I-94 BAR TOP TENS

Record company honcho

ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC, ANY OLD WAY YOU CHOOSE IT…

Hot Knives/Young Modern/Screaming Tribesmen
Thrilled to release these three bands on my momentarily re-actived Grown Up Wrong! label. Young Modern were named Australia’s first power pop band in Bomp! mag in ’79, which is when I
discovered them via a Stuart Coupe piece in RAM. I always hear a bit of ‘Loaded’-period Velvets in these guys, alongside Beatles, Byrds, Stones etc, so I don’t really see them as power pop, just a great, light, tight, melodic rock band. This live recording from 2010 is fantastic.

Hot Knives on the other hand were a Flamin’ Groovies offshoot who released two 45′s in ’76 and left behind an unreleased album that I got wind of via an online Roy Loney interview and which Jud Cost found for me. Releasing this was of course a huge thrill, and it’s a great great record – ’60s Frisco folk-rock with Groovies energy.

The Tribesmen of course were a band I saw countless times from ’84-87 or so, and one of my favourites of the era. Alas I missed their shows this year, but the ‘Date With A Vampyre/Top of the Town’ cd especially is full of great tunes, including some fantastic live covers that really capture what their  shows were like back in the days. Another not-quite power pop band, the Tribesmen in their prime were just a great high energy rock’n'roll band with great tunes and glorious guitars.

Decline of the Reptiles
One reforming band I fortunately did not miss, the Reptiles Melbourne show mid year was fantastic and better than I remember them ever being, as was their new album ’13 Songs for the Rodeo
Girls’. Soulful, powerful, smart and individual, and loaded with great songs.

P.G. Six ‘Starry Mind’
A recent discovery for me although they’ve release a bunch of stuff over the years, this US band reminds me here of Television with a pronounced UK folk-rock influence, or maybe some of the
late-period Peter Laughner stuff.

Iggy & The Stooges
Maybe because I hadn’t hyped myself up with ridiculous anticipation, or maybe because the Williamson material somehow felt more legitimate in the hands of a bunch of old guys than the
earlier more open and of-the-moment stuff, I enjoyed this more than the Ron show here some years back. The new live DVD is incredible too.

MC5/Primal Scream ‘Black To Comm’ Double CD+DVD
Way better than it had any right to be, the MC5 stuff here, with current Alice in Chains vocalist William DuVall nailing a perfect Rob Tyner (DuVall used to sing for apparently Blag Flag-influenced SST band B’last, so maybe we should forget about the Alice in Chains connection) captures the band’s ‘High Time’ vibe wonderfully. Wayne Kramer’s guitar tone is perfect too - not heavy, but beautifully
coloured.

Dave Davies ‘Hidden Treasures’
A real revelation for me, especially as late ’60s Kinks is only something I’ve really started investigating. The approximation of what Dave’s proposed at the time solo album was meant to be is fantastic, and new to me songs like This Man He Weeps Tonight and Mindless Child of Motherhood add a new dimension to the distinct and wonderfully organic sound that was the Kinks of the period.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band ‘Live at the Main Point 1975′
Semi-legit issue of oft-booted radio broadcast with magnificent sound. This is Springsteen pre-Born To Run, still doing a bit of what John Sinclair accurately described as rock’n'roll music
theatre or somesuch, but still sounding real and exciting all the same. All the originals sounds better than the studio versions, and the rare cover of Dylan’s I Want You is pretty special.

Chris Altman/Van Walker
Leading lights of Melbourne’s roots/country/folk scene. Chris’ great 2010 album was great long-haired country rock a la Grateful Dead ‘American Beauty’ and Doug Sahm, and I finally got to see him and his band Que Pasa (complete with Huxton Creeper Paul Thomas on pedal steel)  play when they did their farewell show mid-year (Chis has moved to Canada). They were great. His song The Other Side of the Moutain is an absolute, bone fide classic country rock song. Van is more of a folk-rocker is a Paul Kelly vein – when he’s not rocking hard with the Swedish Magazines or doing a Tom Petty/Big Star guitar pop thing with the Livingstone Daisies that is. His ‘Underneath the Radar’ collection was a great summation of his solo career to date.

