Summer shows.

On what is shaping up as the hottest week in Melbourne for 100 years, the weekend's shows are pretty damn hot too.

On Friday, two of my favorites from last year come together when the Sand Pebbles join with the Lurid Yellow Mist over at the Thornbury Theatre:

While Saturday sees the High Fangs launch a six track EP at the Birmingham, with support from the Bowerbirds, Wrong Turn, and Pretty Green:
Or if you prefer something a bit, err, noisier, Kim Salmon and the Surrealists are at Ding Dong with the Stabs: And yes, the Stabs are also launching a new record.

If you still need more, there are a stack of acts playing the 2009 St. Jerome's Laneway Festival in the city on Sunday, including the Drones, Stereolab, and Jay Reatard:
Really, you are spoiled for choice. This city amazes me sometimes, you know. Don't forget the sunscreen.

Invasion Day.

In Melbourne, we get three big public holidays- Australia Day, ANZAC Day and Melbourne Cup Day. Colloquially, they are often known as Invasion Day (26th January), Dead Soldier Day (25th April) and Horse Race Day (first Tuesday in November).
So this show, at Pony and featuring Baseball, Witch Hats and Miniature Submarines, is on Invasion Day eve. Both the Baseball and the Witch Hats folks did posters- you can choose:


It's $10.00, and you don't have to go to work the next day. Got it?
You can learn something new every day.

Another random video

Goddamm YouTube. The things you can find...

I was introduced to this song many years ago, on the 1979 Ralph Records "Subterranean Modern" compilation album- whose Gary Panter cover art is probably worth a picture here:

Back then I knew very little about the acts on this record, and I still know almost nothing about this band- by choice, I'm sure there is plenty of information out there. But I kinda prefer not knowing.

Anyway, they were from San Francisco, they were called Chrome, and this is "Meet You In The Subway

Looking back.

Well, that was an education.

X were absolutely sterling- passionate, energetic and clearly having a ball, so much so that Kim and Cathy refused to leave the stage after the first couple of encores, forcing Steve to come back on for one more song and giving the stage manager a mild heart attack.

About the Saints, though...well, let's just say Ed Kuepper was awesome, and that it will be a while before I listen to "Stranded" again.

But the mid week gig meant I was pushed for time, and didn't get this posted:

Oops. Won't make that mistake again.

Don't Look Back

The 2009 season of the Don't Look Back concert series kicks off in Melbourne next week with a complete gem of a show.

Australian proto-punks the Saints team up with the mighty X for a run through a pair of historic albums- "(I'm) Stranded" and "At Home With You".



Both of these albums are classics, and the chance to see and hear them played in full in one session is...kind of frightening actually. There's some heavy baggage attached to these. But the omens are good- the Saints reformation shows last year were excellent, by all accounts, and X never fail to deliver.
See you down the front. No earplugs.

ps as you can see from the poster, the Saints will do it all again up in Brisbane, too.

Welcome back- to bad news.

Well, there I was all set to post some good shit for the start of the year, when I heard the news that legendary Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton had been found dead in his Detroit home.

There's nothing online about this as yet, and given the time difference I wouldn't expect anything for a few hours, but anyway...vale, Ron.

I will, indeed, play some fucking Stooges.