Band - Sin City...last gig of 2011...already!

Melbourne is rocking along beautifully at the moment. The street-press pages are thick and live music venues are overflowing with emerging and established acts performing a diverse range of music..something for everyone...whatever your aural drug.

One particular gig that has hit my headlines is the "last gig for 2011" from Sin City...

...huh...last gig of the year...in April?!? Whaaaa?

Here's the PR explanation, via their Facebook page:

"It's been 9 & 1/2 years since Sin City exploded onto the Australian music scene. Armed with nothing more than 3 chords and a maniacal stage presence the band went on to become one of Australia's premier independent rock acts clocking up over 900 shows, touring Australia countless times, moving from Perth to Melbourne, playing everything from the Big Day Out to Sounds Loud and with everyone from The Misfits to Metallica. Not bad for a pack of punks.

But now it seems the road is finally starting to catch up with the rock'n'roll juggernaut that is Sin City and the band are going on hiatus while members travel overseas and try to catch up on some sleep. They do promise to be back but not until at least 2012!

So let's get pissed and celebrate all things Sin City with a fuck off huge party at Pony on Saturday 16th April.

Starting from 9pm Sin City have invited some of their favourite Melbourne acts to warm up The Pony stage with Stranglehold, Bombing Angels, The Mercy Kills, Ramshackle Army and Australian Kingswood Factory joining forces to create one of the best line-ups you can see. Then from 2am Sin City play their favourite time slot in their favourite venue for the last time in who knows how long.

Expect 2 sets, songs spanning their (almost) 10 year career, tears, beers, cheers and a blood-boiling, fist-pumping, body-slamming, heart-breaking, dance floor shaking, good time like only Melbourne's kings & queen of rock Sin City can deliver. Rock'n'Roll satisfaction is guaranteed and Do Not Miss This Show! HELL YEAH!!"

I have blogged here previously my love for Sin City and Pony bar's 2am late shows on weekends. This band knows how to kick on and on and on, whilst imparting their messy energy onto a forever keen crowd of randoms. If you love some raucous pub rock, it will be a night worth experiencing, supported by a local band line-up that is worthy of a big dirty rock party in a tiny space.

Sadly, this gig is on a night on which I'm committed to going to bed early, in preparation for the Herald Sun/City Link Run for the Kids event the next morning. In my world, running 14.38km at 9am makes gigging the night before mostly impossible. However, I encourage anyone who enjoys a late night out with a bit of dirty rock and a fun crowd to get along to this gig!

Sin City's Tash at The Green Room, 2006

My gigging has been somewhat limited of late. Nevertheless, I have locked in to revisit some of my favourite local artists over the next month and am looking forward to hearing what their support acts have to offer.

First up...tonight we are headed for the Big Scary gig at the East Brunswick Club. Supports include Kins (Thom Savage, formally of Oh Mercy) and Step-Panther from NSW. For only $12, I consider this something of a bargain gig these days - brilliant band, awesome venue - it is too rare to find such a gig under $15 these days.

Big Scary at Northcote Social Club, May 2010.

Next week we'll catch The Jezabels play The Corner (wow...it has been too long since we've had a night at The Corner!) and then return to EBC on Friday night again for Gareth Liddiard and Dan Kelly.

Further, with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival commencing tonight, I am taking a punt on seeing LA comedy-music act The Dan Band at The Hi-Fi Bar. My only exposure to The Dan Band so far has been through their Christmas song "I Wanna Rock You Hard This Christmas" and their cameo in The Hangover, which has been enough hilarity to suck me into seeing them live. I do love quality comedians who are musically talented as well, because they inspire me whilst making me laugh...the type of high I embrace in life.

Band - Sin City

Gig: Sin City, Pony bar 10th Birthday party weekend
Venue: Pony, Melbourne – 2am, free gig
Date: Sunday 31 October 2010

Sin City have been kicking around for years now, punk-pop-rocking out many small live music venues in Melbourne and across Australia. Originally from Western Australia, they relocated to Melbourne in 2004 and found their niche for a hard rockabilly punk style that Melbourne embraces.

Made up of Tash (vocals, guitar), Josh (lead guitar), Kane (bass) and Tom (drums and the band's heart & engine), Sin City are pure dirty rock fun. Loud and brash, they ooze sex and menace but are never frightening. On the contrary, they are a joyous rampage, capturing and feeding off the hearts of many gig goers who fall under their messy spell.