Rocket From the Tombs ‘Barfly’
One of the best reformation albums by anybody. Maybe a disappointment after last year’s great I Sell Soul 45 – my favourite thing here – but still great. Cheetah Chrome and Richard Lloyd are a dream team on guitars.

Ron S Peno & The Superstitions
I figure most folks reading this now how great ’Future Universe’ is. The live show is fantastic as well. Ron couldn’t have found himself a better band.

Straight Arrows/Royal Headache/Frowning Clouds
I’m finally getting hip to some of the great YOUNG Australian bands around at the moment. Sydney seems to have a fantastic scene – for the first time since the mid-80s maybe? – and
the SA’s and Royal Headache are leading it. Their respective albums – the Straight Arrows from last year and Royal Headache’s much lauded one form this year – are both really good. Likewise the new generation in Melbourne – there’s some good stuff going on in the wake of Eddy Current, and, in the Frowning Clouds, maybe the best ultra-primitive garage band since the very early Bo-weevils.

Rockpile – “Live At Montreux 1980″
The first ever official live album from Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe’s late 70′s sledgehammer rock’n'roll group sounds at times like the Everly Bros on a diet of Sex Pistols and Thin Lizzy.

Daddy Cool ‘Daddy Who? Daddy Cool”
Fucking Sony could’ve made it a bit more special given it’s never actually been on CD before, but it’s still perfect as it is. Pure rock’n'roll mania from a band that Kim Fowley loved and most Australian rock’n'roll fans have not paid enough attention to.

‘The Fame Studios Story 1961-73′
Unbelievable 3cd of great Southern Soul. OTis Redding, Clarence Carter, Etta James, Candi Staton, the Osmonds’ Jackson 5 soundalike ‘One Bad Apple’, and plenty of Dan Penn tunes. Which means I’m also loving ‘Sweet Inspiration: The Songs of Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham’.

DMZ -’Radio Demos’
Amazing collection of early demos; maybe the best DMZ stuff out there. Hits the right spot between the Dolls and ’Raw Power’ Stooges.

Barrence Whitfeild & The Savages ‘Savage Kings’
DMZ guitarist Peter Greenberg makes a long awaited return to Barrence’s side - new R&B album of the year hands down.

X – ‘X-Spurts’
Not as exciting as the super raw ’Live 8 July 1978′ album that Spriral Scratch released in the ’90s, but certainly the best studio representation of the pre-’X-Aspirations’ band. Which means it’s killer.

Leadfinger – ‘We Make The Music’/Chris Masuak – ‘Workhorse’/ Deniz Tek – ‘Citadel Years’
A good year for lyrical local guitar  slingers. Leadfinger’s latest lacked anything of the calibre of the stunning ‘Thin Lizzy On My Mind’ off his previous album, but was loaded with a fine and varied array of stuff. If Stew was around in the ’70s doing this sort of stuff, he’d have connected to your average Chisel fan. That’s not faint praise either. I also have the band to
thank for turning me on to a couple of great Rory Gallagher tunes in recent times too.

Klondike’s second solo effort was a ripper, and worth noting that he is covering new ground here – the majority of the songs wouldn’t fit a Hitmen or Tribesmen template.

Tek’s Citadel Years best of brought home what a great body of work the man has put together under his own name.

The Left Banke reissues on Sundazed.
First album is almost too-good-to-be-true 60′s pop perfection.

Richard Thompson BBC boxset.
Especially the early stuff with Linda, which I can never get enough of..

Old tracks recently discovered by me -

Derek & the Dominos – Phil Spector-produced 45 version of ’Tell The Truth’. Now I know why the Groovies played it live.
Powell St John – ‘The Hardest Working Man’ and ‘Song of the Silver Surfer’ – 2 tracks from the Texan folk/blues man (and occassional Elevators lyricist’s) 2009 album ‘On My Way To Houston’. The first is a Roky tune that I’ve never heard before. Killer garagey folk-rock from a true maverick, with Bill Miller of the Aliens on autoharp.

