The Party Starts Now (May 21, that is)

Buy a ticket in advance on moshtix.com.au and collect a free, recorded-on-the-night album. Sounds like a good deal to me.

It was a St Valentine's Day Massare

st valentines masssacre
Originally uploaded by Yorrick (bonehead)

Here's a great set of pix from the recent Hitmen tour with Niagara from Richard Higgins, a photographer from Wollongong.

This shot is of Klondike and onetime Hitmen bandmate Brad Shepherd (he's the one with hair) who now goes around with the Hoodoo Gurus, and it's them rocking out on "TV Eye" behind Niagara on the last gig of the run at the Gaelic Club in Sydney.


Click on the caption link to see more.

Four Screaming Tribesmen, one stage

Last Friday's Niagara & the Hitmen show at the Step Inn, Brisbane, brought together four ex-Screaming Tribesmen in Mick Medew, Chris Masuak, Murray Shepherd and Tony Robertson. Who knows what will happen from here? The song is "Ice" and Johnny Kannis always wanted to sing it live. Thanks Rossy for the camera work.

November 22nd, 1963

THat's not today's date. It's a classic song from Destroy All Monsters, covered by New Race and now reprised by the Hitmen, backing DAM/Dark Carnival singer Niagara on an Australian tour. Here they are playing it at East Brunswick Club in Melbourne last Sunday:

If you missed them there's every chance they'll play it again at the Step Inn, Brisbane, on Friday, the Great Northern at Byron Bay on Saturday and the Beer Garden at Surfers Paradise on Sunday. After that, it's The Crest at Sylvania on Friday, April 16 and The Gaelic Club, Sydney, on April 17. After that, Jackie can hold onto JFK's brains. Tour's over.

Niagara & The Hitmen hammer Melbourne

The Barman's Rant blog has been quiet because it's been busy on other fronts. Tim Cashmere's story is curious in its underplaying of the Hitmen mini-set but he nails it in the end. Niagara is unique and the Hitmen are one of Australia's last rock and roll bands. Get yourself to a Queensland or New South Wales show or regret it.

Game on

Tickets on sale today at Moshtix.

She's back

Detroit art punk rock queen Niagara will team with iconic rock and roll soldiers the Hitmen for a seven-date Australia tour in April.

Niagara made a name as the femme fatale of Detroit bands Destroy All Monsters, whose ranks included late Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton. Destroy All Monsters released a string of singles and toured the US and England extensively in the late 1970s and early ‘80s, keeping alive the legacy of the Stooges.

Her next band was Dark Carnival, a travelling carnival of high-energy underground artists. Membership included Niagara and Ron Asheton, as well as Stooges drummer Scott Asheton and Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome as well as a string of Detroit musical luminaries. The band issued albums on French and Australian labels Revenge and Zeus, as well as US imprint Sympathy For the Record Industry

Since the ‘90s, Niagara has concentrated on her exploding career as a pop art painter and has dipped back into music only rarely. Niagara exhibits to vast acclaim around the world and her artworks command huge prices. She was recently commissioned to provide a design for a own line of Vans shoes. The tour will coincide with exhibitions at the Outre galleries in Melbourne and Sydney.

The St Valentine's Day Massacre Tour will promote the CD of the same name, released locally on Savage Beat/Shock. The album captures the one-off February 2008 show at The Crest Hotel at Sylvania in Sydney when Niagara was lured out of retirement, with the Hitmen as her backing band.

The show as a spectacular success, drawing a full house of rabid fans, some of whom travelled from overseas to be there.

Fans can expect more of the same with a two-hour show comprising a Hitmen set followed by a high-energy bracket from Niagara, reprising songs from Destroy All Monsters, Dark Carnival and the Stooges.

Niagara and the Hitmen proved to be a scorching combination last time out. Anything could happen – and will.

The Hitmen are one of the Australian rock scene’s most enduring acts, a Radio Birdman outgrowth who took underground music to the suburbs and towns.

They were re-animated by principal members Johnny Kannis and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Chris Klondike Masuak in 2007, and have rallied old and new fans since with their back catalogue re-issued in deluxe packaging by Savage Beat/Shock.

Dark Carnival made it to Australia in 1991 for a 43-date tour with the Hitmen. Niagara’s 2010 gigs with the Hitmen shows brings that connection full circle.

Tickets for the “St Valentine’s Day Massacre Tour” are on sale from February 18 through venues, www.moshtix.com.au or 1300 GET TIX

Niagara opens exhibitions at the Outre Gallery in Melbourne (April 1) and Sydney (April 8).

Special guest for the tour will be Gold Coast artist Hazel Eyes The Devil.

The “St Valentine’s Day Massacre” live album by Niagara & The Hitmen is out now on Savage Beat/Shock.

Niagara & The Hitmen
St Valentine's Massacre Australian Tour
with special guest Hazel Eyes The Devil
+ supports tba
APRIL
2 - National Hotel, Geelong
3 - Ding Dong, Melbourne
4 - East Brunswick Club, Melbourne
9 - Step Inn, Brisbane
10 - Hard Rock, Gold Coast
16 - Crest, Sylvania, NSW
17 - Gaelic Club, Sydney

Niagara speaks, you listen

Brett Callwood has profiled the Detroit diva of Destroy All Monsters and Dark Carnival fame in the Metro Times, with a focus on her relationships with the late Ron Asheton and present minder/beau Colonel Galaxy.

Now, I dunno about the Hitmen being "hired hands" - more like co-offenders to my way of thinking - but the rest of the piece is a really good read. And if you haven't caught up with the Niagara & The Hitmen live album "St Valentine's Day Massacre" (out on Savage Beat/Shock in Australia and Steel Cage in the rest of ther world), you ought to be shot with a ball of your own shit, to put it bluntly.

Klondike cuts loose

Nick Cave, Wolfmother and young bands who pose but can't play get the treatment from Aussie music Hall of Famer Chris Klondike Masuak (Hitmen, Radio Birdman, KN40, the New Christs, the Screaming Tribesmen et al) at music website Mess & Noise here. Nice one Blockster!

It's not too late

But it might be soon. The Hitmen shows at the Sando (with all new band room) this weekend are looking like sell-outs. You can score tix online here.

Main support both nights are Decline Of The Reptiles who have a new album in the can. The fantastic Snoozefests open Friday and vets Young Docteurs do the honours on Saturday.

The War Against The Jive

Props to Peter Ross.

Guess that's official then

Three shows only. Maybe next time will be with Niagara.

Niagara & The Hitmen

Their live album "St Valentine's Day Massacre" is coming down the turnpike and is out on Savage beat/Shock in Australian retail on October 9 and on Steel Cage around the world about the same time. Steel Cage have started online sales from their website. Stay tuned for live Hitmen dates. Here's a preview of what to expect on the album:

Chapter 247 in the War Against The Jive

It's from Annandale Hotel in the second half of last year. Cheers to Boris the Video Man!

Another Lost Weekend

Some new "old" songs and a new "new" one will be in the set. Click to enlarge and read the details.

Hitmen pare back tour

News from the Hitmen camp:

For immediate release

ILLNESS PARES BACK HITMEN TOUR

Venue closures in Canberra and Brisbane and singer Johnny Kannis' ongoing heart condition have resulted in some dates being cut from the Hitmen's "Monkey's Gone Wild" Tour. Refunds will be available from point-of-sale.

The Hitmen will still do two Sydney gigs with Devilrock Four and The Southern Preachers at Mona Vale Hotel on November 21 and Caringbah Bizzos on November 22.

They’ll also play one Gold Coast show at The Coolangatta Hotel on November 28 with
Mick Medew & The Rumours and Suzy Loves Dick, before their lead singer undergoes more tests and some enforced rest.

Be assured that plans are afoot to tackle Melbourne and add some other places as soon as Zeus receives the all-clear.

Details on a live album with Detroit punk rock diva Niagara soon...and she will be back in Australia to tour in tandem with the Hitmen in early '09.

"I Don't Mind" - The Hitmen

Tonight at Annandale Hotel, The Hitmen emerge from six months off to play this song among others.

These don't come in heels

Detroit's Queen of pop art massacres, Niagara, has extended her striking artwork into a line of Vans footwear. The ex-Destroy All Monsters and Dark Carnival vocalist recently launched her line of Vans-commissioned art-on-sneakers in Los Angeles. More here.

If you missed Niagara fronting the Hitmen at their once-only February gig in Sydney, we might have news for you in the next few days.

But wait, there's more...

Another I-94 Bar endorsed and sponsored event. "Beijing Blitz" refers to the fact that this is the same night as the Olympics opening ceremony. Since the Greeks invented that shit, Zeus says it won't be an issue. 

Gig of the Year (so far)

One show only so don't expect to see this happen outside Sydney. Expect a few surprises along the way too. Did we mention the I-94 Bar is co-presenting with Lenny Flotski?