Details

By Rob Griffiths

Rob Griffiths

02 January 2025

Hits: 5575

• little murders
• rob griffiths
• the damned
• the fiction
• the fadeaways
• yard act
• jenny jenny

_{With Toyozo of The Fadeaways and a copy of Rob's memoir.}

Top 10 Gigs for 2024 in No Particular Order

Calexico @ the Melbourne Recital Centre
Not that Americana is my favourite type of music, but ever since hearing “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash, I’ve been a sucker for Mariachi horns. Not that that is all Calexico do but it’s what pulled me into their orbit at first through the album “Feast Of Wire”. Which they played this night. And it was sublime. And sometimes you don’t want it loud! Especially with a lot of bands testing out my hearing lately. Oh and they covered “Alone Again Or” by Love. Sublime.

Jenny Jenny @The UFO Club in Tokyo. Japan
The Fiction played our second tour of Japan this year and one of the absolute highlights of these tours are the bands who support us. And we loved Jenny Jenny. 4 girls in matching outfits like cosmic airline hostesses playing garage rock. What is not to love? And the fact Suzu from the High Marts was DJing in between was even sweeter because if anything  we should get Jenny Jenny and the Highmarts down to Australia. In fact bring all the Japanese garage bands down for a tour.

Read more …

Details

By John Kennedy

John Kennedy

02 January 2025

Hits: 5782

• top ten
• australian tour
• john kennedy
• love gone wrong
• 2024
• the new originals
• jfk and the cuban crisis

JFK’s Top Ten For 2024

As some here will know, I’ve spent the last year on the road in Spain. So when I was asked for a Rock and Roll Top Ten, I couldn’t really scrape together a list of ten concerts or records because I just hadn’t attended or listened to that many. I’d done a lot of rolling down the road. But the only rock I’d experienced was at Gibraltar.

What I had been doing had more to do with bricks and mortar than rock and roll. While I spent most evenings in my life enjoying music, I’d been earning a living by day as an architect. So my travels around Spain were full of visits to architectural wonders. I can tell you, I’ve been enjoying architecture more in the last year than I ever did working in architectural companies. So here’s my Top Ten list of Spanish architecture listed in the rough chronological order that I discovered them in:

1. The Ferreres Aqueduct, Tarragona. I love Roman aqueducts. Finding a structure that’s still standing  and in reasonable condition 2,000 years after it was built is just amazing. The simplicity and geometric perfection of the design are so impressive.

Read more …

Details

By Ronald Brown

Ronald Brown

01 January 2025

Hits: 5791

• top ten
• the toss
• cheap trick
• deniz tek
• radio hirdman
• streetwalkin' cheetahs
• ron brown
• mick medew and ursula
• the sports

Happy New Year Barflies. Well, I could have a Top Ten of gigs I’ve had tickets for but missed this past year but let’s not dwell on what could have been…and get on with my Top Ten

1. Mick Medew & Ursula - IN THE ZONE CD
I just adore this album.

2. The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs -  “CALL THE DOGS” EP
Four-tune EP of pure garage Rock n Roll.

3. Radio Birdman  LIVE IN MELBOURNE
Great gig on the Friday night and backed up on Saturday afternoon to see Deniz and Anne Tek  play an in-store at a Northcote record shop.

4. The Toss – “SPILL THEIR GUTS” album
Awesome album by one of Adelaide’s finest bands. Review coming in 2025.

5. The Who – “WHO’S NEXT” album reissue
Brilliant reissue and remix ,plus a wonderful live album of the band live at the Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, in 1971.

Read more …

Details

By Edwin Garland

Edwin Garland

31 December 2024

Hits: 7404

• blondie
• smudge
• radio birdman
• alice cooper
• psychotic turnbuckles
• charlie owen
• cam butler
• jupiter 5
• pocketwatch
• grace cummings
• the fadeaways
• yard act
• full moon flower band
• pete ross and the sapphire
• van ruin
• superchunk
• rust
• dirt bag

Every year The Barman makes the call-out for the Top Ten. Every year I can’t reduce mine to only ten.  Near impossible. I have cheated and there way too many highlights. For me personally, it was good to step out and do an acoustic gig for the opening might of Bryan Cooke’s musical photography exhibition in Sydney.  I used to play these shows at The Excelsior, Hopetoun and Manly Fishos and aim to do more this year.