On this particular night, we stumbled into Pony's upstairs bandroom well after 2am to find Sin City in full swing. We had just trekked across the city in pouring rain, following a big night out at Biero Bar for their choice "Fright Night" Halloween event. It was welcome relief to find a warm and very awake Pony bandroom enjoying the punknroll music being thrust out from the tiny stage.

The set list covered Sin City's 2007 album, Hungry for Love, and EPs Sweet Lies (2005) and Sin City (2009) plus other random bits and pieces. Songs pumped out during the relentless gig included "Can You Feel It", "Dating the Undead", "Don't Eat Your Heart", "Man Alive", "Punk Pussy" and "Teenage Rampage". Every song was as energetic as the last, as they once again displayed how well they work together as a live band, thanks to years of performing similar gigs. Their playing connection is tight, feeding off each other whilst they also pull every awesome rock pose ever written...and then some, adding to the fun of a Sin City experience.

There is nothing slick about Sin City's live sound. They are pure dirty rock...and that is what I love about them. Their loud and distorted live sound is actually fairly different to their cleaner and often poppier recorded tracks. However, their rough and rowdy performance is always bursting with talent and effortless command. It is boisterous entertainment that perfectly suits their image and the rooms they play, such as Pony where they have rocked out countless times.

Lead singer, Tash, has been described as a "barbie-from-hell", which is an awesome description of this raunchy rock chick.  Unfortunately, during live sets her vocal talents are often drowned out by the drums, guitars and beer (in particular, her own beer), but this is often on a minor flaw for what the gigs are really about - a rock party.

The band has a loyal little cult following, with familiar faces present at every Sin City gig. Although, the whole crowd (small may it often be) always recieves much love from the band, especially from behind the drums where Tom leads the audience interaction with his animated appreciation for anyone enjoying their show.

As common with Sin City gigs, by the end of the set the band are drained and drunk yet always keen to keep the party going. Before you know it, the time is past 4am and the band closes the night with their 5th "just one more song". When all is done...the crowd is on a natural high and still hungry for more.

For me, this gig 2 weekends ago was another awesome night of pub rock gratification, hitting right on my love for Melbourne's pub rock scene.

I can not fault Pony as a bar and live music venue. It is what it is. Small, grungy, characterful, rough and splendid.

Thankfully, Pony has somehow survived 10 years relatively unchanged as a loud rebel amongst the ever increasing conservative nature of Melbourne's city, which has battled against drunken behaviour and noise. I suspect that there is a fair amount of coin backing Pony, but also...I have never encountered any "trouble" in Pony. The patrons are generally easy going, diverse, bohemian folk...there to enjoy this cosy Melbourne gem. Sure, the pretentious few will slip in (hence the reference in The Bedroom Philosophers' "Northcote (So Hungover)"), but those posers won't still be there at 2am.

And for the beer loving side of me, it is always good to see a range of beer choices available, including Mountain Goat Hightail Ale, Matilda Bay Fat Yak and Coopers alongside VB, Carlton Draught...unlike most similar small rock venues, which tend to offer very little draught beer choice (like down the road at Cherry bar where you will only find Stella Artois on tap).

There will be one final chance to catch Sin City play this year (according to their Facebook page), with a gig at The Brunswick Club on Saturday 20 November, supported by Kingswood Factory, The Ramshackle Army and The Tearaways. As with most Sin City gigs, it is free...and guaranteed to be a fun night of awesome dirty Melbourne rock!

Another Beer Bar Band weekend with added Brewery!

A quick heads up, looking towards another excellent few days beer-bar-band style.

Tonight a pseudo long-weekend beings in Melbourne, with next Tuesday's public holiday for the Melbourne Cup horse race leading many people to take a four day weekend.

Personally, that is not the case for me this year. However, it will certainly be another big weekend be beer-a-plenty flowing, a return to some favourite local bars, a band and a bonus trip to one of my favourite Australian microbreweries.

Today the weather in Melbourne is beautiful and must be taken advantage of, so the wife and I will be heading down to the Mountain Goat Brewery for goat beer and pizza to kick off the weekend.

