Wrapping up.

Things are winding down a bit round here.
So far, I've written/participated in three different year end polls or roundup type things. I'll write the definitive one here soon,though.
So, what to do for entertainment?
Well, The Bonniwells are launching their Z-Man Records album "Unprofitable Servant" at the Grace Darling tonight:

And then there a couple of very quiet days, until the Old Bar host a free fucking free Boxing Day show, featuring a bunch of reprobates in pervy knitwear:

All good. It's all been good.

Leakage

Yes yes yes I know it's all over the place, but in case you haven't grabbed a copy of the Wikileaks "insurance file", go here and save it:
http://www.wikileaks.ch/file/wikileaks_archive.7z
You never know what it may turn out to be.

Arrity?

OK I'll stop that now. To business.
Every time I hear or see the name Straight Arrows I get reminded of Davie Allen and the Arrows, which is no bad thing, really, and indeed a bit of compliment to both of them.
Anyway, Owen and Ange are back from Circle Pit's tour of the USA, and the SAs will be at the Tote on Saturday:

They'll be launching their album, Chinese Burns ("I thought you were dead") will be launching a single, Teen Archer are playing as well as some new outfit from North Melbourne who aren't on the poster and whose name I forget. No doubt general shenanigans will ensue. $10.00

Charity.

That's a nice word too, and what a coincidence that there are two worthy causes being addressed this week. The first one is on tomorrow:

Melbourne's music community has joined ranks to raise funds for local muso Dimitra Bucolo, who has been hospitalised due to complications from lupus. Dimitra has been performing since 1996 in various bands and solo projects in Australia and internationally, and is in need of significant financial help with her urgent medical and rehabilitation costs.
A gigantic benefit gig dubbed Dimitron: A Benefit for Dimitra is coming up at The Corner on Wednesday 1st December featuring The Drones, Zond, Hoss, Love of Diagrams, The Stabs, Kes Band, New War, Matt Bailey and Breathing Shrine, plus Eddy Current & Twerps DJs.

Just to make the night even more awesome, the great Dimitron Raffle has been announced with some mouth watering prizes to be won.
Dimitra was kind enough to play with Aktion Unit at the first Last Tram Home presents... show back in November last year. Here's wishing her all the best.
And then on Thursday:

After a few fairly painful if not downright agonising years, X frontman Steve Lucas has finally managed to get his crippling back injury operated on, but has been left financially crippled, so a bunch of friends are lending a hand. This would probably be worth going to for the Ears alone, I reckon, let alone Dollsquad, Brian Hooper and the rest.
If you can't make it along to either of these shows, you can still help out, by donating via Paypal- to Dimitra at dimitrafund@gmail.com, and Steve at slxaust@hotmail.com.
It's not a community unless you share, you know.

Parity.

There's a nice buzzword for you.
Anyway- first things first. Congratulation to Claire Bowditch, Bruce Milne and Jon Perring for being elected to the Music Victoria board at this week's AGM. It was a tight run thing, apparently, and all I can really say is that they are three of the best people imaginable for the role.
Now, to the weekend.
If you are of a mind to head north to Mount Macedon and watch Leonard Cohen play in Michael Gudinski's backyard- with the aforementioned Ms. Bowditch, among others- why not make a day of it by dropping into the Kyneton Show earlier in the day?

I'll probably be in town myself, taking it easy, unlike my buddies in YIS, who have a lot going on:

I have got to get me over to that Thornbury Bowls Club sometime soon, I think.

In other news, Kirsty Stegwazi & Rene Schaefer are bringing their old outfit Handhell back for a one-off show as a two piece at the Old Bar on Friday night:

That's also a single launch gig for Iowa- and on red vinyl, no less.

Two men...

 with a shared past are both playing this weekend.
Leaving aside the excellent prospect of Do The Robot playing with Ninetynine at the Old Bar on Friday, Brian Henry Hooper is launching a new album over at the Espy:

It's on Spooky Records, and despite having not heard it yet, I'd assume it is fucking great.

On Saturday, don't drink too much at that Sixfthick 15th. birthday show at the Tote- you'll need to be in good shape for Sunday evening, and the first show of Kim Salmon's month-long residency at the Old Bar:

33 years of music in a month of Sundays and not a song repeated!
Kim Salmon will focus his attention each Sunday in November - at the Old Bar, on a different musical combo featuring different aspects of his diverse career. One week you may expect to hear The Surrealists, another, The Scientists, another his latest avant guard musings and on another the rest - i.e. Beasts of Bourbon, Antenna, The Business and maybe even a riff or two from SALMON.
All that for $8.00? I'm there- in fact, I'm DJing after Kim's set.

