Producer for Klondike’s North 40, Greg Clarke, has passed away after heart trouble, aged 50.

Clarkey in the studio during the "Workhorse" sessions. Boris Jemljacenko photo

Greg was an ace sound engineer, an idiosyncratic guy who loved a chat and someone with a quirky wit and a generous soul.

A veteran of front-of-house sound, he worked with a range of acts from Billy Thorpe to Radio Birdman, from Ian Rilen to The Poor. He was sound engineer for Rose Tattoo at the time of his passing.

Greg produced the first release on I-94 Bar Records, Klondike’s North 40′s “The Straight Path” and was re-tweaking final mixes for the impending second Chris “Klondike” Masuak KN40 long-player, “Workhorse,” when he passed away. He’s survived by his wife Sarah.

Paul in action with The Rumours.

In other sad news, bass player with Mick Medew & The Rumours, Paul Hawker, has passed away after a short illness.

Paul was a founding member of the band and is credited with persuading band-leader Mick Medew to take up rock and roll again.

Paul played on the Rumours’ “All Your Love” album on I-94 Bar Records and his bandmates are devastated by his loss. Paul was a fun-loving, warm guy and much loved by all around him. He played with a number of other Brisbane bands including Suzy Loves Dik.

Funeral details will be posted when we have them.

Here it is, a resurrection. After an initial period of activity (two or three EP’s) between 1982 and 1987, this Sydney band returned to business in 2009. What a break! The turning point came when their song “Don’t Look Down” was chosen to appear (between the Screaming Tribesmen and The Eastern Dark) on the compilation Do The Pop, who proposed two CD’s of the best Oz bands from ’76 to ’87, thus drawing the attention of young ears. So the band wake up again and finally releases a first album (13 Songs For The Rodeo Grrls) edited by I-94 Bar Records, an offshoot of the famous website of the same name. Between Stooges (guitars on the edge of a continuous nervous breakdown) and Died Pretty (voice, organ), often violent, sometimes moody, Decline Of The Reptiles also reminds his comrades in arms, Visitors, Radio Birdman, the Nikki Sudden’ Jacobites or the atypical and colorful Swedes “The Royal Beat Conspiracy”. Thundering garage anthems (“Where The Action Is”) mixed roughly with hallucinated blues (“Pashupatinath Blues”) or merciless rock’n'roll attacks (“Massive Existential Wall 1 “). Obviously there’s some, here and there, 70’s guitar solos that would make them excommunicated by the next corner at punk museum vigils, and a few (two or three) songs that are more introspective, but overall, the album burns the road, full throttle, with proud influences and know-how honed from the past thirty years. I-94-bar announces a new album for Chris “Klondike” Masuak soon. – Gildas Cosperec

Emmy Etie photo of Dean and Mark.

That’s Austria, as well as Australia. Rumble Radio out of Linz in Australia gave the boys some airplay last night. They shared CD player time with the Black Keys, Scott Morgan’s Scots Pirates and Demons. You can download a copy of the show here.

Thanks to everybody who came to the launch shows at Mojo Music last Thursday and Petersham Bowling Club yesterday. The band and fans had a ball.

Over on PBS-FM around the same time, Kev Lobotomi gave “Skirt” a spin on his Rockaway Beach program, where they shared airtime with the Ramones, Gang of Four, Motorhead and Hell Crab City.

We’ll have copies selling online from this microsite over the weekend.

Don’t forget the album launches next week with shows at Mojo Music in York Street Sydney on Thursday night (a free-instore from 6.30pm) and Petersham Bowling Club on Sunday from 2pm (Reptiles are on about 6pm.)  The Mojo’s gig is a mini-set so you’ll have to go to Petersham to get the whole nine yards.

There’s a hard-edge to these songs with plenty of spectacular pyrotechnics but also a lot of depth. It’s bluesy and rocking and features killer vocals, honed by hard work on the road in Australia. Producer Greg Clarke has done a sterling job.

Artwork is in production. We’ll give you a sneak preview when it’s near launch.

Decline Of The Reptiles like their new album “13 Songs For The Rodeo Grrls” so much they’ll launch it twice. They’ll play a free in-store at Mojo Music on Thursday, February 10 – and then give you the full treatment with an extended set at Petersham Bowling Club on Sunday, February 13.

Mojo Music is at 42 York Street, Sydney, and the fun starts around 6.30pm. Bring your own refreshments.

The Petersham Bowlo gig kicks off at 3pm with supports from Soulfox Blues revue Band (featuring Ripley Hood) and Hannah Matysek. The venue is family-friendly. Cheap drinks and food – 10 bucks gets you through the door.