Past Masters Volume 1 - The Bils (self released)

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By The Barman

The Barman

10 March 2018

Hits: 4691

Going in with open ears and no expectations, this unassuming album is a revelation. It launched with little fanfare and was spoken about online but was unheard by these ears until after a copy was pressed into my hands backstage at a gig. 

Somebody said it was country. A little. It's copped a flogging on the CD player. It’s mostly warm and breezy blues-pop, from a husband and wife duo, one of whom you might know in their other guise. 

The Bils are Bil and Michelle Bilson. They play everything between them (guitars, bass, keys and drums) and share vocals. Bil’s other gig is drumming with reincarnated Australian power-pop legends the Sunnyboys. He also played with The (Sunnyboys-related) Sparklers and the gloriously acid punk Doctor Stone. Can’t confess to knowing Michelle’s musical pedigree but it doesn’t much matter. The back story’s not as important as what's going on at the front-of-house.

• sunnyboys
• bil bilson
• michelle bilson
• the bils
• past masters volume 1

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Melbourne musicians rally behind Brian

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By The Barman

The Barman

10 March 2018

Hits: 5406

Legendary Australian alternative rock and blues bassist, Brian Henry Hooper, was diagnosed with incurable lung cancer late last year. 

Brian's illness has devastated his many friends in the Australian music industry, who are rallying to support him and his family.

Hooper is a member of the Beasts of Bourbon, and has played with Kim Salmon and the Surrealists, The Voyeurs and in his own bands. 

The Beasts of Bourbon will re-form to headline a benefit to help their bandmate at The Prince Bandroom, St Kilda, on Friday, June 13. Tickets are selliong here.  Also on the bill are Kim Salmon and the Scientists, Adalita, Gareth Liddiard, Mick Harvey, Rosie Westbrook with further artists to be announced over the coming weeks. 

It's not the first time misfortune has knocked Brian down. After a freak balcony fall in 2004, doctors said he would never walk again. They were wrong.

Now, Brian faces the toughest fight of all to get back up again. You can also support Brian at GoFundMe. 

50 years on, the jams are being kicked out again

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By The Barman

The Barman

07 March 2018

Hits: 5358

Wayne Kramer is marking the 50^th anniversary of the MC5's “Kick Out The Jams” album with a world tour under the banner of “MC50”.

Joining Kramer will be Brendan Canty (Fugazi), Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Doug Pinnick (King's X), and Marcus Durant (ZenGuerrilla). Each night the band will perform “Kick Out The Jams” in full, followed by a rotating encore built from later MC5 material.

Some European festival dates, including Spain’s Azkena Festival ,have been announced but only one US show – September 27 at the Fillmore Detroit - has been released. Watch this space.

• mc5
• wayne kramer
• tour
• dennis thompson
• mc50
• world

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Bowl me over! The Johnnys are back.

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By The Barman

The Barman

05 March 2018

Hits: 5946

After seven years, thousands of kilometres and innumerable demolished backstage riders, The Johnnys were Australia’s indisputable, rough riding champions of cowpunk.

Fresh from two gigs in New Zealand, The Johnnys – Graham Hood (bass and vocals), Slim Doherty (guitar) and Billy Pommer (drums) - will play their first Australian show in two years, headlining Marrickville Bowling Club on Friday, April 13.

They’ll be joined by The Four Stooges (Australia’s only Stooges homage band), Maximum Security (launching their debut album) and Bob Short & The Light Brigade.

The Johnnys formed in Sydney in 1982 when bass guitarist Graham Hood tried out for the Hoodoo Gurus after quitting the Allniters. He met Hoodoo Gurus' guitarist Roddy Ray'da and, with drummer Billy Pommer, they formed The Johnnys, playing their first show at Palms Disco on Oxford Street in Sydney.

New Zealand-born Spencer P. Jones joined on guitar and the four-piece released their single "I Think You're Cute" in October on Regular Records. Ray'da left and the band signed with independent label Green Records before joining major imprint Mushroom.

• bob short
• the johnnys
• marrickville bowling club
• the stukas
• 4 stooges
• four stooges
• maximum security

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Tendrils - Joel Silbersher & Charlie Owen (Sorcerer Records)

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By The Barman

The Barman

04 March 2018

Hits: 5531

As ethereal and otherworldly as when it came out on CD in 1995, “Tendrils” continues to defy easy categorisation on LP.

It was the first album for the pairing of Joel Silbersher (Hoss, GOD et al) and Charlie Owen (New Christs, Beasts of Bourbon and, again, many more) and married seemingly disparate guitar approaches to restrained vocals against an background of minimal percussion.

By then, Joel and Charlie were two of the so-called underground’s best-known players. Owen was - and still is - a consummate guitar player’s player and had had national success with the Beasts; Silbersher was the diminutive and cocky ex-GOD rocker whose current band, Hoss, seemed poised for much bigger things. He should be internationally lauded to thsi day. Putting them together in a studio was always going to produce something interesting.

