Every 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.

Whatever you hear or read about a Grace Cummings live performance is underestimated and understated. Grace Cummings live is on another plain. Her live performances are affecting experiences and unique. It’s a feeling of what it would have been like to see Nina Simone,  Janis Joplin or Judy Garland. Grace has an amazing band that are so together.  No wonder the live shows are critically acclaimed wherever Grace plays  As the Village Voice said: “A voice that tears the skin off your face”.

2. Full Flower Moon Band in a couple of places
Another band I have made a point of seeing live as often as possible.  It was their show at the Off The Rails festival in Marrickville in 2023 that blew me away. Along with Amyl and The Sniffers, they were by far the best band on the day. Full Moon Flower Band was more interesting, however.

I listened to the albums and watched the videos  and was so eager for The Metro Social show earlier this year. It was in front of a few hundred and the band were on fire.  Explosive.

I was also there at the South-by-South West night at University of Technology where they blew Hockey Dad and The Grogans off the stage. They seemed so beige in comparison. Finally, a few weeks ago at The Vic Park on The Park venue, it was rock ‘n’ roll at its finest. A  small stage and packed, It had a vibe to equal the as best night at the old Hopetoun.  

Iggy Pop has recently listed them as one of his favourite new bands. I don’t think he has seen them live - but he should.  As goods as their recent record is, nothing captures them live.  Full Flower Moon Band  is blistering, original, sensual, dark, challenging  and tight - and are just hitting full fight. With multi-talented Kate Dillion leading this pack, they are THE band to see live.

3. Charlie Owen,  Peter Ross and the Saphire  and  Cam Butler at Django Bar, Marrickville
A top shelf gig indeed.  First on was Pete Ross and The Sapphire who were stunning. A class band with a terrific batch of songs and brilliant players, with songs recalling Gram Parsons and The Band. This band is a hidden secret playing around Sydney at the moment.

Cam Butler, who was for many years was Ron Peno’s muse for many years, takes the stage and weaved soundscapes, working up layers and atmospheres to really set the mood evening.

Charlie finally took  the stage (above) with his storytelling of characters from his past – sadly, many now ghosts. It was a brilliant set, covering songs by the likes of Kris Kristofferson and  Ry Cooder- inspired stunning slide on his dobro. Charlie really is the troubadour with his own take on Townes van Zandt.    

4. Alice Cooper, Blondie and the Psychedelic Furs at Olympic Park
What can you say about the Pandemonium Festival?  What started as a massive event with 16 bands and two stages in Sydney’s Domain was whittled down to half a dozen acts in some backyard at Olympic Park.  That said, it was quality over quantity even in a shitty venue and a generally lame environment.  

Psychedelic Furs were surprisingly good; and reminded us that they were one of the significant post-punk bands that certainly had a platter of hits. I had seen Blondie a decade ago and was rather disappointed by the rather lifeless performance and now this was the RSL Club version. In 2024 and at age 78, Debbie Harry actually rocked with great stage presentation and a voice in fine form. Reunited with Clem Burke, it was simply on.

It was Alice Cooper who tore up the stage up that day.  His is the most electrifying rock band in the world. Sure, Alice could cruise as a heritage act, but this isn’t the case as he’s still recording and releasing consistent albums. His recent, “The Road” is his strongest in decades. We also got all the classic Alice Cooper theatrics - from the guillotine to the python and it was a class act.

5. Yard Act at Oxford Art Factory
It was a couple of years ago that I saw Yard Act touring breakthrough album “The Overload”.  It was still early days for this band. This time around. Oxford Art Factory was packed. There was such a vibe to this band that came from left of centre, and were a direct nod to post-punk with a dose of Britpop thrown in . A sold out Tuesday night show was nothing to scoff at.

Yard Act sound fresh and creative. Armed with an awesome guitar player and a singer whose theatrics adds another dimension. At the core is James Smith whose biting lyrics and social commentary places him somewhere between Mark E Smith and Jarvis Cocker - and he has so much charisma. This was up there with my gig of the year.

6. Superchunk and Smudge at The Sydney Crowbar
It was back to the 1990s.  Watching Smudge, I was reminded of the sensational songs Tom Morgan wrote from an early age.  It took me back to The Hopetoun and most of the gig’s audience would had been patrons from back in the day – followers of Half a Cow, The Hummingbirds and The Lemonheads.  Headliners Superchunk are still led by Mac McCaughan and have not lost any of their vibrancy, with a new rhythm section in place. Awesome guitar by Jim Wilbur and with all the hooks and melodies intact, Superchunk were as fresh as ever.

7. RUST at Wings and Tins, Dee Why
I am the first to admit that I got RUST all wrong. It was on a night with Garry Campbell over beers when I realised I had misjudged his band as copyists of a style of second league UK music that I’d distanced myself from. Many years ago, I described RUST as a cross between Rose Tattoo and “Oi” punk; it is: easy to confuse patriotism with right wing nationalism.  RUST is a socially conscious  band who are more in line with ska.

RUST played a powerful and brutal intense set on this hot Saturday afternoon on Pittwater Road. They lifted the roof.  Their music is tough, street-level punk rock: with lyrics about local characters, murders and the dark side of the surf culture. The band is so tight from those long tours in Europe where they have a sizeable following. They are best experienced in a packed bar with beers in hand - and LOUD.  They really are the toughest street-level punk band in Australia  

8. The Fadeaways. Jupiter Five and Dirt Bag at MoshPit Bar
It was a wild, overpacked gig as word had spread about Japan’s Fadeaways. They were in Australia for just five days. The gig was wild and explosive.

