PUNK & DISORDERLY

[ THE WORD ON PUNK ] WITH ALICE WORLEY

Hey y’all! Been a minute! We’ve got far too much catching up to do… How about we start with one of Canberra’s favourite punk bands: Slagatha Christie! They just brought out a new single in March, the dreamy and heartfelt Idiot Lungs. A beautiful blend of modern and ‘90s, like a mortar and pestle smashing up of Camp Cope and Return of Saturnera No Doubt

Now I hear you asking, “I’ve already listened to it a hundred times on Spotify, but how can I hear it live?” I’ll tell ya how!

Slagatha Christie are jumping on the Live at the Polo stage with Box Dye and Strawberry Prince on Friday, 12 May to celebrate the release of Stupid Gills… I mean Big Dumb Breathers… I mean Idiot Lungs! Yeah that one. Get on down for some pierogi and big feels. Also, the Polish donuts are pretty good, but somehow every time I eat them they’re covered in my own drool. Mysterious.

Absolute Aussie beloveds, These New South Wales, have released their third album and are hitting the road to celebrate! What does this have to do with local gigs? Well BOOM! They’re gracing us with their presence at sideway on Saturday, 20 May!

They’ll be joined on the new(ish) sideway stage by the increasingly popular Mr. Industry, and super brand new band Glue!

Don’t know Glue? Well, they have some familiar faces to lure you in, boasting the likes of Felix and Lachie of Sonic Reducer, along with Emily from Spouse

Oh yeah baby, this is gonna be a good night! Do y’all know Mr. Industry? Go to Spotify and listen to Booty Smashers right now if you want some chunky, heavy, punky goo. Go now! I’ll wait…

Aussie punk dads Frenzal Rhomb are coming to town, and they’re bringing The Meanies with them. Friday, 21 July at The Basement, no local supports announced yet, but it’s gonna be a huge night for punk lovers. If this doesn’t sell out I’ll be very surprised, so get onto it!

Local faves Bad Lunar are headlining The Basement on Friday, 12 May! Supporting them we’ve got The Polymics popping into town, local larrikins Parrots With Piercings, and 51st Avenue fresh off the back of their tour with favourite sweethearts Nora. Some wonderful bands being showcased; a wholesome but fierce evening awaits.

SoSo are coming to say hello on their This Tour Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us jaunt. Super awesome to have them back. They’ll kick pop punk arse upon The Basement stage on Friday, 19 May with local supports Rental Snake, Nelly Nova, and Wardens of Sound

SoSo are so, so much fun. This is an awesome collection of local acts to sweeten the pot. What’s not to love?

While we’re having this catch up, I gotta take a second to mention Gutwrench Records. They’re putting shows together, platforming some very cool new bands like Spouse and Mr. Industry, they’ve put out their first zine, and they have a YouTube channel with a growing collection of live videos from their DIY shows at the Whitlam Echo Chamber (pure industrial visual vibe). Highly recommend keeping an eye on Gutwrench; they’re the next Lacklustre or Mulgara for sure.

To close out, I wanna add one high note, and one sad note.

On a high note, I am so excited to see a new venue has opened! The Shaking Hand has planted its flag on 7 Akuna Street, and if that address sound familiar, it’s where Transit Bar used to be.

The layout is similar, but I’m glad they’ve opened up the space and axed a pool table. That place always needed more of a dance floor.

The free Thursday night shows boast some really awesome local line-ups, and this place is just bursting with potential to be the next favourite city venue. It wants really badly to be the next Frankie’s Pizza (RIP) and I am praying that they get to that point. This is a very exhilarating and hopefilled space to watch, just please for the love of goodness cover those freshly painted black walls in gig posters. PLEASE!

To end on a downer, I am so sad to see WAAX hang up the gear. They were a massively inspirational group for myself and many others and it’s gonna leave a big hole in the Aussie scene. Thanks for the energy and love you put into the music community, you absolute legends x Punk Gig Guide:

12 May - Slagatha Christie ‘Idiot Lungs’ Single Launch w/ Box Dye and Strawberry Prince @ live at The Polo

12 May - Bad Lunar, The Polymics, Parrots With Piercings, and 51st Avenue @ The Basement

13 May - LOADING ZONE: Verity Lane Takeover @ Sideway

19 May - SoSo w/ Rental Snake, Nelly Nova, and Wardens of Sound @ The Basement

20 May - These New South Wales w/ Mr Industry and Glue @ Sideway

25 May - Despise You (USA) w/ Choof, Blight Worms, and Bloodmouth @ Transit Bar

16 June - Among the Restless w/ st.sinner and Rental Snake @ Transit Bar

21 July - Frenzal Rhomb w The Meanies @ The Basement

ARIA Hall of Famer Chris Masuak rose to prominence as a teenage guitar prodigy with Australian punk pioneers Radio Birdman, his razor-sharp riffs also integral to the sound of The Hitmen, The New Christs, and The Screaming Tribesmen.

Masuak has played with everyone from Ron and Scott Asheton of The Stooges, to Wayne Kramer and Dennis Thompson of MC5, his muscular guitar providing serious, fail-safe firepower to every band he’s been in.

Those with years under the belt, and long memories to match, will recall the time when The Cult came off second best to The Screaming Tribesmen at Selinas in 1987, not to mention the time The New Christs blew Iggy Pop and band offstage night after night on Iggy’s first Australian tour.

The stuff of legend. Those who have ever witnessed Masuak live will attest, he’s a hard act to follow.

Masuak hits Australian shores in May for his first tour here in six years – including a rare gig in the nation’s capital. BMA caught up with Chris at his home base of Galicia in northern Spain to get the low-down on what audiences can expect.

BMA: Chris, you have four solo albums out, including the critically acclaimed Address To The Nation from a couple of years back. You must be looking forward to playing this solo material live, particularly in Canberra where you are playing as a solo artist for the first time?

CHRIS: Very much so! Although choosing what songs to play is actually quite a conundrum.

On one hand, I have an expansive history and an extensive back catalogue of ‘hits’ that promoters and punters insist that I play. On the other hand, I also have a ton of my own stuff that’s a lot of fun too. I know I can’t, but I’ll try to please everyone.

One of your last gigs in Canberra was with Birdman at the old ANU in August of 2006 on the Zeno Beach tour, yet over the years you've played here many times before with The Hitmen, and also The Screaming Tribesmen. Good memories of playing in the national capital?

Canberra has always had a vigorous and rather enjoyable dark underbelly beneath its desolate and unnavigable streets. It’s always been a fun place to play.