David Bowie’Growing Up’ (A Diamond Dogs outtake – Bowie covered Springsteen in ’74, who would’ve thought it?)

…and some other older stuff I’ve been digging of late -

Various things from Melbourne’s mid-late ’70s ‘Carlton’ underground. Really listening to early Skyhooks for first time in my life, unreleased demos by Spare Change and Parachute, the amazing first Dots EP, my early teen faves Sports, the Pure Shit sound track cd, Mondo Rock’s ‘Primal Park’ album (I kid ya not – sounds for the most part like a hotwired Graham Parker & The Runour without the brass) and Aztec’s forthcoming collections from the Bleeding Hearts and Eric Gradman’s Man & Machine.

Stevie Klasson ‘Don’ t Shoot The Messenger’- great album from a few years back by Swedish journeyman guitarist best known for being Johnny Thunders’ final sideman. I picked this up
for his killer cover of ‘All the Action’ by former Groovie Chris Wilson, but it’s all solid.

First couple Warren Zevon albums/Tom Verlaine first solo album/Richard Lloyd ‘The Cover Doesn’t Matter’ (why is this guys solo stuff not more highly regarded??)/Van Morrison ‘Tupelo Honey’/Equals – so many great singles!/Eddie & The Hot Rods ‘Life on The Line’ album/Graham Parker & the Rumour everything up to ‘Squeezing Out Sparks’/Beatles ‘Let It Be’/ Led Zeppelin…

Photographer at Blackshadow Photography


As 2011 draws to a close it’s time for a look back on my top ten musical moments of the year. These are in no particular order – I can’t rank them, suffice to say it was another stellar year of rock n roll in Melbourne. This was a pretty hard list to put together as it was very hard to work out who to leave out. I didn’t even get a chance to include any albums (but there were certainly some worthy contenders such as Tom Waits new one and Adalita’s solo outing).

Big Day Out
Although the temperature soared to over 40 degrees and there were the requisite idiots in attendance there were some sensational musical performances – The Stooges were hotter than the weather running through the Raw Power era tracks (with a few surprises), Grinderman, Jim Jones Revue, Children Collide and my personal highlight of the day Primal Scream.

Screaming Tribesmen at The Espy
This show brought back a heap of memories from the circa 1984 – it was an absolute cracker of a show and so good to hear such fine tunes again – I don’t think The Tribesmen have ever sounded better.

Died Pretty headlining Cherry Rock
AC/DC Lane, plenty of refreshments (liquid and otherwise) and Died Pretty playing in light rain – sublime.

Asteroid B612/Hoss at The Tote
It was great to see Asteroid B612 back on stage and blasting it out – an absolutely brilliant gig with Hoss also in fine form. It was one of those fun shows that I went and enjoyed without lugging camera gear.

Boogie
The best little music festival in the land. Held on a farm near Tallarook about an hour North of Melbourne over the Easter weekend. Musical highlights included the horror-country of Graveyard Train, the swamp blues of Tony Joe White, the Viking metal and pyrotechnics of Barbariön, the psychedelic distortion of The Laurels, the killer stoner riffage of Matt Sonic and The High Times and a classic set of covers by You Am I. The music is almost secondary at Boogie with a great relaxed atmosphere, excellent drinks and food.

Tote 30th Birthday
November saw the iconic Tote Hotel, the venue that has been the beating heart of Melbourne rock n roll for the past 30 years put on a month of shows to remember to celebrate 30 glorious years. I joined the celebrations by making it to some stellar shows by Warped, The Celibate Rifles, Black Cab and SixFtHick.

Some outside of Victoria may not be aware of the influence of The Tote, a couple of years ago the venue faced closure due to new liquor licensing laws that automatically saw live music venues classified as high risk premises – the closure of The Tote became a rallying point and led to the SLAM Rally that saw 20,000 music lovers march on Parliament House to get the liquor licensing laws changed.

