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

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

27 October 2015

Hits: 7282

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: 5534

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: 5722

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: 5710

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: 7392

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

Forty years later and the buzz is still strong

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By The Barman

The Barman

22 October 2015

Hits: 4803

Original UK punk act the Buzzcocks kick-off their 40th Birthday celebrations this March with a tour of Australia and New Zealand. The stars of Dig it Up! 2013 return for the Golden Plains Festival plus headline shows across most capitols. Guests include HITS and Ausmuteants.

Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto formed Buzzcocks in Bolton in February 1976. The band, completed by the addition of Steve Diggle and John Maher, opened for the Sex Pistols in Manchester on July 20th, a follow up to the now (in)famous Lesser Free Trade Hall gig which Devoto and Shelley had organised the month before.

• live
• feelpresents
• buzzcocks
• sex pistols

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Undercover: Live in China – The Boys (Action Records)

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By The Barman

The Barman

20 October 2015

Hits: 5773

The Boys rode the original wave of UK punk in the ‘70s, missed the crest and ended up in the shallows; it wasn’t their fault. They suffered from poor distribution after signing to a second-order record label, but in the end they were far too musical to be lumped in with most of their contemporaries.

The Boys - specifically singer-guitarist Matt Dangerfield - had their origins in England’s most celebrated non-functioning band, the London SS, whose ranks included Mick Jones (later of The Clash) and Tony James (who went on to Generation X.) Both their subsequent outfits and the Sex Pistols made their first recordings in Dangerfield’s rented Maid Vale basement. Talk about being at the scene of the crime. Casino Steel did time in a glam band the Hollywood Brats who almost out-pouted the Dolls.

• punk
• clash
• live
• sex pistols
• new york dolls
• the boys
• generation x
• english
• china

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Many Ways in…One Way Out - Fraudband (Kasumuen Records)

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

13 October 2015

Hits: 5717

Fuckin’ five bottle feedback and dronecrush alert. Among other things.

Melbourne band Fraudband are seriously determined to get your attention. “Many Ways in…” has a great cover, good packaging, and … ah, yeah. The songs. Five bottles, Barman, did I mention..?

“Many Ways in…” is a re-recording of Fraudband’s first two EPs, neither of which I knew existed until I saw the press release. More fool me. Loki Lockwood is the dread at the production controls because he mixed them live, loved them and put himself forward.

• fraudband
• loki lockwood
• sonic youth

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R.I.P. Steve Mackay of the Stooges

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By The Barman

The Barman

12 October 2015

Hits: 4933

Peter Whitfield photo

Tributes are flowing for Stooges saxman Steve Mackay who has passed away in hospital in California following complications from surgery.

MESSAGE FROM IGGY ON STEVE MACKAY'S PASSING: pic.twitter.com/haOUe7Wd7p

— Iggy Pop (@IggyPop) October 11, 2015

• iggy pop
• stooges
• steve mackay