the fadeaways

_{The Fadeaways at The Crowbar the night before. Shona Ross photo.}

The Fadeaways (JP)
+ Jupiter 5
+ Dirtbag
MoshPit Bar, St Peters, NSW, Australia
Sunday, July 14 2024

Sometime in the 1970s, American garage rock started to become in vogue among a hip crew that lived in a few households of each other in the inner city of Sydney.  It was an area that was home to Deniz Tek, a medical student from Michigan, Rob Younger and John Needham among others.  Their reference point was the ”Nuggets” compilation, put together by Lenny Kaye from the Patti Smith Group.

In Australia, the album’s availability coincided with us taking a  fresh look at our home-grown ‘60s bands, many of them also purveyors of perfect three- minute slaps of attitude and beat that were recorded with amps about to blow and guitars that could be purchased for 20 pounds.

The Purple Hearts, Missing Links and The Creatures were the more obvious names to drop. The more obscure a single you could talk about, the cooler you were, and the actual items became the Holy Grail, to be played while you read your imported copy of Creemmagazine.

It's been four decades since they burst onto the Australian rock and roll scene, and Pismo Beach’s own Psychotic Turnbuckles are descending Down Under for a three-state tour.

With three albums and a dozen singles and EPs to their credit, the Turnbuckles are still The World Rock and Roll Tag Team Champions and retained their crown on a Japanese tour that included an appearance at the world-famous Tokyo Halloween Ball. 

The 40 Years Undefeated Tour will take on the Tote in Melbourne on Saturday, June 29 for their only Victorian show, presented by The I-94 Bar.

Guests on this leg are Sydney’s glam kings Starcrazy and Melbourne’s retro sound champions The Vibrajets.   

Things Will Be Different: A Tribute To Little Murders – Various Artists (Twist Records)

Tribute records? They used to be all the rage but are they now just a bit naff? It depends on who they’re lauding.

Little Murders are Australian rock and roll’s – no! don’t say it! – Best Kept Secret. It’s a cliché, for sure, but don’t be afraid. It just means that cloth-eared and gormless cretins don’t know who they are. If you’re one of them, consider yourself admonished and start paying attention.

Australian crowds will have their first opportunity to experience Japan’s best, premium high-energy garage rock band when The Fadeaways make their debut on these shores in July 2024.

The Fadeaways have been wowing punters in their homeland since forming in Tokyo in 2005. Sharing a mutual love of ‘60s garage punk, ‘70s punk and trash, Toyozo (vocals and bass), Assman (guitar) and Ozzy (drummers) quickly established themselves on the tight-knit and fanatical Japanese underground music circuit.

This July 2024, prepare to be swept off your feet as Japan's high-octane garage rock sensation. Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s an eyewitness account:

First, I’ll get the rant out of the way. I’ve spent more time working with younger bands this year and there seem to be a few issues… 

Firstly, there are so many new young bands that they can’t find gigs… especially appropriate ones. The King Street strip in Sydney’s Newtown and surrounds has about eight venues and on any given night there are only up to 50 people in each room.