NYE and slightly beyond.

Hmm, probably the last post of 2009, and as expected, there are a shitload of shows on for New Year's Eve. These all either a/caught my eye for serious consideration, or b/had easily-grabbed art online. Cast your eye over this little lot- a rough count tells me there are over 30 bands listed.






Do not ask me why Bama-Lama go for the landscape layout, instead of portrait. Similarly, do not ask why I couldn't find any artwork to use for Yah Yah's or the Tote.

And afterwards? Well, there are a few recovery parties and such going on...this one at Ding Dong, on Saturday, looks good:


As to where I may end up, I'm still not sure. There are a few parties to check out first, and it's usually a long night for me. Have a good one, regardless of what you do. Salut!

Don't stab him.

Oops, too late.

Can you read that? It's meant to be telling you that Dirt Bag, Witch Hats & Love Of Diagrams are playing at the Northcote Social Club on Friday.
More info not on the poster- it's the launch show for Love Of Diagrams' new album "Nowhere Forever", Dirt Bag are some unholy crossbreed of the Twerps, Beaches, and Spider Vomit, and it's $15.00 on the door.

On Saturday, El Trasho Loco celebrates it's first birthday at the Tote, and are spreading the joy both downstairs and upstairs. This should be a great night- the Exotics are always a class act, and it's good to see them playing this. Graveyard Train's last show here was a sellout. Special guest international DJ too, I hear. Playing times as follows:
Band Room: Exotics - 11.45 – 12.30
Graveyard Train - 10.45 – 11.15
Benny and the Fly By Niters - 9.45 – 10.15
High Fangs - 8.45 – 9.15

The Rebelles - 7.45 – 8.15

Cobra Bar: Dunhill Blues - 11.35 – 12.05
Greasy Hawaiians - 10.45 – 11.15
Toot Toot Toots - 9.55 – 10.25
Deadbeat Club - 9.05 – 9.35
The Swindlers - 8.15 – 8.45

If you are for some fresh air on Sunday, the final round of the Pub Footy is taking place at Victoria Park, in Collingwood. Yes, that Victoria Park. Kick off is at 1.00, with the Old Bar Unicorns vs. the Bar Open Bats, to be followed by the East Brunswick Club vs. the Tote "around 3.00 or so".

GO TEAM!

Cut Rate Masters

Well, them Cowboys did the business last night. Garry, Mark, Penny, Nick & Stefan pulled out all the stops. Here's the list:

Once again, I got grief from some ape-fucker idiot of a bouncer when I grabbed this, during "We Love You". Like, it's not as if the band need it at the end of the set- and anyway, there were three or four others dotted around the stage. This time round, Mr. Gray saved my bacon, by lurching off the stage, grabbing me in a bear hug and bellowing " Of course we do..." into my ear and the mike simultaneously. A dream end to a dream show.

Sacredsexstkilda

The Sacred Cowboys blow back into their spiritual home, St. Kilda for a one-off in the Greyhound back room, with support from the Exotics and the Frowning Clouds This is pretty much a must-see. If you never saw this band in their early 80s heyday you missed a real experience, some of which can be captured on their double CD “Nailed to the Cross”, just out on Savage Beat, with excellent liner notes.

Fans will be reunited with memories of their compelling combination of mesmerizing lyrics and swirling wall of sound guitars which saw them quickly become one of the hottest alternative bands on the scene back in the day, and a
major drawcard especially in hometown Melbourne and Sydney (where they found kindred spirits like The Scientists).
Something of a post-punk supergroup (with members drawn from the original line-up of Models and Suicide Records group The Negatives), The Sacred Cowboys gained instant notoriety when they appeared in '82, thanks to frontman Garry Gray's chainsaw wielding antics on stage. They played a wild, dangerous and completely unique brand of rockn'roll inspired by the artists whose material they covered, including SUICIDE, ALAN VEGA, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART, CRAMPS, VELVET UNDERGROUND, CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL and ALEX CHILTON.
A reconstituted Sacred Cowboys line-up will be playing a showcase of special Victorian gigs during their Australian tour in April/May 2008. Featuring founding members GARRY GRAY and MARK FERRIE with PENNY IKINGER on guitar, and the band's second phase 'Trouble From Providence' rhythm section of NICK RISCHBIETH and STEPHAN FIDOCK.

More St. Kilda shenanigans tomorrow night- Elbow Room launch their stage version of seminal dirty book “Venus In Furs” at Theatreworks in Acland St.

Venus In Furs inspired the diagnosis of a whole new category of sexual perversion. Since the 1800s, masochism has largely shrugged off its unsavoury reputation, attaining a kind of underground ‘glamour’. Today it has well and truly been embraced by the mainstream, its ubiquity obvious in the burgeoning popularity of all forms of fetishistic entertainment, particularly the recent resurgence of burlesque. In revisiting the original text, Elbow Room brings to the stage the source of an entire genre of sexual gratification and entertainment in a timely reminder of the continuing influence of Sacher-Masoch’s novel.

My 1970 edition of this is illustrated:

But not in as saucy a manner as you may expect, and it is still as dull a read as ever, regardless. What can be done with it onstage remains to be seen.

Note- if I could have been bothered I’d have put a segue in between those two, about the Sacred Cowboys playing “Run Run Run” live or something. But I didn't. Sorry.