VINES RETURN
A SECRET NO MORE
Fresh from hitting
the side bar in the Annandale, the Vines further
confirmed their comeback when they were the secret
band at last weekend’s Splendour in the Grass.
The Vines made a surprise appearance in front of
8,000 people at this year’s Splendour in the Grass
Festival at the Belongil Fields in Byron Bay.
Listed
as ‘mystery guests’, The Vines took to
the stage around 3pm Australia time and tore the
place apart! Craig also demolished his guitar and
Hamish’s drum kit. Snow Patrol who came on stage
right after, were so impressed by what they saw,
decided to dedicate their entire set to The Vines,
exclaiming, “That’s
amazing.”
At Splendour, drummer
Hamish Rosser announced, “We’re
back…it’s official!” The Vines
are planning more shows in Australia and the UK in
August and September.
Now news has come in that the Vines are confirmed
to play a show each in Sydney and Melbourne this
September
Tickets go on sale Monday, August 14th to the general
public. All ticket buyers must be over
the age of 18 due to venue location and regulations.
The band hope to add more
dates later in the year or in early 2007.
Dates:
Friday, September 8th - Annandale Hotel, Sydney
Saturday,
September 9th - Corner Hotel, Melbourne
RADIOS ALIVE
Radio Birdman, the
most influential act to emerge from the heyday
of late 70’s/early 80’s Australian
underground rock, return in July with a brand new
album - Zeno Beach - their first album of all new
material in twenty five years.
Recorded in Sydney last December by Birdman guitarist
Deniz Tek and engineer Greg Wales, Zeno Beach has
a depth not found on earlier recordings. The raucous
guitar and fluid keyboards are still there, layered
under Rob Younger’s trademark vocals and underpinned
by a relentlessly driving rhythm section powered
by latest recruit Russell Hopkinson. The sound is
rich and more complex.
Released locally on the band’s
own Crying Sun Records through Shock distribution,
the songs
on Zeno Beach are more collaborative than
on previous albums where compositions were invariably
penned
by Tek.
With vocalist Younger and guitarist Chris
Masuak having successfully fronted their own groups
since the initial break-up, it is not surprising
they have contributed towards the writing, as have
both keyboardist Pip Hoyle and bass player Jim
Dickson.
To accompany the release of Zeno Beach,
the band will confirm their stature as they blaze
across Australia
this July/August on a five week national tour. Joining
Radio Birdman, for the first two weeks of their national
tour will be LA based garage-soul band The BellRays,
featuring the astonishing Lisa Kekaula, a Grammy
award winner for her work as a vocalist with both
Basement Jaxx and the Crystal Method. The BellRays
bring to mind the idea of Janis Joplin or Tina Turner
fronting a more garage rock version of the MC5.
A
sensational live act, The BellRays will have a
new album Have a Little Faith in Me, released to
coincide,
and alongside Radio Birdman will make for an irresistible
double.
For the third week of their
national tour, Radio Birdman will be joined by
Melbourne band The
Drones,
recent recipients of the inaugural AMP award for
the “Best Australian Album of the Year” and
a group who some regard as ‘arguably the best guitar
band in Australia’.
Dates:
With The BellRays:
Thursday 27th: Byron Bay - Great Northern Hotel
Friday 28th: Brisbane - Arena
Saturday 29th: Sydney - Metro Theatre
Wednesday 2nd: Moorooduc - Peninsula Lounge
Thursday 3rd: Barwon Heads - Barwon Heads Hotel
Friday 4th: Melbourne - Corner Hotel
Saturday 5th: Melbourne - HiFi Bar
With The Drones:
Thursday 10th: Canberra - ANU
Friday 11th: Yallah - The Roadhouse
Saturday 12th: Newcastle - Leagues Club
Wednesday 16th: Bicton - The Leopold Hotel
Thursday 17th: Dunsbrough - Three Bears Bar
Friday 18th: Perth - Club Capitol
Saturday 19th: Adelaide - The Gov 