Meet the annuals.

Sorry about that. I took a little break to attend to some things that needed attending to. I'll just say this- stopping smoking is not that hard, but stopping smoking while you write is very hard indeed. Anyway, to business.

Music Victoria are having their first annual general meeting in a couple of weeks, on November 16th.

It'd be a good thing all round if lots of people signed up as members and came along, either to vote for the board positions or just to have a say in general business. See you there.

Last Tram Home presents...#6- the video.

Well, that was a fun if slightly weird night. Lot of lost-looking football fans wandered in, and either left quickly or relaxed and settled in. The bands were great and no one got punched in the chin this time, which is nice.

My mate Carbie shot some great photos, and some video, too. So for those who weren't there, or were there and want to relive the moment, here's a tune each from the Bulls, Ninetynine and Dave Graney and the Lurid Yellow Mist.

The Bulls @ Old Bar, Fitzroy (25th Sept 2010) from Carbie Warbie on Vimeo.

Ninetynine @ Old Bar, Fitzroy (25th Sept 2010) from Carbie Warbie on Vimeo.

Dave Graney & The Lurid Yellow Mist - Bodysnatcher Blues @ Old Bar, Fitzroy (25th Sept 2010) from Carbie Warbie on Vimeo.

Enjoy. No one filmed my post-band DJ set, which is probably a good thing. I have to say, talking 80s Australian music with someone like Dave, who was a pretty big part of it AND knows his stuff, was a tad daunting, even for me.

ATP NY- last mention.

I promise this will be the last time I boast about crow over mention my trip to ATP.
But this review I wrote may give you an idea what it was like.
And can I just say what a pleasure it is to be back at the Bar again.

Last Tram Home presents...#6

It's nearly a year since these LTH nights started, and I reckon this one may have the strongest line up yet.

Presenting for your listening pleasure:
Dave Graney and the Lurid Yellow Mist
Ninetynine and
Bulls.
As usual, this is going on at the Old Bar, 74 Johnson St. Fitzroy, this Saturday night (yes, Grand Final night). Doors at 8.00 or so, a mere $10.00 to get in, and it all goes on til 3.00am.
I will have a fistful of the excellent LTH stickers available for those who want or need some.
See you there.

Bad art.

It's that time again.
The Museum of Particularly Bad Art is launching this year's exhibition at the Chapel off Chapel, in Prahran, on Tuesday night (21st.)
This is last year's winner:

and I know for a fact that the guy who painted that has an entry this year, too.
It kicks off at 6.30pm, with a gold coin donation for entry, and runs until Sunday 26th. See you there- hopefully not framed as a portrait.

Back in the saddle.

Well, as promised, back to business as usual.
Unfortunately, things seem a little quiet this week. But as always there are a couple of options.
One is this:

The Lovetones are launching their album "Lost", at Ding Dong tonight (Friday) with support from the Sandpebbles and the Priory Dolls. I haven't actually heard it but I reckon I'd go to this on spec.
Then on Saturday:

See the living legend himself Mr Brian Henry Hooper take to the stage of Yah Yah's on Saturday September the 18th 2010 with special guests Jules Sheldon & Yomi, the new project from Sailors & Swine's Billy McCabe. Entry is free and it all kicks off at 9.00pm.
I couldn't have put it better myself.

Normal service.

OK. After stopping off for a couple of quick martinis at LA airport's amazing Encounter bar:

I flew home.
Normal service will resume shortly, as soon as I have sorted out my dirty laundry, and stuff.

And with that...

I hit three biggies on my last full day here. First up was Graceland.

This was odd. Kinda nice house, but fuck, the people who were there almost scared me off, right from the start. If you want to have a great experience ruined by fuckwits- by which I mean "60-something year old women who cry and leave teddy bears on every tombstone"- this is the place for you. The Jungle Room is nice.
Then I went over to Goner.

I spent some fine time here with Eric, Zac and Joe, picking and choosing the contents of a reasonably large parcel which will hopefully arrive in the near future. Click on the pic to enlarge.
Then, finally:
Gus's Fried Chicken.

