Guitar Wolf bring Jet Rock 'n' Roll back to Australian audiences

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By The Barman

The Barman

22 January 2025

Hits: 418

Tokyo's incredible Guitar Wolf are returning to Australia on a five-state tour in March and April 2025.



Since forming in 1987 and releasing their first album on Memphis's legendary Goner Records in 1993, Guitar Wolf have taken their wild and dangerous sound to the world, working with labels like Matador and Third Man in the process.

Guitar Wolf have released 12 albums and are signed to a major label at home in Japan. They first toured Australia in the late '90s, when mainman Seiji (pictured right) rode onto the stage of a packed Tote Hotel on the back of a borrowed motorcycle.



Inspired by the ultra-violent records of '50s guitar wielding maniac Link Wray as well as motorcycles, Ramones, Johnny Thunders, the Cramps and Joan Jett,

Seiji has called their sound "Jet Rock'n'Roll". He explained in a 2012 interview: "I love jet plane. I love noisy music, too. So...there were records...many records...every record have no big sounds. So...easy to listen. I hate that! So! I add jet sounds. Bwaaaahng! Explosion!"

Guitar Wolf are icons. They have their own branded motorcycle jacket, the 613 GW (made by Schott NYC of New York, who made the iconic 613 Perfecto jacket worn by the Ramones) and are movie stars, starring in the 1999 low budget sci-fi horror movie "Wild Zero".

• australian tour
• guitar wolf
• 2025
• seiji

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Top Tens for 2024: Melbourne solo artist and former Wet Taxis member Penny Ikinger

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By Penny Ikinger

Penny Ikinger

22 January 2025

Hits: 707

_{Antoine Nguyen photo.}

1. Radio Birdman - Manning Bar, Sydney
There was magic in the room that night: magic and love. Love from the audience who knew them as either family, friends, heroes, or all three. Everyone no doubt had different stories to tell but we were all there for the same reason - to bid farewell and to hear those songs played live one last time.

The songs that had formed a soundtrack to our lives. It led me to reflect on my own musical and life journey – is this really their last show? Am I heading that way too? I enjoyed being in the space and it brought back fond memories as I spent so much time in Manning Bar in the old days when I was studying at Sydney Uni with Louis Tillett. This show was so worth making the trip up to Sydney for! Great support from the Hard Ons too. Heartfelt thanks to everyone for a magnificent evening and beyond.

2. Mudhoney/Kid Congo - La Trabendo, Paris
It was a fabulous night at a cool venue in the beautiful le Parc de la Villette. I was staying in Paris and couldn’t believe my luck that two of my favourite bands would be sharing a bill. It was a stunning show, as you would expect. A crowded Mudhoney gig in Paris is much the same as one in Melbourne complete with t-shirts, leather jackets, jeans, boots, and slam-dancing, although the French seemed to have a certain je ne sais quoi about it all.

• penny ikinger
• radio birdman
• hoodoo gurus
• mudhoney
• the beasts
• the breeders
• top tens
• 2024
• the saints '73-'78
• kid congo

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Top Tens for 2024: John Pettex of Brisbane label SoundPressing

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By John Pettex

John Pettex

21 January 2025

Hits: 475

I wish I could remember more of the first half of the year… Not sure if I should blame the Melbourne Bitter longnecks. Likely culprit. This is pretty close to a Top 10..

Big love to all involved in the SoundPressing projects and tours throughout the year. In particular Mark Spinks (Gravel Samwidge) and Skeleton Boy (Art Gray Noizz Quintet) who spurred an incredible split 7” that was mail ordered and posted to all corners of the globe.

• charlie owen
• the beasts
• gravel samwidge
• john pettex
• the art gray noizz quintet
• soundpressing
• the saints '73-'78
• kim salmon's smoked salmon

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Crunchy single "Hey Jack" released ahead of The Crisps shows

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By The Barman

The Barman

21 January 2025

Hits: 245

Sydney via Berlin band The Crisps have released a single to coincide with their brief return run of gigs this weekend. "Hey Jack" is the song and it's available for download here.

