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By Penny Ikinger

Penny Ikinger

18 February 2026

Hits: 515

• new christs
• bob dylan
• tex perkins
• the johnnys
• rob younger
• the beasts
• penny ikinger's marbles
• run run run
• joseph keckler
• rosie westbrook

_{Heather McDonald photo}

Joseph Keckler – Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne 
He made my Top Ten last year, and his return only confirms why. Joseph Keckler remains one of the most distinctive voices working today: brilliant, entertaining, and unlike anyone else.

An American singer, musician, performing artist, and writer, Keckler moves effortlessly between absurdist operatic monologues and eerie, emotionally charged ballads. His work is steeped in the unorthodox and the uncanny, balancing dark humour whilst showcasing the breadth of his musical talents—something beyond the ordinary. 

Melbourne musician Rosie Westbrook opened the show with a mesmerising solo guitar set. 

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By Clyde Bramley

Clyde Bramley

09 February 2026

Hits: 747

• hard-ons
• new christs
• jupiter 5
• grooveyard
• van ruin
• sick fizz
• velvet parade
• the autumn hearts
• hovering spooks

 _{Clyde in action on bass with The Ons and Ons and flanked by keyboardist John Hoey and guitar-ist-vocvlist Glenn Morris.}

The On and Ons, for a variety of reasons, only did a handful of gigs in 2025, a situation that we plan on rectifying in 2026! So accordingly, I would like to pay tribute to the wonderful bands that we played with throughout the year. They are listed below in chronological order:

#1. Grooveyard, Marrickville Bowlo.
It’s been more than 40 years since I last shared a stage with Grooveyard! It was just great to hear their timeless Jangle-Rock one more time. Check out their "Avalanche Of Love" single (’84), and "Grooveyard" 12” EP (’89), all re-released digitally in 2024. Also on the bill for this gig was -

#2. Van Ruin.
A classic-sounding Sydney hard rock act fronted by Phil Van Rooyen, along with Al Creed, Stu Wilson, and Andy Newman, whose album "Trauma Magnet" is getting attention OS in places like France where they toured successfully this year.

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By The Barman

The Barman

03 February 2026

Hits: 1142

• dave favours
• dom mariani
• mc50
• east coast low
• chris masuak's dog solider
• trauma magnet

_{The Barman on a Banyo and Brisbane talent scouting trip with Stu McLaughlin (The Mick Medew & Ursula 4) and Kylie Lovejoy of The Glycereens.}

TEN BEST ALBUMS OF 2025 (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)*

Badlanding – East Coast Low (Crankinhaus)
A step up to world class from this evergreen Newcastle crew. The horn section and Rob Younger’s production are secret sauces but don’t forget Michael Cornish’s killer vocal.

Trauma Magnet – Van Ruin (Crankinhaus)
People make a big deal about credentials but the past history of members does not always make a good record. This is an exception. No laurels are being rested on here. Al Creed’s guitar and Phil Van Rooyen’s songs rule. 

10 More – MC50 (earMUSIC)
This slipped out with little fanfare at the end of 2025. Even better than the live bonus MC50 disc that came with the anaemic faux “MC5” album “Heavy Lifting”. Paraphrasing SonnyVincent: Rock on, (late) Brother Wayne.

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By Big Daddy K

Big Daddy K

30 January 2026

Hits: 1243

• top ten
• psychotic turnbuckles
• kevin cherry
• the beasts
• east coast low
• big daddy K
• jupiter 5
• drugs in sport
• 2RRR
• fuck the neighbours

TEN MEMORABLE MUSIC EVENTS OF 2025 IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

(1) WOLLONGONG AND NEWCASTLE
Sydney's satellite cities have long held the mantle of creative incubators, with their alluring property prices, sun-kissed beaches, and a vibrant local populace ready to both entertain and be entertained. While the Sydney music scene has seen better days, it’s refreshing to witness bands from Wollongong and Newcastle stepping into the limelight, particularly in the realms of post-punk and alternative genres,

These regional cities are breathing new life into the music landscape, fostering a plethora of new acts supported by improved venues and facilities, creating an electric atmosphere for more creative music.

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By Steve Lorkin

Steve Lorkin

21 January 2026

Hits: 1344

• buzzcocks
• sex pistols
• rolling stones
• ray ahn
• asteroid b612
• cherie currie
• hoodoo gurus
• the church
• lipstick killers
• neptune power federation
• steve lorkin
• the jane does
• funkadelic
• frank carter
• steven danno

Time served with Minuteman, Spectres Revenge, Cool Charmers, Sheek The Shayk,  Dave Tice’s Buffalo Revisited, and others. Manager of The Psychedelic Unknown.