We got eight pieces, with coleslaw and beans, which were eaten overlooking the Mississippi while drinking a beer and talking blacksmithing. There was also a shrimp boil. Awesome.
Great town, great trip.

International/interstate update.

A great day wandering round town spotting things at random:

and eating fine food- I had the pork sandwich, if you are wondering, and it was great.

Took some time out tonight to spread the word: this is at the Buccaneer- a fine place.

And then ducked over the bridge/state line to Arkansas, to buy cheap cigarettes and take a leak. Seriously:

Safety first.

I do like to stay somewhere with a fallout shelter, if at all possible.

ATP update to come- the place had shitty internet and I have stacks of photos to sort through, like this one:

Guess who?

"First, we take Manhattan..."

Yes, LTH meets TS:

Actually, having been all over Manhattan, and Berlin, this one little corner will do me.
Upstate tomorrow, better finish these Tecates and get some sleep.

Must sees, 2

There is some great architecture here- and luckily, both the Bradbury Building and Union Station are in very good condition:

It's really hard to show the scale of Union Station- that room is so big. And empty- no longer the headquarters of the Blade Runners, I guess.

Must-sees.

I'm going to the Ivar to see my girfriend
I want to see the way she takes off her clothes
I want to see what the other men see
I want to see everything she can mean to me

"Agony Shorthand", the Flesheaters

"Hey c'mon, let's all go to Oki Dog."

Darby Crash, the Germs

Also worth noting- El Duce of the Mentors worked as bouncer at the Ivar in it's 70s strip-joint heyday.

Dead celebrity endorsement.

I hope he'd approve. As ever, click to enlarge.

Must go- I am about read some Bukowski poetry at the Frolic Room, my new favorite bar in Hollywood.

International update #1

AND you can smoke in your motel room, too.

Things I will miss.

Things I will be missing in the near future include, but are not limited to:

The excellent Peep Tempel doing a free in-store at Missing Link on Friday.
And there's a fairly massive bill on at Ding Dong on Saturday:

I am hanging out to check out some of the Witch Hats new "Coldplay fanclub"-phase tunes live, by the way.
And then on Sunday, Dave Graney finishes up his august August residency at the Old Bar:

He has a new album "Supermodified", out this week and I'm guessing this show may well be a de facto launch show.
I will distract myself from all these lost opportunities by instead concentrating on enjoying my trip to this:

Updates from the road will follow.

LTH merch frenzy.

The Last Tram Home marketing team over at Heywood Industries have come up with some ace new LTH stickers:

Printed on the finest vinyl available, you can expect to see them on lamp posts, car bumpers and pub toilet walls all over the place in weeks to come. If you'd like a few, to help spread the word, either ask me for some or drop me an email.
Tshirts and coffee mugs are...not likely to ever happen, I'm afraid

**UPDATE- A few orders have come in and been sent off. Yes, these are free. There is a limited supply sitting on the counter at Off The Hip Records if you are quick**

Muff (SFW).

The eleventh Melbourne Underground Film Festival kicks off tonight. The big ticket item is a guerilla screening of Bruce LaBruce's "LA Zombie", recently pulled from the Melbourne International Film Festival. Details of when and where that's happening are still a secret.

But I like the look of the Mini MUFF- a series of six short film nights that's running at 1000 £ Bend in Little Lonsdale St.

Those three stills are from three different shorts. I think.

Vote for something.

I have better things to do on Saturday, so I already voted, at a little place I know- only in Melbourne can you find a polling booth down a laneway off the arse end of Bourke St. I just hope nothing too shocking emerges between now and then- on the form of this campaign so far, I shouldn't expect anything will.
Anyway, I'm more an MC5 guy than a Billy Bragg type when it comes to politics in music, so that's enough of that.
Although the theme is unavoidable this weekend. This looks like a good place to lose your shit over the ranga v. ratbag battle:

Though I can't find out what that costs, I'd guess $12 or $15 would cover YIS, Dynamo & Legends Of Motorsport.
Then a massive Off The Hip party at the Tote on Sunday, to drink away your hangover:

Australia's premier garage rock label and record store - Off The Hip Records - celebrates it's 100th release with a party Sunday 22nd August at the newly re-vamped, re-opened Tote Hotel Collingwood. All punters will receive a free 24 track Off The Hip Records label sampler when they join the festivities starts at 1pm!Featuring-
LOS CHICOS [Spain]
JOHNNY CASINO AND THE SECRETS
MIDNIGHT WOOLF
RUSSIAN ROULETTES
LITTLE MURDERS
THE CHEATS
MASS CULT SUICIDE
WRONG TURN
THE LIVING EYES
SOLE STICKERS
BURIED HORSES
And again, no price details to be found. Chance it anyway.

