Battles announce sideshows

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By The Barman

The Barman

29 October 2015

Hits: 5456

Already confirmed for the 2016 Laneway Festival, Feel are now pleased to announce headline shows for Brooklyn based trio Battles. 

The idiosyncratic three-piece, featuring drummer John Stanier (The Mark Of Cain/Tomahawk), bassist and sonic manipulator Dave Konopka, and multi-instrumentalist Ian Williams, will bring the noise via new album “La Di Da Di” for sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne.

• the mark of cain
• tour
• australian
• battles
• tomahawk

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Stiff Little Fingers make the trek Down Under

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By The Barman

The Barman

29 October 2015

Hits: 3901

Influential first wave punk Stiff Little Fingers have announced Australian tour dates.

Formed in 1977 in Belfast, Ireland, Stiff Little Fingers were at the forefront of the punk movement with the likes of TheClash, the Sex Pistols,The Jam, Buzzcocks, Undertones, Sham69 and the Stranglers.

They wrote initially about their own lives growing up at the height of The Troubles in Northern Ireland. In November of '77, they released"Suspect Device"and"Wasted Life"on their own Rigid Digits label, and sent a copy to BBC Radio One DJJohn Peel - who started playing it every night.

These were the first of what became SLF's signature style: lyrics that meld the personal and political, music that combines the energy of punk with infectious hooks, and delivery that rings of honesty and commitment.

• punk
• live
• tour
• australian
• stiff little fingers

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Campaign launches to document rich West Australian underground scene

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By The Barman

The Barman

29 October 2015

Hits: 4847

Way Out West Book Promo Advert from George Matzkov on Vimeo.

It’s high time somebody wrote a book about the heyday of Perth’s underground music scene. Powerpop label (Zero Hour) operator and publisher George Matzkou is doing something about it.

Matzkou has launched a crowdfunding campaign to produce a comprehensive history and limited edition companion CD. “Way Out West” will cover Perth bands from the 1976-89 era.

• punk
• stems
• perth
• zero hour

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Brisbane's 4ZZZ winds back the clock to 1975

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By The Barman

The Barman

29 October 2015

Hits: 5067

The Year Was 1975... Platform shoes, hot pants, flares and long hair were the height of fashion, HJ Holdens were selling like hotcakes, and a little community radio station by the name of 4ZZZ was born in Brisbane....

Seminal Brisbane radio station 4ZZZ FM turns 40 this December and to celebrate they're hosting a month-long party! One such shindig will be held at iconic Brisbane live music venue The Zoo on Saturday December 19th and will feature a revised version of ground-breaking Australian rock band, Buffalo.

Frontman Dave Tice has frequently been dubbed The Godfather of Australian Stoner Rock for his work with ultra-heavy ‘70s band Buffalo and he’s now re-visiting his revered outfit’s legacy with a series of select shows.

Tice has assembled a new line-up under the banner 'Buffalo Revisited' to focus on the earliest of the original band’s five albums. Tice will be joined by Vince Cuscuna (guitar), Steve Lorkin (bass) and Murray Shepherd (drums). All of them are veterans of a host of underground Sydney bands.

Buffalo formed in Sydney in 1971. Largely unrecognized by commercial radio, Buffalo was one of the country’s first exponents of the style heavy metal, pre-dating other pioneering Australian hard rock and heavy metal acts, such as Coloured Balls, AC/DC, The Angels, Taste and Rose Tattoo.

• brisbane
• live
• 4zzz-fm
• buffalo revisited

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The Fall live - not once or twice but thrice - in Melbourne

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

27 October 2015

Hits: 7273

Mark E. Smith - Barry Douglas photo 

Seeing a band three nights in a row rather reminded me of when I used to see interstate bands like the Laughing Clowns play the Tivoli in Adelaide; how I afforded it I cannot really recall, but I never had enough to buy any drinks…

The Thursday night would usually be fairly sparse, the Friday a bigger crowd, and the Saturday the joint would be full to bursting. The Thursday and Friday I could usually dance without biffing into people, the Saturday night it would be too crowded up the front, which I spose is is why I think that anyone dancing extravagantly at a packed front of the stage is just rude (as it forces other folk away). Call me Mr Polite, then, go on.