Unfortunately I missed the Guitar Wolf shows – from all reports it’s a wonder the place was left standing.

Happy Birthday and here’s to many more wonderful years.

Sand Pebbles Dark Magic album launch
2011 saw the Melbourne masters of Psychedelic Rock, Sand Pebbles release their fifth album Dark Magic. Sand Pebbles really hit their groove at the Northcote Social Club; combining solid rhythms, three wigged-out psychedelic guitars that would soar before slamming home with power – special mention must go to Dave Graney who in his inimitable style almost stole the show with a guest appearance during the song Natalie where he wove a tale involving Natalie Imbruglia’s vagina, crystals and a Neighbours writer (who is also in the band).

Iron Maiden
As someone privileged to photograph a lot of concerts I get to see some great shows and some not so great shows. Every now and then I get the unexpected pleasure of a show blowing me away – this year Iron Maiden at Rod Laver Arena were my unexpected surprise band. I’ve never been a big fan of either the band or huge arena rock shows but I was blown away by Maiden – it was big, flashy and it rocked hard!

Children Collide at The Corner
I went to the Sunday night show (second of two sold-out shows) at The Corner as part of their national Loveless tour. If you get the chance this three piece are definitely worth checking out – big bass sound, songs with hooks and plenty of guitar mayhem. I was also pretty impressed by the support acts for the evening, DZ Deathray and Damn Terran, a couple of up and coming acts to keep on the radar.

Graveyard Train Halloween show
I’ve seen these guys a bit over the past couple of years, while the horror/country image may sound like some cheesy schtick, it’s not. But it is catchy, dirty, rhythmic tunes performed with excellent stage presence. It was excellent to see them in in full make up out front of a full Forum Theatre with a Children of the Corn type backdrop and a huge scarecrow. Fun times indeed.

Drink of the year
Mt Gay Extra Old Rum.

Cool Charmers Guitarist and way too infrequent I-94Bar contributor (my fault)

My list of fave raves for 2011 (I’m sure I’ve left something out??) and these are not in order.

The Victims Sleeping Dog Die LP
Way cool Official Japanese only LP/CD. Side 1 is all of the officially released tracks sounding pretty darn solid, Side 2 is a never before live in the studio session proving those 7”’s were not flukes.
Great to get a lyric sheet as well (James Baker was the Dylan of his generation). It’s expensive though (flimsy paper cover to) but you do get a free badge.

Modern Family DVD series 2.
Great comedy series. The Seinfeld for today’s generation.

Huxton Creepers reunion.
Looking a very slight tad older (unlike the rest of us) but sounding no different to days long gone. Great classic songs that are timeless (why weren’t these guys as big
as The Gurus??)

Cool Charmers.
My post-degenerate music combo, every gig a blast (except maybe the last one). Must get our album out in 2012.

Sydney Trade Union Club Reunion. Drop Bears / Spectres Revenge / Samurai Trash.
Always great seeing bands and folks from another lifetime. The Drop Bears songs were sounding much better live than the over-produced records.  Big fun re-uniting with my ’80s band Spectres Revenge (with guest spot from Chris Flynn from Dubrovniks / Headstones)

New York Dolls at The Manning Bar, Sydney.
Hey, I am as much a cynic as thee, but this was a great gig. What’s in a name anyway??? I was there to see Johansen, Sylvain and new-uns playing those great songs – which they delivered in fine style.

Dogs in Space DVD reissue.
I always liked this movie, took me back to the ’80s, it did. Re-packaged with a ton of great extras.

Sydney Big Day Out – Iggy and the Stooges.
I am not a fan of seeing bands in overly large football fields surrounded by 30,000 Southern Crossed-tattooed bogans but it was close as one can get in Australia to seeing this mighty band.

Screaming Tribesmen.
2 great gigs at the Sandringham Hotel. Nothing has changed with this band except maybe a extra shot of enthusiasm (via having not played in over a decade or two).Yeah hup to Mick,
Bob, Klondike and Warwick for getting together against the odds and playing those great songs again and salute to the folks that brought it all together = Barman, Rossy, Alison and Zombie Dog.