2025 HIT PARADE  (not in any order)

1. Neptune Power Federation: Live anywhere.
My fave Oz band ATM. New album coming in 2026, I believe,

2. Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter at Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
On paper this could have been a disaster, however, Cook, Jones and Matlock with young bloke Frank Carter on vocals were a true celebration of one of music’s most influential albums. The purists stayed at home during the night of the gig crying in their lemonade but the true fans were out in force. Great gig!

3. Ray Ahn’s Birthday
All-round good fellow, way out graphic artist and master basser celebrated his birthday with a cavalcade of luminaries gracing the stage at the tiny MoshPit Bar in Sydney. Jolly good fun.

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

20 January 2026

Hits: 761

• writers week

Have you ever been to Writers Week in Adelaide?

If it ever gets up again in the same fashion, don't. Just ... don't go. It's outdoors, the weather is usually frankly disgustingly hot and you're surrounded by wealthy wilting widows, wealthy wilting divorced men, wilting writers, wilting bookfloggers and far too many wanna-be-famous drunks and drabs to count. 

Worse, the place is infested with poets, whining children's authors, politicians earnestly 'mixing with the people', all of whom are either wilting, drunk, or both.

No, I know. I'm a writer and yet, I don't have a lot of time for writers. 

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

20 January 2026

Hits: 754

• australian writers week
• fringe festival

Men's bums. Do you like to look at them? I confess I'm not much of a fan. 

Now, I realise that there are many among us who delight in sitting behind a slog of male cyclists, sweaty bums waggling like a slowly-moving Volkswagen traffic jam viewed from above.

But these aren't Volksies, are they? No, these are the moist, lycra-clad arses of overly-obsessive sad thin men who are partaking of what I suspect is the twenty-fucking-seventh 'tour down under', held in the gormless, goofy town of Adelaide. 

Yes, I know there are women cycling enthusiasts, but they exist in nothing like the abominable plague proportions in and around the time of the “Grand Prix of Adelaide cyclists”, The Tour Down Under. 

So there I am. Engine running, parked in front of a bunch of damp-cracked men's bums in black lycra. Reminds me of the local river when it gets the blue-green algae and goes all sumpy. The more you see this horror before you, the bigger it seems to get. Posh champagne reflux, anyone?

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By Ewen Hill

Ewen Hill

18 January 2026

Hits: 987

• ed kuepper
• penny ikinger
• new christs
• cosmic psychos
• eddy current suppression ring
• charlie owen
• ups and downs
• painters and dockers
• x
• Don Mcglashan
• SnarskiCircusLindyBand

_{"Hey you in the black (Birdman) shirt!"}

Hola all the way down the deep deep south from this Melbourne correspondent and avid punter, last seen DJ'ing at an Auckland bar off K Road. My Top 10 (+GST) is based on the chemistry and science of great venues, appreciative crowds and our musicians, all of us doing it hard to keep live music .. umm err.. live 

Don Mcglashan, Newmarket in Auckland, New Zealand
A wonderful evening sans live music but with Don doing a Q&A after the first screening of the film "Anchor Me: The Don Mcglashan story". Don was a member of NZ bands Blam Blam Blam, The Front Lawn, and The Mutton Birds. Do not be shy in trying to track down their music.

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By Chris Masuak

Chris Masuak

17 January 2026

Hits: 1219

• chris masuak
• los revelators
• chris masuak's dog solider
• spiritbox
• deep sea diver

2025 threatened to be a year of crushing existential foreboding … a year of vulgar democratic erosion, racism, and sensationally grotesque hyper-nationalism. Violent weirdness. But, we managed to thwart most of it. Here are some observations and some highlights: 

1. Australia seemed to have decided to skirt pesky issues like empathy and human decency, defer to genocide apologists, and chuck justice, accountability, and democratic freedom to buggery.
Trying to understand the “rules” in oZ has become more complex, confusing, and demoralizing than trying to find a parking space in Leichhardt!

2. The Decline and Fall of the US Empire.
“So what?”, some may say.  With the United Stazi no longer the de facto Boss Of Stuff, 2026 is bound to be a  clusterfuck as the status quo Rearranges Their Priorities.

 3. The Epstein Files. (Waits for laughter to subside.)
“How guilty is Donald?”

“Your world does not understand how dumb he really is.” (Epstein’s response.)

 How much popcorn can we eat?

 4. Los Revelators
This groove-tastic li’l Spanish garage power-punk ensemble continues to chug away, having blasted out a few choice concerts and mini tours over the year (notably, one show with Leon rock legends The Salamanders).. The debut album should be ready for release in early 2026.

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