Saturday night...I am eagerly anticipating an amazingly flavoursome experience with the "Fright Night" Halloween event happening at Biero Bar!

On tap will be the incredible and unique line up of:

1. Murrays Pumpkin Ale
2. Moondog Imperial Pumpkin Stout**
3. Brewdog Dogma
4. Be Molen Imperial Stout
5. Voodoo Witchdoctor Nitro Stout
6. 2 Brothers Taxi Blood Pilsner
7. Brewdog 5am Saint
8. Renaissance Stonecutter Scotch Ale
9. Timmermans Kriek
10. Weltenburger Asam Bock

**Moondog is a brand new Melbourne based brewery that hopes to open sometime next year, I believe, potentially with a focus on brewing extreme beers...so it will be super exciting to try this exclusive Imperial Pumpkin Stout! And keep your eyes out for Moondog in future...because Melbourne may just be getting our own BrewDog type team!

All I can say is...wow! More about this event can be found on The Crafty Pint's events page, as well as on the Biero Bar Facebook page.

Hopefully we will somehow be sensible enough to not go overboard with all these incredible beers, as we plan to kick on to Pony for a 2am gig with Sin City. Pony's late night shows are a live music institution in Melbourne...and have provided many historic nights of dirty pub rock. Going to one of their 2am gigs in on my wife's unwritten Fuckit List (not a Bucket List...but a list of "to do" stuff for the settled and domestic "young ones"...that is a bit extreme because it's kinda fucked and likely to leave you a bit rough). Being a Queenslander, she has never experienced the glory of Pony at 2am.

For Cup Day Tuesday, we will be joining follow bloggers from Eat Drink Stagger for a trip down to the lovely Red Hill Brewery and an afternoon of festivities, including a 3 course gourmet bbq lunch, sweeps and...of course...brilliant beer.

Looking forward to reporting back on this weekend...!

Bands - Melbourne still rocks...so LOOK OUT, Summer!

With Summer approaching, the pages of the local music street-press magazines are growing thicker...as peak live music season returns...and it is shaping up to be another fine Summer of rock in Melbourne!

Live music venues and bars are certainly buoyed by the prospect of a bumper Summer music season after the mess of last year's Liquor Licencing fiasco, which saw many small venues under threat from conditions that restricted their activity. This was due to an unjustified link between live music and violence, which was suddenly being enforced like never before. However, in the last month - through the great work of Music Victoria, SLAM and Fair Go 4 Live Music - the Victorian State Government has now removed the link between live music performance at licensed premises and crowd controller licence conditions, with the Live Music Agreement!

You can read more about that on the Music Victoria website.

For me, it will all kick off again next weekend with the Melbourne International Arts Festival, celebrating music passion and diversity with cult bands, through two nights of big gigs held at the beautiful Forum Theatre, which will be transformed into the "Beck's Festival Bar" (ug, Becks...I do hope I have time to enjoy some quality craft beer at Beer DeLuxe before and after the gigs...!)

• First up will be next Friday night (22 October) with The Drones, supported by China's P.K.14 and The Twerps.
• On Saturday night (23 October) we will be back for The Bronx in their mexican-alter-ego-mode, Mariachi El Bronx, supported by Eagle and the Worm and The Ukeladies.

Looking ahead, other gigs that are locked in include The Drone's frontman, Gareth Liddiard, showcasing his debut solo/acoustic album at The Thornbury Theatre on Friday 5th November (which will actually be my first ever gig at The Thornbury Theatre)...and some little band that I liked when I was a kid, called U2, who are playing Etihad Stadium on Wednesday 1st December.

A couple of my favourite little Aussie bands will be kicking around too. I recommend checking out The Jezabels at The East Brunswick Club on Friday 26th November. The Basics at Northcote Social Club and Papa vs Pretty at East Brunswick Club during October are gigs that I have on my radar as well. Also, if the Collingwood fans have stopped celebrating at the Grace Darling Hotel, it may just be safe to return to catch Blackchords play a Thursday residency.

December will also be a good month for the "old guys" who are still doing good things...especially at The Corner Hotel where you'll be able to catch gigs with Colin Hay, Hoodoo Gurus and Peter Combe! Now that is serious fun!

And for the ultimate experience is Melbourne dirty rock...catch Sin City play the Pony late show (2am) on Saturday 30th October!