A Virtual Unreal Top 10
A little quieter for me in 2024. It’s getting harder to get me off the mountain or am I just getting old?

1. Birdman Five-0
Birdman at 50? I first saw them in Melbourne in 1977 at La Trobe uni. My mates hated them. I loved them.

I nearly didn’t go to this one because I’ve seen them so many times, but when I was told that these were to be their last gigs, I pulled the finger out and got a ticket to the last show. In a word, fantastic, but they always are. Deniz and Dave play so well together, Rob remains one of my favourite frontmen and everyone else does their bit.

Hard Ons were great in support. Glad I went.

2. Murray Engleheart’s Birdman book
What a book! I loved every word of it and it told me so much that I didn’t know, including stuff about myself. His retelling of how the band came together is a sublime piece writing. You’re practically watching these guys get into each other’s orbits and once they did, forming a band was inevitable.

These are complex people and Murray deals with the tensions and frustrations within the band very fairly. Everyone gets a good run. An extremely satisfying read.

2024 was quite year for me. I attended some amazing gigs, met some amazing people, resigned from my day job, and completed a year of service with Majestic XI, along with increasing the profile of Balkan Grill.

Spring of 2024 was when I got the news that my all-time favourite Ex YU band Električni Orgazam (aka Electric Orgasm/El Org) would be touring Australia in Jan 2025, and that Balkan Grill would be one of the support acts for their Sydney show on 25 January. The show went off, by the way. But as this list is for 2024 events, you can see and read all about it on my Facebook profile as well as the Balkan Grill band page. On with the list (in no particular order). 

1. Dinosaur Jr – Enmore Theatre – 21/02/24
It was my birthday, so I got a ticket as a present to myself. They didn't disappoint, plowing through the album "Where You Been?" from start to finish. They followed this with a few songs from different eras, the obligatory "Freak Scene" and "Feel The Pain" of course, and The Cure's "Just Like Heaven". J Mascis has the best Neil Young distortion tone ever, and his shredding is just superb.

2. Kim Salmon solo – Enmore Hotel – 09/03/24 & 18/05/24
Totally amazing performance on both nights. Powerful. Great dynamics. Loud and dirty at one end, gentle and tender at the other. Many memorable moments. At one point on both nights Kim dedicated a song to his old friend Ron Peno RIP. To my surprise and delight it was "ETI (Extraterrestrial Intelligence)" by Blue Öyster Cult.

It was a very sweet moment. I'm kicking myself for not recording it, but I was just so caught up in the moment having a great old time singing along. Being a BÖC nerd, it was such a perfect moment, surreal and celebratory. Life affirming even! Although, I think I ended up annoying Kim by the end of the second show. Oh well, I was pretty high at the time. Fuck it. Kim Salmon is a genius regardless.

_{Antoine Nguyen photo.}

1. Radio Birdman - Manning Bar, Sydney
There was magic in the room that night: magic and love. Love from the audience who knew them as either family, friends, heroes, or all three. Everyone no doubt had different stories to tell but we were all there for the same reason - to bid farewell and to hear those songs played live one last time.

The songs that had formed a soundtrack to our lives. It led me to reflect on my own musical and life journey – is this really their last show? Am I heading that way too? I enjoyed being in the space and it brought back fond memories as I spent so much time in Manning Bar in the old days when I was studying at Sydney Uni with Louis Tillett. This show was so worth making the trip up to Sydney for! Great support from the Hard Ons too. Heartfelt thanks to everyone for a magnificent evening and beyond.

2. Mudhoney/Kid Congo - La Trabendo, Paris
It was a fabulous night at a cool venue in the beautiful le Parc de la Villette. I was staying in Paris and couldn’t believe my luck that two of my favourite bands would be sharing a bill. It was a stunning show, as you would expect. A crowded Mudhoney gig in Paris is much the same as one in Melbourne complete with t-shirts, leather jackets, jeans, boots, and slam-dancing, although the French seemed to have a certain je ne sais quoi about it all.

I wish I could remember more of the first half of the year… Not sure if I should blame the Melbourne Bitter longnecks. Likely culprit. This is pretty close to a Top 10..

