Sydney Northern Beaches-based ambassadors for rock and roll, The Overtones, have scored a coup by landing themselves a spot on the Meatstock barbecue festival at Olympic Park this Saturday.
Always making the most of any opportunities - and playing in front of 5000 people has to qualify as one – The Overtones will use their 3pm spot to launch their debut album.
They’re playing with The Beards, Snowdroppers, Henry Wagons and Blind Ray but too bad if you want a ticket – the first day of the all-weekend event has sold out.
To those who witnessed Ed Kuepper’s live shows last year in which he first aired this new crop of songs, we were set afloat in a dimly-set world and intimate setting.
Ed was sitting on his throne; his approach was self-absorbed, ambient and ethereal, yet focused. With the odd Scotch on the rocks being downed, Kuepper was in fine form.
Want to know what the classic line-up of Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers sounded like live? Most of us missed them the first time around and with three of them no longer with us there’s no chance whatsoever of them reforming - at least in this life.
So you’ll just have to settle for listening to “Live At The Village Gate”.
Glad you asked.
“Live At The Village Gate” is a newly-minted album on Los Angeles label Cleopatra Records. It’s out on LP and CD. It was recorded at the legendary jazz venue, The Village Gate, in New York City in 1977. Our review is here.
To many ears, it represents the ultimate recording of the infamous Heartbreakers at their highest peak. No slop, no pop. Pure power and energy that’s powerful enough to level a New York City block. It captures the notoriously drug-addled quartet in clear-eyed form and totally on their game. Out to impress and definitely Down To Kill.
Radio Birdman's 2015 European tour made enough successful noise for them to gain spots this coming June on several European festivals, most notably Spain's Azkena Rock Festival and Belgium's Sjock Festival.
The impact of their sold-out London show was such that they have been invited back to the UK with Manchester and Leeds added onto the itinerary and several other shows being slated.
The good news for Australian fans is that prior to their return to Europe, the band will play a limited number of local shows over the first two weekends of June. These are expected to be the band's only Australian shows for 2016.
Tickets go on sale Monday, 1st February from 12PM AEDT:
RADIO BIRDMAN
AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Friday, 3rd June 2016
The Factory, Sydney NSW
Tix: http://bit.ly/1JDGYd7
Saturday, 4th June 2016
The Triffid, Brisbane QLD
Tix: http://tickets.oztix.com.au/?Event=59587
Tix: http://tickets.thetriffid.com.au/?Event=59587
Friday, 10th June 2016
The Brisbane Hotel, Hobart TAS
Tix: http://brisbanehotel.oztix.com.au/?eventId=59552
Tix: http://tickets.oztix.com.au/?eventId=59552
Saturday, 11th June 2016
Max Watts, Melbourne VIC
Tix: www.maxwatts.com.au or 1300 724 867 or www.oztix.com.au
Sunday, 12th June 2016
The Gov, Adelaide SA
Tix: http://thegov.oztix.com.au/?Event=59520
Here we have Javier Escovedo's new release, "Kicked out of Eden", courtesy of Saustex Records in San Antonio, Texas, and it's a good one.
We probably all know Javier from his work with The Zeros and The True Believers. He co-founded The Zeros (the so-called “Mexican Ramones”) and was a leading light in the West Coast punk scene. Surprisingly, "Kicked Out of Eden" is only his second solo recording.
Here’s the exclusive debut of “Cheer Squad”, a non-album digital-only single and taster on Conquest of Noise for Leadfinger’s forthcoming album “Friday Night Heroes”.
“Cheer Squad”is a high-energy bolt from the zeitgeist...it's a song about social media and not fitting in with the crowd, with an attitude that harks back to the ‘70s punk era. “Cheer Squad” is backed up by “The Man I Used to Be”, from the upcoming album. Buy and download the single over the next month and you’ll also get an amazing non-album bonus track called Three Brothers. Three great songs for $A4 and they’re all available here.
Leadfinger will play "Cheer Squad" this Friday night at an I-94 Bar show at Sydney's Marrickville Bowling Club with special guests Simon Chainsaw (with an all-star band of ex-New Christs, Hell Crab City and Filth members) and the garage groove of The Escapes.
I’ve played this CD several times since I received it, and the reason it gets only three bottles is that while it’s really good, it just doesn’t seem to get up and grab me. Maybe that’s me, maybe that’s the production, or the recording on the day. Call me a bastard, feel free, but to me the pace seems just a little too slow, lacking in attack… or something. I can’t quite nail it.
It seems that the imperative a band like this should have has not come out. This happens far too often with recordings (several favourite Adelaide bands who I absolutely loved have released CDs and LPs which seem sheepish rather than roar like a bull buffalo in Kakadu; the worst part is, when a band know the record isn’t up to snuff, they know it and feel bad. The next step should be to determine to do better next time).
