National SLAM Day 2012

The first live gig I went to was a FReeZA all-ages at Moorrabin Town Hall. I was sixteen and lugged two reluctant mates two hours across the state to see Trial Kennedy, British India, Stealing O’ Neal and watch underage drongos ride a mechanical bull. The same two friends I dragged along ended up carrying me out of the venue after I got spin kicked in the face by an emo kid using the front row as a wall-of-death. Unfortunately my live music experiences waddling around on mouldy carpet these days don’t get as violent as they probably should. Discovering new bands and accessing new music via the INTERNET (lazy portal of convenience) is something that’s out of habit for most of us. But hey, nothing beats waking up with tinnitus and last night’s wrist stamp smeared onto your forehead after all. Without live music, Melb would probably be a wasteland of creatively frustrated people with nothing to harp on about except caffeine and Kerouac. Live music is important to a lot of people around here.

Today marks National SLAM Day and there’s plenty of extra stuff going on to show your support for the people that make this place sound good.

For all the full details of gigs going on around the country today – click HERE or visit www.slamrally.org

Lonely Kids Club Launch @ OAF

Do you like to have fun? Do you like to dance and Roll in good times? Drink merrily with your stylish friends while bathing in some of Australia’s finest music at one of Sydney’s greatest venues?

The answer is probably yes, ‘coz you’re here. The Lonely Kids Club are doing us all a favour and putting on a show at the Oxford Art Factory, featuring Rufus, Collarbones, Fishing and Albatross (alongside many others), launching their summer lineup.

October 16 is the date, Oxford Art is the place. I’ll be there, and I’m a charmer, so you should be there too. While you’re waiting, listen to/watch this stunning clip from Rüfüs. I’m in love.

You should check out Lonely Kids Club as well – their clothes are pretty and their attitude balling.

Meredith 2011 Line-up

The Meredith lineup came out today and in addition to the imported goods on the bill (Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Kurt Vile, Exposions in the Sky, Black Joe Lewis etc) there’s some decent local acts that have been added. I got trampled by  middle aged corporates when Icehouse played at a gala ball earlier this year, so I’ll probably refrain from going in for a second helping of Electric Blue. Rounding off the veteran sector of the lineup is former Moodists frontman Dave Graney. Adalita, Oscar & Martin, Matt Sonic & The High Times and Graveyard Train have also been annouced, as well as festival regulars Cut Copy and Eagle & The Worm. Geelong’s King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard will be opening the proceedings which should be a treat.

Not many 21st’s rearrange the solar system and let you BYO anyway.

The ballot closes on the 23rd of August.

GRINDERMAN  *  CUT/COPY  *  KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS  *  MUDHONEY  *  ICEHOUSE  *  GANG GANG DANCE  *  EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY  *  LADYHAWKE  *  BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEYBEARS  *  OFF!  *  ADALITA  *  FUTURE OF THE LEFT  *  FRANK FAIRFIELD  *  HARMONIC 313 (DJ SET)  *  JOELISTICS  *  BIG FREEDIA  *  UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA  *  GRAVEYARD TRAIN  *  TIM SWEENEY  *  OSCAR + MARTIN  *  CASH SAVAGE & THE LAST DRINKS  *  ANGUS SAMPSON  *  BARBARION  *  KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD  *  JUICEBOXXX  *  VIRGO FOUR  *  EAGLE & THE WORM  *  THE RECHORDS  *  DAVE GRANEY & THE LURID YELLOW MIST  *  MATT SONIC & THE HIGH TIMES  *  THE TOWN BIKES  *  CITY OF BALLARAT MUNICIPAL BRASS BAND  *  MASTER SONG TAI CHI  *  SILENCE WEDGE  *  A TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE

www.mmf.com.au

Red Riders Announce Split

Maaaan. After eight years, two albums and a decent clock up of touring mileage, Red Riders have decided to call it a day.

A statement on the band’s blog reads:

“Rather than grind something that’s special to us into the ground, we’d like to call it quits while we can we can still stand proudly behind everything that we’ve made together.

Basically, to anyone who’s ever given a damn, thank you! We’re gonna keep making music in other guises so keep a ear out, and if you see us at the pub, or lurking up the back of a show someplace, come say hi. We can grab a beer.

Big love,
RR’

Farewell shows in Sydney and Melbourne will be announced soon, but for now you can catch the guys on the road with Children Collide on their current tour.

And for the better of it…

Golden Plains Update

Exciting news – Playing times for Golden Plains 2011 are up and found here.

It feels like the summer heat never really set in this year. It’s therefore a great idea to try to stretch the festival period and get along to Golden Plains.

If you don’t have a ticket, please don’t fret, you can grab one here.

With acts like World’s End Press, Architecture In Helsinki, The Middle East and Boy and Bear alongside Wavves, Best Coast and Belle and Sebastian – it will be a sweet weekend.

It’ll also be fun to watch the crowd react to Airbourne, maybe Joanna Newsom will guest during their set!

