1. Big Bongin’ Baby
Gutterball Pete is perhaps the only person currently alive who can vomit during the middle of a guitar solo and not fluff a single note. He’s a character – an amalgam of Nikki Sudden, Ronnie Wood and Peter Perrett in style and grace. The affectionately –named Bongers have played around town for over 25 years and like the Saints, failed the Academy of Music’s Battle of the Bands.
2. The Double – "Dawn of the Double" LP (In the Red ITR-295)
Drummer Jim White and guitarist Emmett Kelly playing Bo Diddley for three quarters of an hour in E over two sides of an LP. This is probably too avant for the fans of rock ‘n’ roll and too in the pocket for the rockist set. I don’t think rockists know what that term even means but I’ll leave it in here anyway.
3. Kitchen’s Floor – "Battle of Brisbane" (bruit direct disques Br-d 19)
Whether they’re blissfully unaware or overtly conscious of the fact they’re carrying this anger and sense of punk that goes back to Brisbane’s day one is probably pointless and not worth fretting about right now.
4. Way Out West (High Voltage Publishing)
The Perth technical manual from the late '70s to when things probably got too awry to continue. It’s great that books like these are still being written in this world of snatch-and-grab blogs and general apathy.
5. Glen Matlock
I enjoyed sharing a room with the guy who was in the Rich Kids and who played on one of Iggy Pop’s worst albums, Soldier. He didn’t really have to play those Sex Pistols songs but Kid Congo didn’t have to drag out any Gun Club numbers either.
6. Public Execution
A Brisbane band who played a part of the early Hardcore scene around 1982-83 before this city got too much for just about every single decent band for some years to come. And with thanks to the Shortfuse Records reissue of their back catalogue in LP form, sporadic shows have appeared around town in recent years. In fact, they played a short, sharp set of songs at Phase 4’s 1st Birthday Punk Rock Dance including American Hardcore – a recently recorded song for a proposed EP release.
7. Jim Dickson - Coelum Versus (Citadel)
The man who uses a bass the way a roadside worker plies away on a shovel. You’ve seen him on stage, right? Nice little surprise offering from Citadel with Coelum Versus. Who was to know that Mr Dickson had a concept album in him?
8. The Inside Sleeve on Radio National
Paul Gough entertained and bemused pockets of ABC listeners nationwide with a variety of music and knowledge/insight unheard of outside of the realms of community radio during the Graveyard shift.
9. Lovecraft – "Ghost of a Howling Alien" CD (self-released)
After many years, this Sandgate supergroup have finally released an album that only makes up about a tenth of Ed Wreckage and Wendy Seary’s songbook of macabre seaside tunes that could almost be called (if a coining mood was called for) Australian Gothic.
10. Just Urbain
Of the most cathartic of Brisbane’s first generation punk punks played together in ’16 after having not played a single note on stage or on tape for about 35 years. Their drummer Dave Holliday found the idea of reforming quite amusing as he doesn’t do reunions – his own or others. And I believe him. Dave was in Europe while the Velvet Underground were touring in the 1993 (opening for U2 amongst other frolics) and while being the most devoted VU nuts south of at least the Tropic of Capricorn, he did not see them play.
Donat Tahiraj is Chief A&R Executive for LCMR (Late Century Modern Recordings) label and owner of the Phase 4 Records & Cassettes store in Brisbane.