• new christs
• GOD
• charlie owen
• joel silbersher
• hoss
• tendrils
• dave laing
• sorcerer records

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Sounds like it will be Epic

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By The Barman

The Barman

04 March 2018

Hits: 4310

Jack Howard’s Epic Brass has already blitzed hometown Melbourne and he's taking it north to Sydney's Factory Theatre on June 2 with an all-star cast.

Jack Howard’s Epic Brass is a celebration and an exploration of the great horn hits and hidden gems of Australian rock – from Hunters and Collectors and the Oils to The Saints, The Laughing Clowns and Wet Taxis, the show features an incredible set list of killer brass tunes.

The Epic Brass band features a mighty four-piece horn section. Jack is joined by a terrific cast of guest singers and players – Ron Peno (Died Pretty), Paulie Stewart (Painters And Dockers), Steve Lucas from X, Penny Ikinger (Wet Taxis) and Melbourne sensation, Fiona Lee Maynard, who bring their style and energy to this uniquely powerful show.

• penny ikinger
• fiona lee maynard
• steve lucas
• hunters and collectors
• x band
• jack howard's epic brass
• midnight oil
• paulie stewart
• painters and dockers

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Bookie's reunion celebrates groundbreaking Detroit club

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By The Barman

The Barman

02 March 2018

Hits: 5369

On March 17, 1978, Bookie's Club 870 became Detroit's answer to New York's C.B.G.B., The Whisky A-Go-Go in L.A., and London's Marquee Club.

Bookie's hosted shows by The Police, Iggy Pop, J. Geils, The Damned, Ultravox, The Dead Boys and many other international punk and new wave performers.

It also served as a home base for Detroit area bands like The Sillies, The Romantics, Gang War and former MC5 and Stooges members like Ron Asheton, Michael Davis,  Fred Smith and their then-current bands, Destroy All Monsters and Sonic's Rendezvous Band.

At least three live albums have been released of Bookie's concerts and a new two-record set of Iggy Pop's six-day residency is now being released on Easy Action in the UK. The book "Detroit Rock City" chronicles the Bookie's days through the eyes of people who were there.

The Bookie's 40th Anniversary Reunion will be held on Saturday, March 17 (St. Patrick's Day) at the New Way Bar on Woodward, Detroit, roughly three miles north of the original Bookie's. Admission is FREE. There will be posters and photos on display that night as well as live performances from The Sillies (who started the club) and members of R.U.R., Coldcock and other surprise guests.

• detroit
• sonics rendezvous band
• iggy
• iggy pop
• destroy all monsters
• the romantics
• bookie's
• ithe sillies

First Lady of Soul is Oz-bound - and You Am I can't wait

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By The Barman

The Barman

01 March 2018

Hits: 5313

Best known for her beautiful and classic mid-to-late ‘60s hits including “The First Cut Is The Deepest”, “(If You Think You’re) Groovy” and “Angel of the Morning”, as well as the power chorus of the Small Faces’ iconic hit “Tin Soldier”, PP Arnold is set to undertake her first ever concert tour of Australia.

And she’ll be backed by a super group of super fans in Tim Rogers, Rusty Hopkinson and Andy Kent of You Am I, Talei Wolfgramm and James Black.

The Los Angeles teenager, who became London’s First Lady of Soul after hitting town in 1966 with Ike & Tina Turner and coming to the attention of Mick Jagger, is still going strong. And she’s once again at the right place in the right time, as she has been so often in a career that’s lasted over 50 years.

PP’s tour down under follows the release last year of “The Turning Tide”, an album of unreleased recordings from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, produced by both Barry Gibb and Eric Clapton. It cracked the UK Top 30 upon release, recently made the NZ iTunes Top 20, and has been the subject of many accolades and much airplay since its release.

Although this will be PP’s be first concert tour of these parts, she has previously performed here as a featured singer with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters in 2002 and 2008. In recent times she has also recorded with Primal Scream, Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller. She has a voice that other artists love to work with; her first duet was with Rod Stewart on a single produced by Mick Jagger, way back in ’67.

• tour
• australian
• you am i
• small faces
• pp arnold
• ike and tina turner

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The Mighty Mark E. Smith: a reflection...

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

28 February 2018

Hits: 8155

_{Photo of Mark E Smith: Irish Times}

It has been brought to my attention that, in my last article on The Fall, I got a lyric wrong; it's not “this is the three hours”, but “this is the three 'r's.

As Jimi once said, “s’cuse me while I kiss this guy”. 

Mis-hearing lyrics is one of the joys of music. Having too much information too easily available can destroy the mystique. It took ages to work out Pete Shelley's line “who do you think you're trying to arouse/ Get your hand out of my trousers” by playing the disc over and over (uh, back in the 70s), and that was kind of the point. 

• the fall
• mark e smith
• barracudas
• michael canning
• hex induction hour
• the mighty fall

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