Melbourne’s Laneway Festival in words

Let’s clear something up first, I’m gonna talk about international bands as I didn’t catch much of the Oz contingent. In case you have been living under a rock and didn’t notice, Australia’s weather has been off the charts lately. The night before Melbourne’s super well organised Laneway Festival it totally pissed down and washed out some gear on the river stage. Rat vs Possum was a casuality as staff got things under control. I chose to sleep in and spend my mid morning eating sweet ass scrambled eggs with carmelised onion down at A Minor place.I arrived quite dry and feeling pretty content not to have to blow $10 on dahl for lunch.

First up I caught Bear In Heaven down at the cart park stage and they sounded real nice from my lazily distant posi. Driving drums and atmospheric pysch pop from Brooklyn that creeps on you even in the middle of the day at a festival. I head up to the Mooreland stage before they finish to right some wrongs in my life. I openly admit that sometimes I do silly things, I once signed for White Stripes tickets at the post office then walked outside and re posted the blank envelope. Last week I sat around quite bored on a Tuesday night whilst my Beach House ticket lay on my coffee table in full view as I completely forget to go.

… Continue Reading

Workers Club 1st Birthday Bash!

November marks a year since the washed up Rob Roy was revamped into the Workers’ Club. The past twelve months have been no mean feat for the venue, staging gigs by The Church, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Paul Kelly as well as one of Roland S. Howard’s final shows. Mike Noga, Kirin J Callinan, Jack Ladder, Love of Diagrams and a stellar list of other local acts will be helping the venue blow out the candles over three massive nights. Get down!

(read on for lineup details & set times)

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Brisbane’s “The Troubadour” to close.

Iconic Brisbane venue The Troubadour is closing at the end of the month. There had been rumblings around the Brisbane music scene about rising rents and the changing face of the Valley, but this is the biggest loss to the Valley’s live music precinct since The Rev became a dance club.

Here’s the presser from the venue’s website:

It’s news that will rock the Brisbane music community – the heart and soul of Brisbane’s music community, the iconic The Troubadour will be calling last drinks and closing its doors forever come the end of November.

In what will be a devastating blow to the town with a matter that has gone beyond the control of owners Jamie Trevaskis and Corinna Scanlon, the beloved music venue will close its doors on Sunday, November 21.

More information as to how the venue will be farewelled and why it is closing will be released in the very near future.  The Troub crew would like to extend gratitude to every single band, artist and punter who has graced the venue in the last seven and a half years.

The future of “The Troubadour” name and recognisable aesthetic remains uncertain but for now, the dream is over.

See the bullshit for yourself right here.

Since opening in 2003, The Troub has played host to bands too numerous to mention. Small-time local bands and big-name international touring acts have squeezed onto the small stage and squinted at the crowd through the red stage lights (a photographer’s nightmare).

Share your favourite Troub lineups and memories in the comments.

Melbourne’s Birmy to end live music

Only a year after it’s revamp, Melbourne’s Birmingham Hotel will no longer be hosting live music by the end of this month. Venue bookers Indra Adams and Chris Bosma confirmed the news in a statement, saying:

‘Sadly the owners of the Birmingham Hotel have found the financial viability of a live music venue with all costs attached does not present a sustainable business model. The venue will continue to operate without live music with plans for refurbishing the kitchen and existing function spaces.

We as the venue bookers would like to thank all the awesome bands and punters that have made our jobs so amazing and contributed to (what was) an incredibly vibrant and exciting music venue.

To all the bands who have shows booked in the calendar after the above date, we’re sorry if this is the first you’ve heard of the plans… We aim to contact everyone this week and do our best to find replacement shows for everyone.’

The news comes after the Birmy’s ‘re-birth’  last June under the run of new management where the likes of The Basics, Frowning Clouds, Will Wagner and The Greasers helped to relaunch the once tired building with a sign outside the venue reading ‘The Birmingham Hotel: It’s not shit anymore!’.  Considering the venue recently spent $3,500 soundproofing the windows of the venue with electric operated shutters to solve noise complaints, the news does come as a surprise.

Over the past year, the venue has established itself as a healthy breeding ground for local artists, housing up to 20 bands each week. What was reportedly once neo-Nazi hangout and a venue for nationalist hatecore gigs, became a welcome addition to the fertile ground of local venues around the area. Of course, $2 pots, a no-pretense code and consistent solid lineups for which the Birmy has become known for will be missed by many, but it seems like just another another casuality to the growing list of hallowed pubs culling live music.

Gigs will continue at the Birmy until the 19th, so make sure you catch the likes of Duvtons, Gosteleradio, Kins, Grenadiers (USA), Tobias Cummings, Useless Children and more who’ll be playing before the curtain drops. Check out www.birmingham.com.au for full details.

Ernest Ellis cancels tour

Ernest Ellis has been forced to cancel his tour with Parades in October due to illness. After being diagnosed with a medical condition that affects his hearing, Ellis has been advised by doctors to avoid exposure to loud music for two months to avoid further complications and permanent damage. Refunds are available from point of purchase. We wish him a quick recovery and fingers crossed he’ll be back on the road soon.