This time next week we’ll be on our way to Taiwan for the Ho-Hai-Yan festival. We’ll also be playing a side show at Revolver Bar, Taipei. Check the shows page for details.

Fires out.

Politics bores or frustrates many people. But if you’re a tragic follower of politics, it doesn’t get any hotter than the past 24 hours in Australia. This morning, we have a new leader, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who last night deposed our first female PM, Julia Gillard. Rewind 3 years, almost to the day, and Gillard deposed Rudd for the same leadership. Both leaders can now lay claim to having been Prime Minister in BOTH terms of this Labour government. I know it’s geeks-ville, but these are wild times in Aussie politics. Over the past three years, we’ve had a ‘hung parliament’, minority government, gender discrimination against Gillard, Gillard knifing Rudd in the dead of night, Rudd knifing Gillard last night – and through all this, a strong & growing economy which has avoided the recession the rest of the world has suffered for the past 5 years. On the other side of politics, the conservatives have many problems of their own – though they’d like us to believe otherwise (Abbot? Turnbull? Anyone?).

Julia Gillard & Kevin Rudd in Parliament.

For mine, last night, the Australian electorate got back what was unfairly taken from them by a cloak-and-dagger Labour caucus; the person they’d voted for in the first place – with all his faults and unpopularity. For the past 3 years, two-thirds of Australians have consistently wanted Rudd re-instated as Labour leader. Perhaps last night, the people had spoken.

So what of the other side of politics – and the immensely popular Malcolm Turnbull, who was knifed by the current leader Tony Abbot? These are crazy times and, just maybe, we haven’t seen the last major upheaval before the impending election. Perhaps ‘the people’ will have one more thing to say about the Liberal leadership.

Either way, it would be nice to see some policy debate. Hopefully, that’s not too much to ask.

And I do feel sorry for Gillard. But last night, her karma came knocking.

Fires out.

Live Video Tuesday – Led Zeppelin at Royal Albert Hall, 1970 (full concert).

My favourite Zeppelin album, Houses of the Holy, turned 40 today.

Fires out.

Got down to The Thornbury Local on Friday night. Started the night off with a few quiet ones at The Carringbush – a great little pub on Langridge Street in Abbotsford. Classic old-school atmosphere. Occasionally they have bands playing on Sundays – often iconic indie acts who were big around Melbourne in the 80’s & 90’s. But I digress. We ended up at The Thornbury Local, a really cool little bar also with a great atmosphere & friendly staff. These days I seem to end up in amazing drunken ‘deep and meaningful’ conversations with friends & eventually strangers. This night was no exception. Had a ball. At some point, the guys below kicked off a set of obscure cover songs on banjo & acoustic guitar. Stuff from Radiohead, Pixies, Bjork etc. We were loving it.

At The Thornbury Local, Friday night.

The walk home saw me, yet again, taking on that 1am souvlaki with extra garlic & chilli sauce. Not good for those in close proximity the following day. Got too cold by the time I made it to Westgarth & jumped into a cab (poor driver).

Fires out.

Me & my old band-mate Michael Brown, last Saturday night at The Barleycorn in Collingwood (his band Chapter Ray headlined). It was a big night indeed. Not planning on this weekend being so epic. Hopefully these are not famous last words.

Have a great Friday night in chilly Melbourne town.

Fires out.

Long Truong, our photographer in China, tagged me in a Facebook post this morning. He took some amazing shots of this show below (Strawberry Festival 2012), and Midi Festival Beijing 2011. See them on our Photos page.

Long Truong, Strawberry Festival Beijing 2012.

Today: Busy writing & recording the next On Fires release. Messing with some awesome electronic sounds, gettin’ our dance on.

Fires out.

We’re playing the Ho-Hai-Yan festival in Taiwan early in next month. Click below & visit the festival website…

Fires out.

This Tuesday morning’s live video: Oasis live in Manchester, 2005. I love this show. Mayhem right from the beginning. Check out the wave of frantic humanity bursting toward the stage at the start. The band have to stop the show after the first few bars when the crowd damages the security barrier. Boiling human soup.

They had so many great songs. As you’ll see in this video, Liam for all his weirdness, is certainly an enigmatic figure. It sounds huge, that magnificent Oasis swagger – turn up loud…

Enjoy,
Fires out.

Went down to the Barleycorn Saturday night to see Chapter Ray. Couple of warm up beers at The Park with my buddy TC. Craigie & Chanel met us at the gig. Forgot to tell Craigie we were leaving The Park – they arrived just after we’d left & sat there at the bar wondering where we were. Damned absent-mindedness. Anyhow, we all hooked up eventually – but the guys missed the first band, Nothing Hurts Robot, who were excellent. Young guys with a fresh Brit prog-rock thing going on. Loved the experimental interludes smack in the middle of pop & post-punk songs. Go see these guys if you can. Check out their Bandcamp site – love the tunes.

Nobody Hurts Robot, Barleycorn Hotel 15 June 2013.

Chapter Ray hit the stage at 10:30 to a good crowd. They delivered a tight set, showcasing songs from their recently released debut EP. CR bring the pop/rock. The material is definitely radio friendly – the band proudly displaying their respective melodic-rock & songwriting influences. Always great to see Mick and Brendan smashing it out. As mentioned here may times, I’ve played in bands with both those guys for years. Left the show feeling great & went on a walking mission to my favourite Souvlaki place in Fitzroy. More about that in coming posts.

Chapter Ray (left to Right), Mick Brown, Brendan Young, Adam Ray (Bass player hidden).

Fires out.

Good friends, Chapter Ray hit the Barleycorn stage tonight. Doors open at 8. A few of us are getting along for the show. Join us for a beer, shoot the breeze & watch the boys raise the roof.

Chapter Ray – Barleycorn Hotel, Johnston St Collingwood tonight.

Fires out.