Freaks and a festival.

Have you ever seen Telecom? No? I didn't think so.

Despite the fact they have no drummer anymore, the Old Bar are kindly letting them play this Friday night, along with Sweetmac, Daughterboy Jao and Damn The Torpedoes. One of the guys from Telecom tells me Damn The Torpedoes are pretty good, so maybe an early start and an early night is best.

Then something on the southside for Sunday:

I'm not quite sure what kind of fuckwit thinks Ripponlea is a secret. There's a goddamn train station there and everything. Still, this from a local council who issues media releases about public toilets. Anyway, there are walking tours and such , then from 3.00pm Fred Negro & Dave Mole, the Bittersweet Kicks, Frank Lee Earnest & the Empty Glasses and Spencer P. Jones are playing for free on the Lyrebird stage, at 61 Glen Eira Rd. Right by that station I mentioned earlier.

Slow coach.

Well, it's been a while- their launch tour for "The Rise And Fall Of Goodtown" started back on 8th May- but I am finally catching the excellent Wagons for the first time since summer on Friday night.

The Oakleigh Bowls Club may not be the hippest place in town, but it's friendly, cosy (only 240 capacity, all sold out) and cheap. "Goodtown" is a great record, too, by the way- but don't just take my word for it.

And then on Saturday, there's this, at the Corner Hotel:

Please join Charles Jenkins and The Zhivagos for the
Blue Atlas Winter Ball, an epic night of entertainment as we welcome our special guests Clare Bowditch, Rebecca Barnard, Anna Burley, Abby Dobson, Spencer P Jones, Davey Lane,Tim Rogers, Ron Peno, Kerri Simpson, Cal and Van Walker along with the Blue Atlas Strings performing songs from the Charles Jenkins and the Zhivagos magnum opus "Blue Atlas".

Although I have an awful feeling that at a mere $20, that's sold out too.

If you have nothing to do on Sunday, why not head over to the Old Bar for their monthly garage sale? Admission is free, you can drink a couple of $10 jugs, and buy some crap that someone else is trying to get rid of.

God knows I still haven't listened to the four $1.00 CDs I got there last month.

Za/zo *

I can't believe I didn't post about this in advance. Oops.
Anyway, I celebrated by going to Missing Link on Saturday, seeing a bunch of friends as well as an excellent set by Wasted Truth. On Sunday I saw Spencer P. Jones and Mick Turner play sets at Greville Records, and saw more friends. And drank some beer. I did remember to buy a couple of CDs, too.

* it was this killer combo, put down by my opponent about four goes in on Saturday afternoon, that led me to concede this year's Scrabble tournament game, and save everyone some valuable drinking time.

And more.

Yes, there's always more. More more more. Yes please.
On Friday, a big bill at Ding Dong:


The Surrealists haven't played for...oooh, quite a while. This show will also be the last for Witch Hats for a bit, as they will need to find a new drummer immediately afterwards, and mix their just-recorded second album. Pistons Misfire are a new outfit featuring Sam Agostino, from Kamikaze Trio/Digger & the Pussycats.
Or:

A Stax tribute night, for no particular reason I can see. Too many people playing to list- just read the poster, sucker. I like Yah Yah's- the stage is low, the bar is cheap and the bouncers are friendly.
Then on Saturday, after that Oogas gig mentioned previously, there are a couple of choices, like some more filthy garage rock from the Gruntled:

Seems like ages since I was at idGAFF. Note support from Selfish Gene- get there early, if only to see them all squash into the playing area.
While over in Richmond, a revamped Wrong Turn are playing:

I don't know why that came out so small. It's not my fault.

Unavoidable sport

Remember in school, when you absolutely had to do sport every week? Some things were cool, but often those sessions were just a wet muddy hour running round a paddock. Well, the late September football finals are kind of like that if you live in Melbourne. After sitting out the Olympics, the Grand Final is inescapable. I guess it's some sort of penance inflicted for an enduring lack of team spirit and rah-rah-rah. Anyway, if you have to watch, you may as well do it somewhere worthwhile:

SAT SEPT 27 FROM NOON – 11PM
HOSTED BY SPENCER P. JONES
GAME LIVE ON THE BIG SCREEN
PRIZES, COMPETITIONS, GIVEAWAYS
HALF TIME ENTERTAINMENT
AFTER MATCH ENTERTANMENT

Sadly, I think that's fully booked now. Other options- well, a bit later in the day, idGAFF will be it's usual oasis of excellence:

Or there's a soul night on over at the new look- well, under new management, anyway- Birmingham Hotel in Smith St:

But that's about it, I think.

Hibernation

I have just spent a cold, quiet week pondering a few things.
The incredibly warming combination of roast pumpkin and tandoori spice, for instance, which is almost better than the traditional lamb and pearl barley.
And what would Mexico be like if it was run by communists instead of drug dealers?

I borrowed that pic from here, by the way.
Anyway, some shows on this weekend.
Tonight, Ninety Nine and friends are at the Old Bar:

No, it's nothing to do with that stupid new "Get Smart" movie.

