’s Battle of the Bands.

2. The Double – "Dawn of the Double" LP (In the Red ITR-295)
Drummer Jim White and guitarist Emmett Kelly playing Bo Diddley for three quarters of an hour in E over two sides of an LP. This is probably too avant for the fans of rock ‘n’ roll and too in the pocket for the rockist set. I don’t think rockists know what that term even means but I’ll leave it in here anyway.

3. Kitchen’s Floor – "Battle of Brisbane" (bruit direct disques ‎ Br-d 19)
Whether they’re blissfully unaware or overtly conscious of the fact they’re carrying this anger and sense of punk that goes back to Brisbane’s day one is probably pointless and not worth fretting about right now.

_{Doc Temple (centre) with Chickenstones}

What's my Top Ten? Now, there's a question best reserved for someone young enough to still have a memory that lasts longer than a week. But as there is scant actual non-payola industry reference around, fuck it. I will try.

First off, I have had a number of recordings thrown at me this year as I rather often do a radio show co-host replacement thing (when one of the usual hosts is off doing what parallel universe shit they do.) This does not, however, make me any wiser or more influential than anyone else. 

Some picks were not committed to Pro Tool hard drives this last year but took many, many months of work to do so, thence, they deserve some spotlight,  but I subscribe to the Bob Short model of 'Do I have Ten?'. Maybe, maybe not. Being numerically dyslexic, I shall offer thoughts, not numbers:

_{Penny and her trademark Ikinger Pennycastor.  Carbie Warbie photo}

1. Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds at The Caravan Club, Melbourne - Wow!!! What a band!!! It was like being given a music lesson!

2. Radio Birdman, Max Watts, Melbourne. A really diverse and powerful set of new and old classics.

3.  James McCann and the New Vindictives - James McCann’s new band is truly awesome - punk meets well crafted songwriting with a good strong dose of youthful & invigorating mayhem. I have been guesting as vocalist and guitarist at their live shows singing a Spencer P. Jones song and another I co-wrote with James for their soon to be released album.

In no particular order...here's the best of 2016:

"Brujita" - Chris Masuak and The Viveiro Wave Riders
Best rock pop record of 2016 by a long way. Did I mention it’s on I-94 Bar Records and you can buy a copy here?

"Friday Night Heroes" - Leadfinger
The soulful Sydney-via-Wollongong rock and roll band par excellence just keeps getting better.

"Evolution" - Tamam Shud
Damn, if this doesn’t rock I don’t know what does. Veterans from the beginning of time (well, birth of Australian surf-psychedelia) sound dirty and relevant at the same time. They deliver the goods live, too.

"Post Pop Depression" - Iggy Pop
His best album since “New Values”. Big grooves and melodies with a sharp, Germanic essence, it’s proof that Iggy needs another talent to bounce off to deliver his best work.

“Diamond In The Forehead" - Garry Gray and The Sixth Circle
The album was killer and the short run of Sydney shows was just as good. Were you you? One day you might claim to have been. Nice people, to boot.

"Lost Cities" - Ed Kuepper
Ed’s been an underrated treasure since finding his solo feet in the late ‘80s. This adds to the considerable body of work. An album of great songs with understated intensity.

Kylie Pitcher photo