i94bar1200x80

phil van rooyen

  • phil van rooyen 2025

    In no particular order, here are my rock n roll highlights for 2025: 

    1. Barry Adamson/The Wreckery @ The Factory Theatre Marrickville, NSW
    I mainly went to see support act (The Wreckery) after enjoying the Fake Is Forever album of late 2024 but the whole evening including a cracker set by Barry Adamson was memorable  .The sound for the openers was not great but good songs always stand out and Hugo Race s voice is one of the best.

    2. The Stems / New Christs @ The Manning Bar, Sydney University
    No explanation required. Two major influential bands in my life right back to their early singles and EPs. Pre Fathers Day, my daughter even got me a new T-shirt with “Distemper “graphics for Dads’ Day.

  •  van ruin landscape

    Van Ruin
    + The Cants
    Link and Pin Café, Woy Woy, NSW
    Friday, September 21, 2024
    Photos; Tony McNamara

     The Link and Pin has become a special venue that has created its own scene and mythology. It has own mix of outsiders, rock pigs’ mis-fits, eccentrics and those that you will not find at the local RSL club poker machine room.  

    It’s located outside Sydney at Woy Woy on the New South Wales Central Coast. In its own unusual way, the venue has been celebrating Octoberfest in September and I say, why not?  Bavarian lederhosen and Ramonestee-shirts make for a great look.

  • trauma magnetTrauma Magnet – Van Ruin (Crankinhaus Records)

    It has been an explosive 12 months for Van Ruin, a band formed in Sydney only a year ago that almost immediately began recording their first mini album. Band leader Phil Van Rooyen had a batch of deeply personal songs he had written about his years of counselling substance abuse in the underbelly of the city's Northern Beaches.

    Phil threw himself into a flurry of  writing and recording, working with his decades-long mate and Al Creed, of local legendary bands like Dr Fruitworld and Panadolls,as well as the New Christs.

    Enter Stuart Wilson (Lime Spiders, New Christs, Chris Masuak’s Dog Soldier and The Crisps)on drums. There were a couple of the raggedy, under-rehearsed gigs that were hanging by a thread at times, and as thrilling as they were they did not capture the brutal darkness and brilliance of what would the debut EP,  “Jails, Death and Institutions”.

Send us stuff to review

PO Box 334
Oatley NSW
2223 Australia

Get in touch: barman@i94bar.com

The Living Eye


Right eye

Tumbleed & The New Christs 
JAN
16 - The Marlin, Ulladulla, NSW
+ Cool Jumper
17 - Avalon Beach RSL,
Avalon, NSW 

"King Street Crawl
Summer Edition"
- Jan 25
Too many venues to mention 
in Newtown, NSW

Mach Pelican
“A Secret Session”
Single Launch
+ Loose Lips + Elvis II
The Last Chance Bar, Melbourne
- Jan 31
Tickets

Dave Favours & The Roadside Ashes
Service Station Chcken Tour
JAN
17 – MoshPit Bar, Sydney, NSW
+ Bahne Super-Flex + Sam Shinazzi
18 – The Junkyard, Maitland, NSW
+ Tim Easton (USA)
20 – The Tamworth Hotel, Tamsworth, NSW
“The Tops Day Out” festival
30 – Link & Pin, Woy Woy, NSW
+ The Dunhill Blues
31 – The Oak Tighes Hill,Newcastle, NSW
+ Crank Williams and Patsy Decline
FEB
27 – The Main Bar, Ballarat, VIC
28 – Union Hotel, Brunswick, VIC
MAR
1 – Bendigo Hotel, Brunswick, VIC

The Gnomes
Dive! Dive! Dive!
Rock ‘n’ Roll Dive Bar Tour
JAN
16 - The Lansdowne, Sydney
+ Marilyn Maria + Aria Nova
17 - Dicey's, Wollongong
+ Kryver + Jordan Kenny + Harold & The Bishops
18 - Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
w/ Viagra Boys
23 - The Gem, Collingwood (8pm)
+ W.O.M.B.A.T. + Sargent Baker
30 - Last Chance Rock'n'roll Bar, Melbourne (8pm)
+ Winsky + Riviera
31 - Trash Cult, Bendigo (7pm)
+ Clydesdale
FEB
14 - Shotkickers, Thornbury (8pm)
+ Public House + Special Guests
20 - The Tote Front Bar, Collingwood (6pm)
+ Champ Ruby
21 - Kindred Bandroom, Footscray (8pm)
+ Stimpies + special guests

The Sugar Beats 
+ Plastic Section
Golden Barley, Enmore
- Feb 20

TsuShiMaMiRe (JP)
Australian Tour
FEB
19 - Shotkickers, Melbourne, VIC
20 – Trash Cult, Bendigo, VIC
22– Young St Tavern, Frankston, VIC
27 - Shadows, Canberra, ACT
28 – Moshpit, Sydney, NSW

The Jackets (CH)
Australian Tour
FEB
25 – Shotkickers, Thornbury, VIC
26 - Vineyard, St Kilda, VIC
27 – Marrickville Bowlo, Sydney, NSW
28 - The Bendi, Collingwood, VIC
MAR
1 -– Trash Cult, Bendigo, VIC
2  – The Last Chance, Melbourne, VIC
Tickets

Cosmic Psychos
"I Really Like Beer Tour"
JAN
1 — Edge Hill Tavern, Cairns, QLD
2 — Dalrymple Hotel, Townsville, QLD
3 — Magnums, Airlie Beach, QLD
4 — Metropolitan Hotel, Mackay, QLD
7  — Harvey Road Tavern, Gladstone, QLD
8  — Grand Hotel, Childers, QLD
9 — Mo’s Desert Clubhouse, Gold Coast, QLD
10 — Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga, NSW
11 — Bellingen Brewery, Bellingen, NSW
14  — Moonshiners Honky Tonk Bar, Tamworth, NSW
15 — Finnian's Tavern, Port Macquarie, NSW
16 — Avalon RSL, Avalon, NSW
17 — The Marlin, Ulladulla, NSW
18 — Beer Deluxe, Albury NSW
22 — Tanswells Hotel, Beechworth, VIC
23 — Sooki Lounge, Belgrave, VIC
24 — Westonport Hotel, San Remo, VIC
25 — Social Club, Balnarring, VIC
26  — Volta, Ballarat, VIC
29  — Whalers Hotel, Warrnambool, VIC
30 — Torquay Hotel, Torquay, VIC
31  — Riverview Hotel, Tarwin Lower, VIC
FEB
12  — Royal Oak, Launceston, TAS
13 — Forth Pub, Devonport, TAS
14  — Altar, Hobart, TAS

 

 

 

Fresh Reviews

Latest Comments

What the heck .... !!!
I used to be part of the Sydney music scene Blondies The Cleaners, IDIOT/SAVANT & the innersoles
Jeff posted a comment in Four against the world: 20 years of RUST
You guys should really do some research on these guys’ backgrounds. Speaking of tattoos, did Gary sh...
Been a mate of Dave’s since high school days, He always was and still is “ The sharpest tool in the ...
Trojan posted a comment in Four against the world: 20 years of RUST
They leave like on racist bands' posts though...

All content © 2025 I-94 Bar
c/o PO Box 334 Oatley, NSW, Australia, 2223

Web development by TRO