violent soho at the northcote social club, melbourne.

If you meet me and ask me about violent soho, I might bang on for a while about all the reasons I think these guys are great. For now, I will ask that if you get the chance, see them live. They are on at 1pm on friday at splendour in the grass, according to this timetable. I hope all punters heading to SITG have an incredible festival, it will obviously be huge so look after each other.

There are a couple of other shows listed here – http://www.myspace.com/violentsoho

Young Bloods #1 @ Legions Club, Brisbane.

Brisbane music-scene do-gooders Brisbane Sounds and Starving Kids have teamed up to run a monthly licenced all ages club night in the Valley, with very young bands on the line-up. The result is Young Bloods, held at the Legions Club – a hole-in-the-wall RSL with a war museum in the basement and incredibly cheap bar prices. Of the four bands on the line-up, I caught sets by Bixby Canyon and Dirty Bird. Both bands were solid, but Dirty Bird were really something else – they brought the biggest crowd and said crowd was up and fight-dancing throughout the band’s entire excellent but weird set.

All in all, good times were had. There are a few hush-hush all-ages BYO venues in Brissy, but ideally it would be easier for venues to get a liquor licence so they didn’t have to sneak around risking fines. Thank goodness for RSLs and their loophole-strewn section in Queensland’s liquor licencing legislation.

Bixby Canyon

Dirty Bird

The venue had a war museum in the basement and a sizable library of first-edition Mills and Boon romance novels near the bar.

For more photos, see my Flickr profile.

Ironhide, Abraxis, Shock Values @ Burst City

Burst City is one of many “underground” venues springing up across Brisbane, possible in response to the Valley becoming overrun by football jocks and their sluzzas. It’s an RSL located directly across from the Museum in South Brisbane and pretty damn cool.
I was granted overnight leave after two weeks in hospital and was keen to check the place out. I piked before the headliners, but got some ok shots of Ironhide, Shock Values and Abraxis.

For more, see my Flickr page.

The Holidays play the John Curtain in Melbourne

The Holidays – ‘Golden Sky’ (mp3)

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The Holidays have been kicking about for a couple of years and I really liked an old self titled ep of theirs. Lately we have had a couple of singles released in anticipation of their debut LP, due in September. I was curious how the sound would translate live and I am glad to say they did a good job. It was a fairly packed John Curtain and there was a good energy in the crowd, despite the set consisting mostly of new and unheard material. Take a look through more pictures after the continue reading jump.

Keep an eye on these guys here – http://www.myspace.com/theholidays

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Parades live pictures from the East Brunswick Hotel

Sydney band Parades played the East Brunswick Club in Melbourne on Friday night and it was a pretty effin great show.
Parades are currently touring their debut LP ‘Foreign Tapes’ details here – http://www.myspace.com/parades

Live pictures after the continue reading jump. … Continue Reading

Perth band ‘Pond’ party at the Workers Club in Fitzroy

Perth band Pond, was formed like a dream and that ‘fantasy’ feeling, beamed throughout the show that played to a packed Workers Club in Fitzroy on Sunday night.

Nick ‘Paisley Adams’ Allbrook on Vocals and glitter mayhem – he joked that he’ll probably have to clean up the place himself. Joseph Orion on bass and Jay Watson, the drummer of Tame Impala, make up the core members. Jay played a bunch of instruments, swapping around with Jamie Terry who plays guitar and keys in The Silents. Kevin Parker, Tame Impala’s lead guitar and vocals, played the driving drums that seemed to tie the whole room together, not unlike Lebowski’s rug. These guys are all very bloody talented and made the show one of the most fun gigs I have seen at this venue.

Look out for an album soon but check out their myspace now – http://www.myspace.com/mickmanmoose

More photos after the continue reading jump

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Behind the scenes – Frowning Clouds ‘Purple Heart’ video

Here is a little sneak peak of Melbourne outfit The Frowning Clouds’ music video for ‘Purple Heart’.

The video was shot at the historic Montsalvat Castle in Eltham, Victoria. Quite a fitting location for this troupe of beatniks, as Montsalvat was also where the Rolling Stones conducted interviews on their Australian tour in 1973. The ornate backdrop of this castle/artists’ colony seems to provide an appropriate stylistic vibe for the jangle tripping R&B sounds of the track.  It will be interesting to see the final product.

(all photos from Tim Pierce)

Dick Diver’s support slot at the Northcote Social Club.

Dick Diver is a catchy name to be sure. A Melbourne four-piece that plays a relaxed show and it’s rare to hear a bad word about. Alistair McKay and Rupert Edwards on guitars and alternating vocals, Al Montfort on bass and Steph Hughes on drums and backing vocals. Steph’s harmonies actually give the band a similar feel to Smudge, light country alt pop that sticks in your head or at it’s heaviest, the guitars drive closer to Neil Young. These guys have a 7″ titled ‘Arks Up’. Released late last year on Chapter music, as part of a series that pairs a vinyl single and a CD with bonus tracks. I have the Twerps release in this series and Dick Diver, will make a nice addition.

Spin a couple of tracks on their myspace here - http://www.myspace.com/dickdiverband

More pictures after the hop … Continue Reading

The Leafs play Builders Arms Hotel

Mike and Gus, members of Battlesnake, make up the poptastic sounding Leafs. Short punches of pop that slap you about, kinda like the concords – if they were more rock.
These guys played with the Bon Scotts, who were also very intense and great, at the Builders Arms in Fitzroy. A small dining room gets taken over for the evening, and 100 peeps squeeze in with a minimal stage setup and down lights with red gels gaffered on. Third support slot by Frontiers in Photography rounded off a very nice evening of intimate sets.

The Leafs play about town so check em out here – http://www.myspace.com/theleafs

The Leafs – ‘Figs’ (mp3)

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Pikelet launches new record ‘Stem’ at the Northcote Social Club

Pikelet 2010

Dates for more shows this month here – http://www.myspace.com/ovalyn