Thursday, July 30, 2009


Mick Medew and the Rumours released the 9 song “All Your Love” on the fine I-94 Bar imprint a month or so ago now. The solo on the opener “Spinning Wheel” doesn’t so much blister as totally remove any coating you care to administer. Australian rock is a hardy thing, they can really make it sting and taking a bloody hammer harmonic to the title track was a masterstroke. Remember when bands used to project? Did you ever watch The Hellacopters and wonder just why they weren’t gazzillioplatinum? Then this is for you. Incase you're not of sufficient vintage, Mick was in The Screaming Tribesmen...

Shades of the Hoodoos harder moments with Dictators riffage are given that special antipodean rock action wallop. Unashamedly backdated, everything on here trounces each and every cut on the latest AC/DC record. The one cover, a version of “Another Girl, Another Planet” is very faithful albeit a tad more rip-roaring and come to think of it, didn’t you ever envision Peter Perrett singing “Igloo”? A little of that monolithic Kiss-ish axe-tion never goes awry with me and I’ll take that over Turbowhassname any old day. Ah, the old days when fanzine types would turn very peelly wally at the mention of Simmons and co. I don’t care much for their ethics now but damn those first 4 records are good.

Like The Riverdales, MM and co. are dealing in a commodity that combos with an excel spreadsheet or access to a record collection to plunder will never ever orbit. They have the heart and the soul that will never let ‘em settle for an approximation. It runs even deeper than dna. You can hear it in every lick. Your two favourite kinds of music, kids – rock AND roll – with an extra scoop of the former and packing the spiritual volume to make it count.

Murray checked in with this before he took off on holiday...

Messthetics in Edinburgh - Saturday August 8th

THE AXIDENTS / SHOCK AND AWE / 35mm DREAMS / MY T-HI - VIC GODARD !

Vic Godard live album playing from 7.30, first band onstage at 8pm sharp, all over by 10'ish

Henrys Cellar Bar, 8 Morrison Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8BJ.


PHONE: (0131) 228 9393 Tickets: £5

My T-Hi are flying over from Japan for a one off festival gig with their pop guitar take on life in Osaka. Short sharp guitar songs with big choruses from the world famous Shock And Awe and The Axidents celebrate 30 years since they initially formed in the first wave of post punk by bleaching their hair and growing beards

Unbelievably, the members of much-feted original Edinburgh indie band 35mm Dreams find themselves in the same place at the same time and will be performing a short set together for the first time in 30 years, they recently had a couple of songs released on the critically acclaimed compilation album "Messthetics 105 - D.I.Y. Scotland, 77-81" . As a special bonus the world premiere of the new Vic Godard Live Album "Live in Stereo" recorded in Glasgow last year will be playing in between bands


Saturday AUGUST 1st...

THE CRAMPS FETISH NIGHT:

A Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! Party
with Trixie Malicious as Tura Satana + Fancy Chance Miss Alternative World 2009 + live music from...

KING SALAMI & THE CUMBERLAND 3 +
EMPRESS OF FUR
+ female wrestling with Kali vs. Honey
+ Djs Innes (Death Pop Records)
+ Jimmy Alucard (Rocket Recordings)
8pm - 1am at The Victoria,
110 Grove Road,London, E3 5TH.

Nearest Tube: Mile End.

Photo credit: Fancy Chance by Sam Francisco.