Puff'n'Stuff

16 Days Of Activism Against Gender Violence, the world-wide campaign event during which people take collective action to end violence against women, is putting on an exhibition and a music gig with the help of Amnesty Arts Network. While the art exhibition will feature the likes of Anna Goodhind, Bobby Harris, Rachel Will and Tegan Hale, the musical performances will be by Jim Woods, Tim Bennett, Tristian Lout-Robins and Kate Ward. The event is sponsored by Amnesty International at Jive on Wed 6 December.

Also doing it for a good cause is Savvy Bar Lounge, which will team up with its monthly Friday night acts Unique New York and The Horizontal Ticklers for the Movember Party - an annual charity event held during its namesake month to highlight men's health issues by encouraging clean-shaven blokes to register as 'Mo Bros' and sport a moustache while raising awareness and money for men's health. This year Movember is supporting prostate cancer, male depression and testicular cancer. The event is being held on Fri 1 December at Savvy and all proceeds from the $10 donation will be going to the Movember Foundation.

Back from an international tour to the US, Canada and Europe, Melbourne's garage/soul rockers 84 are still in fine form after spending time in Detroit recording their debut album with producer Dave A. Chow and drumming up a swagger of international hype in the process. The album 'You, Me And Infamy' is now in the hands of mixing and mastering men, Puff is told. To give all of us a taste of the recording, a two-track promo single has been released in support of the national tour that will see the boys at the Crown And Anchor Hotel on Fri 24 November with Unspoken Things.

Leigh Stardust, the winner of the Best Female Solo category last year in dB's very own prestigious dBra Awards and Soursob Bob (who likewise won the Best Male Solo category) will be playing on the same bill on Thur 23 November at the Prince Albert Hotel from 9:30 pm. Despite their solo status, Puff is told that SSB will be accompanied by pianist and songwriter Linton Johnson, while Stardust will be playing with drummer Bec Worsman.

Mirrorline have been keeping pretty quiet of late, true, but that's all about to change as they get set for a huge show at the Jade Monkey on Fri 1 December along with awesome riffage from Melbourne's Dr Invisiablo and local singer/songwriter Eat Paint. But before all this takes place, Mirrorline will be giving you a preview of what to expect when they play live on Radio Adelaide 101.5 FM on Thurs 24 November.

Blue King Brown's album 'Stand Up' recently grooved up the Triple J airwaves as a Feature Album Of The Week and is now up for Australian Album Of The Year. The winner of the 2006 J Award will be announced live across Australia on Triple J on Fri 1 December, but in the meantime check out Blue King Brown when they land in Adelaide on Fri 24 November at the Governor Hindmarsh.

It's also party time in the underworld with Adelaide's gothic/industrial/electro underground event Necromancy turning five years old on Sat 25 November at the Enigma Bar; DJs Empusa, Azureus and Cenobite will burn the floor with club hits from past to present. There will be horror on the big screen, drink specials, plus especially prepared birthday pack giveaways including CDs, posters, DVDs and more.

Local funk/hip-hop fusionists J-Hoe launch their brand new EP 'Is That You?" at the Crown And Sceptre Hotel on Fri 1 December with special guest Poetikool Justice for a night that promises huge beats, funky bass lines, flying guitars and big, big rhymes that bounce.

Dose up on Berocca and don't forget to pack your ear-plugs because those bastard sons of every rock'n'roll nightmare you've ever had are back! Before heading off to spend January recording their debut album with acclaimed producer Nigel Sweeny, Blistered Palms (who's sound has been best described as 'two bulldozers' fucking) will be hitting Fowler's Live on Fri 1 December as part of their Dismember December series of shows. Catch them first with Blow Up Betty, Los Diablos and The Backseat Romeos on the above date, then on New Year's Eve at Loxton Oval for their last show until March 2007. Also, anyone looking to keep the night going after the Satyricon show at HQ on Fri 1 December will be given half-price entry of $5 to the 'Palms show when they present their Satyricon ticket at the door.

