Canberra label Vicious Kitten is releasing a previously unheard 1991 live album by Hitmen DTK with special guest Deniz Tek of Radio Birdman this week.

“Tonight We Ride: Official Bootleg Live in Sydney November 13 1991” is a warts and all recording from a Sydney show at lost venue Toucan Tango. Tek guested to promote the “Moronic Inferno” album by Hitmen DTK that he’d participated on.

Swedish high energy rock 'n' roll legends The Hellacopters have released a documentary called "Let's Talk Grande Rock Revisited" to accompany the re-tooled (as in remixed and remastered) double album “Grande Rock Revisited”. 

The doco, directed by Emil Klinta, shows original members Nicke, Robert, Boba and Dregen talking about the idea behind the revisited version of their classic record Grande Rock from 1999, and why they decided to release this new version as a double album.

"Grande Rock” hasn't been available to purchase on vinyl for more than 20 years. This new edition is available as 2LP, 2CD and digital edition all of which contain both the remastered original album as well as a revisited and remixed version with additional guitars by Dregen, plus additional percussion and piano and new backing vocal tracks. 

Just like the original release back in 1999, the vinyl edition exclusively features the Venom cover "Angel Dust" as a bonus track. It’s available via the Nuclear Blast label.

 Crush On You – Smalltown Tigers (Area Pirata)

You like guitars, all-girl bands and anthems? Smalltown Tigers are The Donnas without major hype or The Runaways with songs. That’s 99 percent of what you need to know, right there. What’s not to like about the debut album by this Italian rock trio?

Italian bands? I’ve heard some shitty ones. Likes lot of Europe, rock and roll struggles to retain a grip on audiences in Italy, and the cookie cutter approach abounds, not to mention some uninspired DIY production. Many Italian bands don’t and can’t rock.  

Trashcan Sunrise – Thee Windom Earles (Earlesworld)
The packet says: “Trash Garage. Sleaze Surf. Greasy Rockabilly” and sure ‘nuff it ain’t no lie. 

Two guitars, drums and bass and keys; it’s not a departure from the familiar for veteran garage freaks, but Thee Windom Earles do it so damn well and with a shitload of energy. This is a band that has obviously earned its “Thee” in a myriad of parties, pubs, dungeons and booze-soaked boltholes. 

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. 

Is it really the last yeah hup? Radio Birdman has added a third and final hometown show to the June-July "Birdman 5-O" farewell tour after two dates at Sydney's Manning Bar sold out.

In a statement today, the band said: 

"Due to overwhelming demand, there will be one extra Sydney concert on Sunday 7 July to accommodate those who were unable to get tickets to the previously scheduled Sydney concerts. The RB50 tour has been limited to just eight dates due to personal factors.

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.