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don bartley

  • hook down easyFor every band that “makes it” there are hundreds, if not thousands, that never get past thefringes of a scene. Sydney’s Hunchbacks were one of the many runners-up in the mid ‘90s. Despite patronage from the likes of Asteroid B612 (whose main man John Spittles produced them), they never cracked the big(ger) leagues. 

    That the hard blues edge of The Hunchbacks is apparent on The Fringe Dwellers’ debut album “Hook Down Easy” should be no surprise: Vocalist Carl Ekman (on bass) and guitarist John South from that band are leading lights. They’re joined by sometime I-94 Bar scribe Simon Li (drums) and Damien Smith (vocals and guitar.)

    The sound of “Hook Down Easy” drips Sydney’s underground music scene circa 1986. It’s in the driving, hard-edged sound and sparring guitars that do it. That’s where the band’s roots are and there’s no escaping them. I’m guessing that won’t be a drawback for many reading this. 

  • taking a rideTaking a Ride - The Chordites (Swashbuckling Hobo)

    This ride’s got a lot of everything. Pop-punk, power pop and grimy garage rock spring from the 10-song vinyl LP like water from a leaky radiator. 

    It’s a self-assured effort from a crew of Brisbane players who - to milk the travelling metaphor - have a bit of mileage on their clocks, doing duty in bands such as the Dolls-meet-the-Groovies Subsonic Barflies,Half a Cow popsters Daisygrinder and '80s punks Death of a Nun.

    That’s a diverse background, so It may have been tempting to make a record with a side of pop and another of the rougher stuff. I have a feeling that such a contrived approach would have been too predictable for The Chordites.

  • Ex-Thought Criminals

  • Sydney Sunday Long Weekend Session!

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The Living Eye


Right eye
I-94 Bar presents
"You Only Think Twice
An Afternoon With Kit Identity"
Kit Identity 
(Bruce Warner ex-Thought Criminals) 
+ Rubber Necker 
(playing middle set)
Wiz & The Trailler Trash Boys
MoshPit Bar, Enmore, NSW
- May 26
(2-5pm)

I-94 Bar presents
Psychotic Turnbuckles 
“40 Years Undefeated”
+ Starcrazy + The Vibrajets
The Tote, Melbourne
- June 29
Tix
+ The Fadeaways (JPN)
+ Bahne Super-Flex 
+ The Strike-Outs
The Crowbar, Sydney
- July 13
Tix
+ The Dangermen
+ The Busymen
The Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
- Sept 7
Tix


Radio Birdman
“Birdman 5-O!”
JUNE
+ Civic
21 – Croxton Bandroom, VIC
22 – Croxton Bandroom, VIC
23 – The Gov, Adelaide
+ TBA
28 – The Triffid, Brisbane
29 – The Triffid, Brisbane
+ HITS
JULY
5 – Manning Bar, Sydney  - SOLD OUT
6 – Manning Bar, Sydney  - SOLD OUT
7 – Manning Bar, Sydney
+ Hard-Ons

The Fadeaways
Australian Tour
JULY
Thu 11- Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine. VIC
Fri 12 – The Tote, Collingwood, VIC
Sat 13 – The Crowbar, Leichhardt, NSW
(w/ Psychotic Turnbuckles) 
Sun 14 – MoshPit Bar, Enmore, NSW
(+ Jupiter 5)

The Stems
40th Anniversary Australian Tour
AUG
+ The Prize
23 - Theatre Royal, Castlemaine. VIC
+ The Prize
24 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
+ Romana Ashton & The Reeds
25 – The Gov, Adelaide
+ Ups & Downs
30 – Mansfield Tavern, Brisbane
+ New Christs
31 – Manning Bar, Sydney
SEP 
+ The Rhinehearts
+ Vancool
5 – Freo Social, Fremantle
Tickets here

Buzzocks Australian Tour
OCT
25 - Brisbane - The Triffid
26 - Adelaide - The Gov
27 - Fremantle - Metropolis
31 - Newcastle - King St Bandroom
NOV
1 - Sydney - Metro Theatre
2 - Melb - Northcote Theatre
3 - Lorne - Lorne Theatre
4 – Castlemaine - Theatre Royal
Tix

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