Family and friends are invited to celebrate the life of Exploding White Mice and ProTools bassist Andy MacQueen at the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel in Adelaide this Sunday from 4pm. Andy passed away suddenly earlier this month. 

In lieu of flowers, Andy's family has requested that a donation be made to the Survivors and Mates Support Network .

Radio Birdman is playing a limited number of Australian East Coast shows over two weekends this September/October, before heading off for a 22 date tour of Europe.

The Australian run will coincide with the release of "Descent into the Maelstrom”, the Jonathan Sequeira-produced documentary dealing with the band's rise and demise in the late 70's and later re-emergence.

The documentary has received great attention at various film festivals in London, Glasgow, Norway, Amsterdam and Detroit and is now scheduled for local release on DVD with bonus content this September.

It will be available at the band's shows, online and via discerning retail outlets.

Supports on this tour will include Adalita (Melbourne), Brisbane's Hits (Brisbane and Sydney) and all shows will feature special guests from Spain Los Chicos.

RADIO BIRDMAN
AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2018
SEPT
27 - Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne
+ Adalita + Los Chicos
28 - The Triffid, Brisbane
+ Hits + Los Chicos
30 - The Gov, Adelaide
+ Los Chicos + The Sunday Reeds
OCT
6 - Manning Bar, Sydney
+ Hits + Los Chicos + DJ Frank Cotterell

Tickets for all shows are on sale from Wednesday. June from Oztix.

_{Spencer with The Escape Committee. Richard Sharman photo.}

An emergency GoFundMe account has been opened for legendary Australian guitarist and songwriter Spencer P Jones as he continues his fight against terminal liver cancer. 

Spencer's longtime partner Angie has had to take a cut in her working hours in her day job to care for Spencer and the couple are finding it hard to make ends meet. Donations can be made here. More info in our story here.

Grammy winning guitar legend Albert Lee is returning to Australia for his first local shows this decade. He’ll play a stack of headline gigs across the country, plus make appearances at Adelaide Guitar Festival, Melbourne Guitar Show, Sydney Guitar Festival and Gympie Muster.

Albert Lee is one of the greatest guitarists in both rock and country music history. Included on Albert’s cv are performances and recordings with Keith Urban, Tommy Emmanuel, Dave Edmunds, Willie Nelson, Bill Wyman, Carlene Carter, Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash, Bert Jansch, Herbie Mann, Keith Richards and Dolly Parton.

With a live show that kicks off with a blistering rendition of Fat’s Domino’s “I’m Ready” and makes joyous pit stops for classic tunes by Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Hoyt Axton, Buddy Holly, Jimmy Webb and Ray Charles, we’re assured a sensational night of fabulous music from a man renowned as a living history of rock and roll.

Inspired by Elvis’s guitarist Scotty Moore, British born Lee first displayed his awesome chops trading licks with the likes of Jimmy Page and sharing stages with Deep Purple, Humble Pie and Grand Funk Railroad as part of the fabulous Byrds/ Flying Burrito Bros inspired Heads Hands & Feet.

He moved to the USA where he recorded three albums as a member of The Crickets, and then joined Joe Cocker at his peak. In 1976, Albert become part of Emmylou Harris’s Hot Band alongside Ricky Skaggs and Rodney Crowell.

Much-loved Australian rocker Spencer P Jones is terminally ill and may have months to live.

Spencer’s wife, Angie, confirmed the news on Facebook about 5.30 this afternoon. In a statement, she wrote:

First of all Spencer & myself would like to thank everyone in the community for all the love & support since Spencer was struck down with illness in 2015, rendering him unable to pursue his creative musical career.

For the past two years, we have been under the wing of the wonderful peeps at Royal Melbourne Hospital. Unfortunately after another scan in March this year the doctors found a cancer tumour in Spencer's liver. 

In short , as a result Spencer has now been diagnosed with inoperable liver cancer.

Rumours that Spencer’s health had hit a new hurdle had been circulating for weeks. His Beasts of Bourbon bandmate, Brian Henry Hooper, passed away on April 20, just days after a benefit show for him while he fought cancer. 

 _{Emmy Etie photo.}

The New Christs are playing their last gigs for some time, with Rob Younger going back on active duty with Radio Birdman, and they’re going out with a flurry that includes two interstate gigs.

Friday, July 6 finds them fronting up for two sets at Beaches Hotel at Thirroul in New South Wales for free. On Saturday, July 7 they’ll return to the scene of their Marrickville Bowling Club triumph with James McCann and the New Vindictives almost a year ago with precisely the same bill.

On Saturday, July 14 they’ll play a rare Melbourne show at the Cherry Bar, again with James McCann and the New Vindictives plus Penny Ikinger. And Saturday, July 21 finds them headlining the Fly By Night Musos Club in Fremantle, Western Australia, with The Volcanics and The Shakeys supporting. This will be the New Christs' first-ever WA show.