Live Gigs

1. Grace Cummings in several places
It has  been a long time I have seen one artist or band four times in a year. I was envious of other people as Grace’s local performances, up until recently, have very rare. In fact, it’s been almost 18 months between Sydney shows. Notably, one was a warm-up prior to a gruelling American and European tour that included a live performance on the Steven Colbert late show.  

Four months later came an actual album launch for “Romana” at Sydney’s Metro Social in August. Then I won a lottery for a spot at the Phoenix Theatre, and finally caught a packed Crowbar show in early December.

Read more …

Details

By Ray Ahn

Ray Ahn

30 December 2024

Hits: 5839

_{Photo by Jo Forster. Check out her work on Facebook or Insta.}

RAY AHN’S TOP 10 for 2024

1: “Action Man”: Unreleased new Moffs number recorded by Tom, David and Andrew during Covid. Private listening, thank you Smiley. The Byrnes brothers – still best best rhythm masters!

2: Radio Birdman July 2025, 3 shows in Sydney. I was emotionally overcome

3: The Damned April 2025 Enmore. I was emotionally overcome

4: Oår live at Medley Musikhuset, Malmö October 8th – killer Swedish art-punk

5: Call It A Wasteland live at Club Rote Sonne München October 10th – killer German art-punk.

6: The Dark Clouds live at Marrickville Bowling Club Friday December 13th

7: No Future and Zerodent at Amplifier Bar, Perth, Thursday November 7th

8: Los Chicos live at Red Hill Hotel, Chewton, Sunday November 3rd

9: Glycereens and Boondall Boys, Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane, May 11th

10: Liquid Face and Square Tugs Live at Mo’s Desert Club house, Gold Coast, May 10th

Details

By Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan

28 December 2024

Hits: 5825

• digger and the pussycats
• sacred cowboys
• psychotic turnbuckles
• wrong turn
• mach pelican
• munster times
• matt ryan
• lord rochester
• the fadeaways
• pat todd and the rankoutsiders

_{Renan Goksin photo}

1. Private Function, Los Chichos, Human Toys, JJ McCann Transmission- St Kilda Bowls Club
A real mixed bag of lollies this gig was, style wise. Two internationals plus two local legends, all with their unique style of stage show on the one line up, was a pleasure to have been part of it.

2 . Pat Todd and the Rankoutsiders, Simon Juliff Band, Wrong Turn- St Kilda Bowls Club
One of the true rock 'n 'roll warriors from the US put on an fantastic mix of garage, country and blues at the club, along with the powerpop of stylings of SJB and three-chord rock heroes Wrong Turn.

3.  A Swayze and the Ghosts- The Old Bar.
After my dear friend Terry bought me the group’s first LP I knew I had to see ‘em live. I finally did, five years later. But the wait was worth it, and the hype delivered. The Ghosts sound like Alan Vega fronting a disco group, with 70s punk thrown in. A must-see act.

Read more …

Details

By Chris Klondike Masuak

Chris Klondike Masuak

27 December 2024

Hits: 5597

• top ten
• chris klondike masuak
• 2024

CHRIS KLONDIKE MASUAK
TOP SEVERAL FOR 2024

Ahh, the Festive Season!

Serious decisions have to be made … buzzkill the Glad Tidings or be of Relentless Good Cheer.

Once again, I opt for the latter, so chuck “It’s Christmas Time Again” on the player and sit back for my yearly screed.

Read more …

Details

By Ashley Thomson

Ashley Thomson

27 December 2024

Hits: 4840

• cold chisel
• panadolls
• kelpies
• the birthday party
• the damned
• mark lanegan
• ashley thomson
• private function
• haute & freddy

Private Function
Best Oz Punk band by far out of the current crop.

Old Chisel
Only way you get out is by dying, live show still strong.

Read more …

Details

By Mick Medew

Mick Medew

24 December 2024

Hits: 5511

• top ten
• dave graney
• clare moore
• the saints
• mick medew
• lovejoy surf
• mick medew and ursula
• 4zzz
• 2024
• the human league

1. The Saints Live at Pig City
This is one hell of an album .I am a big Chris Bailey fan and I am pleased to be able to report that The Screaming Tribesmen played with Chris Bailey's Saints (not the original ones) many times back in the day. I feel he is very underrated as a singer although he is well celebrated as a front man/entertainer.  You just can't keep a good melody down and Chris Bailey can sing a melody that's for sure. I really miss him. 

2. Revelation EP by Los Revelators
This is a terrific recording featuring my long term partner in crime Chris Klondike Masuak. Some great guitar playing here and I love the keyboards too.

Read more …