This should shake your winter blues

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By The Barman

The Barman

29 June 2025

Hits: 98

• chris masuak
• australian tour 2025

You'll be Spitting Chips if you miss this

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By The Barman

The Barman

28 June 2025

Hits: 126

• cosmic psychos
• marrickville bowling club
• spitting chips
• the sugar beats

Craic is a cracking good read

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By The Barman

The Barman

26 June 2025

Hits: 818

Craic As It Happened
By John Foy
(Past Present Future/Skull Printworks)

Tis the season for confessional show-and-tell Australian music books. Journalist Stuart Coupe had a shot with the entertaining “Shake Some Action”, and then underground label head-turned- mainstream industry publishing chief, Roger Grierson, gave us the rollicking “Lowbrow”. Now it’s John Foy’s turn.

Foy spent many years as a behind-the-scenes operative in the febrile underbelly of the Australian underground music scene. He kicked off in retail, made a mark as a poster designer and then became the driving force behind the Redeye and Blackeye record labels.

Like his mate Roger Grierson, he’s never been a household name, but if you bought or heard a record by Beasts of Bourbon, The Clouds, Deniz Tek, The Crystal Set, The Cruel Sea, Kim Salmon and The Surrealists and even Radio Birdman in the mid ‘80s or early ‘90s, you entered his orbit. Redeye gave the bands wide distribution via a hook-up with the multi-national Polygram/Phonogram major label operation.

• john foy
• redeye records
• craic as it happened
• skull printworks

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The Blues had a baby

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By The Barman

The Barman

26 June 2025

Hits: 768

Blues Portrait: A Profile of The Australian Blues Scene Volume 5
By Pauline Bailey (Pauline Baileyu Art)

You could call Melbourne visual artist and author Pauline Bailey a “blues preacher” but James Blood Ulmer got there first with an album title. “Blues evangelist” works better anyway.

Pauline’s been self-publishing this series of soft cover “Blues Portrait” books since 2019 but the title is a misnomer. “Blues” is a tag in such broad use that it’s slipped its shackles almost to the point of redundancy. It means many things to most people.

The Blues were born into impoverished and downtrodden circumstances but are better characterised as a feeling than a school of academic thought. As the author points out, there’s traditional blues and there’s music that’s been influenced by the blues, Her books span both.

• pauline bailey
• volume 5
• blues portrait

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Charlie Owen brings his Search to NSW and Canberra

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By The Barman

The Barman

24 June 2025

Hits: 1320

Charlie Owen’s solo shows under the “Searching for Charlie Owen” banner have attracted full houses and warm reviews.

Long considered “a guitarist’s guitarist”, the music and spoken words sets have taken audiences backstage via Charlie’s warm, funny and sometimes sad reflections on the people he’s met and played with.

The multi-instrumentalist is doing it all again in August with select shows in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

From his influential work with Tex Don and Charlie, Beasts of Bourbon, The Beasts and the “Distemper” period New Christs to collaborations with Louis Tillett, Paul Kelly, Tendrils and Working Class Ringos. Charlie has consistently pushed the boundaries of his craft whilst captivating audiences with his ferocious and at times tender performances.

With a career spanning four decades there are a lot of back pages to explore.  "Finding Charlie Owen" is proudly presented by i94bar.com and Soundpressing Records.

Friday, August 1
with White Knuckle Fever
Smiths Alternative, Canberra
Tickets: smithsalternative.com

Saturday, August 2
with Dave Favours & The Roadside Ashes
& Sam Shinazzi (solo)
Petersham Bowling Club, Sydney
Tickets: humantix.com

Sunday, August 3
with The Howlin’ Rats
Link & Pin, Woy Woy - 2pm
Tickets: oztix.com.au

• beasts of bourbon
• new christs
• charlie owen
• louis tillett
• link and pin
• petersham bowling club
• searching for Charlie owen
• smiths alternative

The sun still shines on The Breadmakers

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By The Barman

The Barman

21 June 2025

Hits: 1418

Lonesome Sundown – The Breadmakers (Soundflat)

“Lonesome Sundown” is the ninth album for Australian rhythm ‘n’ blues ravers The Breadmakers and if you’re reading this outside Melbourne, Japan or Europe, you’ve probably never heard of them.

The Breadmakers have their origins in Victorian bands like Shutdown66, Cracked Jaffers and The Puritans and if there was a trademark available on the word “retro” they’d have dibs on it. They’ve been cranking up their valve amps to celebrate the roots of R ‘n’ B since 1989.

It’s not as if they haven’t done their share of touring, visiting Europe and Japan and well as most Australian capitals, but in these times of bands finding it hard to make ends meet when they go on the road, they’re stop at home types these days. “Lonesome Sundown” is on German label Soundflat so the international profile is there for those in the know. But these guys should be household names.

• the breadmakers
• lonesome sundown

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"Roads, Stars" makes a fitting addition to the Asteroid-B612 catalogue

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By The Barman

The Barman

19 June 2025

Hits: 1429

Roads, Stars – Asteroid B612 (Golden Robot)

The appearance of a new Asteroid B-612 studio album a full two-and-a-half decades after they were a going concern is a risky move, by any measure.

They didn’t tour much outside of the Sydney-Melbourne axis (except when they went to the USA) but if you saw Asteroid B612 live they left a lasting impression. Once they found their sound and came to grips with the studio, their records did, too. Over the years, Asteroids  established a loyal fanbase, mainly in Europe. 

The good news is that “Roads, Stars” works as a rock and roll record. It’s a fitting epitaph to the memory of late bass player Scott Nash.

• asteroid b612
• golden robot
• Scott Nash
• roads, stars

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Nursery Crimes return to Adelaide after 35 years

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By The Barman

The Barman

15 June 2025

Hits: 1002

Who says South Australia gets overlooked? Reconstituted Melbourne hardcore steamrollers Nursery Crimes will play their first Adelaide shows in 35 years next weekend.

Friday June 20 they’ll be at The Metro Hotel with Chainsaw Preachers and Fear and Loathing. Tickets are here.

The action moves to Port Noarlunga Football Club on Saturday with special guests The Skunks, Cull the Band, The Dandy Buzzkills and punk rock DJ LeRox. Tickets are procurable here.

• fear and loathing
• cull the band
• nursery crimes
• the skunks

After 40 years, X's Steve Lucas wants to be At Home With You again, Sydney

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By The Barman

The Barman

11 June 2025

Hits: 1166

Flashback to 1984: Seminal Sydney band X finally made it back into the studio to make a follow-up to their classic debut album "X-Aspirations". The end result - featuring the line-up above of Ian Rilen (RIP), Cathy Green and Steve Lucas - became another classic Australian album, "At Home With You", and tThis year marks the 40th anniversary of this iconic release.

Steve Lucas will be bringing the music of X to Sydney for one show only on August 23 to celebrate this event and launch a limited vinyl edition of this groundbreaking release. This also coincides with the 45th anniversary of X-Aspirations, said to be one of the most important recordings in Australia's rmusic industry!

Special guests for this night of nights are Tantichrist and To Be Human and tickets are here.

• steve lucas
• petersham bowling club
• at home with you