Cowboy Logic – Garry Gray & Sacred Cowboys (Kasumen Records)
Just when you through it was safe to go back into the corral, those ornery Sacred Cowboys are back on the reservation.
Molly Meldrum once called them the worst band he’d seen in five years and the Cowboys - or more correctly sole constant member Garry Gray - has worn that critique as a badge of honour ever since. And why not? Molly didn’t know his arse from his elbow and wasn’t likely to be converted, and his dissing the band on national TV played right into their ethos of confrontation.
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 271
X-Ray Words - The Prehistorics (self-released)
Aussie-based perenial European tourists The Prehistorics return with their sixth album. three years in the making and starting just after their last release "Racket du Jour" (2001). The core of the recording band for the last few records, Brendan Sequira (songwriter, vocals, guitar), and Michael Carpenter (drums, production, and plenty more things this time around), enlisted some great guitar players to help out along the way.
It's exactly what you'd expect from a Prehistorics album: great playing and production, and just that little bit better than the previous offering.
When I hear people talk about this band, the comparisons to the Hellacopters and Radio Birdman always abound, so you know that you're in for a great twin-guitar attack, and the album doesn't disappoint.
This kicks right out of the gate with the first track, and also the first video released from the album "Invisible Hand".
And the album doesn't let up from there. There's a lot to like on this release, of course that twin-guitar attack with some great riffin'. But the songs have enough slight variation in style and playing to keep the listener entertained throughout.
There's shades of powerpop meets old style punk with some fantastic pounding drums and bass holding it all together. Brendan's vocals are fantastic, and dare I say it, almost Bon Scott-like in a couple of songs.
Things slow down a bit for the last song "Shades Of Lipstick" but it's an infectious powerpop gem of a song, and my vote would go towards releasing this as the next video from the album.
Anyway, get on over to Bandcamp and have a listen, I'm sure you'll be wanting to buy a copy on vinyl or CD after hearing it, and while you're there check out the back catalogue if you haven't.
with a shot of twin-guitar attack please Barman!!
Buy it
Graham Stapleton and Brendan.
I had a bit of a chat to Brendan Sequira recently about the release and the band.
G: Hey Brendan, firstly congratulations on the new album. I’ve had it on high rotation since it arrived.
B: Hi Graham, thanks for the opportunity to chat with you. It's always a blast!
G: The twin guitar attack all through this album is awesome. A couple of players are back from the previous album, of course the legendary Michael Carpenter in the producers chair and on the drums, but also adding some bass, keyboards, and guitar.
And Thomas Aguilar is back on lead guitar, but only for around half of the songs. You've added another three lead guitarists to this album for the rest of the songs, how did that come about?
B: Yeah, I'm a huge fan of the old twin guitar attack. You know, Radio Birdman, The MC5, The Hellacopters, Redd Kross. So I really wanted to carry on with that tradition on this album. But the challenge with sourcing great lead guitarists is getting them to go the distance long term, in this band. I guess because they are high calibre, they float from one project to the next, so it's hard to put a saddle on them.
I was really lucky to get Chris Rolling from France, to guest on three songs for this album. He actually filled in for two tours as lead guitarist in The Prehistorics, in Europe in 2023 and he just nailed it. He is also the most super-cool guy with so much integrity, talent and humility, so we've become great friends. It was just a blessing. I mean, listen to him shredding on the opening track “Invisible Hand”. It's just earth shattering, right?
I was also lucky to get long time contributor Stu Greenwood on one track, “Off Your Rocker”, and he just knocked it out of the park with his solo. So yeah, I’ve been blessed with great guest musicians on this record. Added to that, Michael Carpenter just aces it on pretty much every instrument he plays.
G: Both the record and the CD versions of the new album have great artwork again thanks to your wife Nathalie. It must be great having her working closely with the band and on the releases?
B: You know, I have been so fortunate over the past 10 years, to have Nathalie’s support what I do but also bring a whole set of skills to the table. She a graphic artist and freelance artist, photographer and video maker, so she just tends to dive in to do a lot of the artistic work for the band.
The cover started out as a concept in my head and then she helped realise that and added other dimensions to it. Even on tours, if she comes along, she always helps out with the merch or driving or translating in French, so she's pretty integral to the band.
G: You are renowned for touring Europe and completed a run there almost a year ago now with a cracking band. How was that experience?
B: That last tour we did in Europe in September 2023 was the best ever. The crowds were just amazing and as a unit, we were firing on all cylinders from the very first gig in Paris. It's funny because we only had two rehearsals with the bass player before hitting Europe and none with Chris Rolling, our lead guitarist, because he lives in France. We didn't even soundcheck together. But that's what happens when you play with pros.
Again, it's funny because a lot of musicians I've played with are expecting to spend weeks rehearsing, but we haven't done that for years, because we're often in different cities or even different countries. But it's like anything, if you've got the ability and you do your homework, you should be able to play at this professional level, without labouring too much. The trouble is, not everyone puts in the hard yards...but don't get me started on that, lol!
