Vale ex-Powder Monkey John Nolan

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By The Barman

The Barman

13 December 2021

Hits: 5583

_{John Nolan (left) with Tim Hemensley and Timmy-Jack Ray in the Powder Monkeys.}

John Nolan, the former Powder Monkeys and Bored! guitarist and more recently member of Powerline Sneakers, has died. It is understood a family member found him earlier today in his Melbourne home.

The lanky, long-haired and wickedly talented Nolan was an elder statesman of the Melbourne underground scene. He initially rose to prominence in Geelong band Beyond the Magnolia Curtain in the mid-1980s. and went on to the twin-guitar line-up of Bored!

In 1991, Nolan and Bored! bassist Tim Hemensley (ex-GOD) left Bored! to set up the Powder Monkeys, who became one of Australia’s most fearsome - and infamous - outfits.

• powder monkeys
• john nolan
• tim hemensley
• bored!
• vale

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We're living on dog food

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By The Barman

The Barman

12 December 2021

Hits: 4059

Feed The Dog – Bored! (Fantastic Mess Records)

The original album came out in 1991 and showed off a new, lean and still mean version of Bored!. “Feed The Dog” was an instant classic. Thirty years later, its guitarist, vocalist and driving force Dave Thomas is no longer with us, but be thankful that this fearsome, re-mastered version is.

If you were immersed in the Australian underground scene in 1991, you’ll know that the international name on everybody’s lips back then was Nirvana. Their debut album “Bleach” was making its mark and the over-ground success of “Nevermind” was just over the horizon. Bored! also could have gone on to huge things. 

• geelong
• bored!
• dave thomas
• fantastic mess records

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Collection captures Rifles firing on all cylinders

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By The Barman

The Barman

11 December 2021

Hits: 3778

Chasing Chocomel – The Celibate Rifles (self released)

Don’t let the fact that these are cassette dubs of live-to-air radio recordings deter you. A bit of compression never hurt anyone. This posthumous 22-track collection from Europe and Australia is prime-time Celibate Rifles from the “Roman Beach Party”/“Blind Ear”/”Heaven on a Stick” period, and it burns like a kerosene spill on a barbie.

As a fan of the Rifles from the get-go, I thought it was “Roman Beach Party” that showed they’d really come to grips with the studio. Foot-to-the-floor Rifles got the crowds shaking live, but sometimes the wry observations were buried under all that Sturm und Drang. You had to listen hard to appreciate what they were saying on the early records too. From here on in, you could hear Damo’s words - loud and clear.

• kent steedman
• celibate rifles
• damien lovelock
• dave morris
• paul larsen
• chasing chocomel

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This could be dangerous if the beer is cold

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By The Barman

The Barman

10 December 2021

Hits: 2577

• sydney
• the johnnys
• broham
• white knuckle fever
• the basement
• marys underground

The Johnnys aiming to put the sin back into St Kilda

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By The Barman

The Barman

07 December 2021

Hits: 2335

• melbourne
• live
• st kilda
• burn in hell
• the johnnys
• the lewvis presley experience

New Johnny Casino single a taste of the album to come

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By The Barman

The Barman

07 December 2021

Hits: 2709

• johnny casino
• golden robot
• another girl

Exalted blues noise rockers feedtime plan two sets in return to live shows

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By The Barman

The Barman

07 December 2021

Hits: 2494

Hey Sydneysiders! After COVID did its best to sink it, the "extreme dream team" pairing of feedtime and Examplehead at Marrickville Bowling Club, originally scheduled for June, has been re-scheduled to January 22...and both bands are determined to make it a very special night.

• sydney
• subpop
• marrickville
• feedtime
• examplehead

The art and tragically unnecessary death of Martin Harris

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

04 December 2021

Hits: 10496

How best to remember Melbourne graphic Martin Harris who left the world a week ago?

The Barman has asked a few of us to write about our Top Tens this year. Well, like most of us, I didn't go out much, and didn't listen to much either.  However, one thing which has dominated this year is depression and its many variants.

What has this to do with rock and roll?  Plenty. If you don;t agree, you can't have been listening to the greats, Ozzy Osbourne, Johnny Cash, New Order, Amy Winehouse... 

See, I've always thought the impulse to create rawk is only a single manifestation of what I call 'the creative imperative'. This imperative is stronger in some than others, of course. But if you would take the imperative to success on a gigamax scale, you not only need luck, you need determination, hard work AND more luck. 

Queen, for example, were so determined to succeed that before they were gigamax they rehearsed in their stage gear. They worked hard for their success. Ask any musician: songs don't just drop from trees, fully formed. Some folk are stupidly talented, but with most creatives, genius rarely spontaneously happens.

Anyone reading “Get in the Van” gets an idea of how determined Rollins has been to succeed. What do P.G. Wodehouse, W.E. Johns and Dick Francis have in common? They wrote at least a book a year (Johns sometimes churned out three or four per year). But not only did they each have a lot of luck, they all worked damned hard. (Alright, so PG had several flops and weathered two gigantic, very public (and bloody funny) scandals but even so).

• sean bowley
• eden
• martin harris
• art whore
• outre
• josh griffiths

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East Coast Low's coming of age

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By The Barman

The Barman

29 November 2021

Hits: 4148

Seas on Fire – East Coast Low (Crankinhaus Records)

The promise of their first recordings (an album and a promotional EP) has been realised and “Seas On Fire” showsEast Coast Low has the requisite rock and roll cojones to take on all comers.

A five-piece with most of its membership drawn from the matter-of-fact city of Newcastle, a couple of hours north of Sydney, East Coast Low is a product of its home-town: Nothing is overly dressed up and most of the songs get straight to the point, with no fucking around. 

This is a well-travelled band. Grizzled, if you like. High rotation on the national youth network doesn’t beckon (though we all know they don’t program anything with a hint of ageism about them.) The Low formed in 2015 with members playing in Newy bands like The Fools and No Reason. The influences are myriad, although the ‘70s punk lineage is strong.

• new christs
• newcastle
• aberration
• al creed
• east coast low
• seas on fire
• geoff mullard

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