_{The Tommys at The Tramway Hotel in the day. Robert Lastdrager (drums), Ollie Laurie (guitar) and Jonathan ‘Ike’ Lickliter (bass.)}

The Tommys - The Old Bar Fitzroy on Sunday January 14 2024 
We played our last gig at the Old Bar in Fitzroy in December 2003. Our first reunion rehearsal early December was a cachopany of muscle memory gone wrong. Now we’re sounding loose and mean. Like being 18 again, “Oh the humanity”.

Chloe Cox aka Sorry Jimi
Fabulous singer, songwriter, guitarist who moved to Melbourne a few years ago from QLD to kick start her rock and roll journey.

The Green Mist - Shotkickers, Thornbury, Melbourne
A great, raucous winters evening of Rock and Roll.

1) I may be slightly biased but we've had some cracking gigs at the MoshPit this year, so rather than doing a 1 through 10 for MoshPit I'm combining them all here. 

Huge thanks to all the bands that have appeared on the MoshPit stage this year, too many to list all of them, but it'd be remiss of me not to mention our repeat bands who've continued to support us. Sorry if I do miss anyone:

Ernie O’s 2023 Top 10

10. River of Snakes live at Northcote Social Club (supporting Chris Masuak & Dog Soldier) on 26 May. It takes a lot to make my jaw drop, but this tight and gritty 3-piece achieved it flawlessly and with ease. Raul (Magic Dirt) on guitar and vocals, Elissa (The Loveless, RnRHS) on bass and vocals and Dave (Grindhouse, Drifter) on drums wove a tapestry of love, loss and lust that draws you in and leaves you wanting more. Check out their goodies here!

9. Stu Wilson – As Yet Untitled Mini-Album. Still a work in progress, but (Loose Pills, Aberration, New Christs, The Crisps and more) has gone next level with his solo material, taking advantage of his Stu Stu Studio to lay down some tracks that wouldn’t sound out of place on a 1980’s Citadel release. We’re having a lot of fun with this! Check out a teaser here.

He was a music writer, lawyer and most of all he was a family man, and a celebration of the life and times of Patrick Emerywill be held at Fitzroy Town Hall in Melbourne on Wednesday at 3pm. 

Patrick was the biographer of Spencer P Jones and a reviewer for many media outlets, including the I-94 Bar. He collapsed on December 24 and doctors diagnosed an inoperable brain cancer.

After four days on life support, Patrick passed away in hospital, surrounded by his family, aged 52. 

Wednesday's memorial service is open to all and a livestream will be active

There’s also an online fundraiser to help his family cover the costs of his funeral, and you can make a donation here.

Top Ten Time in Ten Town! Four gigs – five albums – one book – by Garry Gray 

The buzz.
Garry Gray is winging his way in like a true angel to deliver his Top Ten Commandments for the I-94 Bar for 2023 – formerly of Sacred Cowboys, Negatives and Garry Gray & The Sixth Circle – and recently with Ed Clayton – Jones – without G.G. there would be no Chainsaw President ….

’The truth is I never left you, All through my wild days, My mad existence, I kept my promise, So keep your distance.’’ – now read on!

Viva La Revolution – Black Bombers (Easy Action)

Yeah, alright, it took a little while to get to me.

And yeah, by now you've heard they've broken up.

Which, if there were any justice in the world, would've been more worthy of a spot on the ABC than that meeting between two psychopath grifters in New York a couple of weeks back. 

(Sorry? well, one of them was on trial and spouting lies and misinformation every time he turned up, and the other is yet to be on trial but absolutely should be but hey. She'll be right, mate.)

Top Ten in no particular order

1. Iggy Pop – Every Loser
After the WTF-was-that-all-about of 2019’s “Free”, Iggy is back doing what Iggy does best – fronting a small combo and letting it rip.

We get a taste of most of Iggy’s personas, including the punk god to the dodgy philosopher to the Sinatra-influenced sleazebag. Standout tracks, well, pretty much all of them, but “Strung Out Johnny” turned into an earworm that went for weeks.

At 76, he still shows that he’s got plenty to offer and plenty to say and this would be a fitting record for him to go out on. Compare it to the doggerel the Stones put out recently. Sir Michael sounds like he’s singing through a vocoder FFS. 

Stories To Tell – The Hangmen (Acetate Records)

There’s a timeless quality about the music of The Hangmen that can’t be touched by many. Swagger meets roots rock on a seedy Los Angeles backstreet, they’re now up to Album Number Seven with no signs of the fire diminishing.

Formed in 1984 around singer-guitarist Bryan Small, signed by major labels (twice), they’re (yet another) American band chewed up and spat out by an industry that panders to the lowest common denominator. Always has, always will. Drugs got in the way, too. Raise a glass to little labels like L.A. imprint Acetate for giving them a home. 

Another year of almost zero fun in Sin City (if not the rest of Oz/the rest of this mortal coil/earth) for most of us/those in the lower/working class, some relief could be found through the following Top 10...

Margo Price - "Strays" album

Lucinda Williams - "Stories from a Rock-n-Roll Heart" album

Eilen Jewell - "Get Behind The Wheel" album

Lydia Loveless - "Nothing's Gonna Stand In My Way Again" album

Cable Ties - "All Her Plans" album

Leah Senior - "The Music That I Make" album

Pat Todd / Mad Macka @ Golden Barley Hotel, Sydney 

The Mezcaltones (CD launch) @ Marrickville Bowling Club, Sydney