Bob Short plays guitar for Sydney band The Dead Rabids and was in one of Australia’s first punk bands, Filth. What follows is his almost ten Sydney gigs of the last twelve months in no particular order…
Patti Smith at the Opera House. Still fucking brilliant after all these years- maybe more so. A new discipline added raw power.
Visitors at Sylvania. I enjoyed the gigs at the Empire and Wollongong but this out of nowhere support gig was a mind blower.
Pierced Arrows at the Annandale. What do you mean you haven’t heard of them? (We have.) I thought this was rock and roll central.
Niagra at Sylvania. Goddess. Awesome. (and I do know what the word means and she was awesome)
Lambretta Suede at the Hopetoun. Another goddess. She stands about four feet nothing in high heel shoes with a voice that’s pure Wanda Jackson. And she wears feathers.
Jesus and Mary Chain Enmore. JAMC still kicked arse and this is from someone who saw them when they’d just released Upside Down.
Passengers at The Excelsior. I listen to them and first I think I want the big drums and the Phil Spector production but Angie Pepper sings and you have no choice but to listen. Anything more would just break too many hearts.
New Christs at the Excelsior. Both shows were brilliant but, for me, the first one just slightly beat the second. Jim Dickson’s return on Bass has given them just enough pop to let the songs really shine.
Jack Nasty Face just about anywhere they played. I think my favourite shows have been the ones at Spectrum.
Booby Traps at the Sandringham on that Sunday afternoon. Fuck that band has come a long way in the last 12 months.
Finally (and this makes eleven), I have to mention the Dead Rabids at the Bald Faced Stag. I know we kicked seven shades of shit out of everyone that night. I’m usually not a big head about it but I felt fucking vindicated by that show.
