Max & I are sitting in our kitchen, lap-tops open, working on tour stuff. She’s in the process of booking accommodation in Germany. We’re couch-surfing, staying at Air B&B places or hostels wherever we can. Apart from keeping tour costs down, staying with local people can be a great way to learn about their city & culture. Sometimes they’ll come to the show and stay in touch.

Beijing air-port on our way from Midi Festival to Zebra Festival in Chendu, with other festival bands, 2011.

Another rehearsal this afternoon. A lot of running around going on. In less than a week we’ll be on our way to Frankfurt via Beijing. We’ll stop in Beijing for a few days to rehearse & catch up with our tour promoter there – and friends we’ve made over the past couple of years.

Catch ya Saturday at Barleycorn Hotel.

Fires out.

Rehearsal again today. We’ve got a couple of great new songs ready for Saturday at Barleycorn. One of em really rocks it – we’re calling it ‘Join The Ride’. The other is a spacy electo-rock dance thing (hard to describe). The two songs seem to be pointing us in a new direction. We’re loving it.

Backstage glamour at Midi Festival, Beijing 2011.

Seeya Saturday at the Barleycorn Hotel, Collingwood.

Fires out.

Archival Footage – Tarasova Gora Festival, Ukraine 2009. Without live (Betrayer album 2010).

Seeya this Saturday night at Barleycorn Hotel, Collingwood.

Fires out

We’re playing the opening slot at Barleycorn Hotel, Collingwood, this Saturday night in support of Chapter Ray’s debut EP launch. We hit the stage at 8:30 – doors open at 8. It’ll be our last Aussie show for a little while. We hit the road in Germany and China 4 days after the Barleycorn show.

Seven Festival Poland, 2010.

Fires out.

A glimpse of the China tour poster artwork for April/May this year –

A friend of ours in Rhode Island came up with the characters. Many thanks Babs!

Fires out.

Join the campaign to support community radio going digital. The Australian federal government has backed away from a promise to allow community radio to use our nation’s digital air-waves, assigning vital national broadcasting of music, arts and culture to be switched off when the analogue system is inevitably shut down. Apparently the federal government, while slashing budget spending, have created a national shortfall of about 1 million dollars for community radio’s access to the digital realm (the total funds needed is about 3 million). Nice. Especially wonderful, given that the same government have ear-marked a whopping 500 million dollars (tax-payers money) for commercial radio’s transition to digital. Yep, it really sucks. Click the pic below to sign the petition – and keep community radio alive in Australia.

Melbourne radio stations like Triple R, PBS and 3CR are among the few stations who’ve bothered to play and support The On Fires – and thousands of other local acts over the past 2 or 3 decades. We’d hate em to go. We need em to stay. They’re part of what makes Melbourne – and Australia – a hotbed of amazing talent. Right now there’s a campaign going on. Community radio stations are NOT asking for money from us. They just want us to sign a petition to let the powers-that-be know we’re not having this bullshit. Click here to let em know!

Fires out.

Max had a great fun interview on Tuesday with Jerry at Bumpskey Radio, New Jersey. We first met Jerry & Bumpskey on a US tour in 2011. Wonderful folks who made spaghetti for us & put us up for the night after an interview and live-to-air. The guys came down to a show the following night in Asbury Park at ‘The Saint’ (Jersey Shore).

Check out Bumpskey Radio – a fantastic station dedicated to indie music & keeping the live scene alive. Jerry’s show kicks off around midday Tuesday & Thursday (Aussie time). Or you can download his shows from the Bumpskey site. Go check it out.

Fires out.

We’re down to the last few t-shirts in our merchandise shop. Sold out of ladies t-shirts yesterday – and we now have only 3 small-sized unisex t-shirts remaining (that’s small for men or medium for ladies). Order on our Shop page & get yours delivered before our Melbourne show on Sat 23rd of March.

Fires out.

Another rehearsal later today. It’ll be interesting in this heat, forecast says it’ll reach 37 (about 100 F) – making this particular Melbourne heat-wave the hottest & longest ever recorded. We’re expecting a call any moment from our tour promoter in China, to talk over & finalise dates (they’re 2 hours behind in Beijing – Perth time).

Max, before the show, outside Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto Canada March 2011.

Stay cool.
Fires out.

Things were quiet in Collingwood last night. Must have gone to 4 or 5 pubs looking for bands. No bands. Moomba on in town, drawing the crowds away. Melbourne’s heat-wave seems to be sucking the energy out of everybody too. Damned hot at rehearsal yesterday, sweat pouring…

Before Strawberry Festival Beijing 2012, pic by Long Truong.

Fires out.