Doctors orders: James Baker has been prescribed more rock and roll

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By The Barman

The Barman

21 January 2024

Hits: 3887

The Beasts are back. The band whose core membership is drawn from surviving members of The Beasts of Bourbon is undertaking an Australian tour...and have revealed that it’s under doctor’s orders. 

• beasts of bourbon
• kim salmon
• james baker
• tex perkins
• charlie owen
• australian tour
• the beasts

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Richie's solo album takes seed as weed

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By The Barman

The Barman

20 January 2024

Hits: 2197

Richie Lewis is branching out from his best-known day job - that'd be frontman for Tumbleweed - to record his first album, under the name Richie Weed.  He's delivered the first taste of the recordings with a digital single, "Pure Evil", that you can stream right here.

While Tumbleweed continued to write, record and perform, Richie spent a large chunk of last year concentrating on solo endeavours, curating a captivating show titled "Spirit Songs and Stories", and recording.

• tumbleweed
• lewis
• richie
• richie weed

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Ahoy! Ahoy! The Skids are coming

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By Don Simon

Don Simon

18 January 2024

Hits: 3949

More than 45 years since they first formed during the froth and frenzy of punk in Scotland, the Skids are coming to Australia for the first time for a “greatest hits” tour.

I lived overseas and saw them quite a few times in the 2010s, and each gig was a triumph. The last time I saw The Skids, in December 2019 in Glasgow, was the best of the lot.

• big country
• richard jobson
• the skids
• stuart adamson
• armoury show

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Seeing in a Sydney summer through beer-coloured glasses

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By The Barman

The Barman

16 January 2024

Hits: 2553

_{Ross Knight.}  

COSMIC PSYCHOS
+ ZEKE 
Metro Theatre, Sydney
Saturday, January 13 2024

Nice Day To Go To The Pub? Aren’t they all during an Australian summer? Tonight in Sydney it’s muggier than a brickie’s armpit and there’s no reason to break convention, but, fuck me, The Sir John Young Hotel on Sydney’s George Street sure has changed. 

It’s been re-named “The Resch” (gee, wonder where they dug up that one), the front bar has been opened up and there’s not a TV set in sight. All that polished concrete makes for a brutalist existence. Of course, it lacks live music, with a DJ setting up while we sip our beers, and the usual crowd of pre-Metro gig people absent. The schooners have not unexpectedly crept up close to the $10 mark. That’s life in Sydney!

• sydney
• cosmic psychos
• metro theatre
• zeke

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Patrick Emery memorial details and fundraiser announced

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By The Barman

The Barman

08 January 2024

Hits: 2347

He was a music writer, lawyer and most of all he was a family man, and a celebration of the life and times of Patrick Emerywill be held at Fitzroy Town Hall in Melbourne on Wednesday at 3pm. 

Patrick was the biographer of Spencer P Jones and a reviewer for many media outlets, including the I-94 Bar. He collapsed on December 24 and doctors diagnosed an inoperable brain cancer.

After four days on life support, Patrick passed away in hospital, surrounded by his family, aged 52. 

Wednesday's memorial service is open to all and a livestream will be active

There’s also an online fundraiser to help his family cover the costs of his funeral, and you can make a donation here.

• patrick emery
• memorial

Black Bombers' rock and roll guillotine

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By Robert Brokenmouth & The Barman

Robert Brokenmouth & The Barman

07 January 2024

Hits: 4637

Viva La Revolution – Black Bombers (Easy Action)

Yeah, alright, it took a little while to get to me.

And yeah, by now you've heard they've broken up.

Which, if there were any justice in the world, would've been more worthy of a spot on the ABC than that meeting between two psychopath grifters in New York a couple of weeks back. 

(Sorry? well, one of them was on trial and spouting lies and misinformation every time he turned up, and the other is yet to be on trial but absolutely should be but hey. She'll be right, mate.)

• johnny thunders
• black bombers
• birmingham
• the godfathers
• gunfire dance
• viva la revolution
• dave twist
• dave crittall
• alan byron
• alex mcgowan

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Listen up! These stories are worth getting hung up on

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By The Barman

The Barman

04 January 2024

Hits: 1759

Stories To Tell – The Hangmen (Acetate Records)

There’s a timeless quality about the music of The Hangmen that can’t be touched by many. Swagger meets roots rock on a seedy Los Angeles backstreet, they’re now up to Album Number Seven with no signs of the fire diminishing.

Formed in 1984 around singer-guitarist Bryan Small, signed by major labels (twice), they’re (yet another) American band chewed up and spat out by an industry that panders to the lowest common denominator. Always has, always will. Drugs got in the way, too. Raise a glass to little labels like L.A. imprint Acetate for giving them a home. 

• los angeles
• the gun club
• acetate records
• jimmy james
• the hangmen
• bryan small
• stories to tell

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Vale Melbourne music writer Patrick Emery

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By The Barman

The Barman

28 December 2023

Hits: 10684

Melbourne music writer and good friend of the I-94 Bar, Patrick Emery, has passed away suddenly, aged 52.

In a brief statement posted on Facebook earlier tonight, Spooky Records chief Loki Lockwood spoke on behalf of Patrick’s family.

On behalf of Patrick’s loving wife Bettina, and children Babette and Baptiste, I’ve been given the solemn task of sharing the untimely passing of my beautiful friend Patrick. On Christmas Eve at home, Patrick suddenly collapsed and was rushed to the Austin Hospital where he was diagnosed with a stage 4 inoperable brain tumor. He passed peacefully with his beloved family by his side. 

Patrick was a passionate and beautiful soul. There will be many from the music community around the world that will be shocked by this news. Patrick wrote for many publications across Australia over the years I knew him: Beat, The Australian, The Age and The I-94 Bar, to name a few. There’s no doubt that anyone with a passing interest in music will have read his music reviews and interviews for thousands of bands.  

For those that he wrote about, I know they will be overwhelmingly shocked by the news of his untimely passing. His greatest gift to us all was his belief in his beloved local music scene - always wanting to help elevate some little known artist through his writing because he could. 

• patrick emery
• obituary

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The men don't know but Little Girls understand

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By The Barman

The Barman

19 December 2023

Hits: 3023

Valley Songs – Little Girls (Playback Records)

If only all retrospective collections were half as fun - and done as well - as this look back on 1980s Los Angeles surfer girl power-poppers, Little Girls. There are 26 bouncy rave-ups on this CD, it’s accompanied by a booklet full of photos and liner notes, and it took an Australian label to put it out.

Little Girls were diminutive sisters Caron and Michele Maso, two Coloradoans transplanted to L.A. who turned heads as a duo at a 1980 party by singing alternative lyrics to “Anarchy in the UK”. Now, who hasn’t wanted to do that?

Things got serious after they met guitarist Kip Brown, freshly late of local punks SHOCK, while hanging out at The Troubadour club. A full band ensued.

• playback records
• valley songs
• little girls
• kip brown
• SHOCK
• caron maso
• michele maso

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