Spent today writing. Got some new songs on the way. We’ll be releasing one of them before the China tour (that’s the plan anyway). Using a different app to write with. The Past few years I’ve been a Garageband man. Love that thing. This time I’m having a crack at Ableton Live. There’s a fairly steep learning curve – but it’s got some killer built-in sounds. Great to play around with – building the entire arrangement drums to vocals. Anyway, I got through a couple of verses & a chorus before calling it a day.

Fires out.

Went down to the Abbotsford Convent for a guided historical tour today. Bit different from our usual trip down there for the weekend markets, bars, bands & cafes. Apparently the 7 hectare site operated as a secret Catholic society for over a hundred years, until the 70’s when developers bought it – with plans to convert the whole thing into a massive high-density apartment complex. The community went nuts & forced the government to buy it back. Now it’s a sprawling arts precinct (since 2004), including an open-air cinema, the occasional music festival, sculpture studios, performance spaces & so on.

Max & Marty, today at the Abbotsford Convent market.

Fires out.

Last night, it all started again for another year. AFL (Australian Football League). There we were, sitting in the stands at Docklands Stadium watching our beloved Bulldogs get pounded by two vastly better teams. It was a ’round-robbin’ affair. 3 teams playing 2 halves against each other in the Nab Cup pre-season competition. Strange – but nonetheless interesting. Last night’s game was also the first in a long long season – which it definitely looks like being for the Doggies. It’s footy from here to October. Ahhhhhh, the good stuff. Bring it on.

Docklands (Etihad) Stadium, last night as Collingwood defeat Western Bulldogs.

Fires out.

The China (Mandarin) side of our website went live late last night. Check it out. Hit the Chinese flag or the menu and let it roll. We’ve also added a translation section (row of flags on the right hand side – where, funnily enough, it says “Translator”). The site can now be read in 48 different languages – which should come in handy at some point…

Midi Festival crowd, Beijing May 2011.

Have a great weekend.
Fires out.

New China version of our website coming soon. Working away feverishly on a Mandarin language side to our site. It’s a tricky process. We’ve tried a few different layout options & we’re still going. Translation is another challenge. Thing about something like Google translation is that, apart from being way better than nothing, it can warp what you’re trying to say by misplacing a word or two, here and there. Any suggestions are more than welcome as we work through this thing (leave a comment below or hit us on Facebook).

Backstage at Midi Festival, Beijing 2011.

We’re getting closer to firm tour dates in China. Chinese New Year celebrations are currently in full swing – so most businesses seem to be in ‘shut-down’ mode for a couple of weeks, much like ‘the west’ around our Christmas/New Year.

Fires out.

Kevin Radomski set to tour China with The On Fires in May 2013. We first met Kevin on tour in the US in 2010. He came on board for shows in Texas, including the ‘South By South West’ festival in Austin. We had a fantastic time staying at Kevin & Stacey’s place in Houston & rehearsing at Kev’s studio with his buddy Chris Bourke on bass. Later in that year, the guys came to Poland with us for Seven Festival (near Gdansk).

Kevin Radomski on stage with The On Fires, Seven Festival Poland 2010.

Kevin has traveled the world for the past couple of years as drum-technician for Jane’s Addiction drummer, Stephen Perkins. Jane’s have a rare gap in their tour schedule & Kev’s available to come out on the road with us. Late 2011, I flew to Brisbane for ‘Splendour In The Grass’ to hang back-stage & watch Kevin work his arse off for Janes. After the festival we spent a few days checking out Brisbane & the Gold Coast (got to pat some Kangaroos) before he flew out for the next tour leg.

Fires out.

Kent Aberle, our US and China tour drummer 2010 through 2012, is poised to open his brand new drum shop in Atlanta. It’s 2 weeks to the grand opening of the ‘ATL Drum Collective‘. In addition to a mountain of consignment stock, the guys have some great plans for the store including concerts, drum clinics, teaching workshops & so on. It’s a gutsy move in this ebay retail age – but their focus will be on community, membership, expert service and quality collectable gear (do I sound like a sales guy?). Maybe I’ll get a job there…

That’s Kent (on the left) at ATL Drum Collective.

Good on ya Kent – we’re proud of you!

Fires out.

Live footage from China – Chang Jiang Festival, April 2012. First song in the set, Coming Home (Betrayer album).

Chang Jiang is a large festival which takes place near Shanghai on the banks of the Yangtze River. More live footage of the show there on Youtube.

Fires out.

Fantastic windsurfing acrobatics by world famous Caesar Finies. Sofa Movielab in Germany, shot this amazing footage to our song ‘Motherf*cker’ – released on our ‘Coming Home’ EP, 2008.

This video remains one of our biggest Youtube hits. Ceaser is indeed the master.

Fires out.

Last night the Yarra Hotel, Johnston St Abbotsford, re-opened as a band venue. The night was sold out – the new owners testing their new PA, bar & renovations on a packed house. Word has it, they’ll assess how last night went & prepare for a full-scale opening early March. Great to see a major band venue opening in Abbotsford. We’re planning to spend some quality time down there.

The Yarra Hotel, Johnston St Abbotsford during renovations.

Fires out.