Rock and Roll Walks in Sydney

Sometimes city councils spend money on good things. Here's a rundown on something you might want to put your hand up for if you're in Sydney in October. The "Frank" is my mate Frank Cotterell of Mojo Music in York Street, formerly of Waterfront Records. 

This year's City Of Sydney guided tours - as part of the annual Art & About Festival - takes us to the streets of the CBD, Kings Cross and Surry Hillls.

Your host - Mojo's own Frank Cotterell - has enlisted a very special guest for the walks this year- Ian Hartley. Ian has been involved in the Sydney music scene since the mid 60's - as a musician playing harmonica with such bands as The Throb; as a writer and publisher of legendary zine Spurt; as a promoter of countless cutting edge clubs and venues; and as the owner of the original Skin Deep store in the Crystal Palace Arcade.

Hear tales of the first Beat club in Sydney, visit where the Beat Generation hung out and where The Beatles stayed. Revisit venues where you could do The Twist, The Stomp and The Pop. See venues where AC/DC and Radio Birdman played their first Sydney shows, and The Easybeats their last Sydney show.

From the beginnings of rock'n'roll in the mid 50's, through the next 30 years, hear tales from the underground and the rock 'n' roll underbelly.

Both walks are free.

CBD Tour:
Sunday 10th October
Time: 6pm
(Meet outside The Basement 7 Macquarie Place, Sydney) Bookings: 02 9265 9141

Kings Cross / Surry Hills Tour:
Sunday 17th October
Time: 6pm
( Meet under the Coca-Cola sign, Kings Cross )
Bookings: 02 9265 9141

Things were better in the old days

The scary thing is that thousands will read this and not have the faintest idea that it's all about them.

Thanks to Tim Napalm Stegall for the heads-up.

The Stooges and Satanic messages

I'm sure there must be some of that stuff in this version of Dog, played backwards. Enjoy:



That review of their All Tomorrows Parties show is coming. TJ Honeysuckle came through with the goods. His review is a cracker and I don't think he even had to sneak it through Australian Customs by secreting it in a condom and swallowing it. Some photos are being sourced.

Subterrannean Homesick Google

I like watching popular culture and technology collide even if appropriation of an icon gets a bit close to the bone. I'd rather see Google using Bob Zimm than Bono.

Meanwhile, back at ATP

It's been quiet around here but we've been busy, not sleeping, and when fellow fan Rohan Sullivan sent this link to a New York Times review of Iggy & The Stooges, Mudhoney and the Scientists (there's a triple whammy) at ATP in upstate New York last weekend, well what's a poor boy going to do?

My only regret is that the Times has done away with its stylistic kink of referring to everyone mentioned in its pages as "Mr" (even scumbag rock and rollers.) Reading a review of the performance of a certain "Mr Pop" would have been extra cool.

The I-94 Bar is anticipating the arrival of a review of the ATP shebang in the near future. (You on the line, TJ?)