And tomorrow night sees the first personal test of the new lockout legislation.
Can I make it from the Spencer P Jones & the Escape Committee/Johnny Casino & the Secrets show at Ding Dong, to Gimme Shelter at the Exford, before 2.00am?

I don't know, but I may give it a fucking good try. I mean, it's only a few hundred metres, and it's downhill. Wish me luck.

Oh, yeah

It's not all about me and the Hound this week. But having said that, there doesn't seem to be a great deal going on.

TheTri-State Lovers are launching their excellent (if sadly post-humous) album, "No Love" at the Tote on Saturday, with support from Digger and the Pussycats, the Ooga Boogas, and Jacky Winter, all for only $10.00, with a free BBQ thrown in.
There's a semi-literate review of the album here, by the way.

Also on Saturday, Spencer P Jones from kicks off a December-long residency over at the Edinburgh Castle , 681 Sydney Road, Brunswick, from 5.00 til 7.00. It's free, too.

I can't see there's much happening on Friday or Sunday though, and

the exhibition that features this picture of Mirka Mora's underwear doesn't start for a couple more weeks, sadly. Maybe stay in, do a bit of tidying up, send some Christmas cards out nice and early? Up to you.

new Sacred Cowboys LP- "Cold Harvest"

Due any day now...I recently got a rundown from Garry Gray, which reads in part:

Cold Harvest: 2007
Garry Gray (vocals, backing vocals, lyrics), Spencer P Jones (guitar, backing vocals), Penny Ikinger (guitars, backing vocals), Terry Doolan (guitars, organ, backing vocals), Mark Ferrie (bass), Nick Rischbieth (bass), Stephan Fidock (drums).

“'Cold Harvest' with all guitars blasting out of a crumbling sun… I got this narrative … urban uprising driven by dysfunctional dreamers…powerless onlookers. I always wanted us to do this as a guitar album…. The 'Sacred Cowboys' are back shooting horses”, says Gray and adds, “It's about time. The world is at high noon and there aint nothin’ better to do.”

I always loved "Trouble From Providence", still do in fact, and that screed of verbiage has sure whetted my appetite for this.

Louis Tillett live

I promise, I will stop doing the cross-posting thing.
But someone involved in this show sent me a very positive message about this I94 Bar piece, and I figure they would be happy for it to be spread around a little.

No flags required.

Lots to put in here for the Australia Day weekend, so I'm getting it in early.

On Friday, the Greyhound has a BBQ on in the beer garden from 5.00pm, followed by the Violent Mood Swings super group- essentially anyone in St. Kilda who owns a musical instrument will be there. No link for this- it seems they have stopped updating their gig guide, now it has been confirmed that live music will stop there (at least temporarily) at the end of February.

Meanwhile , the Killer Birds will be working hard, mixing their album under the watchful eye of Cosmic Psycho Ross Knight during the day, then playing at "Cocktails in the Gutter II" in the Ian Rilen Room at Torquay Football Club, with HOSS, in the evening.

Fiona Lee Maynard has a busy weekend too- the Tijuana Souvenirs are giving away Big Day Out tickets at the idGAFF, where they play with Kids In Cults:

while the Souvenirs and Fiona's other band Femme Royale are both playing an invite only show in Footscray on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, Dern Rutlidge reunite as youngbreeder at the Tote , and if you are up for a really long long weekend, Spencer P Jones is at the Gem in Collingwood on Sunday night- I think this is the last weekend of his residency.

And me? Well, Saturday's undecided, but on Friday I'll probably eat some lamb, then go and race a plastic duck with the Lord Mayor.

True. Go, number 3648!

I was on a mission on Friday night

I was on a mission on Friday night.
I had to get over to a place called the idGAFF (yeah, I don't know what it means either) Bar in Collingwood for a drink with Spencer Jones, Graham Hood & Billy Pommer- 3/4 of the Johnnys- then down to St Kilda Bowling Club for Killer Birds & HOSS.

Was nice to have a quiet chat with Spencer. There was an interesting discussion about the fact that Hoody's daughter & Billy's son have BOTH set up myspace accounts for the Johnnys ( Highlights Of A Dangerous Life and Dead Men From Boot Hill if you are interested)
But I had to bail earlier than I would have liked, and ride that 246 bus all the way down to St. Kilda Junction.

Despite my best efforts, I was late, and so only caught the last song by Killer Birds. They are three girls from Bendigo, they rock out to a fair degree, and the drummer's mother is an old friend. I saw part of a set at the Greyhound a few weeks back, and really wanted to catch this. Ah well, next time.

Joel broke a couple of fingers doing his laundry the other week (yeah, I know, don't ask me, even he can't figure it out) so was off guitar duties tonight. The sound was still thunderous, though, and he moves/acts very different with the mike in his hand, rather than being tied to the stand.

Had a chat with John Nolan afterwards, he is getting very frustrated at not playing these days. With Tim Hemensley gone, the Powder Monkeys will never reform, but he seemed quite wistful as he fingered chords and strummed riffs up and down his walking stick.

I didn't catch the last tram home, I walked.