James Baker was, as the title of his last solo release declared, Born To Rock. The musician, who died on Monday night aged 71, was the big beat behind the drums for a long list of influential Australian garage-rock bands including Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon, the Scientists, the Dubrovniks and the Victims. But his […]
The Ballad of James Baker, 1954-2025 Read More »
Tex Perkins has been around the ruthlessly ageist Australian music industry to know an opportunity when he sees it. “As far as Boomers and Generation X punters go, it’s all about anniversaries these days,” he says with a dry chuckle, somewhere on top of a hill (the mobile reception is better) near his home in
The Cruel Sea: Honeymoon spark returns Read More »
Outside the Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane’s biggest nightclub strip, two hours before showtime, a long line snakes up and around Brunswick Street Mall. It’s been well over a decade since the Cruel Sea played here, and the 3,000-capacity venue is soon overflowing to the point of feeling oversold. It’s a reminder of just how
The Cruel Sea: Fortitude Music Hall, 30 November 2023 Read More »
Back in the early 1980s, Kim Salmon once claimed his group the Scientists played the devil’s music. Over a couple of chords and a minimalist beat, they could whip up a furious storm approximating the title of one of their songs: Solid Gold Hell. Their hair was ridiculous (think big) and their clothes were gorgeous.
The Scientists: solid gold Read More »
On 14 April last year, an unusually poignant gig took place at the Prince of Wales Hotel in St Kilda, Melbourne. The Beasts of Bourbon – the self-styled ugliest, most badass rock band on the planet – played what would be their final gig in what was perhaps the only way the band could have ended. Bass
Tex Perkins on surviving the Beasts of Bourbon Read More »
Spencer P Jones wasn’t a household name of Australian rock music. But he worked with many who were (Tex Perkins, in their band the Beasts of Bourbon, as well as Paul Kelly and Renée Geyer) and was held in high esteem by many beyond these shores, notably Neil Young. His work as a guitarist and
Spencer P Jones: Hellraiser among Australian rock greats Read More »