The Johnnys
"Live in Lyon CD Launch"
Penny Ikinger’s Marbles
The Vibrajets
The Tote, Collingwood, VIC
Saturday, 31 May 2025

Hello I-94 Barflies! Well, I dragged my skinny white arse from The Farmhouse down to Melbourne on the bloody bus (500 kilometres) last Saturday morning for The Johnnys’ release of their CD. “Live In Lyon 1990”,  at their gig at the Tote Hotel.

And let me tell you that it was worth every fucking painful kilometre.

The Tote had a nice crowd in to see what was a line-up of very talented musicians.   

Starting the night right were the surf pop band, The Vibrajets, who played a wonderful half-hour of rollicking, catchy tunes.
 
Next up, the Queen of Melbourne Music, the fabulous Penny Ikinger and her band  Marbles, who put on a rocking good set. This is a band of which I’d love to see more. Oh, and the keyboard player, Ryan Oliver, can play! I swear I heard a bit of Garth Hudson from The Band being channelled.

_{Penny puts aside her Pennycaster to deliver a vocal.}

Well, folks, after drinking at the Tote bar with Hoody and Slim, and talking fishing with Billy Pommer Jr (Abrolhos Islands, mate), The Johnnys did what only a handful of bands can do: Play tunes that everyone knows, loves, sings along with and dances to.

This is Happy Music made by friends who still love what they’re doing. The boys even pulled out “Elvishly Yours”, my favourite Johnnys track i(f there can be one). Man, I was in Heaven hearing that tune . 

The old Tote could do with a scrub, Slim reckons. His family used to own it and he was the live music booker. But I like the grime. There’s something for leaving a pub with your shoes sticking to the floor and a smile on your face. To me, that’s The Tote - and it’s my second home. 

The CD “Live in Lyon”? It’s pure gold. It was recorded on the band’s tour of France in 1990 and features the late, great Spencer P Jones on guitar and vocals, along with Hoody, Slim and Billy.

_{Hoody lays down that bass sound.}

How good is it? I’ll be honest and say I’ve had a bootleg of this gig for some years, but this sounds so much bette. From the opening track “Injun’ Joe” until track number 13, “No Excusin’ My Boozin’”, this is a band on fire.

Hoody on vocals on “Move It” just rips. “Dead Men From Boot Hill” sounds fucking awesome. Actually, every song does, and it’s great to hear Spencer having a joke between tunes.

So folks at the Bar, get onto this CD at Bandcamp. Oh, and there might just be something special on vinyl coming up in The Johnnys’ world.

SIX BEERS and SIX WHISKEYS PLEASE!