i94bar1200x80

van ruin

  • edwin 2024Every year The Barman makes the call-out for the Top Ten. Every year I can’t reduce mine to only ten.  Near impossible. I have cheated and there way too many highlights. For me personally, it was good to step out and do an acoustic gig for the opening might of Bryan Cooke’s musical photography exhibition in Sydney.  I used to play these shows at The Excelsior, Hopetoun and Manly Fishos and aim to do more this year.


    Live Gigs

    1. Grace Cummings in several places
    It has  been a long time I have seen one artist or band four times in a year. I was envious of other people as Grace’s local performances, up until recently, have very rare. In fact, it’s been almost 18 months between Sydney shows. Notably, one was a warm-up prior to a gruelling American and European tour that included a live performance on the Steven Colbert late show.  

    Four months later came an actual album launch for “Romana” at Sydney’s Metro Social in August. Then I won a lottery for a spot at the Phoenix Theatre, and finally caught a packed Crowbar show in early December.

  •  ErnieO 2024Some of the best material to come out of Ernie O’s Urban Fringe Compound over 2024, in no particular order (as these are my friends and clients, it doesn’t pay to play favourites):

    Mick Medew and Ursula – In The Zone CD (I-94 Bar Records)
    Mick and Ursula’s material has certainly “matured” with this release, with Ursula taking over vocal and co-writing duties on some of the more post punk styled songs ("Punk Grandma", "Invisible Woman"), while Mick’s melodic songwriting style shines on tracks like "In The Zone" and "Surfing On The Waves". This album is getting some great reviews online and from Australian independent radio stations. Available fromBandcamp. Get it!

    John Kennedy and the New Originals – Live at the Marrickville Bowl (I-94 Bar Records)
    John put together a stellar outfit withPete Timmerman, Phil Hall, Murray Cook andMatt Galvin, andRichard Ball captured it live to 1’s and 0’s before Phil mixed it to sound like we’re actually in the room with the band. A totally live recording with no overdubs and only some pauses removed to keep it flowing, John has curated some of the best songs from his extensive stable, and a couple of old chestnuts (includingEastern Dark’s "Julie Is A Junkie" and "Hand of Law" byRadio Birdman). Stellar! Get ithere.


  • Members went on to Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls, the Lime Spiders, Hell To Pay, the Screaming Tribesmen and The Bambalams, but The Grooveyard was the one that got away in the febrile Sydney inner city scene of the 1980s. Next weekend's I-94 Bar presented reformation shows in Canberra and Sydney are some of the most keenly anticiopated of the year so far and supports have been announced.

    Local heroes Il Bruto are on the undercard at Smiths Alternative in Canberra on Friday, February 7 and are an obvious choice with a set list reprising many of the songs that influenced Australia's underground scene, while at Sydney's Marrickville Bowling Club on Saturday, February 8 supports will be powerpop supremos The On and Ons and Van Ruin.

  •  van ruin landscape

    Van Ruin
    + The Cants
    Link and Pin Café, Woy Woy, NSW
    Friday, September 21, 2024
    Photos; Tony McNamara

     The Link and Pin has become a special venue that has created its own scene and mythology. It has own mix of outsiders, rock pigs’ mis-fits, eccentrics and those that you will not find at the local RSL club poker machine room.  

    It’s located outside Sydney at Woy Woy on the New South Wales Central Coast. In its own unusual way, the venue has been celebrating Octoberfest in September and I say, why not?  Bavarian lederhosen and Ramonestee-shirts make for a great look.

Gig Ads

On sale now
Click for tix
Click to tix
Click for tix
Click to buy
Free CD launch show

The Living Eye


Right eye
I-94 Bar Records and Promotions presents
The Grooveyard
+ Il Bruto
Smiths Alternative, Canberra
Tickets
- Feb 7
+ The On and Ons
+ Van Ruin
(city debut)
- Feb 8
Tickets 

I-94 Bar Records and Promotions presents
The Mick Medew & Ursula 4
"In The Zone"
NSW Album Launches
+ East Coast Low
+ Jupiter 5
Stag & Hunter, Mayfield
- Feb 14
Tickets
+ The Dark Clouds
+ Jupiter 5
Marrickville Bowling Club
- Feb 15
Tickets

Bahne Super-Flex
+ DISGRACELand
+ Ellie Vandelle
Brass Monkey, Cronulla, NSW
- Feb 15
Tickets

Broham
"Buckle Rash" CD Launch
Golden Barley, Enmore, NSW
(8-11pm, 3 sets, free)

The D4
Australiasian Tour
FEB
NZ
7 - Totara Street Mount Maunganui
8 - JOE'S FARM, Whangamata
AUS
13 - The Brightside Brisbane
14 - Mary's Underground, Sydney
15 - The Tote, Collingwood Vic
NZ
21 - Meow, Wellington
22 - Rosemary’s, Taupō
28 - The Kaipara Tavern, Helensville
MAR
1 - Harbour View Hotel Raglan
Raglan
14 - Spark Arena, Auckland
15 - Loons, Christchurch