Harvey James memorial show with Sherbet.
I have always had a soft spot for Sherbet; they had a stack of great 1970s pop songs which sadly only got as far as our dear country. Tragically later day guitarist Harvey James who this benefit show was originally planned for passed away mere weeks prior to the gig , a memorial it became and Sherbet with guest musicians played for one final time . An era has ended.

International Swingers in Sydney.
Super groups…now, there is no rhyme or reason to their quality (Cream vs. Travelling Willburys…take your pick??) International Swingers, it must be said, were a true celebration of rock ‘n’ roll. Face it, chuck Clem Burke and Glen Matlock together as a rhythm section and it’s going to be rocking solid, James Stevenson from Gen X , CHELSEA (we have the right to work !!)  and was in the Kim Wilde video clip Kids in America (yeah !!) all fronted by Gary Twinn from Supernaut and you have a bunch of dudes who know their stuff - and hey the rest of Supernaut were in the audience!

X-Spurts.
Probably my my fave release of the year. It’s taken over 35 years for this great first ever recording of X to surface.  This is REAL punk rock!  Great songs, incredible playing and attitude.

News of Black Sabbath reunion.
Hopefully they will make it to Australian (but PLEASE, not that open air Metal festival that gets cancelled …I’ve forgotten the name??). They are doing a new album and the odds are on it being a 1990s sounding lamo metal album (big drums, fake guitar sounds ..you know the story). In a perfect world they could do a new album which would sound like 1972 (which would ironically would make them sound more contemporary !!), but it won’t happen (unless producer Rick Rubin gets brave and kicks their flabby butts).

Rose Tattoo Sando.
In 2011 “Rose Tattoo” (much like the New York Dolls) are not really Rose Tattoo as we knew them. Sadly Wells, Digger, Cocks, Rilen have left this world, and guitarist Rockin Rob Riley (writer of We Can’t Be Beaten, Branded, and Scarred For Life) has had a falling -out with Australian Knight Angry Anderson. However it was a good show! Angry, with a mix of old and new members, put in a great rockin’ set.

New Christs 7 inch The Ledge / Meanwhile
First stand-alone N.C single in a while, one of the best things this band has ever done (done ever ??) .

Stooges reissues.
I’ve lost track of what actually came out this year but it was great stuff.

Alice Cooper OLD School Box.
Expensive and could have been better, but this is still a great collection of original A.C Band era unreleased recordings.

Tyranna LP.
Incredible Canadian punk combo from 1978, in the style of Avengers, Sex Pistols etc . Great songs and performance (which was a big ask of a lot bands from that era).

Loretta Lynn Van Lear Rose on vinyl.
Jack White-produced comeback release = fantastic heartfelt original autobiographical songs and beautiful playing. Finally re-released on vinyl.

Rainbow Rising reissue.
One of my fave 1970s hard rock LPs gets the expanded 2CD remaster treatment.

13^th Floor Elevators Music of The Spheres.
A 9 LP box set. Stereo/ mono editions, unreleased tracks plus a Live in California LP. Very nice to have although various aspects have been criticised on various chat groups.

Sloths – Makin Love
7” reissue. 60s garage great reissued by the great Ugly Things magazine and if you got in quick you scored a autographed edition.

Lucy De Soto at the Sando.
Pub rock lives, sounding more like Rose Tattoo then Rose Tattoo these days, mind you; most of this band has a connection to that group.

Honorary mentions
Paul Collins Beat at the Sando, New Christs Excelsior, NY NY Sando,PJ Harvey LP Let England Shake, Berlin Brats Believe it or Rot 73-76 LP ,Jimi Hendrix West Coast Seattle Boy LP box set,
Jimi Hendrix Blues LP (great to have this finally reissued on vinyl ), Cheetah Chrome book , Dirty Deeds book – Mark Evans , Third Man Records Singles Release 2010 2 LP comp.

