the beasts

_{Antoine Nguyen photo.}

1. Radio Birdman - Manning Bar, Sydney
There was magic in the room that night: magic and love. Love from the audience who knew them as either family, friends, heroes, or all three. Everyone no doubt had different stories to tell but we were all there for the same reason - to bid farewell and to hear those songs played live one last time.

The songs that had formed a soundtrack to our lives. It led me to reflect on my own musical and life journey – is this really their last show? Am I heading that way too? I enjoyed being in the space and it brought back fond memories as I spent so much time in Manning Bar in the old days when I was studying at Sydney Uni with Louis Tillett. This show was so worth making the trip up to Sydney for! Great support from the Hard Ons too. Heartfelt thanks to everyone for a magnificent evening and beyond.

2. Mudhoney/Kid Congo - La Trabendo, Paris
It was a fabulous night at a cool venue in the beautiful le Parc de la Villette. I was staying in Paris and couldn’t believe my luck that two of my favourite bands would be sharing a bill. It was a stunning show, as you would expect. A crowded Mudhoney gig in Paris is much the same as one in Melbourne complete with t-shirts, leather jackets, jeans, boots, and slam-dancing, although the French seemed to have a certain je ne sais quoi about it all.

Homegrown supergroup The Beasts will play two special performances next month to celebrate their latest full-length studio release, “Ultimo” - with the prospect of more to come if drummer James Baker’s health holds up.

Melbourne (The Corner Hotel, February 21) and Sydney (Manning Bar, February 22) are the lucky cities and both gigs are expected to sell out. If you caught The Beasts last year on their national sold-out “Alive" tour you’ll know why.

The Beasts are surviving Beasts of Bourbon members James Baker, Tex Perkins, Kim Salmon, Boris Sujdovic and Charlie Owen.

The Beasts
Corner Hotel, VIC
- Feb 21
Tickets
Manning Bar, NSW
- Feb 22
Tickets

Tony Pola - drummer for Beasts of Bourbon, The Beasts and Kim Salmon and the Surrealists - passed away over the Easter weekend. His wife Katherine Pola made the announcement via  a Facebook post.

The West Australian-based drummer (pictured far right with The Surrealists), with bass player, the late Brian Hooper, and Kim Salmon had a reputation as one of Australian music’s most irascible and eccentric characters. He was a founding member of The Surrealists, as well as drummer on the Beasts of Bourbon’s “breakthrough” classic, “The Low Road”.  

Bandmate Kim Salmon has launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover the costs of Tony’s funeral. You can make a contribution here. Kim also posted a tribute online:

The term “legend” is readily applied in rock and roll it but it belonged to James Baker. Drummer, at various times, for the Hoodoo Gurus, Scientists, The Victims, Beasts of Bourbon, The Dubrovniks and The Beasts, James succumbed to cancer at home in Perth last night, aged 71.

Tributes have been flying around the Interwebs all day and two of the best come from Melbourne and Sydney. They bear repetition here.