The Osees
Australian Tour
FEB
+ Straight Arrows
3 – Princess Theatre, Brisbane
Tickets
+ Straight Arrows
5 - Miami Marketta
Tickets
+ Prix D’Amour +  The Ghoulies
8 – Freo Social, Fremantle, WA
Tickets
9 – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide, SA
Tickets
+ The Blinds
10 – Croxton Hotel, Melbourne
SOLD OUT
+ Modal Melodies
11 - Croxton Hotel, Melbourne
Tickets
+ RMFC
15 – The Metro Threatre, Sydney
Tickets

Tickets via metrotheatre.com.au

I-94 Bar Records and Promotions presents
Dr Psychedelic Poodle (JPN)
+ Jupiter 5
+ Cheetah Beat
MoshPit, St Peters (NSW)
- Feb 22
(2pm)
Tickets

Bahne Super-Flex
+ 1978
Botany View Hotel
- Feb 22
Tickets 

The Beasts
Corner Hotel, VIC
- Feb 21
Tickets
Manning Bar, NSW
- Feb 22
Tickets

SoundPressing presents
Songs and Stories of Charlie Owen
Tasmanian Tour
FEB
27 - Cygnet Bowls & Community Club, Cygnet
28 - The Grand Poobah, Hobart
MAR
2 Mar - Valentino Safe Co, Lilydale
(2pm)

Joeys Coop 
+ The Finalists (single launch)
The Union, Newtown
- March 9
(5pm, free)

Kim Salmon’s Smoked Salmon
Australian Tour 
MAR
7 - Lyric Lane, Perth - Tix
8 - Gerry's Gold Neighbourhood 
Laneway Music Festival, Gerry's Lane, Freo (Kim solo)
8 - Mojo's, Fremantle - Tix
9 - The River, Margaret River (Kim solo)
14 - Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine, Vic - Tix
20 - Smiths Alternative, Canberra - Tix
21 - La La La's, Wollongong - Tix
22 - Petersham Bowling Club, Sydney - Tix 
30 - Barwon Club, Geelong - Tix
APR
4 - Bearded Lady, Brisbane - Tix
5 - Vinnie's Dive Bar, Gold Coast - Tix
6 - Bangalow Bowlo, Bangalow, NSW - Tix
11 - The Grace Emily, Adelaide - Tix
12 - Northcote Social Club, Melbourne - Tix

Guitar Wolf
Australian Tour
MAR
21 - The Curtin, Melbourne
(w/ The Prize + The States)
22 - Bambra Music Festival (afternoon)
22 - Jerkiest 10, Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong
23 - Singing Bird Studios, Frankston VIC
(w/ Gnome + more! All Ages show, 4-9pm)
24 - Thornbury Picture House, Melba
(W/ "Wild Zero: screening)
25 - Trash Cult, Bendigo
(w/ Poppin' Mommas)
27 - The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine, VIC
(w/Leon)
28 - Brisbane Crowbar
(w/ The Onyas + Eyes Ninety)
29 - Factory Floor, Sydney
(w/ Antenna + The Crankees)
APR
3 - Crown and Anchor, Adelaide
4 - Seasonal Brewing, Perth
(w/ Zerodent & The Murderbirds)
5 - Prince of Wales, Bunbury, WA
(w/ Turd!)
6 - Buffalo Club, Fremantle, WA
(5.30pm doors)
Tickets

The 5.6.7.8s
Australian Tour
MAR
20 – Sydney Crowbar
+ Psychotic Turnbuckles + Cheetah Beat
Tickets
21 – Powerhouse, Brisbane
Tickets
22 – High Country Hop Festival,
Beechworth, VIC
Tickets
23 – After Bar, Hobart
Tickets
25 – The Tote, Melbourne
SOLD OUT
26 – The Last Chance, Melbourne
Tickets

The Stranglers
50 Years In Black  
2025 Australasian Tour
MAR
13 - Powerstation, Auckland. NZ
15 - Meow Nui, Wellington, NZ
16 - Christchurch Town Hall, Christchurch, NZ 
19 - Enmore Theatre, Sydney
20 - The Tivoli, Brisbane
22- Forum, Melbourne
23 - The Gov, Adelaide
25 - Astor Theatre, Perth
Tickets

The Stems
East Coast Australian Tour 2025
APR
23 - Northcote Social Club
24 - Sydney Crowbar
25 - Gum Ball Festival, Hunter Valley, NSW
26 - Old Museum, Brisbane
Tickets

Cherie Currie
Australian Tour
with Hot Machine
SEP
5 -  Rosemount, Perth
6 - Crown and Anchor, Adelaide
11 - The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
12 – Sydney Crowbar
13 – Brisbane Crowbar
Tickets

 

 

Send us stuff to review

PO Box 334
Oatley NSW
2223 Australia

Get in touch: barman@i94bar.com

Fresh Reviews

Latest Comments

Where can I find the Rockets "Greetings From Detroit EP"? I am kicking myself for not buying it at t...
This is well summed up by the above review. I really like it, but to me Johnny could do no (well, ve...
captain orabronze posted a comment in Rod McLeod and his part in the Punk Wars of Brisbane 1977-83
i did record at a later date
MAnly Boat Shed or Old MAnly Boatshed?
Nice one Si ...

All content © 2025 I-94 Bar
c/o PO Box 334 Oatley, NSW, Australia, 2223

Web development by TRO