2012 look forward
… to Redd Kross tour; Do The Pops finally, The Church Sing Songs reissue, Damned and Roky Erickson tours, Cool Charmers album! Black Sabbath in Australia, Hoodoo Gurus 30 year celebrations.

RIP Waldo

Solo artist. Drummer for the Dictators and MANITOBA

Charlie (mas) Torres: A NYC legend, and one of the unsung greats.

I-94 Bar Adelaide correspondent and author

Mr B’s top ten in 2011

My fiance, NYDolls live, Grinderman live, rediscovering cobwebbed music again (such as Suicide, Stooges, the Fall), Sacred Cowboys ‘Cold Harvest’, Mike Retter, Cypress Grove, Brecon James, the Treloars, Graeme I.

It’s been a people kinda year.

PAINFULLY PEDIGREED INTERNATIONAL GAD-ABOUT AND N’ER-DO-
WELL GUITAR THINGY. 

1. THE OPPOSITION WAS BRUTAL BUT I DONE IT ANYWAY! 

After 37-odd years of dumb-ass stubbornness…blowing amps, impressionable
minds, and the remnants of my misspent youth in oZ, I took it on the arches,
ignored that innate function that stops you from doing suspect and impulsive
things, said a heartfelt, sentimental, and somewhat painful goodbye to my loved
ones and idyllic home out on The North 40, and hauled ass and anchor for a new
life on the shores of Galicia. 

2. WHAT’S MORE…

I done got married! 

3. MORE IS BETTERER!  

Well…

At the beginning of this year my friends (and my enemies…the Federal police are
onto a couple of you scumbags) unexpectedly made me feel loved (or hated) in a
way that I could have NEVER imagined! I was blessed with much music,
companionship, surprises, laughter, and tears in a long and wonderful goodbye.
February, it was off to Europe with The Outside for madness and mayhem, after
which I was thoughtfully deposited in Spain to finally be with me chica. After years
of arcana I can’t describe how that felt! April, through Europe again, this time
with the amazing Simon Chainsaw and his band of crazy as bugshit Frenchmen.
European summer with my kids in Spain and France…their second home!
Festivals with The Outside. Then, Holy Moly! Back in oZ withThe Screaming
Tribesmen after 23 years. A blazing burst of Hitmania! A scintillating blast of
Klondike’s North 40! Then, once more back through France and Germany with
the ubiquitous, generous, and ever irrepressible Outside! Now, it’s Spanish
primary language books and the disconcerting feeling that I have indeed gone mad
and it was all my imagination.

3. THIS YEARS HEROES.

Greg Clarke: The silly bugger died just before he was gonna hand over the final
mixes to my latest album. He always did things his way! He was an engaging and
amazing resource, a joy to work with, a good and honest friend. We talked shit
more than we recorded, and we recorded more than with anyone else I’ve ever
worked with! Vaya con Dios, compadre! 

Gerard Presland:  A drummer’s drummer. Crazy as catshit. A good man and
dedicated father! His is a wonderful heart!

Red Porter: The less you know about him the better. He likes it that way. But, I
couldn’t do what I do without him. He’s secretly a very nice fellow!

Uncle Dave Alexander: Could you record an entire album of drum tracks in one
afternoon and pass The Greg Clarke Quality Control Test? I thought not! A rare
gentleman!

Andy Newman: A truly wonderful, generous, and talented man! A master-basser!
A rather good chef! Kooky, quirky, and a joy to play with!

The Barman: Nutty band shit, dramas from the uber-dumb world, complications
that require a PhD in astrospace physics to unravel…The Barman shrugs it off
and Gets Thing Done with grace and good humour! You’d never know the effort it
takes from looking at him but for the almost imperceptible shaking of his hands.
Or maybe that’s beer withdrawal. I’m working on his retirement package!

All The Rest: Those of you that have not been lauded…here’s to you!!

4. MOST REMARKABLE EVENT OF THE YEAR.

Without a doubt, the “reunion” of the classic lineup of The Screaming Tribesmen!
Music as joy!! Precipitated by the organisers of The Gathering in Brisbane and
carried along by Zombie Dog, it came as an unexpected surprise and ultimately a
labour of love for everyone involved.