Dirt Bag is an oddity that make me quite concerned what he keeps in his barn on a farm on the plains outside Canberra.  Fast, furious and primal - like a manic solo feedtime mixed with a hillbilly yodel. Jupiter Five are ever improving and the guitars a blistering with the secret weapon of Peter the Rock on bass. Then there’s lead singer Jay Younie who looks like he’s been unfrozen from a ’50 sci-fi film, a character only Ed Wood could create. And then The Fadeaways appeared and they were not  to be outdone, playing garage rock at its wildest. This band is a cyclone full of Nuggets. Explosive, wild and a lot of fun.  

9. Caitlin Harnett (solo) and The Pony Boys at a couple of places
I first saw Caitlin almost a decade ago in Paddington at the launch of her remarkable album “The River Runs North”. I was impressed by an artist so young but blessed with emotive vocals and maturity in her songwriting.  Caitlin eventually put together a rock ‘n’ roll bar band, The Pony Boys : and has been regularly on the festival circuit.

In 2024, I saw her perform twice over a week. First, there was her solo spot in support of Grace Cummings. Her acoustic take of her own songs was soulful with real attitude. Next, was a street party in Newtown. Caitlin was headlining. She and The Pony boys rocked as the beers flowed. It a rip-roaring set with bar room swagger with the stand-outs Sam Montages’ guitar playing and Cailin’s voice.  There are so many out there playing this Americana style but very few are in this band’s league. Caitlin’s voice gives Lucinda Williams a run for her money.

Honourable Mentions

Radio Birdman at The Manning Bar
Birdman were back firing on all cylinders.  Rob’s vocals especially shone through and were the best we’d heard in decades. Their sound is now the soundtrack now to our lives. It was a fitting farewell.

The Saints ‘73-‘78 at The Enmore Theatre
There were mixed reviews about their show at the Enmore Theatre and most were negative about the sound  I joked that many must have been expecting “Ghost Ships”. Ed Kuepper delivered what he promised; Mark Arm was not trying to impersonate Chris Bailey and the band were in good form. And The Saints were LOUD.

Psychotic Turnbuckles at Marrickville Bowlo 
They came and delivered at their Xmas Show and it was fun.  This was a band I first saw at Mosman 40 years ago and tonight was the best I’d seen them. They seem tougher and tighter.  There was also an impersonation of Donald Trump in the intro that was too close for comfort.

Van Ruin  at Link and Pin
It was a raw and under-rehearsed first gig but at its heart was a collection of great songs and some awesome playing, especially by Al Creed and Stu Wilson. 

Albums that got a guernsey

“Ramona” - Grace  Cummings
Beautifully recorded, lush and textured.  Timeless. A modern classic that will be discovered and rediscovered.  Grace’s vocal performance lift the hairs on your arms.

“Megaflower” - Full Flower Moon Band
A sensational follow-up to “Diesel Forever”.  Kate Dillion and her troops recorded on a farm and the record was sensationally mixed and produced by Tony Buchen. It’s more expansive and ambitious than its predecessor with a psychedelic blaze of guitars and songs about psychological warfare, desperados and a nightmare on Haight Asbury.  Sensational playing by all concerned.  

“Where’s My Utopia?” - Yard Act
A killer album and they are the most exciting band in UK at moment – the best to emerge from Leeds since Gang of Four. They draw their stylings from The Fall and European disco and add some classic. angular guitar and amazing socially conscious lyrics.

“LIve at Pig City” - The Saints
I had only heard about this gig and a CD had been released many years ago. It has been sensationally re-mastered and now has rawness and vitality. It does justice to a band that had a short-lived recording career yet put out three of the most significant albums of the 1970s. Ed Kuepper’s classic guitar sound delivers and Chris Bailey is at his sardonic best.

“Cowboy Logic” – Garry Gray
An amazing summary of Garry’s music from 1988 and featuring a who’s who of the Melbourne music scene.  Song after song delivers from a fella who has cemented his significance in the Melbourne underground since 1975. It’s a remarkable double CD that I have played heaps.  The bonus live album is gritty and you can feel the beers flowing.

“Into The Zone” - Mick Medew and Ursula
An album that took almost everybody by surprise. At first blush, it was a head spin to hear the brash combinations of styles from Ursula’s quirky, Lena Lovich styling up against Mick’s classic sound and supreme ability to write a perfect rock ‘n’ roll tune - but it works and the album was a repeat player. Fantastic mastering by Ernie O.

Honourable  Mentions

“Jails, Death and Institutions” EP - Van Ruin
A rip-roaring Detroit-inspired EP of classic Northern Beaches, four-on-the floor, meat and potatoes, garage surf rock. A brilliant recording by Stu Wilson with great songs by Phil  Van Rooyen and great guitars by Al Creed.

“Breakout” EP – Pocketwatch
Wayne Connelly was the perfect choice as producer and this is another great step forward  for the Sydney trio as they mix grunge with Britpop, successfully.

“Fifth From The Sun” -  Jupiter 5 
Roaring garage rock with a nod to Black Sabbath. It certainly works for the neighbours at 9am on a Saturday morning.

“In The Keep” EP - Flowers For Jane  
And again, great production by Stu Wilson and exception mastering from Ernie O that really brought the songs out  The  solid guitar riffs and playing by Jayne Murphy are a bonus.