G: You haven't toured as much in Australia as overseas for quite a while now, but you recently did a small tour of South East QLD and Norther NSW. I was at the Gold Coast show with brilliant supports from Welshan and The Dangermen. It was an awesome show all round, but you guys were really rocking. What's your recollections of the shows and tour?
B: That mini-tour in south east Queensland was heaps of fun. I was surprised about the positive reception we received because we hadn't played for ages, but the feedback I got from the fans who had waited to see us, was really great. It was our first time playing with The Dangermen too and they were lots of fun!
Unfortunately, in Australia the market is quite small compared to Europe so we've had to slog it out mostly in Europe to build our audience. I think it's worked, after 10 years of touring, because we have carved out our own "cult following ", especially in France where we are always blown away by their dedication and kindness towards the band.
G: I'm hoping that you'll be doing a few more tours locally and around Australia after adding a couple of new members to the band recently. Marc Welsh (ex-Asylum, Have A Nice Day) on lead guitar, and Daren “Catman” Williams on bass. Any tours with the new band coming up?
B: Definitely hoping to tour Europe again in 2025, if all the stars align. I've gotta say that planning these tours is a logistical nightmare, coordinating gigs between cities so that we don't have to travel huge distances, organising accommodation, dealing with logistical problems.
The other big thing I have learnt is you really have to get the right combination of people together to make it enjoyable and harmonious. We all know the story of the "van of hate", so I try to avoid such dramas, lol. Sometimes you get on tour and someone is pulling in a different direction or just isn't comfortable working as a team, and those tours can be really draining.
The other big issue, and I get asked about this a lot because we tour with varying line-ups, the thing is, a lot of people will initially jump at the chance to go on a fully organised tour, because it's all laid out on a silver platter, mostly courtesy of me, and with help from my wife organising so many things, but for a lot of people, it's kind of a bucket list thing for them. But once they realise how hard it is on the road, with long hours and little sleep, they don't come back a second time. It's not for everyone. Maybe you have to have a bit of the mongrel in you, to keep putting yourself through all the highs and lows.
Plus, there’s a lot of tyre kickers out there who are in love with the idea but not the brutal reality of touring. But for me, I freak’n live for touring!
Nathalie Sequeira's original artwork.
G: Also, with a couple of new players, I’m wondering if you guys are itching to get into the studio for some new recordings?
B: In terms of writing new material, I've never been able to churn out songs one after another, but because the new album took three years to record, I actually built up a backlog of songs for another album. I'm the only songwriter in The Prehistorics these days, so that can put a lot of pressure on me, and I want to make sure every album is "all killer and no filler"! (Laughs)
So I'm really hoping to release a seventh album by 2026. The one problem though is the cost of doing these albums; I pretty much pay for everything in that sense, and because I don't want to compromise on quality.
I have always recorded with industry legend Michael Carpenter, to make things sound first rate. Even with mastering, I always go with an industry leader, Turtlerock, because they are just the very best.
I hear of lot of people claiming they made a record on a shoestring budget and when I hear the record - and it sounds like it. The thing is, whether you like our stuff or not, no one could ever accuse us of putting out scrappy records that are poorly produced. I guess it’s like the old adage, you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
G: Thanks for the chat Brendan. Hopefully will catch you guys playing again soon.
B: Thanks Graham, it's always good to chat to you. You always seem to get where my band is coming from, and connect with the songs. That's priceless.
The Prehistorics launch "X-Ray Words" with The Dangermen and The Remnants at Marrickville Bowling Club in Sydney on Saturday, September 28.
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- By Graham Stapleton
- Hits: 361
Don’t Let Go. A Memoir – Rob Griffiths (Swerve/Off The Hip)
He readily confesses to not being a household name but if fervent enthusiasm for rock and roll and a back catalogue of should-have-been-hits counts, Rob Griffiths should be.
Best-known as frontman for onetime Melbourne mod torchbearers Little Murders, Griffiths is one of the most underrated songwriters in the country, and now adds author to his c.v.
The autobiographical “Don’t Let Go” is a ripping ride that cranks up in Melbourne music’s underground of the mid’70s and continues well beyond - as told by an immigrant Pommy kid who jumped in at the deep end.
Griffiths’ first band The Fiction shared stages with Boys Next Door/Birthday Party, News and JAB in a short but noisy existence. Punk was only a starting point: the did wear suits (briefly, at the end) and it was a hint of things to come. Griffiths makes the point well that the lines between genres in Melbourne are, and always were, heavily blurred.
His ‘60s influenced Little Murders rose from The Fiction’s ashes, soaring in popularity on the back of the burgeoning mod movement of the early ‘80s. When both band and the “Quadrophenia” trend foundered, Griffiths became a club DJ, a small-time record label chief and band manager, often in tandem with a day-time career as a schoolteacher.