5. “BITTERSWEET” EVENT OF THE YEAR.

The release of “Workhorse”. A recording that I am very proud of, characterised
by epic effort, dumb luck, tenaciousness, misfortune, and tragedy. It comes out in
its “pre-tweaked” format…the engineer never did send me the final mixes before
he passed away and his “estate” decided that it “may have” been unpaid for so the
whereabouts of the masters are “unknown”. I don’t usually listen to my own stuff
but I love this one! Red and Uncle Dave are brilliant! 

6. DROPKICKS OF THE YEAR.

Every useless, bitter, selfish, narcissistic, and thoughtless middle aged melt down
that deliberately went out of their way to sully, upset, and otherwise screw up The
Screaming Tribesmen “reunion”. It wasn’t about YOU, assholes!! 

7. MUSICAL LET DOWN OF THE YEAR.

Radio Birdman’s “Live in Texas”. Thin, shrill, frantic and irritating. “Twin guitar
attack”? Bullshit! Listen to The Hitmen and Niagara for a lesson on how to mix
guitars, motherfuckers! 

8. HIGH ROTATION.

KN40, Jeff Beck, The Screaming Tribesmen remasters, Johnny Casino, The Black
Shadows, The Lazys, Spirit, Johnny Winter, Niagara, Lester Young, Sonny
Rollins, Ornette Coleman. Other stuff.

9. REALISATION (ALMOST) TOO LATE IN LIFE.

People have their own agendas. If they feel strongly enough about it, they’ll dig in
and genuinely try to fuck you over, destroy you, hurt you…whatever it takes to
make THEM “right”. You can’t control what people think or do. So, be true to
yourself and be prepared to mourn the passing of friendship. Trust in Allah.

10. MY PROUDEST ACHEIVEMENTS.

My children, my wife, my “new” daughter, Pea. My music, and the friendship and
joy it brings to life. Everything else is cream.

Andrew on the I-94.

Brisbane author, journalist, columnist and I-94 Bar contributor.

I’m not going to make a list this year. This was the year that Hits completely changed my life: after reviewing their debut “Living With You Is Killing Me “in these pages in late December of last year, I went on to co-fund its eventual release on vinyl in June, harassed my friends, browbeat reviewers and bored radio programmers. Maybe I even bored them, as I followed them on tour (despite them being a local band who played under my nose in Brisbane almost every month). Then again, maybe I didn’t bore them too badly, because in early January I’ll be driving their tour van to Sydney.

Basically, wherever you are in the world, you need this record; and if you have the opportunity to see Hits live and you squib it, you’re a dolt. They are the greatest rock band in the world.

Bruce Tindale photo

Guitarist in Sydney bands the Dead Rabids and Screamin’ Bobcats. Bassist in Simon Chainsaw’s Australian band. Member of original Sydney punks Filth. Author and I-94 Bar writer.  

Shit.  I had a good year this year.  I don’t know what the best ten things were but I’ll chuck a few things out there and I still reckon I may have missed a few.  So, in no particular order…

1)     Kath’s Survival Party at Petersham Bowlo.  There was lots of people there I hadn’t seen for years and suddenly there they all were.  Then I got to play in front of them with the Screamin’ Bobkatz, the Dead Rabids.  When Jim, Brent and Dave from the New Christs got up to do a set (pictured), I got to sing “TV Eye” with them.  That was pretty cool.

2)     Last Year my top ten list consisted of two wishes.  One was for Niagara to come back to Australia so the Gaelic club show makes top ten easy.  (The other wish was to see the Stooges with James Williamson… only one month to go!)

3)     Dollsquad album launch at the Sandringham.  It’s always good to see a new band and instantly add them to your must see every show list.  Dollsquad are easily my favourite new band this year.  (Hey, I said this year.)