Big love to all involved in the SoundPressing projects and tours throughout the year. In particular Mark Spinks (Gravel Samwidge) and Skeleton Boy (Art Gray Noizz Quintet) who spurred an incredible split 7” that was mail ordered and posted to all corners of the globe.

I prefer to refer to the list as BIG DADDY K'a 0 SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OF 2024 rather than a top 10, as it's not ranked in any particular order. 2024 was a year of milestones with several Australian bands and institutions celebrating significant anniversaries. Hewre are a few:

1. Public Broadcasting Radio Station RYDE REGIONAL RADIO (2RRRFM)
The station that I have been involved with for 37 years, celebrated its 40th anniversary. Started by a lobby group and initially only broadcasting for a few hours a day from a garage in the grounds of Meadowbank TAFE. Since 1988, the station has been located at Henley Cottage, where it currently has two studios. It now broadcasts 24/7, featuring a wide range of musical genres and talk shows of local community as well as general interest, and runs a radio training course.

The station hosts several alternative rock music programs that would be of interest to I 94 Barflies, most notably “Sonic Stew” on Monday nights, “Virtual Unreality” on Friday evenings, “Timeslides” on Saturday afternoons, and, of course, my program, Sydney Sounds, at 2pm on Saturdays. (Several of the shows are podcasted, or you can stream them live via 2rrr.org.au and all the streaming radio apps).

_{The Tommys on tour in a tuk tuk:  Robert Lastdrager, Jonathan Lickliter and Ollie Laurie.}

1. Getting the band back together after 20 years.
Playing numerous Melbourne inner-city bars in 2024 with The Tommys has been a blast.

2. Touring regional VIC and NSW with Cambodian Space Project on their April Oz tour.
A real treat to play beautiful venues like the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine, George Lane and Memo Music Hall in St Kilda to such appreciative crowds.

3. Marrickville Bowlo
We flew into Sydney and out the next day. Played a rowdy loud evening of garage R&R topped off by sinking a flotilla of schooners with old mates I hadn’t seen in 20 years!

_{Scotty Bradbury. Photo by Lisa G Photography}

Top 10 Drum influences for 2024
Let me start this by acknowledging that John Bonham is a given for any rock drummer, so to make it fun I will leave him off this year, honourable mention to Zigaboo Modeliste of The Meters (Cissy Strut).. who had an influence on the great Bonzo of Led Zeppelin, for sure.

This list is a mix of old faithful and new players that got me off the sofa in 2024, only to land straight back on my ass … putting the drum throne through its paces.

1. Phil Rudd (AC/DC)
Phil Rudd is a feel, an adjective in drumming. Comments like “give it more Phil Rudd” can be heard in studios across the world. His less is more, play to serve the song, dig into the grove – see “Whole Lotta Rosie” approach is legendary. We only ever miss him when he isn’t there, because man… does he make a difference. The heartbeat to some of the most iconic rock songs ever, there is no other like him. I would refer the reader to the eight count at the beginning of “Back in Black”. The guitar scratches along for the first six beats … the last two hits on the Hi-hat “three…. four..” are to me, the best two notes ever played in rock’n’roll.

2. Dave Grohl (Nirvana, QOTSA, Them Crooked Vultures, Killing Joke, Probot)
Yeah look, a lot has been said about this guy musically …my wife rolls her eyes and leaves the room whenever I mention his name …I probably do talk about him a lot, so what, he really is that fucken good…albums like “Songs for the Deaf” or “Them Crooked Vultures “ and songs like “No One Knows” or “Elephants” come on!! Oh and please listen to “Killing Joke” (2003 album) this album lived rent free in my head for a full year when it came out, it’s a really cool record, the drums were recorded last and Dave Grohl worked to adapt parts written on a drum machine all of which is a little unconventional.