Housekeeping.

If you are a regular you may have noticed that my Twittering had died off a bit. I couldn't be arsed, really. I did briefly consider the option of giving someone else more interested the password, but in the end just stuck a blog feed link in there. So now you can read the same thing twice, on two different platforms, AT NO EXTRA COST.
Anyway, the place is due for a revamp soon. It may even happen in time for my forthcoming adventures- perhaps this weekend, while I am stuck without a lighthouse to look at.

Centralised.

There aren't many reasons to live in Collingwood, but if you are a/ a resident of Melbourne's black & white suburb, and b/ a music fan of similar tastes to me, you have a bit of a dilemma this Friday.
On the one hand, a fine line up of the Models is playing in the Gershwin Room at the Espy in St. Kilda, along with the Dames and the Minibikes.

Should you choose to go about the same distance north instead of south, however,the East Brunswick Club is hosting the Puta Madre Brothers farewell show before an overseas tour:

Supports there are the Ukeladies, the Red Brigade,and the Toot Toot Toots.
Tough call- the 246 bus or the 86 tram?

Accept no imitations.

Hmm.

I guess I should be flattered.

Last Tram Home presents...#5

Sorry for the short notice- it took a while to get this one all squared away:

LAST TRAM HOME PRESENTS... #5 featuring:
YIS: over educated brat rockers, no doubt 'busting out' their hit track ''Terry Black's Rubbish Bins'', or whatever it's called.
Wrong Turn: two young men with a hundred years of playing experience behind them.
Cash Savage & the Last Drinks: there is no last drink on the Last Tram Home.
And of course me, playing a load of my tatty old Australian vinyls til 3.00am.
Old Bar, 30 July, doors at 8pm, $10 entry.
This will sell out, as usual, so you may want to get there early. And buy me a beer, perhaps.

Richmond Station special.

Guh. How could I forget this?


Graveyard Train, Melbourne’s own chain smashing, foot stomping, horror country pioneers are launching their third album "The Drink The Devil and The Dance" at the Corner Hotel on Friday the 23rd July. Special guests on the night will be Melbourne rockers the Dacios as well as the psychedelic bluegrass crooning of Little John.

The album’s out on Spooky Records, of course, and you can snag free downloads of the single ‘Mummy’, as well as another track, 'Run, Billy, Run' right here.
And if you happen to be passing the Rochester Castle in Johnson St. Fitzroy, anytime soon, do stop and admire the striking artwork currently adorning an unused billboard on the side of the building.

Full house.

For various reasons, I won't be able to get out and enjoy any of the rich salty goodness thats on offer this weekend- but if I could, I'd hit all of these, hard.
My favorite improv squawkers, Aktion Unit , along with my favorite acid-tinged psyche outs, the Paul Kidney Experience, are launching a split CD at the Old Bar on Friday, with a couple of friends:

Special things are planned. That poster is a pretty good visual representation of what you can expect- mushrooms, vaginas, fluffy clouds, etc. etc. etc.

There's the chance to contribute something back to the local music community on Saturday, when the Oldie (again) hosts a benefit for 3CR's "Burning Vinyl".

Little John, Matt Bailey, Sianna Lee and Danny Walshe start things off from 6pm (this is the quieter part of the evening, setting the mood as the sun sinks low)... And then: Lamefoot, Howl At The Moon, Matt Sonic and The High Times, plus head-turning headliners The Toot Toot Toots rocking out the second half of the night.
Every cent of the $10.00 entry goes straight to the station, by the way.

And on Sunday, the 6th annual "Wash Winter's Willies Away With Whiskey" is on at the Tote.

The list of artists this year once again features a wild variety of Melbourne’s current crop of great alcohol inspired acts- Clinkerfield, Brothers Grim & The Blue Murders, Chris Altmann & Que Paso, Little John, White Elephant, Tracy McNeil, The Re-Chords, Roller One, and The Bakersfield Glee Club.
Clinkerfield frontman Jimmy Clinkers is just recently back from an overseas break, and is ready to play for a hometown crowd again. These things are always a bit special. And a bit drunken, too. Be warned. Enjoy.