The Crisps are bassist Graham Hood (The Johnnys), vocalist-drummer Stuart Wilson (New Christs, Lime Spiders, Chris Masuak's Dog Soldier), Dave Thomas (Doomfoxx) and guitarist Chris Nacard (Orange County). The shows are happening because Thomas is back in Australia from his adopted home of Germany. The band has plans to play Europe later in 2025. 

Catch them in and around Sydney at Manly Boat Shed (January 24) with DISGRACELand and The MoshPit Bar (January 25 from 2-6pm) with The Research and The Sugar Beats before heading north to Woy Woy's Link and Pin Cafe with The Dunhill Blues and The FNCs on January 26 from 11am-5pm.  

• single
• the crisps
• hey jack

Top Tens for 2024: Legendary 2RRR announcer Big Daddy K of the Sydney Sounds program

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By Kev Cherry

Kev Cherry

18 January 2025

Hits: 1230

I prefer to refer to the list as BIG DADDY K'a 0 SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OF 2024 rather than a top 10, as it's not ranked in any particular order. 2024 was a year of milestones with several Australian bands and institutions celebrating significant anniversaries. Hewre are a few:

1. Public Broadcasting Radio Station RYDE REGIONAL RADIO (2RRRFM)
The station that I have been involved with for 37 years, celebrated its 40th anniversary. Started by a lobby group and initially only broadcasting for a few hours a day from a garage in the grounds of Meadowbank TAFE. Since 1988, the station has been located at Henley Cottage, where it currently has two studios. It now broadcasts 24/7, featuring a wide range of musical genres and talk shows of local community as well as general interest, and runs a radio training course.

The station hosts several alternative rock music programs that would be of interest to I 94 Barflies, most notably “Sonic Stew” on Monday nights, “Virtual Unreality” on Friday evenings, “Timeslides” on Saturday afternoons, and, of course, my program, Sydney Sounds, at 2pm on Saturdays. (Several of the shows are podcasted, or you can stream them live via 2rrr.org.au and all the streaming radio apps).

• hard-ons
• top ten
• slavetrader
• kevin cherry
• big daddy K
• 2RRR

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Top Tens for 2024: Melbourne writer and drummer with The Tommys, Robert Lastdrager

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By Robert Lastdrager

Robert Lastdrager

13 January 2025

Hits: 673

_{The Tommys on tour in a tuk tuk:  Robert Lastdrager, Jonathan Lickliter and Ollie Laurie.}

1. Getting the band back together after 20 years.
Playing numerous Melbourne inner-city bars in 2024 with The Tommys has been a blast.

2. Touring regional VIC and NSW with Cambodian Space Project on their April Oz tour.
A real treat to play beautiful venues like the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine, George Lane and Memo Music Hall in St Kilda to such appreciative crowds.

3. Marrickville Bowlo
We flew into Sydney and out the next day. Played a rowdy loud evening of garage R&R topped off by sinking a flotilla of schooners with old mates I hadn’t seen in 20 years!

• top ten
• robert lastdrager
• cambodian space project
• 2024

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Top Tens for 2024: Scotty Bradbury, drummer for The Dark Clouds

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By Scott Bradbury

Scott Bradbury

13 January 2025

Hits: 828

_{Scotty Bradbury. Photo by Lisa G Photography}

Top 10 Drum influences for 2024
Let me start this by acknowledging that John Bonham is a given for any rock drummer, so to make it fun I will leave him off this year, honourable mention to Zigaboo Modeliste of The Meters (Cissy Strut).. who had an influence on the great Bonzo of Led Zeppelin, for sure.

This list is a mix of old faithful and new players that got me off the sofa in 2024, only to land straight back on my ass … putting the drum throne through its paces.

