GUITAR SWAP MEET
Are you a guitar nerd? I sure am. There’s a Facebook page set up to gauge interest in a guitar/musician swap meet. Are you interested? Would you like to see it as a monthly event? Bi-monthly? Get thee to Facebook and search ‘Melbourne Guitar & Musician Swap Meet’.
THIS WEEK AT THE BENDIGO
The Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood will be writhing and frothing – in the nicest and most metallic possible way – to the sounds of Monarch, Clagg, Thrall and Broozer from 7:30pm this Thursday.
INTRODUCING SMOKE STACK RHINO
Check out newly-formed heavy blues-rockers Smoke Stack Rhino. They have a bunch of gigs coming up, including: Friday July 26 with The Fallen Angels, Midnight Driver and Rexcrammer at The John Curtin Hotel, Carlton; Wednesday July 31 with The Deep End at Cherry Bar, CBD; Friday August 9 with Zoophyte at the Prince Public Bar, St. Kilda and Sunday August 11 with The Braves and The Fibs at The Evelyn, Fitzro.
NEW JAMES LABRIE OUT THIS WEEK
Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie’s 2010 solo album Static Impulse is one of my favourite albums ever. It has the three ‘ives’ in perfect balance – aggressive, progressive and expressive – and LaBrie’s vocals are carefully balanced against the tormented deathscreams of drummer Peter Wildoer (Darkane). LaBrie’s latest is Impermanent Resonance, out July 26 on iTunes, and it sees the return of Wildoer and the other key players from Static Impulse – Matt Guillory (keys, co-songwriter), Marco Sfogli (guitars) and Ray Riendeau (bass) – as well as Soilwork guitarist Peter Wichers. If you’re only used to LaBrie’s work with Dream Theater you might be surprised by the melodic death metal blended within a progressive metal framework.
BON SCOTT TRIBUTE
Australia’s own legendary son Bon Scott, Classic Rock Magazine’s #1 Rock n Roll Front Man of All Time and original Melbourne boy, passed tragically 33 years ago at the age of 33. To salute him in true rock royalty fashion on his home turf will be a line up of a-list performers thrashing out a set-list of some of the best songs he unleashed unto this world before he left it: The Best of Bon Scott at The Flying Saucer Club on Friday the 2nd of August. The Bon Scott’s band features Jamie Coghill (The Devilrock Four) on drums, Carl Treasure (Indian Mynah) on lead guitar, Jimi Richardson (Bugdust) on bass and Jonny Driver (Upton Ace) on guitar, joined by a cavalcade of guest lead singers including Fiona Lee-Maynard (Fiona Lee Maynard & Her Holy Men), Ash Naylor (Even), Rusty Brown (Electric Mary), Dave Larkin (Dallas Crane), Matt Chapman (My Left Boot), Mark Richards and Dave Stevens. This is a night for fans of Bon Scott, AC/DC and quality Australian pub rock.
PROGFEST RETURNS
Welkin Entertainment and Pony Music present the return of Progfest to the Espy on Saturday August 24, with over 30 bands across three stages. The lineup includes Sleepmakeswaves, Voyager, Mushroom Giant, Glass Empire, Caligula’s Horse, A Lonely Crowd, Toehider, Alithia, Rise Of Avernus, The Black Galaxy Experience, Troldhaugen, Bear The Mammoth, Anarion, Rainbird, Motionless Me, Full Code, Orsome Welles, The Nest Itself, Nihl, Cat Or Pillar, Citrus Jam, Phil Para Band and more to be announced. Tickets are $24+bf and are on sale now from oztix.com.au, The Espy, Polyester, Greville Records, Fist2Face or directly from the bands. Doors open at 3pm.
THE CHARGE RETURN TO THE ESPY
After a three week National Tour supporting The Nerve (Exekiel Ox, Lucius Borich, Glenn Proudfood and Davarj Thomas), The Charge return to The Espy, St Kilda on Saturday July 27 with Over-Reactor playing the Front Bar. It’s been well over a year since The Charge ventured across the river and played The Espy and the boys are looking forward to it. “We have just played all the way up the east coast ripping heads off with our riffs and making new friends,” they says. High Side Driver and InVolume make up the rest of the lineup for the night.