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 261
Australian sonic chanteuse Penny Ikinger is touring France and Spain in October 2024 to promote her latest album, "Travels and Travails".
Fittingly for an international tour, the record is a compilaiton of new and older material recorded around the world that showcases her collaborations with artists from France, Australia, Japan and the United States.
Thje tour is in both solo mode and with a mostly French band, The Not, a high-energy outfit that came together in a seedy Paris bar.
The Not features Penny’s long time musical collaborator Vinz Guilluy (Penelope Inc, Charles de Goal, the Holy Curse, and Bad Music with Rob Younger) on bass, Greek guitarist Roy Mitakidis (ex-Sonic Tramps), JB Didier (ex-Rhinosonics) on keys and Frantz Arnould (Whodunit) on drums.
Penny Ikinger and The Not
France and Spain Tour
OCT
13 - L'Alimentation Générale, Paris,
w/ Glenn Burns (AUS)
17- Funhouse, Madrid
w/ Jibaros (ESP)
18 - La Casa De Sabica, Pamplona
19 - VIII. ZZ Rock Jaialdia, Zumarraga
26 - Skate Parc Le Moulin du Rousseau,
Périgueux, FR
(solo)
w/ Kosmik Twaregs (ESP)
Tickets
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 250
It was 45 years ago when Melbourne’s Little Murders released the single “Things Will Be Different” on Au Go Go Records. The single put Little Murders and Au Go Go on the musical map, quickly selling out two pressings and garnering praise from around the world, including from Greg Shaw's BOMP! magazine.
In 1981, Little Murders were the leading mod band in Melbourne and went on to release three more singles and the “STOP” album before disbanding.
Between then and now, the reconstituted Little Murders have released eight studio albums, two compilations and a live record, toured Japan, had a documentary made about them, recorded in Los Angeles and had international and local artists record their songs for a tribute album. Which brings us to the here and now.
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- By The Barman
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The good news: The much anticipated Australian tour by ex-Lazy Cowgirls frontman Pat Todd and his band The Rankoutsiders is on. The bad news: The tour is restricted to one state.
Pat Todd’s Aussie solo dates with Mad Macka of the Cosmic Psychos were a stand-out of 2023 and he promised to be back. Unfortunately, limited time and economics mean Victoria will host all five dates of the run.
So if you’re anywhere else, book an air ticket. If can't, take consolation that you’ll be able to stream a live-to-air on 3PBS-FM before the live shows proper start.
Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders
NOV
6 – PBS live to air
7 – Trash Cult, Bendigo, VIC
8 – The Tote, Collingwood, VIC
9 – River Rocks, Barwon Club, Geelong
10 – St Kilda Bowls Club, St Kilda, VIC
11 – Last Chance Bar, Melbourne, VIC
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- By The Barman
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Deep Heat – Rockafella (Tuff Cuff Records)
We’ve all heard about the “difficult” second album, but this takes some beating.
A quarter century spans the debut and the follow-up for Wollongong’s Rockafella. To be fair, a band breaking up will do that. evrery time..
The good news is that the lay-off hasn’t done them any harm, and if you're a vinyl junkie, you'll be stoked that their return to the record racks is in the form of a meaty, thick 180gm slab that's been cut to make a big noise.
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 499
Van Ruin (the band) are bassist Pete Trifunovic (Mushroom Planet and Sonic Garage), Phil Van Rooyen, guitarist Al Creed and drummer Stu Wilson preparing for their live debut this weekend past.
Van Ruin is, I suppose, the Australian way of pronouncing Phil Van Rooyen's surname. Perhaps best known to I-94-Barflies as one of the guitarists and vocalists in Manly's finest, Chickenstones, Phil has also been a mainstay of Panadolls, the Circus Chaplains, and Sonic Garage. Van Ruin is also the name of his new solo band.
Phil's influences have always been worn on his fretboard; phrasing seems not so much Detroit rock but more Radio Birdman, New Christs, Celibate Rifles or even Died Pretty ... That said, he developed his own way of thinking and playing long ago; to my mind, he's a distinctive and, with other writing partner and Chickenstones bandmate, Andy Doc Temple Ellard, a very under-rated musician and songwriter.
The debut EP by Van Ruin, "Jails, Death & Institutions”, is out now on Crankinhaus Records so I asked Phil a few questions.
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- By Robert Brokenmouth
- Hits: 555
Original image by Leni Sinclair.
A few hours before the clueless moguls of the music industry rattle their jewelry at a black-tie knees-up in Cleveland to officially induct the MC5 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Lame, a more appropriate commemoration will take place in the band’s home state of Michigan.
Friends and supporters will gather at Memorial Park in Lincoln Park - the city where Rob Tyner (Derminer), Wayne Kramer (Kambes), Fred Smith and Dennis Thompson (Tomich) attended high school - from 3pm on the afternoon of October 12.
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 805
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