1. Phil Rudd (AC/DC)
Phil Rudd is a feel, an adjective in drumming. Comments like “give it more Phil Rudd” can be heard in studios across the world. His less is more, play to serve the song, dig into the grove – see “Whole Lotta Rosie” approach is legendary. We only ever miss him when he isn’t there, because man… does he make a difference. The heartbeat to some of the most iconic rock songs ever, there is no other like him. I would refer the reader to the eight count at the beginning of “Back in Black”. The guitar scratches along for the first six beats … the last two hits on the Hi-hat “three…. four..” are to me, the best two notes ever played in rock’n’roll.

2. Dave Grohl (Nirvana, QOTSA, Them Crooked Vultures, Killing Joke, Probot)
Yeah look, a lot has been said about this guy musically …my wife rolls her eyes and leaves the room whenever I mention his name …I probably do talk about him a lot, so what, he really is that fucken good…albums like “Songs for the Deaf” or “Them Crooked Vultures “ and songs like “No One Knows” or “Elephants” come on!! Oh and please listen to “Killing Joke” (2003 album) this album lived rent free in my head for a full year when it came out, it’s a really cool record, the drums were recorded last and Dave Grohl worked to adapt parts written on a drum machine all of which is a little unconventional.

Dave doesn’t play fancy, lots of doubles and Triplets where the hand speaks to the foot in reply, he is creative and hits hard. You have to hit the drums to make em sound good, dynamics are fine but …tapping them won’t work. Drumming and music come naturally to Dave; he manages to play great parts most every time. “Dave Grohl – Play” (Official Video) is a good example of the level that this guy is at, it’s a journey no judgment if you don’t watch it all the way through. If an artist sounds like themselves then you are truly serving the moment. You can be influenced and inspired by anything, but when you play, if people recognise that sound as you, you channelling through an instrument …. That’s a most excellent moment.

• hard-ons
• rose tattoo
• peter kostic
• the dark clouds
• nitrocris
• andi dyson
• scott bradbury
• phil rudd
• dave grohl
• digger royall
• paramore

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Top Tens for 2024: Mine host at The I-94 Bar, The Barman

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By The Barman

The Barman

14 January 2025

Hits: 1067

In no particular order and with the caveat that there are notable omissions because I haven’t heard the Chimers album yet and have only seen parts of the Hard-Ons documentary.  Yes, it’s more than 10 but I plead undiagnosed dyscalculia (i.e. I can’t count). As for the rule of not reviewing I-94 Bar label releases or shows, it's being bent. Slightly. 

The Dictators – The Dictators
It’s hard to come to grips with a Manitoba-less line-up and many of Andy's songs are re-heated versions of old material. Judged on its merits as the work of a new line-up, however, “The Dictators” is a credible comeback album that holds up to repeated listens. We need Ross The Boss' guitar roar and Andy's lyrical smart-arsery now more than ever.

In The Zone – Mick Medew and Ursula
Yes, it’s on the house label and Mine Host generally doesn’t review I-94 Bar shows or releases, but others have.  Great enough to earn Mick and Ursula the Keys to Brisbane City and have digi-single “Punk Grandma” finish Number-Three in the 4ZZZ Hot 100. All hail The Zeds (and 2RRR and 2XX and 3RRR and 3D…) 

• the on and ons
• cosmic psychos
• psychotic turnbuckles
• little murders
• the stems
• the damned
• jupiter 5
• the fadeaways
• the strike-outs
• the saints '73-'78
• the dictators
• pat todd and the rankoutsiders

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Top Tens for 2024: Don Drum of Melbourne label Kasumen Records

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By Don Drum

Don Drum

13 January 2025

Hits: 523

Top gigs

Sacred Cowboys @ St Kilda Bowlo
Visceral, dangerous, enticing and exciting, they still have it and are more forthright about putting it on you!

Sister Paul @ The Belgrave Hotel
Never seen such a convincing two-piece, no need for any more onstage, tough and fun, danceable and rockin', record breaking merch sales too!

Dirty Three @ Forum, Melbourne
it was like seeing them in the '90s all over except they played for three hours. They just make big stages feel like The Old Bar.

• sacred cowboys
• dirty three
• kasumen records
• battlehounds
• Buddhadatta
• superchunk
• don drum
• sister paul

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