Dave doesn’t play fancy, lots of doubles and Triplets where the hand speaks to the foot in reply, he is creative and hits hard. You have to hit the drums to make em sound good, dynamics are fine but …tapping them won’t work. Drumming and music come naturally to Dave; he manages to play great parts most every time. “Dave Grohl – Play” (Official Video) is a good example of the level that this guy is at, it’s a journey no judgment if you don’t watch it all the way through. If an artist sounds like themselves then you are truly serving the moment. You can be influenced and inspired by anything, but when you play, if people recognise that sound as you, you channelling through an instrument …. That’s a most excellent moment.

In no particular order and with the caveat that there are notable omissions because I haven’t heard the Chimers album yet and have only seen parts of the Hard-Ons documentary.  Yes, it’s more than 10 but I plead undiagnosed dyscalculia (i.e. I can’t count). As for the rule of not reviewing I-94 Bar label releases or shows, it's being bent. Slightly. 

The Dictators – The Dictators
It’s hard to come to grips with a Manitoba-less line-up and many of Andy's songs are re-heated versions of old material. Judged on its merits as the work of a new line-up, however, “The Dictators” is a credible comeback album that holds up to repeated listens. We need Ross The Boss' guitar roar and Andy's lyrical smart-arsery now more than ever.

In The Zone – Mick Medew and Ursula
Yes, it’s on the house label and Mine Host generally doesn’t review I-94 Bar shows or releases, but others have.  Great enough to earn Mick and Ursula the Keys to Brisbane City and have digi-single “Punk Grandma” finish Number-Three in the 4ZZZ Hot 100. All hail The Zeds (and 2RRR and 2XX and 3RRR and 3D…) 

Top gigs

Sacred Cowboys @ St Kilda Bowlo
Visceral, dangerous, enticing and exciting, they still have it and are more forthright about putting it on you!

Sister Paul @ The Belgrave Hotel
Never seen such a convincing two-piece, no need for any more onstage, tough and fun, danceable and rockin', record breaking merch sales too!

Dirty Three @ Forum, Melbourne
it was like seeing them in the '90s all over except they played for three hours. They just make big stages feel like The Old Bar.

Another year, another stack of great recordings! From all the records that found their way to my ears and turntable throughout 2024 here’s my attempt at ranking some personal highlights. 

Rock & roll is still inspiring and remains the most exciting music on the planet. Here’s proof!

A bit like last year, this one was pretty rotten.  Anyway, here's a short list of bands I saw that I rate very highly.

If you have the chance, the opportunity ... don't be wedging your sweaty dewflaps to the couch and watch the cricket or footy or some TV series fuck up their “story arc” (ie, find more reasons to extend the season - will it ever, ever end?) ... but do what I couldn't do this year... 

Top Ten reasons why you should have turned off the "moo-zak" of Taylor Swift in 2024:

1. Tay Tay probably wouldn't have heard "Woodland" by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.

2. Tay Tay probably wouldn't have had 45 minutes in a day to hear "Tigers Blood" by Waxahatchee.

3. Tay Tay probably wouldn't have tuned in to 3PBS FM show "Studio 5 Live" to hear Pat Todd and The Rank Outsiders.

4. Tay Tay probably wouldn't have given a toss about "Heavy Lifting" by MC5.

5. Tay Tay probably would have zero idea of "The Dictators" by The Dictators.

6. Tay Tay was probably never likely to come across the 'Rebellion Punk Music Festival' and the band Convict Class (from Warrnambool, Victoria) who performed there.

7. Tay Tay probably wouldn't have wanted to have been caught dead at The LangLangs playing at either The MoshPit (Sydney) and/or 'RnR Klub' at Petersham Bowling Club (Sydney).

8. Tay Tay was probably no threat of being spotted at Balkan Grill playing at The MoshPit/Link and Pin (Woy Woy, NSW) etc.

9. Tay Tay probably had zero care factor for The Blistered Minds playing at Bar La Vida Loca (Newport, Sydney) and/or The MoshPit

10. Tay Tay probably never gave a single thought (or a flying f...) to Charlie Silky-Oak and/or Charlie Lethal playing at 'RnR Klub' at Petersham Bowling Club.

R.I.P.  Damien Smith, Dennis Thompson, Wayne Kramer, Slim Dunlap, Kris Kristofferson, Mary Weiss