Heaven The Axe Have An Enemy
Check out the video for the song Enemy by Heaven The Axe (from their album Sex, Chugs & Rock ‘N’ Roll). Parts of it were filmed at Smythesdale Courthouse, ten minutes outside of Ballarat, back in March with an army of extras (some of which I hope found out about it here in Crunch earlier this year).
Stones Legend Taylor To Tour
Fresh from a few gigs sitting in with his former bandmates over the last few weeks, ex-Rolling Stones guitar legend Mick Taylor is touring Australia for the first time in 40 years in 2013. In addition to his work with the Stones and with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Taylor has worked on soundtracks and film scores, including Nicholas Roeg’s The Man Who Fell To Earth, appeared with Mike Oldfield for performances of Tubular Bells, recorded with Gong, Jack Bruce, Little Feat, Stones associates Nicky Hopkins and Billy Preston and played a major role in the careers of many other musicians. He’s playing three Melbourne shows: the Ferntree Gully Hotel in April 19 (tickets from Ticketmaster), and the Corner Hotel on April 20 and 21 (tickets from the venue). Presented by Lennard Promotions.
Extreme & Kotzen Tour
Tickets are selling fast for the Extreme/Richie Kotzen tour. I had a chat with Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt the other day and he’s super excited about finally brining Extreme back to Oz. And he’s in writing mode for a new Extreme album. Anyone remember Nuno’s solo tour back in about 2005 or 2006? It was billed as guitar clinics for Washburn, the guitar company that Nuno endorses, but it ended up being a full gig by his band Dramagods instead. Nuno said that was a little sneaky trick: calling it a clinic was the only way he could dupe Washburn to paying for a concert tour. Hehe. Extreme and Richie Kotzen are at the Palace Theatre on April 19. Tickets from ticketmaster.com.au, or phone 136 100.
Newie from Crashdïet
Sweden’s Crashdïet return with their brand new album The Savage Playground. A leading force in the Swedish ‘sleaze rock’ scene, a revival of the glam metal of the 1980s, but with a more pronounced punk element, Crashdïet formed in 2000, taking inspiration from Skid Row, Guns N’ Roses, Kiss and G.G. Allin, and vowing to bring back the big shows and big songs of “unpredictable and dangerous” rock and roll. And it totally worked. The Savage Playground is out on January 25.
Eluveitie Folked You Up
Metropolis Touring and Tombowler presents Swiss octet Eluveitie, self-described purveyors of the ‘new wave of folk metal.’ They’ll be at Billboard on Friday May 24. Tickets are $5+bf, available from Friday December 7 from metropolistouring.com and the venues. VIP Meet and Greet Packages are available for each show too.
Ensiferum Return
Ensiferum return to Australia for the second time – and for the first time since their ground reaking shows of 2010. On that occasion Ensiferum are said to have swept all before them and literally left their audience speechless and overwhelmed with emotion. So that’s good. They’ll be performing tracks off their latest smashing album Unsung Heroes along with fan favourites. They’re at the Espy on Saturday March 16 with Bane of Isildur (love the name) and other supports yet to be announced. Tickets from metalmassacre.com.au or oztix.com.au.
The Smith Street Band Get Drunk
Melbourne’s The Smith Street Band won a lot of hearts this year with much-loved sophomore album Sunshine & Technology and some seriously extensive touring. Next, they’ll celebrate summer with American buddies Bomb The Music Industry and Melbourne bros The Bennies by visiting a whole bunch of fun new places, as well as some familiar favourites, throughout February and March as part of the enormous Young Drunks Tour. Victorian dates are:
Saturday February 23 – The Reverence Hotel, Melbourne
Thursday February 28 – Karova Lounge, Ballarat (with Bomb The Music Industry)
Saturday March 02 – The Loft, Warrnambool (with Bomb The Music Industry)
Gig alert: Twelve Foot Ninja
Twelve Foot Ninja have released one of the greatest Australian albums of the year in Silent Machine, and they’re hitting the road in January to explode your brains about it. The video for Coming For You has passed 100,000 YouTube views (aided I’m sure by some tweeting by Periphery) and the rest of the album is just as good. The mighty Circles will emerge from the studio to join TFN at the Corner Hotel on Friday January 18 and Ferntree Gully on Saturday January 19. Expect some mind-blowing surprise guests at The Corner show, while locals The Diecasts and Jekhyl open the Ferntree Gully show.
Sonic Forge Festival Turns 3
The Sonic Forge festival returns on Saturday December 15 with a killer line-up including – deep breath – NE OBLIVISCARIS, BE’LAKOR, Death Audio (it’s their album launch), Dreadnaught, The Schoenberg Automaton (QLD), Eye Of The Enemy, Alarum, A Million Dead Birds Laughing, Myraeth (NSW), Subjektive, The Levitation Hex, Orpheus, Arbrynth, Gods Of Eden (NSW), Decimatus, Naberus, The Plague Black, Hours In Exile, Envenomed, Whoretopsy, Adamus Exul, Akaname, The Empire, Create|Destroy, Hybrid Nightmares, Myridian and Krematorium Defiled. The carnage rips apart the Espy on Saturday December 15. Doors open at 3pm and tickets are $22 plus booking fee, available now from the Espy and all Oztix outlets.
Neon City Have Their Moment
Check out the song The Moments by Albury band Neon City. It’s an extremely well-crafted chunk of modern rock with killer production and performances. The song is available on iTunes and they’ve just released a video on YouTube.