Never was an LP title more prophetic: “The Wonderful and Frightening World of The Fall” was the band’s seventh album, released in 1984. Thirty years ago, The Fall looked like being about to “cross over” but … nope, after numerous minor hits, Mark E. Smith and his band has never had one in the Top 10. Perhaps that’s partly Mark’s idiosyncratic approach to recording, singing in a manner which either causes confusion or a swift twiddle of the knob.

• punk
• post-punk
• the fall
• manchester
• mark e smith

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Black is back

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By The Barman

The Barman

27 October 2015

Hits: 5507

He’s best known as the voice and scorching guitar of the Hard-Ons and Nunchukka Superfly but there’s another string to Peter Black’s bow.

Just back from a seven-week tour of Europe where he played 44 shows in 46 days, Blackie is promoting solo album number-four, “Clearly You Didn't Like The Show”, in Australia.

Dates are as follows:

Saturday, 7th November 2015
Blackwire, Sydney NSW

Saturday 14th November 2015
Transit Bar Canberra ACT

Wednesday 25th November 2015
Hamilton Station Newcastle NSW

Thursday 26th November 2015
Black Bear Lodge Brisbane QLD (with Mark Zain)

Friday 27th November 2015
Old Bar Melbourne VIC 

Friday 4th December 2015
Ruby L'otel Rozelle, Sydney NSW

Sunday 6th December 2015
Rad Bar Wollongong NSW

• live
• peter black
• blackie
• solo

The Fall live in Sydney

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By Edwin Garland

Edwin Garland

27 October 2015

Hits: 5714

There are very few bands that could get away as a warm-up for The Fall. The last Australian tour I saw, it was Dave Graney. That worked, as he has the chalk on the boards, credibility and of a similar vintage. He has cynicism but it comes from a different place. 

I missed tonight’s opening band.  I heard they were good.  The main support is Gold Class who assembled on stage with The Metro almost half-full.

The band is polite. They are pedestrian and they are safe. I am sure they have very good record collections.  Suppose the fault lies with promoters.  This band really would be ideal openers for Coldplay or New Order; certainly with the right audience they would excel. I would like to check them out again. I’m just not convinced about them at this stage.

• punk
• live
• the fall
• manchester

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Died Pretty announces club shows

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By The Barman

The Barman

23 October 2015

Hits: 5694

It's been three years since Died Pretty last played on an Australian stage - as part of the Dig It Up concert series - and the same classic lineup of Ron Peno (vocals), Brett Myers (guitar), John Hoey (keyboards), Chris Welsh (drums) and Steve Clark (bass) has announced two sideshows as part of their partcipation in the A Day On The Green dates in March.

This will be a rare opportunity to see the band perform a selection of their most loved songs in an intimate club setting. Supports are to be announced soon.

Friday 4th March, 2016 
The Factory,Sydney NSW
Tix:Ticketek and SABO

Friday 18th March, 2016 
Max Watts (formerly The Hifi), Melbourne VIC
Tix:Oztix.com.auandTicketscout

• died pretty
• ron peno
• brett myers

Eddie Spaghetti 1 - Cancer 0

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By The Barman

The Barman

22 October 2015

Hits: 7366

After tense times, Supersuckers leader Eddie Spaghetti is on the mend after successful cancer treatment. Spaghetti has told Facebook followers that his chemotherapy is at an end and tests indicate his cancer is in remission.

“So it's finally over. My last day of radiation was today and I'd be lying if I said it's been easy,”  he wrote in a post today.

“The upshot is that I am now CANCER-FREE! (And I weigh a cool 160 lbs, which is nice). Also, all the support from friends, fans and complete strangers has been an overwhelming and extraordinarily humbling experience as well.

“The downsides are that I can no longer grow a manly beard (the only thing I can muster up is this stupid "cop mustache". Ugh) and that my neck is now blackish red (quite literally, like a beet!). ANYWAY, thank you all for all your help and good juju you've put into the air for me. Now it's time to do some healing. I'll see you all soon! “

• supersuckers
• eddie
• spaghetti
• cancer