Interviews

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JamesWilliamson5 HeatherHarris These bloody phone interviews. If you’ve never done one, this is how it goes:

First, you notice unfamiliar terms in the email from the publicist like AEDT and CST that refer to time zones. And that excremental daylight saving kicked in two days ago. Cue frantic fiddling on the computer to make sure you’ve got the right time.

You’ve been given a choice of times - if you’re lucky. Bit awkward if you get stuck with a time when you’re at work and you have to excuse yourself to go to the bog and do an interview. Trust me, you get looks.

“Who were you cackling away to in the toilet, Robert? New … chum?”

Cue: furious blushing.

This interview was with James Williamson, the guitarist for Iggy and The Stooges, who has a new solo album, "Re-Licked" in the racks. And I got lucky on another front this time, and the nearly-threenager grandchild didn’t arrive until after I’d finished, so assorted boing noises, yowls and her squeaky voice didn’t float up into the recording.

With most "phoners"you do have a strict 20 minutes to adhere to, a weird time (in this case it’s from 8.55am to 9.15 am). But you do worry that it’s 4.30 am where the interviewee is, and he’ll be off his head on Tequila and mushies. As rock stars do.

Just 20 minutes to gain rapport and probe the poor bugger’s most intimate self? Poor bugger? He’s on the receiving end of a long line of assorted gits like me for several hours.

One minute before the appointed time, you dial a local number - with the area code prefix. A recorded message asks you to select your language. I am always very tempted to fuck with this but have so far refrained. One day I’ll select Croat or Bulgarian or Tig or something.

Details: By Robert Brokenmouth; 21 October 2014; Hits: 9438

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9.4k views

real-kids-2014

John Felice is one of rock’n’roll’s unsung heroes. A founding member of the Modern Lovers at the age of 15, he quit the band before the sessions that resulted in their classic album, and was subsequently written out of the history of one of the most influential bands of the ‘70s.

The band he left to form, the Kids, made some local waves but ultimately went nowhere, pretty much coming to an end when he went off to New York to audition for the Heartbreakers - a job he turned down.

Back in Boston, he formed the Real Kids, and finally wrote his own chapter in rock’n’roll history with an album for Marty Thau’s Red Star label that goes down as one of the greatest ever – a perfect blend of Eddie Cochran, the early Stones and the Velvet Underground, with killer tunes, energy and feel, and some of the most honest and affecting lyrics ever put to music.

Details: By David Laing; 20 August 2014; Hits: 17764

4 comments

17.7k views

dick-wagner-wide

The recent passing of legendary American guitarist Dick Wagner is as good an excuse as any to look back on his long and incredible career. Philadelphia-based record label head, manager, writer and all-round music maven Geoff Ginsberg conducted a landmark I-94 Bar interview with Dick in 1999. It's reprised below. - The Barman

Details: By Geoff Ginberg; 08 August 2014; Hits: 14211

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14.2k views

_{Loose Pills (fron left) Stu Wilson, Matt Galvin, Ryan Ellsmore and Bill Gibson}

Remember when ‘super groups’ played ‘pop music’ that rocked? Yes, both terms have been bludgeoned into redundancy but Sydney’s Loose Pills are doing their level best to re-introduce some relevance.

The membership should be enough to make you prick up your ears - New Christs, The Eastern Dark, Lemonheads, Orange Humble Band, The Scruffs (the Aussie edition), Pyramidiacs and too many more to mention dot the collective history. The debut album, “Rx”, seals the deal with a dose of raucous guitars, powerful dynamics and pop smarts.

We spoke to singer-guitarist Ryan Ellsmore to get the lowdown and what makes a great Heavy Pop record.

Details: By The Barman; 28 July 2014; Hits: 9705

1 comment

9.7k views

screamin at home

One of the lesser-known musical pleasures in Australian over the last decade has been the quirky garage sound of the Hekawis, a fuzz-and-organ-driven combo prominent on the Brisbane and Melbourne underground music scenes. Churning out release after release, partly via the then prolific Courdroy label (who happened to own the country's sole vinyl pressing machine for a period in the '90s), the Hekawis pushed all the usual '50s and '60s buttons but came up with a sound unlike any other of their ilk.

Details: By The Barman; 20 July 2014; Hits: 8912

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8.9k views

_{Rick Chesshire cartoon}

January 27, 2008 - If the impending (2008) return to live performance by premier Detroit art-punk chanteuse Niagara isn't enough to get you excited, you're browsing the wrong website or you're a cadaver.

Details: By The Barman; 26 April 2014; Hits: 13002

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13k views

trav-n-rich-awesome

If there's one recent (i.e. it came out in late 2009 and is still being spun) Australian album that merits robbing a bank, mugging your neighbour or running down to Cash Converters and pawning your partner so you can purchase a copy, it's "Living With You Is Killing Me" by Brisbane band HITS.

Details: By The Barman; 11 April 2014; Hits: 9723

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9.7k views

JamesWilliamsonSingle1ART The Golden Age of Iggy and The Stooges continues unabated. With the band on indefinite hiatus, “Raw Power” era guitarist James Williamson is shining new light on a batch of mostly unreleased or never-properly-recorded gems from the band’s back-pages.

Details: By The Barman; 09 April 2014; Hits: 14857

2 comments

14.8k views

andy-solo Proto-punk legends The Dictators have a Best Of compilation "Faster...Louder: The Dictators Best 1975-2001" out on Australian label Raven. Compiler Ian McFarlane spoke to Andy Shernoff, bass-player/keyboardist for The Dictators, in January 2014. Here's the full interview.

Details: By Ian McFarlane; 30 March 2014; Hits: 12606

1 comment

12.6k views

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The Living Eye

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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
Ticket s
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
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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
20 - The Tote NEW SHOW ON SALE NOW
21 - The Tote w/ Fancy Weapon & Lewis Hodgson
SOLD OUT!
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
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I-94 Bar presents
"Psychotic Turnbuckles
Festive Spectacular"
Psychotic Turnbuckles
+ The Dark Clouds
+ The Sugar Beats
Marrickville Bowlo. NSW
- Dec 13
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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