young docteurs

Has this debut album really been three decades in arriving? The details of how and why are more than a little shrouded in mystery but what counts more is that it’s here and it delivers.

Young Docteurs materialised in Canberra in 1978 with a potent brew of punk-psych that has always been hard to categorise. They made the move to Sydney in the early ‘80s and became part of the rich tapestry of life that was Surry Hills and the Sydney Trade Union Club scene. Despite some heavyweight backing (Jeremy Oxley, Nic Dalton and Steve Kilbey were fans), they never emerged to major prominence nationally and have flashed off and on like a lighthouse in the thickening fog ever since.

“Johnny Streetlight”, that stellar album from Sydney’s best kept rock and roll secret, Chickenstones, is getting a release on vinyl, thanks to French label Basil Records. If you don't remember it coming out or want to know what the fuss is about, we reviewed it here.

To celebrate, Chickenstones will play a special show at The Music Lounge in Brookvale, Sydney, on July 21 with psych-punk veterans The Young Doctors and Thomas Keating. They'll also debut their new filmclip. Show-offs!