Credit: Barry C Douglas (Barry Takes Photos)
Zurich-based Henry Hugo has been in Melbourne for a few weeks, playing with a variety of Melbourne talent so glittering it fairly takes your breath away. I believe there might be a couple more gigs to come, so I suggest you get your hat and coat and wallet and get out the door right now.
Before I go on, I missed opening act the St Morris Sinners. I have heard endless good things about them and I must catch them soon. But it wasn’t to be tonight.
Listen up, punks and noiseniks: The Canadian band’s fifth album in 17 years is inarguably their best. It rocks like fuck; It scratches like a rabid kitten. It’s tuneful and noisily offensive at the same time. All of which should tell you something about The Ex-Boyfriends even if you’ve never heard of them.
The Ex-Boyfriends come from Calgary and I’m willing to bet they’re the best-in-breed in that neck of the woods. If Calgary’s music scene is half as fractured as anywhere else, it takes a lot of balls to be a rock and roll band. Big ones if you play noisy punk rock. Shamefully, I’d forgotten they were around until a notice about this heavy-diuty chunk of vinyl landed in the post box.
Page 244 of 303
Asteroid B612
Australian Tour
NOV
14 - The John Curtin Hotel, Carlton VIC
The Cha Cha Chas
Back in Oz Australian Tour
NOV
15 – The Gem
+ The Breadmakers
w/ The Fadeaways (JP) +) DJ King O.P.P + Mystery band
16 - TBA, VIC
22 - The Drunken Poet, VIC
(9pm - 2 Sets)
The Johnnys
+ The Mick Medew & Ursula 4
+ Scrambler
Mos's Desert Clubhouse, Burleigh Heads
- Nov 28
Tickets
The Soft ‘n’ Sexy Sound Tour
Dave Graney and the Coral Snakes
NOV
13 - King Street Bandroom, Newcastle
Tickets
14 - Avoca Beach Theatre NSW
Tickets
15 - The Lounge, Chatswood NSW
Tickets
16 - Dangar Island Bowlo NSW (matinee)
Tickets
21 - The Gov, Adelaide SA
Tickets
28 - Royal Oak, Launceston TAS
Tickets
29 - The Pier, Ulverstone TAS
Tickets
30 - Longley International Hotel, Longley TAS
Tickets
The Saints ’73-’78
North America and Europe
NOV
11 - Chicago, IL – Metro
13 - Toronto, ON - The Phoenix Concert Theatre
14 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
15 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
16 - Washington, DC - Union Stage
21 - Bristol - Trinity Community Arts
22 - Leeds - Project House
23 - Glasgow - The Garage
24 - Manchester – Academy
26 - London - Electric Ballroom
28 - Stockholm - Debaser
29 - Malmo - Plan B
30 - Berlin - Astra
Tickets
Toody Cole and Her Band
Australian Tour
NOV
21 - The Tote w/ Fancy Weapon & Lewis Hodgson
22- Theatre Royal, Castlemaine w/ The Gnomes
23 - Social Club, Balnarring w/ The Miffs
Tickets
Punkest, Lockdown, Renegade Playground & 4ZZZ present
GIG CITY
Custard + The Johnnys
+ Gazoonga Attack
+ Monster Zoku Onsomb! + Dad Fight
+ Mark N [Bloody Fist Rec.] + The Disables
+ Combat Wombat + Paul Abad + Fat
+ Viper Snatch + Mitch Please + Gurridyula
+ Coral Outcrops Half Star Band + The Distained
+ The Stress of Leisure + Kunt
+ Red Devotchkin + Evil Dick Industries
+ Strange Stains
The Brightside, Brisbane
- Nov 29 from 3pm
Tickets
I-94 Bar presents
"Psychotic Turnbuckles
Festive Spectacular"
Psychotic Turnbuckles
+ The Dark Clouds
+ The Sugar Beats
Marrickville Bowlo. NSW
- Dec 13
Tickets
Cosmic Psychos
"I Really Like Beer Tour"
NOV
7 — Singing Bird, Frankston, VIC
8 — Theatre Royal, Castlemaine, VIC
9 — Corner Hotel, Melbourne, VIC
12 — UC Hub, Canberra, ACT
13 — Uni Bar, Wollongong, NSW
14 — Crowbar, Sydney, NSW
15 — King Street Bandroom, Newcastle, NSW
19 — Racehorse Hotel, Ipswich, QLD
20 — Vinnies Dive Bar, Gold Coast, QLD
21 — Solbar, Maroochydore, QLD
22 — Crowbar, Brisbane, QLD
23 — Bangalow Bowlo, Bangalow, NSW
26 — The River, Margaret River, WA
27 — Rosemount Hotel, Perth, WA28 — Indian Ocean Hotel, Scarborough, WA
29 — Queenscliff Music Festival, Queenscliff, VIC
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
PO Box 334
Oatley NSW
2223 Australia
Get in touch: barman@i94bar.com
