Red White and Blue
By Bob Short
The Barman would have me squawk about “full disclosure”. Don't you get arrested for that?
Oh, not if you're a politician? Mysterious donors suddenly appear with suitcases of cash for your defence team? What if you're a priest? Oh, you get transferred to a 'virgin' happy hunting ground?
Uh-huh. Anyway, I know Bob Short. He knows me. I know where he lives - and if you own either of these books, you know where he lives, too.
Man on the edge.
Okay, so this is the second part in a series. Do you need to own part one?
Well, strictly speaking, no. However, to fully grasp what's going on, yes, you do. Allow me to recap, just slightly.
So, we have a flash comic book, with artwork which is deliberately awkward and muckily-presented (in best punk d-i-y style). Never mind the photoshops, Bob works with what looks like printouts from the internet, white-out, textas and possibly water-colour.
There is a plot, but it's muddied (or clarified, perhaps) by a multitude of composite characters purposely designed to keep us away from the plot as such, so as to focus on Bob's main drag, which is social commentary.
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- By Robert Brokenmouth & Edwin Garland
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The latest episode of the I-94 Bar streaming show "Thursday Evening Gunk" is here for your viewing pleasure. 2RRR radio host Chris Virtue speaks to Peter "Blackie" Black and Ray Ahn of the Hard-Ons and Nunchukka Superfly about both bands and their parallel development. The episode closes with a scorching Nunchukka Superfly set.
Thursday Evening Gunk is streamed from the MoshPit Facebook page on Thursday nights from 8pm Sydney time or you can take part for free at the bar on King Street in St Peters, Sydney. This week, Celia Curtis of White Knuckle Fever chats with Fred Negro of I Spit On Your Gravy about the racucous documentary "Pub: The Movie" that explores his musical anmd artisticv career and the St Kilda secene in Melbourne. Also joining are director Andrew Leavold and producers Jonathan Sequeira and Brett Garten. Our feature act is White Knuckle Fever.
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- By The Barman
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- By The Barman
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Home Science – The Warts (Outtspace)
You have to look hard to find Uralla on a map of New South Wales. Nestled in the Northern Tablelands, not on the way to anywhere in particular, it’s a town of 2,000 people and not the sort of place you’d expect to find a band like The Warts. Or so the cliche would have it.
The Warts have been around for a couple of years and with the benefit of hindsight (along with their Bandcamp) it’s clear that they began life with more than a passing interest in Krautrock acts like Neu.
At least that’s how their 2019 album “Weakened by Mange” sounds when they were a quartet. Fast forward to now and long-player number two, “Home Science”, is closer to Fugazi without the same sense of economy.
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 2011
Dawn of the Braindead – The Owen Guns (Outtaspace Records)
Excuse the sneaky little Zappa-ism but does humour belong in punk music? You betcha. Australian punks The Owen Guns are prima facie evidence.
They may know them from their previous EP or from their song about Donnie Trump beinbg repeatedly pulled from YouTube. If not, here's a nice way to make their acquintance.
Hailing from Sydney and its sometimes awkward cousin city Wollongong and with roots in a bevy of old school punk bands, the four-piece Owen Guns deliver a dozen powerful and puerile tunes on their debut album on Outtspace.
If burning down churches, stomping on racist skinheads and putting the Doc Marten into Bono ain’t your things, better break out your Leonard Cohen box set, adjust your chakras and do whatever it is that’s done with patchouli.
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- By The Barman
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Seminal Seattle four-piece Mudhoney returns to Australia in 2023, nine years since their last local shows. A mammoth odyssey spanning April and May will have them playing headline shows across six states, with a handful of festival dates among them.
Mudhoney has an enviable career spanning three decades 13 studio albums, five live records, and headline shows around the globe. Their provocative debut single “ and 1992 hit “” cemented them as pioneers of the grunge explosion.
The band has managed to find time to lay down tracks in the studio this year for their next opus due in 2023, which follows their 2019 EP “Morning in America” , giving Australian fans the opportunity to hear all of the new and a bunch of the former favourites live.
Dates after the fold.
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- By The Barman
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Tickets for the only Sydney show by Mick Medew and the Mesmerisers are selling - and how.
The I-94 Bar presents the former Screaming Tribesman and his all-star band at Marrickville Bowling Club on Saturday, November 5 with support from the impeccable powerpop stars The On and Ons and fuzz-fiends Jupiter 5. Grab yours here.
Mick Medew and the Mesmerisers will play a free show at Mayfield Bowling Club in Newcastle on Friday, November 4 with support from local heroes East Coast Low and Mick Medew and Ursula. It's free admission and you can see the Facebook event here.
Mick Medew and Ursula will launch their "Love Is Calling" album with a free Sunday show at The Golden Barley Hotel in Enmore on Sunday, November 6 from 6pm. Facebook event details here.
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 2155
Ribspreader
Written, directed and produced by Dick Dale
Starring Tommy Darwin
Adelaide Nova Cinemas
Saturday, October 22, 2022
Would you go to see a slash 'n' splatter flick made in ‘Straya's Murder Capital of Adelaide with guest appearances by Chad Morgan, Chantal Contouri, Fred Negro, Spencer P. Jones, and Rat Scabies?
Do bears shit on the Pope?
Do excuse me, it's the morning after the night before and I'm mangling my metaphors. Anyway, last night I went to see one of the films at the Adelaide Film Festival. The world premiere of “Ribspreader”.
About a week-and-a-half prior, I'd tried booking online; after selecting two tickets, I was asked my email ... and then, nothing happened. Maybe it didn't work. I tried again, found that their system now had me down for four tickets, asked me for my email and again, nothing happened. No email. After the second day of no email from the AFF I figured, I'll have to use “other sources”.
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- By Robert Brokenmouth
- Hits: 3195
We Mainline Dreamers - Garry Gray and Edward Clayton-Jones (Spooky Records)
Top-drawer stuff from the Sacred Cowboys frontman Garry Gray and the wicked guitar sidemagician best-known for his work with The Wreckery and The Bad Seeds, Edward Clayton-Jones.
Hasten thou to the magic credit card...
In the next few weeks I shall be taking a sabbatical from reviewing for most of a year. However, I must unzip myself first. "Full disclosure" as The Barman says.
First, I've eaten salt, broken bread and shared a jug of wine with both culprits (and I've written songs with Garry).
Second, while I have a tendency to get very excited over new music, when it's closer to home, when reviewing I am if anything more restrained. Also, there's always that slight anxiety before I start listening: will this be crap?
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- By Robert Brokenmouth
- Hits: 2694
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