4)     Playing with Simon Chainsaw.   If I hadn’t been playing with Simon, they may have knocked Dollsquad of my Favourite new band of the year list but I was so I can’t count them.  If you didn’t see those shows (and not nearly enough of you did), you missed some seriously good rock and roll.  When Simon comes back, I wouldn’t miss a second.

5)     Blondie at the Enmore.  Fuck’s sake.  What have I got to say! It’s Blondie!  Anyone who doesn’t love Debbie has issues.

6)     Releasing three albums in one year.  I don’t care if anyone liked them or not.  It’s the principle of the thing.  I liked them.  When asked what the Dead Rabids will do next, I can always guarantee another album is on the way.  I could say you have been warned but no-one listens to them anyway!

7)     Rock’n’roll Club.  The idea came after looking at an old Funhouse poster saying bands playing 7:30 to 10:00.   Remembering how much fun the Funhouse was, we figured that had to be more fun than sitting around from 8 till 2 to see four bands you didn’t want to see and one you did but were too tired to enjoy once they finally got on stage.  Funnily enough, a lot of people agreed and Rock and Roll Club now flourishes at Mojo Music 32a York Street.

8)     Death threats from irate bands and their fans (or pseudonyms of band members pretending to be fans) after unflattering I-94 Bar reviews.  It’s nice to know your work is read and understood.  And really, by now, everyone knows the stuff I like and the stuff I don’t like.  I will tell you one thing:  the only time I go to the Movies these days is when that Movie show guy gives something no stars.  I figure if it pissed him off that much I would have to like it.

9)     The Hits and the New Christs playing together.  That’s some heaps reliable tag team action.

10)  My 50th Birthday and the Halloween party at the Excelsior.  My venue of choice.  Bunt and Bosom were both especially fantastic respectively.

I-94 Bar columnist, Sydney solo performer

Lemmy : The Movie (screened at Sydney Film Festival)
Just about all you needed, wanted and did not want to know about the legendary Lemmy.

Dimi Dero Inc. @ Excelsior Hotel Surry Hills, Sydney
These Frenchmen keep getting better with every Australian tour and are quite possibly the only young/current European band that matters.

Hits @ Excelsior Hotel Surry Hills, Sydney
Great to see these Brisvegas cats once again playing plenty of gems from “Living with you is Killing me”.

Spencer P. Jones @ Excelsior Hotel Surry Hills, Sydney / Spencer P. Jones – Sobering Thoughts CDLP
More amazing world weary rootsy rock from this legend, with guests on “Sobering Thoughts” including ex-Bored!/Powder Monkeys guitarist John Nolan.
 
Hytest – Dishing out the good times CDLP 
Providing more proof of why some of the Oz rock we like at the I-94 Bar won’t be dying in a hurry.
 
The Splatterheads and Hytest @ Sandringham Hotel, Sydney / The Splatterheads - The Splatter Platter CDLP  
Sly Faukner and co. just had to put on one killer show, with great support from Hytest. 

Dollsquad (CD Launch) @ Sandringham Hotel, Sydney / X, DollSquad & 25th Floor @ Sandringham Hotel, Sydney / Dollsquad - Lethal in Leather CDLP
The great new hope for Oz gal rock from where else but, Melbourne.
  
Penny Ikinger @ Sandringham Hotel, Sydney
Playing all the best from ’Penelope’ and ‘Electra’ with Deniz Tek and Jim Dickson providing awesome backing, this elder stateswoman of Oz rock sure has plenty to show the likes of Washington, SIA, Kate Miller-Heidke, etc. what music ought to be.

Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney
The only act saving Funk/Soul/R’N'B in the new millenium, backed by the fabulous Dap Kings.

Lisa Miller @ Notes Live, Sydney / Car Tape 2 CDLP
One of the best roots music gigs / albums of 2010, from this Melburnian seen/heard by this barfly. 

Honorable mentions:
The Murder Junkies @ Sandringham Hotel, Sydney; Hitmen @ Gaelic Hotel, Sydney; Tift Merritt – See you on the Moon; The Runaways (Film)
 
RIP
Alex Chilton, Ronnie James Dio, Solomon Burke, Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart), Ben Keith