Ghosts are immortal

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By Patrick Emery

Patrick Emery

20 November 2022

Hits: 2755

These Immortal Souls
The Tote, Collingwood, VIC
Saturday, 12 November 2022

These Immortal Souls didn’t really have much of a physical presence in Australia, at least during the band’s creative peak. Rowland S Howard had first conceived the group in the immediate aftermath of The Birthday Party, though it took a false start with Barry Adamson, Chris Walsh and Jeff Wegener, and a brief tenure in the European incarnation of Crime and the City Solution, before

These Immortal Souls took permanent form with Howard, Genevieve McGuckin on keyboards, Howard’s brother Harry on bass and Kevin Godfrey (aka Epic Soundtracks) on drums.

For much of its time, These Immortal Souls lived a penurious, underground (literally and metaphorically) existence in the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. An Australia tour over the summer of 1988-89 would be the only time the band would grace these shores until the band’s repatriation in 1994.

By late 1998, These Immortal Souls had departed into the dustbin of history.

• kim salmon
• JP Shilo
• tote
• adalita
• harry howard
• rowland s. howard
• these immortal souls

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An episode of Thursday Evening Gunk to Treasure

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By The Barman

The Barman

20 November 2022

Hits: 2820

The replay of last week's Thursday Evening Gunk, the I-94 Bar Internet show, is here so kick back and watch. Host Chris Virtue of 2RRR speaks to Sydney's King of Urban and Western, John Kennedy, and bassist Phil Hall (Dropbears, Sardine v, Lime Spiders) about the John Kennedy's 68 Comeback Special album "Raining Treasure Vol 2" before a set by the band.

This Thursday at 8pm Sydney time go to the Moshpit Bar Facebook for the "Chicks Who Rock" episode, in which guest host Heather Goodman of Orbital Radio will talk to Jess Finlayson (Rasing Ravens, Nitrocris) and Bianca Kotoulas of young Sydney band Euterpe about the Sydney scene and women bands.  Join the Facebook event here.

• lime spiders
• john kennedy
• sardine v
• phil hall
• moshpit
• thursday evening gunk
• john kennedy's 68 comeback special
• dropbears

Night of power and pop recalls the best of times

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By Edwin Garland

Edwin Garland

19 November 2022

Hits: 3002

Mick Medew and the Mesmerisers
+ The On and Ons
+ Pocketwatch
Marrickville Bowling Club, Sydney
Saturday, 5 November 2022

Photos by Vic Zubakin of Look Sharp Photography

The 1980s was in many ways a dire period in music: if you look at the charts or are forced to endure a few re-runs of “Countdown”, you’ll agree. Mainstream music was based on synth and a chorus pedal, gated snare and re=recordings of “Funky Town”. And there was fucking Phil Collins and his drums.

The padded shoulders and “eat the poor” mentality that saw the rise of the trickle down economics of Reagan and Thatcher.  Whenever I see any sentimental recall of the ‘80s, I run the other way. The exceptions lie in pockets of underground music

Sydney particularly reacted against the culture of Ken Done tea towels and pastels and third rate sounds. We real street music with some of best bands in the world, many of whom you could see live for five bucks.

Just as then, we still have a Sydney underground music scene in 2022. We can still see shadows and glimpses of the past and talented young bands who have been handed the baton.

• the on and ons
• michael charles
• marrickville bowling club
• mick medew
• lois andrews
• brian mann
• pocketwatch
• mick medew and the mesmerisers

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Velatine's "greasy, sweet corruption"

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

19 November 2022

Hits: 2118

Whisper Park b/w One and Only – Velatine (Spooky Records)

Damn, “Whisper Park” is dark and groovy. Just listen to that rippling rhythm, those soaring cadences..and Maggie Alley's louche, almost deadpan vocals. By god, she's got a voice on her.

Band member/producer Loki Lockwood has shot another sterling ICBM into an uncaring stratosphere, look out Shen-zen, here comes detonation... and yes, Velatine do provoke that effect. At least on me. A graceful, deadly shot into the air, where it lands, god won't help you.

