Here’s an excerpt from an article published by ToneDeaf.com.au on Monday reporting the Barley Corn’s demise. It’s been quiet over there, the doors barely open this year (just across the road from us on Johnston St, Collingwood). Not sure what happened but apparently we’ve lost another live venue –

So it goes, it is now Melbourne’s turn to face the music, or lack thereof, as the historic Collingwood Venue ‘The Barley Corn Hotel’ of Johnston St hangs its head as its doors close for a final time. Having operated for some 140 years, the Hotel is remembered by many as a “we played our first gig there” type venue, and its closure stings as a sentimental loss to Melbourne’s live music scene.

Despite earlier laid-out plans to cosmetically make-over the Collingwood venue, The Music reports The Barley Corn Hotel will be transformed into accommodation as the owners decided it was a more ‘sustainable financial option’.

In addition to this, co-owner Jesse Pascoe told Fairfax “due to a combination of problems with council … it was too hard to fight an uphill battle. I can’t put into words the love and plans we had for the place and it was all crushed.”  Read more here.

Fires out.

Max in full flight at Zebra Festival China 2011.

See a short documentary about that 2011 China tour here. Visit our YouTube Channel for live festival footage from around the world.

Fires out.

We toured Ukraine 3 years running from 07 to 09 with local punk legend Sasha Pipa. Had no idea how famous he was until we stepped on stage at a club in Kiev to open for his band Borshch.  Sasha rose to prominence in the 90’s for his part in seminal Ukraine punk band Vopli Vidopliassova who were dangerously anti-establishment & anti-soviet union. Band members regularly received death-threats and harassment for their courageous irreverence against authoritarian censorship and government. We were honoured to be touring with such brave people. Here’s a video from Vopli Vidopliassova – one of many that got them into trouble.

Fires out.

Channel 10’s Bondi Rescue will use our track ‘Skeleton’ this coming season. Skeleton was released on the Betrayer album (2010) – listen here (track 13).

Bondi Rescue, Channel 10 Melbourne.

Have a great weekend.
Fires out.

Apparently this episode of popular kid’s TV show Rainbow was banned. Can’t understand why…

Thanks to Craigie for sending us the link (from LiveLeak.com).

Fires out.

Atlanta drummer Kent Aberle sent us this link to The Futura Bold’s latest release. His buddy, the band’s front-man Bruce Butkovich, called us into an Atlanta studio to sing backing vocals on this release – for the song ‘Shallow Water’. We laid down said vocal tracks during a US tour in 2011. Check this out – it’s really impressive stuff. I love it. You can hear the songs on their Facebook page or at Bandcamp. My favourite song – ‘Christine’.

Fires out.

One from the vault – Zebra Festival, Chengdu China 2011. Coming Home.

Fires out.

Max on stage at Midi Festival Beijing, 2011. Photographer Long Truong took the shot. First time he’d seen the band. We’ve been lucky enough to have Long take shots of us at other shows in China – awesome at capturing energy in the moment.

Max on stage at Midi Festival Beijing – Pic by Long Truong.

Had a great night at Stalk & Kim’s last night after a long weekend working on the new venue. Really needed to get out & not think about it – S & K’s kitchen the perfect place to blank out & chill.

Fires out.

Here’s a magnificent article rightly attacking Triple J radio for turning its back on Oz pub rock. It’s a rare thing to see anyone stand up to the all-powerful J’s. Musicians won’t, for fear of committing career suicide. Industry won’t either – for the same reason. James Young’s got a lotta guts so far as I’m concerned. I disagree with none of what he says here –

It’s Time Triple J Stop Being Successful & Start Being Accountable
Written by James Young on 16 January 2014.
Full article at tonedeaf.com.au

Pic taken from tonedeaf.com.au

I am not Triple J’s target audience; I’m too old, although I’m considerably younger than its Program Manager Richard Kingsmill. I know a bit about music. I was the Program Manager of RRR for three years and a volunteer presenter for 14 years. I co-own two indie music labels, manage bands, book venues, own and run music festivals and own Cherry Bar, blah blah blah. I’m also a taxpayer, as well as a music lover and I feel entitled to an opinion on Triple J.

Triple J remains massively influential. As a local act, to get on major music festivals or score an international support or  tour interstate and have people turn up, you must be played on the station. Without Triple J support most bands will struggle to survive, and this is exactly why it is imperative that Triple J supports all types of local talent.

In my opinion Triple J has crawled up its own arse favouring skip-hop music (sorry, I just threw up a bit in mouth) and internationals and has turned its back on Oz pub rock, the defining sound of Australia. Click here to read more.

Fires out.

Went to the Comic’s Lounge, North Melbourne last night. Thanks to our buddy Mal for organising a group of us to see the Clayton Fletcher (US) & Gab Rossi show. Had a lotta fun & left without settling my tab at the bar. Better get back there today & sort that. Biggest thing that struck me, comedy aside, was the slick organisation of the show. They ran like clockwork, never missed a beat – regularly promoting the comedians & the club, announcing the next act, large monitors with comedian’s name at the sides of the stage, friendly bar staff, prizes, gold-passes to be won, feed-back pages at every table (collecting email addresses), brochures showing upcoming events, ‘Facebook’ photos being taken by staff. The list goes on.

‘Facebook’ pic taken by staff at Comic’s Lounge, North Melbourne last night. (Courtesy Mal’s FB)

As musicians, we couldn’t help being a little awed by the experience. And the several hundred people who paid $30 on a Wednesday night. We left inspired to run our shows, or any other shows for that matter, a whole lot better. To labour the point, when you go to see bands you can often count on disorganisation, bands starting late & running over-time, not knowing the name of the band you’re watching, bad sound, a general lack of communication and so on. In an era of fierce competition for the ‘entertainment dollar’ we need to seriously improve how we do things, musicians & pubs alike.

Fires out.