Friday, March 21, 2008

This (Easter) weekend

Apart from my usual annual Lindt binge, I think it'll be pretty quiet. There's that Witch Hats LP launch previously mentioned, and I may try to catch Wagons at Young & Jacksons on Sunday. They're playing for free, between 3.00pm & 6.00pm, if Henry and co. can figure out the dress requirements. I mean, they wouldn't want to show Chloe up.


















Next week, though, they will be starting their "Lightning Strikes Twice" tour. Tour dates in full:
Sun March 30: The Retreat, Melbourne

Wed April 2: Electric Light Hotel, Adelaide

Thu April 3: Edinburgh Castle, Adelaide

Fri April 4: The Pub, Bendigo

Sat April 5: National Hotel, Geelong

Wed April 9: Oxford Tavern, Wollongong

Thu April 10: Brass Monkey, Cronulla

Fri April 11: Woodport Inn, Erina

Sat April 12: Hopetoun Hotel, Sydney

Sun April 13: Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay

Thu April 17: Shark Bar, Miami Tavern, Gold Coast

Fri April 18: Bon Amici's, Toowoomba

Sat April 19: Sol Bar, Coolum Beach, Sunshine Coast

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Jay Reatard


Meant to mention this earlier, actually.
Local outfit Stained Circles brought Jay out for a tour, to coincide with their local release of his excellent "Blood Visions" LP.
I only got to one show, the Tote BBQ on the Monday, but it was well worth it.
The album runs through 15 tracks in 29 minutes- if anything, he played harder and faster live. There's a bit of YouTube from the Brisbane show here that'll give you an idea.
And there were excellent supports, including the slightly demented UV Race, and one of Digger & the Pussycats final shows before they leave for a (47 date) European tour.
Definitely an early contender for gig of the year.

BBQ update


My, my, if I'd got to the bottom of that bag of hickory chunks a bit quicker- like, by sometime in 1991- I could have been 55c better off. Oh well, no point crying over spilt marinade. Here's some recent pork:



And some more recent ribs- beef asado ribs:

Trimmed, with all the bones removed except one- this is what I threw away:



They then got marinated and rolled before cooking:





Sorry about the blur in that last shot, I was hungry, and couldn't be arsed taking another one.

Noise 1- MIBEM March 28th



MIBEM - that's the Melbourne International Biennale of Exploratory Music- kicks off on March 28th, running through to April 2nd 2008. They promise:

An expansive variety of contemporary music forms including improvisation, audio-visual works, composition, electronica, free jazz, noise rock and contemporary classical music. Curated by noted local artists/composers, Anthony Pateras and Robin Fox, the Biennale will bring over 50 international and Australian musicians from the cutting and far edges of contemporary music together for a series of inspired and boundary-expanding sonic explorations


I'm interested in the opening night show at the Tote ,which features
Y35.3, amongst others, and also the David Chesworth action - an installation- at the Toff in Town on 30th. March, too, but there is plenty going on.

Noise 2- Music Isn't Noise!


There's a new move to get recognition for inner-city venues, in a similar vein to the now-defunct Fair Go For Live Music initiative of a couple of years back.
At the moment all it really is is a website, and a Facebook group, and the whole thing is a bit Fitzroy-centred, but hey, if you go to see bands there (and I'll put my hand up to being an occasional visitor, particularly to the Old Bar) you may want to lend some support. If you don't want to, that's fine, but please hold your whining when your favorite venue gets closed by noise complaints. Just a thought.