• spooky records
• the one and only
• velatine
• whisper park

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Front-row seat to debauchery

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By The Barman

The Barman

13 November 2022

Hits: 2664

Theater of Cruelty – Iggy and the Stooges (Easy Action)

And back down the rabbit hole we go…

It’s apparent that all that exists in the way of Stooges demo's and live recordings is probably in the public domain by now. The chances of somebody unearthing another “Goose Lake” desk tape, or a slew of pre-production demos that the band misplaced, is a longshot.

So, Stoogephiles, we are done and dusted.

Not quite.

• iggy and the stooges
• easy action records
• graham ling
• Live at The Whisky A Go Go
• theater of cruelty

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1980s link provides impetus for Mick Medew and Ursula's Boxcar remix project

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By The Barman

The Barman

11 November 2022

Hits: 2440

It’s a match made in the sub tropics: Dave Smith, founder of ARIA-nominated Brisbane synth act Boxcar, has teamed with Queensland rock and roll hall of famer Mick Medew and partner Ursula to launch a series of steamy dancefloor remixes of the title track from Mick Medew and Ursula’s “Love Is Calling” album.

Dave and Ursula go way back - to Brisbane in the ‘80s, in fact, when Dave helped make a video for Ursula's then band, Ironing Music.

Mick Medew is the former leader of the legendary Screaming Tribesmen, whose “Igloo” single is an all-time Australian underground classic, and more recently vocalist and guitarist for Mick Medew and The Mesmerisers.

“Love Is Calling” was 4ZZZ’s Album of the Week on its release on I-94 Bar Records in early 2022. The remix project has realised four Boxcar remixes whose titles are inspired by Dave Smith’s love of Roma and Brunswick Streets in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley entertainment precinct.

The artwork is by Ash Moses and the songs were meticulously mastered by Melbourne sonic wizard Ernie O. 

The ”Love is Calling Boxcar Remix” EP will debut on the Heyday program on 4ZZZ on Saturday after 6pm Brisbane time and will go live on all streaming services from Monday. Save the streaming songs here.  

• mick medew
• love is calling
• mick medew and ursula
• boxcar
• 4zzz
• heyday

Stretching their legs

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By Matt Ryan of Munster Times

Matt Ryan of Munster Times

11 November 2022

Hits: 2140

Blues-punk rockers Daddy Long Legs are embarking on their first tour of Australia this month.

Starting out on Norton Records, home of legends such as Andre Williams, the Sonics and Link Wray, the New York City-based group recently dropped their new single, "Nightmare", a cracking and frighteniing tune that sums up what we’ve all gone through the past few years. They even got their mate Wreckless Eric to do backing vocals.

Singer/guitarist Brian Hurd spoke to me on the zoom machine while the band was mid tour in Europe.

I-94 Bar: Dave Laing, who teed up this interview up, told me he can’t stop listening to the new Daddy Long Legs single, "Nightmare". Once I heard it I kept pushing repeat as well.

Brian: Right on, thank-you!.

It’s certainly a song of the times, did you write it about all the stuff that happened in the last few years?

Brian: Yeah it’s absolutely of the times, and inspired by everything that’s happened all around us. The story behind it is, in January 2021 I got sick, I had the COVID bug, and I had these crazy dreams that were super vivid, and every night I would dream a different song.

One of the nights that I was under the weather, I had a dream that I was hanging with all these leather clad, denim clad rockers, long hair dudes, and they were telling me how much they dig Daddy Long Legs and they were telling me their favourite song was called "Nightmare".

Well pre-COVID, before all this happened you made a LP called "Lockdown Ways" (2019), so you really have nailed the current times before it happened, AS WELL!

Brian: (Laughs) Yeah.

• norton records
• lenny kaye
• australian tour
• daddy long legs
• brian hurd

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"Red White and Blue" is the roadmap for a stunning trip

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By Robert Brokenmouth & Edwin Garland

Robert Brokenmouth & Edwin Garland

07 November 2022

Hits: 2774

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.

• bob short
• dead rabids
• filth
• comic
• red white and blue

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Are two Hard-Ons better than Nun?

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By The Barman

The Barman

06 November 2022

Hits: 3222

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.

• hard-ons
• peter black
• ray ahn
• chris virtue
• nunchukka superfly
• moshpit
• thursday evening gunk