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.

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.

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**

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.

A couple of things.

Well, that Community Cup was fun.

That's me telling off a photographer, for snapping me while I was asking that homeless guy for a cigarette. And I got to see my old mate Phil Bryant (of the Corpsegrinders) dressed as a woman. And the right team won, too- the RRR/PBS Megahertz got up by one point.
Also- I have recently been asked to get involved with a new blog hub thing, you gonna get it. So (most) of what goes up here will also be found there, alongside a bunch of other folks' stuff. Mostly music based, mostly Australian. It's a cool idea, and there are no ads or fine print. If you have a blog, drop them a line.

I got in

before Bruce Milne handed over the door stamp to the new management:

So, yes, it was a good night. Pretty much everyone I expected/hoped to see there was there, the sightlines in the revamped bandroom are much better, and the beers were free. The new carpet and lack of stuff on the walls was the only noticeable difference, really.
I don't know if this is the official end of an era, or the official start of a new one. But it's the Tote, and it has bands on again.

Thanks to Carbie for the pic.

Get your own trumpet.

Look, I don't want to boast, but LTH 4 really is the best thing on this weekend. Well, apart from the X/UV Race show, but that's on Friday.

Aided by a massive press campaign (thanks, Paddy) it's a cert to sell out early. I'll be at the bar if anyone needs me.

JJJ- an apology (kinda).

Like no doubt many of you, I've often been less than complimentary about our national "youth broadcaster", JJJ. I rarely if ever listen to it, and indeed have been known to suggest (on more than one occasion) that it would be a far better enterprise if it was being run by that young, gothy-looking girl who works behind the counter at JB HiFi in Chadstone.
But- but- allow me to go on record as saying that presenter Dom Alessio is clearly someone who knows what the fuck he is on about.

Down time.

But I have been busy.
I read this
and this

And I watched the movie, too. The book is better than the movie, by the way.
I ate some of this

and this.
I drank a few Bloody Marys in a park on Good Friday, as well.

I was there at Parliament House for this, which was great.

Oh, and I bought (a print of) this

Now, back to business.
This will either be great, or fucking atrocious:

Circle Pit are, after all, a band who choose to participate in internet threads started expressly to give them shit. And for that they deserve some respect. Or interest, maybe, or a kick in the teeth. Who knows?
Anyway. Normal business has resumed. Oh, and Melburnians- or anyone who will be in Melbourne on the night- should pencil the next "Last Tram Home presents..." show on May 8th at the Old Bar into their diaries right now.

A polite reminder.

Well, I say polite, but really, you'd be a fucking idiot to miss this at the Old Bar on Friday.
Number three in an infinite series:

Yes, you read that right- Uneasy Listeners are indeed the four remaining members of the Seminal Rats, Penny Ikinger is playing with Andrew McCubbin, and Johnny Casino and the Secrets are playing all up close and personal.
As ever, feel free to say hello. I'll be there til closing.

YISYISYIS

I believe that I am somehow contractually obliged to mention this show, at the Birmy tomorrow night, where the kind people from YIS will be giving away limited copies of a new CD. You can listen to one of the tracks here.
I can't see what all the fuss is about, really.

The best photo of me taken this year.

Split Lips. Born Loser.

Things we do when hungover, part 115

So, I booked a ticket for ATP NY today.

I have no passport, and haven't told my employer yet. Oh well.
Fuck your SxSW, the Scientists are doing "Blood Red River" before Mudhoney do "Superfuzzbigmuff" AND THEN the Stooges do "Raw Power". I'll be in another country getting fucked up to all that- what could possibly go wrong? There's a decent Melbourne contingent signed up already- see you there?

Aktion.

Hello again. Sorry for the quietude. Much occurring, on this side of the screen.
And plenty more to come.
In the meantime, Dan & Rene of Aktion Unit have started a blog, putting up both sound files and posters for a slew of their live shows- you can keep yourself entertained for a while exploring it here , I'm sure.

The first "Last Tram Home presents..." is on.

Hmm, not sure I need to say much more. But I will anyway.

After 30 or so years of going to shows in his beloved Melbourne, TJ Honeysuckle finally steps up to the crease and says ''Bite this for a good night out''.

An eclectic selection of bands, pulled screaming from the headlines of his long running and (allegedly) renowned blog, Last Tram Home, will be playing at the Old Bar, 74 Johnson St Fitzroy, every couple of months.

Do not expect clever themed nights- expect a strange but ultimately satisfying mix.

The line up for the first show is now confirmed as:
Late Arvo Sons, probably playing lots of tunes from their excellent debut album ''Letters From Another Alphabet''
Crystal Thomas and the Flowers Of Evil, probably playing lots of tunes from their forthcoming new album.
Aktion Unit, probably making a big sweet sweaty racket.

and I'll be rounding off the evening by playing a heap of old vinyl- mostly Australian. Come along and I'll spill beer on your good boots. Or not.

"Last Tram Home presents..."

There's long been a tag here for "relentless self promotion". That's soon to be cranked up a notch- the first "Last Tram Home presents" live event is now officially in the works.
Details are still TBA- some calls need to made- but a date and venue have firmed up. Inner city, on November 2nd, which is Cup Eve, if you want to pencil that into your diary right now.
Stay tuned for full info, and so on.
Anyone interested in playing this (or any of the planned future ones) should get in touch via the email link in my profile.
I gotta go- that's Gudinski ringing my mobile.

Followers.

How odd.
It's kinda flattering though. Feel free to sign up- I need the money. If I don't actually know you, it'd be nice to get an email or something first. Don't just show up. If you do, though, please bring a six pack and a copy of John Carpenter's "The Thing" on DVD to ensure a warm welcome, and give us something to talk about.
Note: those of you who are Twitter users will shortly have another option for keeping track of this nonsense.

Christmas sloth.

Oops. Sorry about that. I seem to be coming up a bit short lately.
I blame two things- a lack of inspiration (combined with general tiredness) and the upcoming Christmas hoo-hah. That shit leaves me cold, I'm afraid.
No, this isn't some anti-Christian or anti-commercialism rant. I'm just over it. And, you know, I can be pretty lazy at times. About many things.



With this in mind, can I ask that anyone who wants to get me a present this year, sponsor a sloth instead. Details are in that link.

Webcam update

Hmm,I forgot that I said I'd do this now and again.
Incredibly detailed and informative update: