(Preface: I have been deep in the Neil Young Archives all of May. There are so many concerts on there that I have never heard….and I am loving it. More on that at the end of May.)

Here is a review I wrote and Thrasher’s Wheat re-posted it years ago but you can just read it here on Substack.
https://neilyoungnews.thrasherswheat.org/2009/01/concert-review-of-moment-sydney.html

Full-fledged legends come to town infrequently. This has to do with economics and the fact that there are not (arguably) many of them in existence. Neil Young is now 63, and he has been in the ditch, in the middle of the road, and in many places in between. On Saturday, the 24th of January, at the Sydney Entertainment Cent, Neil and his Electric Band burst out of the gate with the Crazy Horse number, Love and Only Love. The searing electricity of his guitar work and the passionate vocals of his and the rest of the band, kicking off with this song made a simple statement about the endurance of love and the misguided nature of hate. It was a beautiful way to enliven the audience with positive energy at what we all hoped would be a classic Neil gig.

Sea Change sort of changed the tempo and the obscurity of this song for most changed the mood slightly, but Neil continued to fire out the notes on his guitar. On a stage that had a spooky-looking American Indian statue, some mangled letters of the alphabet adrift above the band and an artist painting the show, my eyes were pretty well focused on Mr Shakey himself throughout the gig. Having a vantage point in the second row made it very special, and after about 20 minutes, it appeared we were in for one hell of a set

The first 3 rows at least seemed ready to rock as we got to our feet, made our way to the front and rocked out to a stunning Cortez and Cinnamon Girl. Alas, I turned around expecting to see a writhing, bopping mass of old hippies and rockers, but to my dismay I found a group of zombies sitting and watching.

Rock concerts have come a long way from the days of rebellion and nudity and public marijuana smoking and over the past decade this has now come to an almost unwritten ban on dancing and standing. Of course, promoters and artists picking certain venues are to blame, along with the heavy-handed security at these arena shows. I also believe the artist has some responsibility to ensure that the audience and security understand that grooving and dancing at a concert is all right. Neil ignored my plea to tell the audience to get up and dance but I guess he had other things on his mind.

So we headed into a more country and quiet set of numbers for 6 songs where we had Needle And The Damage Done, Four Strong Winds (very special and one of 2 covers), One Of These Days and Unknown Legend, which were well received but definitely not rockers. Of course, Neil has to please a selection of fans, but with him not hitting some of his big favourites from Harvest or After The Goldrush, the less Neil Young obsessive fans may have been disappointed.

Neil got back to the electric machine with Get Back To The Country and then a stunning rendition of Words (Between The Lines Of Age) from Harvest. This is a rarely played selection and Neil and Keith duelled between pedal steel and guitar. This was a moment where Neil took us back in time once more and displayed how great a song well over 30 years old can sound today. You just had to stand their in awe and sing-along to his fairly cryptic lyrics.

But there was consternation and a blue condition on Neil’s face throughout the gig and Rick Rosas and Ben Keith also seemed concerned at the audience participation based on their facial expressions. I was kind of amazed people were still sitting behind me, and at one point, I had a confrontation with a dude who wanted me to sit down. Neil jumped into Keep On Rockin’ In The Free World and the people near me went even crazier. Neil seemed to be playing with fervour for the people up front who were giving him positive feedback. His response to the people sitting behind us was to feign a heart attack, rest his head on his hands, and ask them if they were asleep in pantomime.

I’ve seen it before in Sydney when Patti Smith asked the crowd if they were in a coma; Elvis Costello cut his set short and departed the stage for 10 minutes until people went crazy and were standing (he then returned for over 90 minutes); and at John Fogerty recently, where the security let no one get up at all.

We have so few places and moments where we can take a journey through the past. Rock concerts are those moments to discover your youth if you are young or to recall what it was like to be if you have been around the block. People may argue about whether to stand or not at a gig, and whether it has an impact (or should) on a musician. especially someone as well-travelled as Neil Young. All I can say is that I have never seen Neil play a non-festival show that lasted less then 2 hours until this night.

Let’s hope he comes back.

PS-There was something very good that came out of this concert besides Neil and Crazy Horse coming back one final time in 2013.

Meeting this Dead Head, pictured below.

Setlist:
1- Love And Only Love
2- Sea Change
3- Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
4- Spirit Road
5- Cortez The Killer
6- Cinnamon Girl
7- Mother Earth
8- The Needle And The Damage Done
9- Light A Candle
10- Four Strong Winds
11- Unknown Legend
12- One Of These Days
13- Get Back To The Country
14- Words
15- Just Singing A Song
16- Rockin' In The Free World
17- A Day In The Life

Coming up at the end of the month, my review of the last Crazy Horse gig at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on the 10th of March 2013.

We love ya, Neil….thanks for all the barn.

Hey, Hey, My My….Rock and Roll was alive and well in Brunswick last night.

William Crighton and his band have always brought the goods when they perform live. Back in 2015, under the trees at Dashville Skyline, I became a fan of this psych-folk-punk-bush balladeer. That set is still fresh in my memory over a decade later. There had been numerous other visits in the shadow of the big, lovely hulk of a human since then.

May 8^th at The Howler in Brunswick was something special. Colonial Drift, Crighton’s excellent new record ( seriously, go listen to it NOW….stop reading) was on full display. William is joined by his wife/collaborator Julieanne and their presence together is a display of artistic joy and love. Their singing together is simply stunning.

The set tonight consisted mostly of songs from Colonial Drift. The crowd gathered in The Howler had their ears blown off by this rocking band. There were some quiet moments amongst the rock and roll, but the monstrous sound of this creative human music-making machine was a glory to behold. The various guitars of Crighton, CJ Stranger and Jeff Lang shook the walls and dancing was taking place where I was.

Crighton is a bush preacher. His music, his feet, and his hands are part of this land, as we all are. Immerse yourselves into his evocative storytelling. Dust, eucalyptus, blood, and mud.

This music could only come from one place: this Beautiful Country. Take a dip in the waters.

I’ve been dreaming of a powerful place
Where the trees are twisted and tall
And the river runs clear as the ancient face
Staring out from the rocky wall

Black cockatoo cries
Never pretences
I know you can hear the call
Petrichor’s rising and it’s only old fences
Caught by surprise
As the rain starts to fall

Yeah it’s a beautiful country
Yeah such a powerful place
Yeah it’s a beautiful country

Here you and I are never alone, never alone

Distant stars are like old lovers
Who guide me along the track
The roar of the ocean
Stirs my emotion
Walking forward
Looking back

Oh tread gentle
Feel the cost of every step
The country is changing my thought’s rearranging
But never never never ever Forget

Yeah it’s a beautiful country
Yeah such a powerful place
Yeah its a beautiful country
Here you and I are never, never alone

I feel the river flowing
I see the morning
I hear you calling
I hear you calling (Beautiful Country-William/Julieanne Crighton and Luke Davison)

Crighton’s music connects us to the land in a way that I have rarely found outside of Indigenous Australian Music. You know his heart and soul are in the right place.

Listen to his music. Go see him live….tour dates below….and bring your friends.

If you are in Victoria…..head off to Anglesea to The Sound Doctor tonight the 9th of May.

No one goes away disappointed.

Supporting William and his band tonight were Magpie Diaries. Magpie Johnston, one of the chief ringleaders of the Dashville Family Cult, brought his band along in acoustic mode. His original releases, played in this ‘unplugged’ fashion, gave them a beautiful Americana sheen. Riffs that reminded me of Dylan, Prine and Young were matched with treacle-sweet harmonies.

Set List-Not 100% correct …but you get the Drift…
Horizon

Further Down The Road

Warzone

Australia

Poor Ned

Mr Brown

Love Works

Murrumbidgee

Priest

2000 Clicks

Killara

Devils Tongue

Your Country

Dig Your Mind

Sex, Death and Choices

Beautiful Country

Sick Boy

This record was purchased somewhere in Upstate New York. That is all I can recall.

There were 2 reasons I purchased it.

1-The Album Cover-Just look at it….I love it. I think I saw it somewhere, with my eyes closed, while in an altered state.

2-Special Rider Blues-The Skip James song below is covered on this record.

Just so you know, I still visit this record today, 58 years after it was entered into the cut-out bin. You should have a listen…..I don’t think it will disappoint you.

The late Mark Sandman and the other members of the band Morphine may have heard this record.

Wrap your ears around it….let me know if you dig it.

This was not your typical 1968 psychedelic record.

Nancy Jeffries (vocals), Bill Barth (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bottleneck guitar), Luke Faust (banjo, guitjo, vocals), Robert Palmer (alto saxophone, clarinet, recorder), Trevor Koehler (baritone saxophone, piccolo, drum, thumb piano, upright bass)

Check out the instruments used above. What was happening here? Here is a short write-up that covers it:
With all five members contributing material “The Insect Trust” somehow managed to incorporate influences ranging from 1920s-era anti-war tracts (’World War I Song’), bluegrass (’Foggy River Bridge Fly’), C&W, jazz, discordant avant garde (the second half of ‘The Skin Game’), blues (the blazing ‘Special Rider Blues’) and what would even pass as a precursor to today’s world music genre (’Going Home’).

Propelled by Jeffries’ crystalline voice and the band’s penchant for unusual instrumentation and bizarre arrangements (often within the same song), to my ears the results were simply fascinating. Personal favorites; the mesmerizing ‘Miss Fun City’ and the sweet ballad ‘Been Here and Gone So Soon’. Clearly too unusual for radio (to say nothing of the rank and file listening public), the album instantly landed in cutout bins.(from badcatrecord.com)

https://open.qobuz.com/album/ntzhu3d3489pc This is the link to Qobuz album….below is the evil Spotify…..Switch to Qobuz…it not only sounds better, they pay the artists more money per stream. Need help doing it ….message me.

See ya later….from deep in the Cut Out Bin.

As with life and celebrations, there was laughter, there were tears, but most of all, there was a roomful of joy and respect.

The jam-packed Melbourne Recital Hall held family, kin, fans, all here to praise and give love to the Big Man, Kutcha Edwards as he celebrated 60 years with us. Kutcha himself had to temper the celebration with the reality of the years:

“That’s what 60 Cycles Around The Sun is all about," says Edwards. "It’s celebrating my longevity in the industry, but also the fact that I’ve gone past my use-by date as an Aboriginal man in this country." Statistics show that Aboriginal men only live to about 57. Edwards may be ‘old’ in regard to that statistic, but he is full of life and soul.

Kutcha’s long-time mate, the ever effervescent and quick-witted quiz master, Brian Nankervis, was on hand to MC the event. You could see the emotion in his eyes and voice, as in all who graced the stage.

The first 1/2 of the evening MO'JU, Bumpy, Tjimba Possum-Burns, Cash Savage, Aaron Choulai, Rebecca Barnard and Richard Pleasance came out to tell tales of working and living alongside Kutcha. Of course, they joined him in songs and hugs. Edwards is definitely all about songs and hugs. Edwards and guests were supported by Kutcha's band Jay Jarome, Nicola Bell, Linc Yow Yeh, Phoebe Elsworth and Nick Larkins.

Kutcha was not the only man choked up with emotions and tears. The feeling of love and story and life reverberated through each member of the audience.

The second 1/2 of the show was mindblowing. Kutcha was joined by Cash Savage and The Last Drinks. I’ve witnessed Cash and her band a number of times, from the sacred ground at Dashville to the Landsdowne Hotel in Sydney. It had been a handful of years since I last heard them live, and my anticipation gauge was running into the red.

Cash And The Last Drinks did not disappoint in backing Kutcha. Their soundscape over his singing was excellent. When they rocked, they rocked, guitars ablazing. I made a note to myself not to wait too long before drinks ever again. Make sure you check out this album to get a taste of what you missed.

Happy Birthday, Kutcha. You have lived a life and survived what has been placed in your way. Your presence, your voice, your art and your love will be with us forever.

No more silence on the land
Here to make you understand
No more silence on the land
See the footprints, see the footprints in the sand

Singing up country
Singing up country

Always been here, nothing to fear
Making it clear, we're never gonna disappear
Standing up strong, see the power of song
We've done nothing wrong, here's where we belong

Singing up country
Singing up country
Singing up country
Singing up country
Singing up country
Singing up country, hey

No more silence on the land
Here to make you understand
No more silence on the land
See the footprints in the sand
Imagine what the old people saw
What was here before, we must protect the law

Singing up country
Singing up country
Singing up country
Singing up country
Singing up country
Singing up country, hey

It was April at the jammed-packed Oxford Art Factory (Sydney), the last time I caught a set by Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, AKA Fantastic Negrito. That was his second visit to Australia, and that evening converted me to Fantastic. He finished that set in 2019, walking through the crowd, still singing, and finished the song at the merch desk. Now that is a grand piece of salesmanship.

The Gershwin Room at The Espy tonight was not sold out, and Negrito commented that “I guess I am still looking for an audience in Australia." No matter, he performed as if he were at Madison Square Garden.

The storied tales of him being the 8th of 15 kids when his Dad was 60, and his Mom was 30, coming from Massachusetts, his Dad was a Somali/Bahamian Muslim. The family relocated to Oakland when he was 12. He dealt drugs and had his first record deal in the 90’s. Then he had a near-fatal car crash that left him in a coma in 1999.

He disappeared for a while and reinvented himself in 2014 with his eponymous album. In 2016, 2018, and 2020, he won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Record. That’s quite the trifecta over 5 years.

His songs are filled with personal tales of loss and family, and all that goes on when you live a big life. Onstage, Negrito is a presence to be reckoned with. Playing guitar, singing, stomping and dancing around, you know he has lived these tales. Hell, he looks great for a 58-year-old man, like, I mean, he looks nothing like that many years.

This is not 12-bar blues. This is funky, soulful, innercity, Oakland music. His soulful I Hope Somebody’s Loving You was gorgeous, sounding a bit Prince-like. But it was all about the funk and rock and roll most of the night. Tinges of Led Zeppelin were channelled through his superb band as they got the dancing punters sweating as much as Negrito.

Runaway From You blasted the ears off the crowd and Chocolate Samurai was soulful funk that reminded me of some guy named Sly Stone.

His young guitarist, a 19-year-old gunslinging kid from New York, Vincent Maclauchlan, approached The Fantastic One and told him he knew all his songs. He not only knows them, but he has also mastered them. Uriah Duffy was remarkable and entertaining on bass, and the entire five-piece band delivered the goods.

Negrito joked about wanting to get through the written set-list (pictured), but he failed. We were not disappointed. “In The Pines” was a perfect closer; someone near me asked if it was a Nirvana song, and I had to tell them it was written by an unknown author back in 1870.

Negrito posed for pictures, sold whatever merch he had left, and was happy to press the flesh with those who came from near. And far. There were a group of people who flew from Western Australia just to see the concert.

Upon exiting, the crowd at The Espy was larger outside the Gershwin Room. It was like walking into some strange universe with Maori and Islander folks in cowboy hats and boots singing along and having one fine time. Maoli had just finished a gig at The Palais, and he came over to sing a couple of songs to his cuzzie bros hanging out after the gig. It was quite the scene.

SET LIST:
STEPSON
SCARY WOMAN
HILLBILLY LOVE
WORKING POOR
NIGHT HAS TURNED TO DAY
I HOPE SOMEBODY’S LOVING YOU
LIVING WITH STRANGERS
HUMP THRU THE WINTER
AN HONEST MAN
OH BETTY
HOW LONG?
CHOCOLATE SUMURAI – EAT LESS SUGAR HAVE MORE SEX
BEAT SALAD
BULLSHIT ANTHEM
GOOD FEELING
CALIFORNIA LONER
YOUR SEX IS OVERRATED
PLASTIC HAMBURGERS

Encore:
IN THE PINES

Steve Poltz, aka Poltzy, has been coming to Australia for a couple of decades. He’s played festivals from Woodford to Byron and dozens of shows in between. There are a herd of Poltz fans around this country. Organically grown from his touring and the word of mouth after someone experiences an evening in the presence of this whirling dervish of folk and tales. This is folk music.

Paul Kelly stopped by to see Poltz before the gig. They have both written a song called “Petrichor”. Having PK stop by to say howdy, now that is goodness.

Mr Poltz is a master storyteller and a ball of positivity. Some of the funniest people in my life, a trio of them, Poltz made it a trifecta, just make your cheeks hurt and tears roll down your face. You are unsure if the stories are true or if they are taking the mickey out of you. That’s comedic genius as far as I know.

Poltz is a unique talent. With songs like the jumping Can O’Pop, Brand New Liver, Sewing Machine, and French Toast, it is all about the setup. The long-winding tales make everyone fall about with laughter, and I am sure some people today are seeing medical practitioners due to pulled muscles in their cheeks. It took us until about 230AM to get some shut-eye. Poltzy had electrified us with an acoustic guitar and his dear self.

https://omny.fm/shows/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast/steve-poltz

There are so many wonderful interviews with Steve online. Check out Bob Lefsetz’s podcast for a wonderful 2-hour conversation recorded in 2024. This is one of my favourite stories about Poltzy meeting Prine. Pure sunshine.

Poltz has his royalties from the song he wrote with Jewel, You Were Made….sorrry….Meant For Me. Steve told a story about being at a venue where some young woman was butchering this song….and they sang, “made for me”. He yelled out “meant”!! People thought he was being a smart ass when they argued with him about it and he said, ‘I wrote the damn song!” Supposedly he was escorted from the premises for his actions.

There was only one disappointment welling up in me as I grinned and experienced the Poltz Show. I have been to thousands of gigs and seen well over 1500 artists in my 68 years. My partner, Tina, used to work in the music industry. We were both flabbergasted that no one in all our years had told us Steve Poltz is not to be missed.

How good are Malcolm and Steve harmonising?

Supposedly, my mate Nello had told me that….it slipped past the keeper. So yes, I thought of all the times I should have seen him in the past, before Poltz and I were both in our 60s.

His voice and guitar playing are superb; he works the after-show meet-and-greet like a professional, posing for photos and asking questions of his fans. He spoke to a 7-year-old fan who had waited in line. “Hey, I am going to give you superpowers. The superpower is that you can write songs. All you have to do is think about it!”

Poltz waved his hands and cast the spell, and the child was sent on his way. He signed albums, posters, babies, and he even signed a cane. I forgot to ask him if that was a first. Knowing what I know, probably not. We gave him a hug and said thanks. He was still smiling, but he had the eyes of a man who had been on the road. Security wanted to move people on, but everyone got a chance for a photo, a hug and a word.

Take good care of yourself, Steve Poltz. You are a treasure that just keeps giving.

And everybody gets a hug….

Post Script….In 1973, I sat in the 6th row at Avery Fisher Hall watching a folk music icon I had never seen. I was 16 years old. John Prine played over 2 dozen songs and won my heart, soul and mind forever.
The Memo gig ranks up there….and that’s saying something.

Grace Slick and Paul Kantner released this record while they were a couple. I had not thought of this record in quite some time. As a tragic Jefferson Airplane fan, I picked it up for 99 cents and took it home sometime many decades ago

Silver Spoon has Slick wailing about cannibalism and a nod of the head to the veggies in her midst. It was 1971 and there were many living on real food. The title track comes up on Side 1. Here are some lyrics:
Sub carbon oscillation, sunshine blurring fascination

Pulsar craft, moving fast, gonna take me past the hand of man to you

The sword of the lord don’t mean nothin’ to me if he won’t get down

On the people makin’ such a mess of the land and the sea all around me...

Got to learn to leave the planet be

No more room here to fuck around like we did before

Just maybe one more chance to leave it be-Sunfighter

Titanic follows this track and it is some weird-ass instrumental

Look At The Wood has Jorma Kaukonen on guitar. That does not save the song nor the mournful vocals of Paul and Grace.

When I Was A Boy I Watched The Wolves has Jerry Garcia on guitar and lyrics like this:

Run with the wolfpack

Get down be bright go back, run with the wolfpack

We have the mountains, we have the town now

Battle cruiser, two tone silver loser

Run with the wolfpack

Million sounds so much like many bad songs that Jefferson Starship would record later in the late 70’s and 80’s.

China is about Kantner and Slick’s daughter, China Wing, and Grace sounds like a proud Mom and Jack Casady plays bass and the Tower of Power horns do their thing.

Earth Mother is another environmental song with some weird ass lyrics and some great violin from Papa John Creach. Sounds like an old English folk song through a psychedelic filter.
Water was once for drinking

Giving life to the land

Then it was used for cooling

Machinery of man

Earth Mother, your children are here

High and feeling dandy

Earth Mother, your children are here

Ripped on coke and candy

Universal Copernican Mumbles is another short musical piece. Here are the lyrics, all of them:
I am night, I am day

And we’ll help you find the way

If you help us find the way

To your heart

Shining citadel

Parallel in time

We can find the way to you

To your heart

To your heart

To your heart

Holding Together is the last track on the record and Jerry Garcia once again plays some guitar. The mix and the vocals and the song really must be listened to….once…and never again.

Sometimes the cut-out bin offers up some failures. It was interesting to go back and listen to this. I was almost certain it was crap then, and it is seriously crap now.

Even a hit of blotter would not make this release interesting.

Paul and Grace were heading off to the stars, and Jack and Jorma were jamming the blues with Hot Tuna. It would not be too long before one of the worst songs ever would be presented to us. The anti-corporate message just did not come off well and the music was dreadful.

But this happened:
“We Built This City” received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1986.

Yeah, the 80’s were not the best decade for rock if this received a nomination.

In 2011, a Rolling Stone magazine online readers’ poll named "We Built This City" the worst song of the 1980s. The song's winning margin was so large that the magazine reported it "could be the biggest blow-out victory in the history of the Rolling Stone Readers Poll".

More from the cut out bin soon….

I was holed up in Upwey with an inflamed facet joint. Don’t let it happen to you. My facet was fucked and I was feeling the flames of pain.

I received a message telling me Mental As Anything was rocking in the sunshine along Port Phillip Bay. Loaded up with panadeine forte, I said, “Fuck You Facet!”, and found my place amongst a very large throng gathered to hear tunes we all knew the words to. (Note: I found out later that they had played a pub show the night before….FOMO!)

Reg Mombassa and his brother Peter O’Doherty, founding members, were there, and they were joined by Shannon Stitt on keys, Declan O’Doherty on drums and Simon Rudston-Brown on vocals/guitar. I can hear your brain….so how was it now, without Greedy and Martin decades later?

Fun. It was fun. What would you expect? You did not have the whacky Greedy up front and that always tugs at my heart, but the music sounded sweet and cheery and the crowd lapped it up. I had a friend from Italy with me who had no idea who The Mentals were and I said, “Just watch, everyone will be singing along!”

Sure enough from “The Nips Are Getting Bigger”, “Too Many Times” and others (playlist below) you could see the packed crowd really enjoying themselves. Summer. The Beach. The Mentals. Thank you weather gods for giving us a spectacular day to live it up.

And yes, the crowd got especially loud on their biggest hit from 1985, “Live It Up”. Rudston-Brown sounded so good taking on Greedy’s vocal part that, for a moment, I thought they were using a recorded version of him singing. Even if they had, who would have cared?

I was lucky enough to latch onto The Mentals when I came to Australia in 1984 and saw them at the legendary Narara Festival. I’ve crowed on about that weekend once before, but it was a great line-up and for me a good intro to Aussie Rock back then.

I tried not to miss them during my decades living in Sydney.

Mental As Anything will be playing around this year. They will be bringing their tunes to Byron Bay for The Bluesfest, and I am sure some venues up and down the coast.

Fun.

Happiness

Beer

Joints

Dancing

Singing

Coming out sooooon, real soooon, is this film. Watch the trailer and even if you don’t know them….you will like them after seeing this little video.

Come Around

Too Many Times

Egypt

If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too?

He’s Just No Good for You

Berserk Warriors

Apocalypso (Wiping the Smile Off Santa’s Face)

The Nips Are Getting Bigger

Mr Natural

(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet

Live It Up

Postscript: And Reg and Pete are Dog Trumpet…and that little ‘side project’ has been rolling out some magical music for 36 years now. Due to some foul-mouthed language, you will have to go to YouTube to watch the song below, but make sure you do. It’s a corker, as they say.

Nick Cave and his bands hold a unique space in my heart and soul. My first time seeing Nick perform was at their curated festival, All Tomorrow’s Parties, on Cockatoo Island in Sydney. It was a cool January night on Sydney Harbour, and the day was filled with music and friends. Nick and The Bad Seeds changed my mind about their music forever in 2009.

If only I had known what sort of performance Cave was famous for I would have made a different decision in 1984. 42 years ago, I was on my initial visit to Australia. I found myself in Melbourne, and I wanted to see some live music. Looking through the gig guide from the local paper showed me a feast of bands I had never heard of. In the early 80’s, Men At Work was one of the few Australian acts I knew of while living in Brooklyn.

I had narrowed it down to 2 bands. The Models were playing at a place called The Mud Club/Bar, I think. Nick Cave was playing one of his first gigs with The Bad Seeds. I used to tell this story, saying it was The Birthday Party, but according to historians, The Birthday Party played their final show at the Crystal Ballroom in St Kilda on 9 June 1983.

It was flip a coin time, and I think I was closer to where The Models were playing, so my sister and I went to the gig. The Models were fabulous, and I met my green card wife, Jenny, and the rest is history.

25 years later, on Cockatoo Island, I knew I had made the wrong choice regarding The Models. From that point on if I was around when Nick played I would usually be buying a ticket.The unique part of me and Nick Cave’s music is that is something I normally only partake of LIVE. Very rarely do I play Cave’s music at home, while driving, or anywhere.

We were supposed to see this show on Saturday the 31^st of January but health matters slowed us down. Thanks to Tixel and ticket availability we were able to get there the next night. Sunday night crowd and freezing weather, it was 14C and the windchill said it was 8C. Fuck Yeah Melbourne Summer!

At 68, Cave still prowls the stage like a wild-eyed preacher. His interaction with the crowd is well known, and he falls into their arms, and they hold him up with care. The projection of the band playing in black and white was something to behold. You were sucked in from the first song, Frogs, and Cave did not let you rest until he finished with Into My Arms. The Supersonic production crew deserves a standing ovation.

Cave’s touring band filled the chilly night with heat. The sound was crystal clear, even in windswept Alexandria Gardens.

Below is a bit of the amazing White Elephant….

Touring Band Members (Wild God Tour 2024-2026):

Nick Cave: Vocals, Piano, Organ

Warren Ellis: Violin, Guitar, Synthesizers, Backing Vocals

Jim Sclavunos: Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals

George Vjestica: Guitar, Backing Vocals

Larry Mullins: Drums, Percussion, Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Colin Greenwood (Radiohead): Bass

Carly Paradis: Keyboards

Backing Vocals/Choir: Janet Ramus, T Jae Cole, Wendi Rose, Miça Townsend

What a band! Nick’s brother in music, Warren Ellis, is a genius at everything he does. He’s so much fun to watch as he weaves his bow over his violin strings. Jumping around on his stool, dancing and leaning into his child like nature.

That’s what I took away from this splendid night of music. Each band member seemed locked in to presenting these songs with love, care, and intensity. On top of that, they all seemed to be truly enjoying what they were creating.

I have said it before, and I will say it again.

GO SEE NICK CAVE LIVE WHENEVER YOU CAN.

25 songs over 2.5 hours. This was the last of three shows in Naarm. My personal highlights were Jubilee Street, From Here To Eternity, Long Dark Knight, Tupelo (introduced by Nick as “an ancient piece, mid-period Nick Cave), Joy, Carnage, Red Right Hand, White Elephant and just about everything in the encore. Shivers down my spine…..

Thanks to Aldous Harding for getting us ready for the Prince Of Darkness.

Setlist:

Frogs

Wild God

Song of the Lake

O Children

Jubilee Street

From Her to Eternity

Long Dark Night

Cinnamon Horses

Tupelo

Conversion

Bright Horses

Joy

Carnage

Final Rescue Attempt

Red Right Hand

The Mercy Seat

White Elephant

Encore:

Wide Lovely Eyes

Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry

The Weeping Song

Shivers

Henry Lee

(With Janet Ramus)

Skeleton Tree

Into My Arms

(Solo)

(All photos/videos Paul Busch-I-phone)

(Note: With the passing of Bobby Weir this year, I wanted to revisit this night with the Grateful Dead. It was a magical day.)

I have been listening to the Grateful Dead since I was about 13. That year was 1970.
My siblings’ friends were into all sorts of music, and FM radio filled my head with brand-new music all the time. What a time to hear so much brilliant new music. Sometimes I think so much of what I hear today is derivative of those days.

Aoxomoxoa was the 1969 album that I first heard. St. Stephen, Mountains Of The Moon, China Cat Sunflower, and Cosmic Charlie caught my ear but did not lock me in as a fan. All of a sudden, a year later, Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty appeared. After considering two of their best studio albums, I became a Deadhead for life.

Still recall someone handing me the America Beauty album cover and me saying, “American Reality. That’s a cool album title". They laughed and said, “No, it is American Beauty!” The meaningless palindrome of that 1969 album should have clued me into these pranksters.

I do not think either of us knew that there was a rose called American Beauty. He just read the cover one way and I read it the other. I did not find out about this ambigram until years later:

American Beauty was released just over four months after Workingman's Dead. The title of the album has a double meaning, referring both to the musical focus on Americana and to the rose that is depicted on the front cover. Around the rose, the album title is scripted as a text ambigram that can also be read "American Reality".

And I thought I was just stoned, the way I spent a large part of the 70’s.

These two records I have played over and over again for 56 years. They stand the test of time, and along with The Band, the Dead are the modern roots of Americana. The genre that did not exist back then. Good music was just that. Good Music. I consider those 2 records to be perfect.

Time moved on, and Europe ‘72 found its way into my eardrums and the sound of the Dead live became a constant companion. I was deep into the San Francisco sound, and I was more of a Jefferson Airplane kid. I did get to see Jerry Garcia play pedal steel with the New Riders in the early 70’s and that was very special. Many shows with NRPS and Commander Cody and others filled my youth.

And even though I was constantly attending concerts, I did not see them live until I was 20, in 1979.

My college education was over, and we had a couple of weeks before graduation. State University of New York at Oswego was positioned on Lake Ontario. It was located in what was called a snow belt. in 1977-78 we received 231 inches of snow (586cm) and in 1978-1979 138 inches of the white stuff (350cm). 1978-1979 was also one of the coldesst winters in US history. We did not see the sunshine much that winter on the banks of the Lake.

We made the most of the weather, and there was always a warm bar with cold beer or something to keep us occupied when we were not hitting the books. Cabin fever ran wild, and by the time the weather report announced a warm day a-coming in May of 1979, we were ready to walk in the sunshine and defrost our frigid bones.

On May 6th in Oswego, it was 50F (10 °C). According to the weather outlook on the 8th and 9th of May, the temperatures were going to leap into summer-time highs! Since the weather was going to be shorts-and-t-shirt, Diane and I decided to find that little container in the freezer. Inside a plastic bottle and wrapped in aluminium foil were a couple of hits of LSD.

The morning of May 9th came around and we decided to ingest these little beauties and hang around the lake and enjoy ourselves. This tale is 47 years old, so don’t hold me to every detail. (Diane: correct me if I am wrong)

We were strolling down Fulton Street in Oswego when a car cut us off. My old classmate from grade school and the dude who lived above me in Oswego leaned out the window and said, “Hey, Paul, can you type?” I took stock of the waves of hallucinations going on around me and said, “Of course!”

Frank went on to explain that he and his mate Larry had printed up a bunch of counterfeit tickets to the Grateful Dead show that evening in Binghampton. We jumped into the car and drove to where the typewriter and tickets were. I focused and typed the details:

We headed off on the road trip with beer and weed and a car full of freaks. Di and I already had our heads screwed on properly, and we were laughing and flying. I was dressed in overalls, no T-shirt, and sneakers. It was H O T. Temperatures were approaching 100F (over 30C), but we were digging it.

I can recall getting in a line to enter, and NO ONE looked at my ticket. We were let in with the rest of ‘the animals’, as one police officer called us in the press.

We figured that this Ice Hockey Arena would be much cooler than the parking lot. As we found our spot on the floor, close to the stage, we noticed that it seemed hotter inside as the first set went on. There was a crush up front, and a barrier came down. Jerry was playing some amazing solos but was not showing much emotion. According to setlists online, they played for only 40 minutes and then took a break.

We ran off to the bathrooms. I bolted into the Men’s room to get some water and I certainly go that. Some folks had filled the sinks with cold water and they were splashing people as they came in. Considering a good number of those in attendance were tripping, this turned into an amazingly cool water fight.

We needed any cooling possible. The story goes that someone at the arena was responsible for turning on the Air Conditioning. Supposedly, they had turned on the heat instead. We were all melting, but we were having a damn good time.

Dancing, dancing, and more dancing. The set-list wasa made up of 13 of my favourite Dead tunes. A 20-minute Sugaree to kick the evening off melted my brain. Jack Straw, He’s Gone, Truckin’, Looks Like Rain, Sugar Magnolia and more surprised the hell out of me. This was like a greatest-hits Dead show, if they had hits!

I did not know at the time, but China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider had not been played East of the Mississippi in 5 years….until tonight. I had no idea why the place had erupted in a true fever of Dead Head happiness until years later.

Closing down with Chuck Berry’s Johnny B Goode left us all sweating even more. I would have preferred Promised Land, but this was fine, fine, fine.

So that was it. I don’t recall the ride home. It had been quite the day, and we arrived back in Oswego after midnight and rested our bones. With thoughts of the next time we could dance and smile, smile, smile with our community.

It’s the end of an era with only Mickey and Billy beating the drums….the rest is Space.

There will be Others, the music will never stop.

“My major consideration for what I do—the decisions I make, how I approach this or that—is not what ripples it will make now. My major consideration is what will people say about what I’m thinking or doing in 300 years. It occurs to me if we do all this stuff right, they will still be talking about it in 300 years.” -Bob Weir CBS Interview 2022

Fare Thee Well Bobby.

Below are some articles about the show….and the day. Just some history! It was a short show at 155 minutes….but for me and those who attended it was a very special night. You can find the gig here if you want to listen. There is no soundboard…
https://archive.org/details/gd79-05-09.naks.seff.4881.sbefixed.shnf

Heading into Melbourne City via tram, I was grooving to “Speaking In Tongues” and looking forward to sitting on the grass outside the Sidney Meyer Music Bowl listening and grooving to Byrne and his band.

There was much to watch as people lined up to get in. Famous (Kate Cebrano) and not-so-famous people filed in. Dancing to Talking Heads music live is something I have done since the late 70’s. I had seen the Heads about 10 times from 1978 onwards. Byrne I had visited with a couple of times and the most recent was the Sydney stop of the American Utopia Tour in 2018.

The American Utopia tour was the first time he had the dancers and musicians in a format similar to last night’s, all dancing and singing and not connected by wires. That show blew my mind, and I ended up in the pit leaning on and dancing at the front of the stage. My mate Tizza and I talked about that show for many weeks.

I was lucky enough to see the Remain In Light Tour in Central Park in Manhattan, Stop Making Sense at the Narara Festival here in Australia, and in Forest Hills (both in 1984), and more back in the day. August of 1979 saw the Heads and B52’s perform at the Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park, where thousands of people listened for free out on the rocks and grass. It was a warm summer evening, and the dust from the dancers filled the air.

I decided to stand around the Box Office to see if I could get a miracle. Someone may gift me a ticket or something will happen as I ask for any spares. 2 songs in I was about to purchase a ticket because there was not going to be any dancing, except me, out on the grass. And FOMO was hitting me big time…

Then it happened, someone arrived with a spare and they offered to me for free. Wee haw, I was going to dance with the community. I gave the ticket god 50 dollars so he could buy a few drinks inside, and there I was….dancing inside to And She Was. I spent a little time towards the front of the General Admission area, but since it was on a slope, I was going to do my ACL if I danced there.

I wandered around, finding different spots to dance and meet others who were enjoying the music as much as I was. The place was packed, and I was not the only old-school Talking Heads fan in attendance. We all gave each other knowing smiles as we twirled, got down and sang out loud.

I’d love to tell you more about what looked like great visuals, but I saw very little of the stage show. It seemed a bit more multimedia than the American Utopia concert. The sound was top-notch, and the packed Bowl was filled with smiles.

The 3 songs leading to the encore were:

Psycho Killer
Life During Wartime
Once in a Lifetime

What a trifecta. Byrne and company closed with Burning Down The House.

My soul and my heart are wide open today. Dancing to some of those songs brought back unforgettable memories. Days of my youth, songs of my youth, and so fabulous to be 68 and still be able to work up a sweat dancing hard.

Thanks, David….now about that Talking Heads reunion….Oh, I know it will never happen….but I know thousands of people would be in HEAVEN if ya ever change your mind.

David Byrne setlist Melbourne, 22 January 2026

Heaven (from Talking Heads, Fear of Music, 1979)
Everybody Laughs (from Who Is The Sky?, 2025)
And She Was (from Talking Heads, Little Creatures, 1985)
Strange Overtones (from Everything That Happens Happens Today, 2008)
Houses in Motion (from Talking Heads, Remain in Light, 1980)
T Shirt (single 2025)
(Nothing but) Flowers (from Talking Heads, Naked, 1988)
This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (from Talking Heads, Speaking In Tongues, 1983)
What Is the Reason for It? (from Who Is The Sky?, 2025)
Like Humans Do (from Look Into The Eyeball, 2001)
Don’t Be Like That (from Who Is The Sky?, 2025)
Independence Day (from Rei Momo, 1989)
Slippery People (from Talking Heads, Speaking In Tongues, 1983)
Moisturizing Thing (from Who Is The Sky?, 2025)
My Apartment Is My Friend (from Who Is The Sky?, 2025)
Hard Times (Paramore cover, single 2024)
Psycho Killer (from Talking Heads, Talking Heads:77)
Life During Wartime (from Fear of Music, 1979)
Once in a Lifetime (from Talking Heads, Remain in Light, 1980)

Encore:
Everybody’s Coming to My House (from American Utopia,
Burning Down the House (from Talking Heads, Speaking In Tongues, 1983)

We came back from our beach sojourn a day early to catch the YouTube sensation, and now Grammy-nominated Jesse Welles perform at The Corner in Richmond. If you have not come across his music online, you are not part of the algorithm. Or maybe you just aren’t online much because he has 2 million followers on Insta, millions of likes on TikTok, well over 100 million views on YouTube, and subscribers over 1/2 a million to his channel.

The visit here has been called Down Under The Powerlines Tour, and 8 of his 10 shows have sold out. The name of the tour points to the place where he records his videos in the USA. For example, this one Venezuela:

Welles is a social media content monster. He is a cute little monster online and in the flesh. He’s got a great haircut, reminiscent of David Johansen or Farrah Fawcett, muscular arms and the ability to digest the news and turn it into a political ditty. These 2-3 minute songs are soundbites of commentary. There is not a lot of melody or BPM’s, but the words spray over you like a fire hose.

It was noted at The Corner that Welles would play an hour acoustic and then an hour with his 2-piece band. The crowd was eager and diverse. This mixed bag of a peanut gallery had their phones ready and were jammed into the band room. The room erupted, and the handheld devices lit up as Jesse launched into his first volley of songs, including “Join Ice,” “The List,” “Walmart,” “United Health,” and more.

It irks me to no end that people cannot be in the moment. There was a woman in front of me live-streaming the first few songs to ONE viewer. Her phone was bright in my face, and I muttered in her ear, “Be Here Now”. I was not being mean; I was just trying to get her to do just that, but she paid me no notice.

Jesse Welles continued on and let his songs fill the room. They were lapped up, and people sang along here and there. I found it very odd that he had nothing to say to the crowd. At one point, he said, “It’s nice to be here”. Someone said to me after the show that Dylan never said much on stage.

Yeah, but Welles is not the “new” Dylan, Mellencamp, or Wainwright. His songs are firmly rooted in the 21st century and can make you laugh or nod in agreement. He was invited to Farm Aid; is that a blessing from Neil, Bob and Willie or just marketing? Unfortunately, you have little idea where this young man is truly coming from. He looked like a stunned or munted mullet when people called out for him to acknowledge the crowd and speak.

“Introduce the band!

What’s your favourite colour

“Earth to Jesse “

These were some of the jovial things people yelled at him between songs. Yes, this is probably his schtick, not to talk and let the songs fill the air. Unfortunately, it came across like you were watching a live YouTube concert of him. You wanted some interaction, some patter, some connection. Everyone KNOWS the songs.

Welles has released a dozen albums between 2012 and 2018 and lived in Nashville as so many songwriters do these days. Those albums were released under J Jes Sea Welles and Welles. In 2021, he moved back to Arkansas and started recording his songs and uploading them to YouTube a bit later. He is definitely prolific, having released 8 more albums in 2024-2025.

Welles and his band played some middle-of-the-road rock and roll, a cover of ‘Heart Shaped Box’ by Nirvana, and the majority of the audience were very pleased to be in his presence. During the last few songs my partner and I walked around the bandroom, checking out the crowd and the merchandise. We both agreed that you could find a band playing for free almost any night in Melbourne that could perform better rock and roll.

Alas, it was an interesting social gathering. We did not learn anything about Jesse Welles but we did get to hear him play his songs.

We knew Welles could play the songs live because that is what he does on his YouTube channel. People may chide me for expecting more than music from a performer. Having seen the masters like John Prine, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Neil Young and more, letting the audience see a bit of who you are can add a magical touch to a night of music.

If Jesse raises community consciousness and motivates people to take political action, that’s great.

Yes, we experienced Jesse Welles live. I don’t know if I would enter that space again when I can find the same online for free.

Peace and Love, Everyone.

Here is Jesse’s setlist from Night 1….to give you an idea of what we heard, but not exactly on Night 2.

I found this record in a department store cut-out bin. The cover had this weird-ass cowboy with dark eyes, a cloven right hand and two fingers on his left hand. The back cover had some hippie-looking musicians hanging out of a house or maybe a barn.

As I recall, there was little notice on the back of the record on who the players were. All the recommendations I needed for this 99-cent wonder were the mention of Capricorn and Muscle Shoals Studios and production by Johnny Sandlin. I was deep in Southern Rock when I came across this album so I knew it would have some goodness.

There was one song I was familiar with from the 1972 An Anthology (Duane Allman) record. Please Be With Me was on this record and I loved that song. There were 2 takes of Please Be With Me and the one on An Anthology was the outtake. Both have Duane on dobro and it is a fabulous tune. You may have heard Eric Clapton cover it on 461 Ocean Boulevard, released in 1974.

Personnel:

· Scott Boyer – lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, violin

· Tommy Talton – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, lead guitar

· Pete Kowalke – vocals, acoustic guitar, lead guitar, drums

· Bill Pillmore – vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, fiddle

· George Clark – bass guitar

· Tom Wynn – drums, percussion

· Chuck Leavell — piano

· Duane Allman — dobro, electric guitar

· Johnny Sandlin – recording, remixing

· Steve Smith – recording

· George Marino – mastering

· Frank Fenter – executive supervision

· B.T. Brandhorst – artwork

· Jimm Roberts – photography

Chuck Leavell performed here before moving to the Allman Brothers. Leavell has been a member of the Rolling Stones’ touring band for some time now.

All tracks by Tommy Talton, except where noted.

1. She Carries a Child – Scott Boyer

2. Hey There Babe

3. 5’ll Getcha Ten

4. The Wonder – John McKenze

5. Shoestrings – Scott Boyer, Bill Pillmore

6. Lookin’ for You – Scott Boyer

7. Seven Four Tune – Bill Pillmore

8. Right on Friend – Scott Boyer

9. All My Friends – Scott Boyer

10. Innocence Song – Scott Boyer, Bill Pillmore

11. Please Be with Me – Scott Boyer

12. What I Want Is You – Pater Kowalke

This album fits in well with my love of country rock. Shades of Poco and Buffalo Springfield shine through. Lovely arrangements and the guitars of Boyer/Talton and Kowalke come through like sunshine on a summers day.

The title track, The Wonder, All My Friends and Please Be With Me are the top tracks but as a whole this is a release of peaceful, easy feelings. Roll one up and take a ride with Cowboy. You will find me out on that range, for sure.

Please Be With Me
Oh my word, what does it mean?
Is it love or is it me
That makes me change so suddenly?
Looking out, feeling free
Sit here lying in my bed
Wondering what it was I'd said
That made me think I'd lost my head
When I knew I lost my heart instead

Won't you please read my signs, be a gypsy?
Tell me what I hope to find deep within me
Because you can find my mind, please be with me

Of all the better things I've heard
Loving you has made the words
And all the rest seem so absurd
'Cause in the end, it all comes out unsure

Won't you please read my signs, be a gypsy?
Tell me what I hope to find deep within me
Because you can find my mind, please be with me

#20-Folk Bitch Trio-Now Would Be A Good Time-Debut album by this trio, made up of Gracie Sinclair, Heide Peverelle and Jeanie Pilkington from Melbourne. Call it folk, call it medicine….call it music.

“That’s it: the music is the sex!”-Jeanie Pilkington

#19-Dope Lemon-Golden Wolf-More of the same trippy, northern beaches, surf groove. Some may call it hang out bong music, if that is a genre. Angus Stoned. Hammock Grooves.

‘Golden Wolf,’ as a whole, is about going to the other side—what it is that’ll take you there at the end of all of this, moving into the next life, and how you’ll live it. There’s a beauty to be found in that journey and that process of moving through life. There’s no final destination, and I think that’s something that I’ve felt connected to in my own life. I hope people can also find meaning in that.-Angus Stone

#18-Warren Haynes-The Whisper Sessions-“We didn’t plan to release stripped-down versions of the songs from Million Voices Whisper, it just kind of happened organically,” says Haynes. “We were combing through these performances and realized that they offer a unique perspective into the songs themselves, so we thought it would be cool to make them available.”-WH
So very glad they did.

#17-Paul Kelly-Seventy-Paul Kelly reflects on aging…and life…and hey, it’s a fabulous PK record.

But 70, you know, 70 does feel to me like a real marker. It’s not like, I wouldn’t call it an, achievement ’cause you know, it’s not really up to you. You have a lot of luck if you live. as long as 70.. But you know, it used to be, I mean, it’s, it was supposed to be the sort of the, the average lifespan of a person… 70 is what, you know, is a biblical number. That’s, you know, that’s the span of our years If we, if we get that far. So In case you get there, it’s like, okay, well, you know, if, if I die tomorrow, I can’t say I’ve been cheated. You know? From here on in, everything else is gravy.-Paul Kelly

#16-Hayes Carl-We’re Only Human-Hard to believe I have been listening to this Texas troubadour for over 2 decades. Carl said about these tracks: “The sadness and frustration of being stuck. I’ve been running into the same walls for years. Fear, self-doubt, self-sabotage, disconnection—those have been my lifelong companions. I finally got sick enough of them to try and do some real work. The thought of being in the same place with the same struggles 20 years from now was unbearable to me. That personal exploration influenced my writing.” We truly are only…..human.

#15-The Pink Stones=Thank The Lord…It’s The Pink Stones-They may have changed the line-up of the band a bit, but Hunter Pinkston is still out front with his high lonesome vocals. They sound a little bit more laid back here. They HAVE NOT found religion. Fabulous country record.
“I’ve never been religious,” says Pinkston, “but I’ve always been fascinated with those early country guys who sang gospel tunes and wore suits with crosses on them even while they were getting into some pretty immoral stuff. I wanted this album to touch on both sides of that coin.”

#14-The Cruel Sea-Straight Into The Sun- This is a no-nonsense Cruel Sea groove. That particular texture, that certain smell. Turn it up as you lounge on the patio with your margarita, just don’t wake the neighbours.

#13-North Mississippi Allstars-Still Shakin’-They have been bringing us World Boogie for 25 years, and this is a new record celebrating that milestone. It’s an excellent record that deserves your attention. Boogie.

https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/50021029 Here is the Qobuz link….if you are still using Spotify….the playlist is above.

#12-Valerie June-Owls, Omens, and Oracles-‘How do we see light and joy and love and positivity in times that are so challenging?’” she said in a recent interview. “Not everybody agrees with everyone else, and that’s life, but how do we disagree in a way that is peaceful? I think the owl was sending me messages in that form.”

Ms June is a one-off. She plays music that goes from psychedelic to bluegrass and all roots and dirt in between. This is an uplifting and joyful album. We need more of this. Get into Valerie’s headspace for a while, you might like it there.

#11-Garret T. Capps-Life Is Strange-This Texan continues his meandering down the road of life and cosmic country. This is one dude who more people should know about. I like his take on life.

Even the song “Happy Birthday” from Life Is Strange features the refrain “Happy birthday … we’re all gonna die.”-Capps

#10-Charlie Musselwhite-Lookout Highway-At 81, Charlie is still making some of the best blues records today. Delta and Chicago blues wrapped up with some mussel!

“I kind of think of it as I’m just a working stiff,” he said the first time I asked. “What’s the fuss about, you know? But I do appreciate that people like what I do. I just keep plugging away at it. Looks like I’ve had a career over all these years. It’s been paying off.’-Charlie

#9-Don Was-Groove In The Face Of Adversity-The debut album of Don Was and the Pan Detroit Ensemble. Kicking off with a cover of Fat Freddy’s Drop song Midnight Marauders blows my mind. Love when someone picks a song you just don’t expect anyone to cover.

But this is Don Was, and his ears are always listening. This album is a tribute to Detroit’s sound, and it makes me feel good. I hope you get the same vibration because Don would want it that way. Positivity in the face of adversity, baby. It’s how we move these days….keep smiling.

#8-Greyhounds-Austin To Tulsa (Live)-Greyhounds and The King Cabbage Brass Band hit up some JJ Cale, Freddie King, Leon Russell and some re-jigged ‘hounds tunes. Line this one up with Waiting For Columbus by Little Feat and get the party started. Groove!

“Greyhounds make music real music, the right way, for all the right reasons.” - Derek Trucks

#7-St.Paul And The Broken Bones-St. Paul and The Broken Bones-Back to their roots after some experimentation, Paul Janeway and the Bones are back in their groove. This album will have you engaged, grooving and dancing from beginning to end. As Janeway said, “What are we doing? What is the band now?’ You go through that kind of identity-crisis stuff. What is the band, and is this still creatively satisfying?”

“Making this record was a long journey, but I think it’s one of those rare times where it felt really worth it,” Janeway says. “It feels very much like a renewed energy. And who knows? We might make our death metal record next.”

#6-Madeline Edwards-Fruit-I discovered Ms Edwards watching Farm Aid as a duo this year. She toured with Willie and Dylan this year. This album was born of grief, but there is hope and quite a bit of beauty in these tracks. This is her sophomore record, and you should listen to this and keep your eye on her.

#5-Tedeschi Trucks Band And Leon Russell Present: Mad Dogs and Englishmen (live at Lockn’2015) If you were lucky enough to see the film of this ‘reunion’ starring the TTB, Leon, Dave Mason, Rita Coolidge, and more on YouTube, you know how joyful it was. Here you get the entire enchilada, and it’s a beautiful recording filled with love. RIP Leon.

If you are ever anywhere near where the TTB plays….do not hesitate.

#4-Early James-Medium Raw-Not taking anything away from Alabama songwriter and player James, but this is another record Dan Auerbach has sprinkled his magic on. Recorded live in a run-down 100-year-old house, drop the needle into the groove and find yourself poking around the dusty nooks and crannies of Fredrick James Mullis Jr’s soul. Stripped back rock, blues, and Americana with a voice you think you’ve heard before. But it’s quite a voice. Highly recommend.

#3-Rose City Band-Sol Y Sambra-This may be my record of the year on any given day. The top 3 records are rotated constantly. I can get lost in this cosmic country like a wall in the woods on mushrooms. It washes over me…sometimes the lyrics become apparent, but mostly I’m digging the feeling. No thorns, all petals.

#2-Mavis Staples-Sad And Beautiful World-Released in November, this record is hovering just below the #1 record as I write this. I only got to it for the first time on 9 December… and I keep playing it.

She covers Tom Waits, Mark Linkous, Welch/Rawlings, Leonard Cohen and more. Joined by Bonnie Raitt, Derek Trucks, Jeff Tweedy and others, Mavis makes each song her own. The stellar cast is a bonus, but as always, it’s all about her delivery.

Staples is 86. She is a treasure. She is an Icon. She is Mavis.

#1-The Wood Brothers-Heart Is A Hero-These 3 ‘brothers’ have a mantra. It is B.L.T.

Not the sandwich. Breathe-Listen-Trust.

Trust me this is one of their best records. I don’t believe they have put out anything bad in 20 years.

“So all this energy we put into stressing out about the future is kind of worthless. It’s good to be practical and try to make good decisions the best you can — but you really don’t know how things are going to turn out. All we have is now, ultimately. If we can just enjoy ourselves even in the most stressful moments or boring moments. Like, we’re doing the dishes, and we hate it. But, is it possible to enjoy it and then play with it? I think it just comes down to that — can you be playful in any moment you’re in and find some joy in it?”-Chris Wood

You will find some joy here. Get it out before it is gone…like a puff of smoke.

Some others bubbling under the Top 50:

Rodney Crowell-Airline Heaven

Mohinder Kaur Bhamra-Punjabi Disco

Jake Bugg-It’s A Modern Day Distraction

Hanna Cohen-Earthstar MOuntain

That’s it for 2025. Entire list below….or go to www.outsidemyinside.com for all the reading and music.

You can find the other Top 30 here:
https://www.outsidemyinside.com/s/music-reviews-from-the-past

Enjoy the end of 2025 and may 2026 be filled with music and nature and love and community. xx

The beauty of being a music obsessive is that no matter how much music you listen to there is always going to be more. At times you are gluttonous, and other times you need to rest and fast. You don’t delve into the new releases as much and you lean on old friends. Those records that evoke a moment and take you back are cherished. As are those bands, and Cordrazine was living a beautiful moment last night.

Cordrazine only has a short history for this listener. My loving partner turned me onto a band when we met during that pandemic thing that passed through the world. It locked us down like a champion here in Naarm. Cordrazine floated through the landscape of our early times, discovering our love and the enforced celebration of our lucky incarceration.

Cordrazine reformed once again for their 25^th anniversary show at The Howler in November of 2022. Yes, I had recognised the beauty in the tracks, but the Codrazine live experience that evening blew me away. Hamish Cowan’s voice is beautiful. Cowan has a depth of emotion in his vocal delivery that goes beyond the lyrics. He may be singing about existential crisis, otherwise known as life, but the words at times matter little. You are moved just by the soundwaves produced by his vocals.

You can compare Cowan to Jeff Buckley or Jimmy Sommerville if you need to draw those lines. Comparisons are only just that. His vocal gymnastics and delivery live are mesmerising. Cordrazine consists of Cowan, Rohan Heddle on drums, Nick Batterham on guitars, Jethro Woodward on bass, and Sam Holloway on keys. They make a marvellous racket.

This was billed as the final Cordrazine gig. You long-term fans have seen Hamish Cowan step away from the band before. He has spoken about his anxiety and stress before performing live, and that it carries over to the stage. If you had no prior knowledge of this issue, you would not be aware of it when Cowan performs.

Feelings were all over the Northcote Social Club as the gig came to a close. A chapter is now finished. The river keeps flowing and we never know exactly what will be around the bend. We know the only constant is change. Fame and fortune may have slipped through the grasp of Cordrazine and Cowan, but you all know that is not what makes music treasured. That act of humans conspiring to delve into the cracks and crevices of life and taking the step to share the art with others is the magic.

Sadness may have overcome many as the last notes of Cordrazine reverberated through the band room. But like moths to a light we were drawn to the stage once again to bask in the brilliance of the captivating art shared last night. Our wings were filled with warmth and joy and we know, and hope that the band know, that sharing their magic is all that was ever required.

And that’s all we could ever want.

Our hearts have once again been stimulated….But I guess it is time to leave.

#30-Bill Scorzari-Sidereal Days (Day 1)-Long Island musician Scorzari tells us stories about love and humanity with his sweet melodic guitar playing and his gruff vocal delivery. I love his little stories, and it’s like he is sitting around a fire opening his heart to you.

#29-Michael Hurley-Broken Homes And Gardens-When I was in college, I stumbled across Hurley’s 1971 record Armchair Boogie in a cut-out bin. This was around 1977, and I was taken by the cartoon cover and then charmed by the weird-ass low-fi folk that came out through my speakers. It stayed with me for some time. I may have gifted it to my friend JP at one point because he REALLY dug it. If you like Bonnie Prince Billy, you will soon understand why Hurley is his musical grandfather.

This was Hurley’s last album of ‘outsider folk’. He left us for points unknown on April 1^st of 2025.

#28-Robert Plant-Saving Grace-Plant has been deep in Americana for a number of years. With Saving Grace he dips his walking boots back into the hills and valleys of his homeland. It’s a beautiful record of strings and things and that singular voice. It’s a great little outfit he has gathered here.

“It’s not finished. There’s loads more. If I open the trunk of my car, all these songs fall out. Songs recorded, songs not recorded. It’s a trove.When you sing, you sing,” he continues. “You don’t say: ‘Fuck it, I’ll stop now.’ You carry on singing.-Robert Plant

#27-Todd Snider-High, Lonesome and Then Some-This is not on this list because Todd left us all behind just recently. Hard to listen to these songs and not believe they were a tad prescient.

Hey now
You’ve got to live a little
Might be all we got
You’ve got to live a little
People die a lot
They do
Look it up
Yup-Temptation To Exist-Todd Snider

#26-Skyscraper Stan & The Commission Flats-Those Were Days-Long tall Stan and the Commission Flats are back. His lyrics are bright, like in an intelligent way, coloured with some wit. Recorded live in the studio, warts and all. Stan hopes the fans “begin the experience curious and then run through a range of emotions including rage, wistful longing, excitement, sentimentality, lustfulness, hope.”.

#25-Bruce Springsteen-Nebraska ’82 (Expanded Edition)-5 Disc Set including electric versions of Nebraska tracks, a re-mastered Nebraska and more. It’s a delight and hard to believe it is 43 years old. 37 tracks for you to delve into….enjoy.

https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/48469543 Qobuz link for playlist….once I can embed these instead of a link…I will stop Spotify as a embedded list. I no longer subscribe to Spotify.

#24-Luther Dickinson-Dead Blues Volume 1-Good to know there will be another volume of this music. These are blues songs that the Grateful Dead covered but re-imagined through the ears and soul of Dickinson and company. Soul singer Datrian Johnson is a find and keep your ear out for him as his solo album will soon drop.
Luther recorded much of the music during COVID, and adding the vocals was the icing. These are nothing like the Blues or The Grateful Dead. But you will dig it if you like either.

#23-Patti Smith-Horses: 50th Anniversary Edition-This album is a classic piece of rock and roll from start to finish. Patti bursts onto the scene. I was 18 when this album came out and finally got to see her perform when I was 19. Fan forever and sat at her feet many times as she prowled, growled and took over the stage with her presence. It is one of those albums I listen to every year.

#22-Grant Lee Phillips-In The Hour Of Dust-Weary and warm, slow and slower, Phillips croons about the world today. His voice warms me like an old friend.

#21-Jeff Tweedy-Twilight Override-Wilco front man Tweedy steps out and clobbers us all with a triple record. I am still digesting this album and waiting for my next long drive to take it all in again! It’s possibly a masterpiece, but I have to wander down the corridors a bit more. Thanks for the payload of 30 songs, Jeffrey! This will grow with me as most of your music has.

And bubbling under the Top 50….some more to check out:

Kenny Wayne Shepard/Bobby Rush- Young Fashioned Ways-Bobby and Kenny bring ya the blues.

Lowdown Saints-Hard Player-Get your Swedish Blue Stockholm Shoes on…..Blues from across the oceans.

Bill Evans Trio-Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings: complete studio recordings by the Bill Evans Trio featuring Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian. Included are the albums Portrait in Jazz and Explorations, plus 26 alternate takes — 17 previously unreleased.

Lance Ferguson-Rare Groove Spectrum Volume 3: Producer, songwriter, DJ and recording artist Lance Ferguson returns with the third chapter in his widely celebrated series, Rare Groove Spectrum, Vol. 3. I did not know of Volume 1-2, which I will be seeking out!

#40-David Lowery-Fathers, Sons and Brothers-Lowery, front man for Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven, comes clean with a sonic memoir of sorts. If you dig his writing, you will love this record. If you don’t know him, discover David.

#39-Sweet Talk-Switch On-I recall asking the guitarist in this band if they had Little Feat in mind when they put this outfit together in a bar in Brunswick. We laughed. Have a listen and you will catch the drift.

#38-The Smith Street Band-Once I Was Wild-This is the sound a more mature but still punkish The Smith Street Band. Just dropped in November and with one listen I was hooked. Check it out, I don’t think old or new fans (like me) will be disappointed. Get some rock and roll into you.

#37-Ryan Davis and The Roadhouse Band-New Threats From The Soul-Davis and his band play some sweet Americana from Kentucky, but the words are amazing. From a review on his Bandcamp page: “The lyrics work similarly, of course, and will go on revealing themselves for, well, forever. Ryan manages near-rhymes that a hundred years’ worth of monkeys laboring at Chat GPT-enabled typewriters couldn’t achieve’’.

ttps://open.qobuz.com/playlist/46785013 This is link to Qobuz playlist….ditch Spotify and get better sound with Q….and they pay artists more!

#36-Van Morrison -Remembering Now-Stop Now,Van….this may be your best late career record. It’s damn good even if a bit bloated at 68 minutes. There is no mention of the pandemic or politics, really. His 47th studio album in 58 years and his voice is in excellent form. Damn, maybe this should be rated higher.

#35-Bonnie Prince Billy-The Purple Bird-This is the 30^th Album by Will Oldham. Co-written and produced by David Ferguson. Will’s music is sometimes an acquired taste, but this one will garner a larger audience. It’s about life and community.
What does “a proper Nashville” record mean for the enigmatic Bonnie “Prince” Billy? It may be a shifting idea for some. At the start of the sessions, Ferg had told Oldham, “I don’t wanna do a country record, just do your shit, Will.”

#34-Third Mind-Live Mind -Psychedelic meanderings from Dave Alvin and this super group. Fabulous Grateful Dead and Butterfield Covers and more. You can get your paisley on and some bell-bottoms and groove to the light show.

#33-Craig Finn-Always Been-Finn gets together with Adam Granduciel from The War On Drugs on this his L.A. Record. Finn says this about music and this record and being middle-aged:
“Those middle-aged records — Tunnel Of Love, Petty, Randy Newman, Zevon — are the most interesting to me now. Those are deep records. I don’t mean to joke about this term, but I always say it sounds “divorced.” Because it’s a certain complex adult sadness that comes from something that you thought was going to work out, that didn’t work out.” Middle-aged but not MOR.

#32-Warren Haynes-Million Voices Whisper- Haynes slipped this one past me at the end of 2024. It’s an emotional and gorgeous record. John Medeski on keys, Derek Trucks co-writing and lending his guitar licks on three tracks, and you have some Southern Soul, Blues and Roots. There is even a co-write with the late Greg Allman. If you like peaches, you will love this. Haynes/Trucks produced.

#31-Willie Nelson-Oh What A Beautiful World-Willie’s 77^th album. Songs written by Rodney Crowell. Willie sounds amazing. Hell or high water you should hear this one. It’s Willie and he is 92.

And bubbling under the top 50…

G Love-G Love Has Gone Country-Released in 1998, now available in 2025 for your ears.

Brody Buster-Redemption-Buster’s first recording in 8 years and he has earned his stripes to play the blues, Kansas City style. He was a harmonica prodigy and well worth a listen.

Ethel Cain-Willoughby Tucker, I Will Always Love You “- Southern gothic pop, is that a genre? Cain has a bit of Lana Del Rey going on. Worth a listen, I don’t know if it will be a grower.

Casual Drifter-Goin’ For Broke-Some 70’s sounding honky tonk from a young man from Nashville who has a LinkedIn profile saying he is a qualified Real Estate Agent. There is so much music coming out of Nashville….but I dig this guy’s lyrics, voice and twang.

Moonrisers-Harsh and Exciting- They call this genre instrumental doom folk. Guitarist Libby DeCamp and drummer Adam Schreiber deliver some cinematic roots music that will envelope you in DOOM….nah, it’s a groove, check it out. DeCamp said, “We wanted to connect with that kind of timelessness in nature through our old, rickety instruments.” Another fabulous Dan Auerbach production.

Below is 50-41

David Bromberg first came to my attention as a name playing around New York City. The Schafer Music Festival in Central Park was the place to be in the Summer, and 1973 was a brilliant summer of music for me. By the middle of August of that year, I had already witnessed these acts in Central Park:

-Lee Michaels/Terry Reid

-Malo/Quicksilver Messenger Service

-Newport Jazz Festival “Guitar Explosion Larry Coryell/Roy Buchanan/George Benson and more

-Blood Sweat and Tears

-John Sebastian

-Richie Havens/Buddy Rich

-BB King and James Cotton

-America/Jose Feliciano/Leo Kotke

-Elephant’s Memory/Focus

-James Gang; Tim Buckley; Ralph McTell

-Wishbone Ash; Jimmy and Vella Cameron; Joe Walsh and Barnstorm

On the 15th of August 1973, David Bromberg, Doc Watson, and The Earl Scruggs Revue revved the place up with guitars, fiddles, banjos, and more. This was my first of many Bromberg gigs. He would commence the night solo, and by the end of the set, he could have a dozen people on stage playing horns, twin fiddles and more. They were amazing shows.

Let’s get to the cut-out bin! Somewhere around 1974, I discovered the David Bromberg Album and tucked it under my arm.

There are only 9 songs on this record, and David’s playing and humour shine through. Last Song For Shelby Jean is a classic acoustic blues number. Followed by the funky blues of Suffer To Sing The Blues you can imagine listeners wondering where this record might take them.

Bromberg shows off his finger-picking expertise throughout this brief record. He learned this fingerpicking style from the Rev. Gary Davis.

There is the quirky Hold Up, which was co-written with George Harrison. The Beatle adds slide guitar on the track. Also on the record are Bob Dylan, Norman Blake, Vassar Clements, John Hartford, Randy Scruggs, and more. Here, you had rock and roll royalty along with some big names in folk.

There was no internet back in my youth so you had to discover these albums through friends or the constant shuffling through albums at Record Stores. I miss those days and collecting records….but as a minimalist now, I have no LP’s or CD’s. They all went to good homes.

Bromberg released 8 albums in the 70s, and although this may not be his best, it’s a good primer for what was to come. Bromberg continued touring and recording until a year or so ago. He is 80 now; the man needs to rest his fingers!

Below is the Qobuz playlist…and you should leave Spotify and go to Qobuz.

https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/46655892

Please have a listen, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

And below is some old video of David…just to give you an idea of why I saw him many times.

Coming up next in the Cut Out Bin files….Cowboy.

#50 -Curtis Harding-Departures and Arrival Of Captain Curt-A concept album of being lost in space…and aren’t we all. A retro soul album that will continue to take your ears to other asteroids and planets with repeated listening. Stay with it.

#49-Ryan Lee Crosby-At The Blue Front- Boston Blues musician/teacher/songwriter etc channels old school Blues down in Bentonia, Mississippi. The Blue Front is the oldest juke joint, and the proprietor of the joint is 78 year 78-year-old Jimmy ‘Duck’ Holmes, who adds guitar and vocals. This is the real deal.

#48-Brown Spirits-Cosmic Seeds-Australian cosmic-psych out. Light one up, drop one on your tongue and turn it up. Guitar, Keyboards, Moog, Bass and Sitar: Tim Wold | Drums, Percussion Agostino Soldati | Bass: Ash Buscombe. Check out this trio if you haven’t already.

#47-Gary Louris-Dark Country-Simply, if you like the Jayhawks, you will love this record. Full of love songs to his wife, Stephanie, and dreamy, simple production. Smooth and warm.

“I knew I was writing songs because I’d finally found this, the love of my life. I’d never really written a really personal, what I would call, autobiographical record.” -Louris

#46-The Delines-Mr. Luck and Ms. Doom-More songs of darkness, destruction and death from the pen of Willy Vlautin. Amy Boone’s fabulous vocals and the strings and saxophones really set the mood. Dark with donuts and missing teeth, like Maureen.

https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/46775977 (playlist in Qobuz)

#45-Susto String Band-Volume 1-Some down home acoustic picking and fiddling. Think Uncle Tupelo/Wilco and you can add that to the names of bands that end with the letter “o”. These boys are more of an indie rock band from America’s South than this album lets on. They have been around for 11 years, and I think I have some catching up to do.

#44-Babe Rainbow-Slipper Imp and Shakaerator-Neo psychedelic surf rock music from Byron Bay. They have toured with King Gizzard in the USA. It’s summertime, and I think this will fit in well as you cruise down to the surf. Get on it, dudes and dudettes!

#43-The Royal Arctic Institute-RAI-An instrumental rock band from NYC. I assume they are royally Arctic because their music is chill.

#42-Watchhouse-Rituals-Formerly Mandolin Orange, Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin ease into these songs like a comfy pair of slippers. Relaxing but not dull.

#41-Will Varley-Machines Will Never Learn To Make Mistakes Like Me-Joined by Billy Bragg on one track, Varley continues to explore life and how we love it. Hailing from England, Varley has the knack to write some brooding beauties. Billy Bragg joins him for a song.

Some just bubbling under the Top 50:

Neil Young-Oceanside Countryside-Originally recorded in 1977 these 10 tracks were due to be on or considered for Comes A Time. Many of the songs you know, so just sing along.

The Rolling Stones-Black And Blue-1976 album re-mastered. 4 lengthy instrumental jams are included and the Live gig from Earls Court in 1976 is a bonus!

My Morning Jacket-Is- Tenth album by Kentucky’s My Morning Jacket. It IS. Just IS. Not their best but not their worst.

#40-31 Revealed 9 December-Keep an ear out.

WELL DONE!!

Were you there the night Amyl and the Sniffers shouted the city of Melbourne thousands of free drinks?

Perhaps like Woodstock, the number of people who say they were — who will tell mates they scored a beer from one of Australia’s most thrilling guitar bands — might stretch beyond reality.

What is true is that, in the space of a few hours, a bitterly frustrating moment was reconfigured into a lasting memory that summed up the very best of Melbourne’s live music community.

o recap — last night should have been a triumphant, crowning communal homecoming.

A free, all-ages gig at Federation Square in Melbourne’s CBD for an in-demand band celebrating an implausible ascent to stardom.

Take your pick from their recent honours.

Amyl and the Sniffers just sold-out a 10,000-capacity venue in London, capping off a mammoth run of international tour and festival dates.

On Wednesday, they supported no less than AC/DC at their earth-shaking MCG gig.

Last weekend they were nominated for a Grammy.

They currently have a song sound-tracking a Japanese car ad. Not bad for a Melbourne pub band.

On the Friday morning of the Fed Square gig, they encouraged fans on social media to be considerate of younger attendees, clearly mindful that this could be a big one.

Mere minutes before they were due to hit the stage, the show was abruptly cancelled.

The Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co), which operates Fed Square, said there had been multiple breaches of security barriers.

The decision to shut it down was “not made lightly” according to MAP Co chief executive Katrina Sedgwick, but the view was “it was unsafe for the audience, the staff and the band to continue”.

The band quickly took to their Instagram page.

“We’re devastated. We’re really apologetic,” said their magnetic lead singer Amy Taylor, sandwiched among some coarse language.

“We were really excited to play. We’re so sorry. Grrrr.”

Have a drink on us’

Then, a new post.

Taylor, still jittering with apology, announced the band was relinquishing their performance fee.

Five thousand dollars would go behind the bar at seven of the city’s small live music venues immediately.

“Have a drink on us,” she said in the video, that has since reached over one million views.

“Just have some fun tonight.”

That meant $35,000 worth of free drinks at The Tote, The Old Bar, The Curtin, Labour in Vain, Hell’s Kitchen, Last Chance Rock and Roll Bar, and Cherry Bar.

For a scene hanging on by a frayed guitar lead, that isn’t just generous — it’s unfathomable and unprecedented.

-Jeremy Story Carter-ABC-Australia