Little Ice Age have announced their return from a short break from gigging. Their first upcoming show will be on Sat 2 December at Jive in support of Dappled Cities Fly, which will be followed by a performance leading up to Christmas on Sat 23 December at the Prince Albert Hotel with supports yet to be announced. Puff is also told that those of you who have tried buy a copy of their EP at Bigstar and found it, unsurprisingly, sold out, there are now copies of both the self-titled EP and 'Afternoon Shadow' in stores right now.

A big congrats to Adelaide's very own Wolf And Cub boys who have taken out the music prize for the third annual SOYA Awards (which accept submissions from categories of music, words, pictures, moving pictures, industrial and object design, photography and fashion, rewarding young creative talent with prizes of $5,000 in cash and $5,000 in Qantas flights as well as providing mentorships with recognised industry professionals). This will see Wolf And Cub collaborate with ARIA Award-winning engineer and producer Matt Lovell following their international December tour of summer festivals at home as well as in Japan alongside Wolfmother. Puff hears that the band will then be heading to the UK to support the release of 'Vessels' on seminal UK label 4AD (home to The Pixies, The Mountain Goats and TV On The Radio).

For the first time in Australia the legendary DMX brings us the Year Of The Dog Again tour with special guest Beyond. Not that he needs an introduction, but DMX has been the true voice of the 'hood since he burst onto the scene as a representative of the label and street movement Ruff Ryders almost ten years ago. Following a three-year hiatus, DMX is returning live and at his gritty and frenzied best, so catch him at Thebarton Theatre on Thurs 7 December for a massive show that promises to be biggest and best to date.

Not content with letting their punk-rock action exist in the confines of the northern hemisphere, Erase Errata are coming to Adelaide with special guest Macromantics and her unique take on both music and life. Forget the thought of these shows being 'un-missable', that's not even an option as you'll be guaranteed to remember them forever when the two play on Wed 22 November at the Rocket Bar.

Gold Coast's buzz band, Operator Please, are set to hit the road on their first ever national tour on Sat 2 December at Jive. After forming in 2005 in front of a phenomenal crowd of 15 people at a school Battle Of The Bands comp (and winning a box of doughnuts in the process), the band posted some tracks on MySpace and watched the international music industry hotline light up as the youngsters flew up to New York to showcase their stuff, ending up on uber-cool UK indie label Brille. Their debut EP 'Cement Cement' was recorded with fellow Queenslander Magoo and you can see them in Adelaide on the above date alongside Dappled Cities Fly and The Red Sun Band.

In an age of overnight success and 'next big things' it's easy to forget about the real bands like Sunk Loto...well, for a little while. After spending the last year writing the follow-up to 'Between Birth And Death' and before the band bunker down to record their heaviest, most darkest release yet, catch them at the Enigma Bar on Thurs 7 December with Tidal and Diatribe.

Fresh off the boat from playing a slew of shows in the northern hemisphere, Van She return to our shores for their last run of national dates before the release of their widely-awaited debut album of shiny rock hits in 2007. After playing shows in the States with fellow Modular alumni Softlightes, Van She are coming home with their worldly experiences and will be ripping heads off and stuffing their gullets in Adelaide on Fri 8 December at the Electric Light Hotel.


This December Resist Records is putting on a showcase that will be sweeping across the country featuring the label's leading bands, with each city having a different line-up. Catch the Resist Tour in Adelaide on Sat 16 December at the Enigma Bar featuring Carpathian (pictured below), Miles Away, The Dead Walk and Bad Blood, as well as on Sun 17 at the same venue featuring Carpathian, Miles Away, Cry Murder and God So Loved The World.

Industrial/avant-garde metallers Icecocoon are gearing up for a full-fledged set at the Crown And Anchor Hotel on Sat 9 December after two successful warm-up shows at the Jade Monkey and Jive recently. The band will perform an explosive hour of audio and visual heaviness with brother band Blood Red Renaissance and highly talented youngsters The Fak will be providing further aural delights.

Non-profit community development project, The Riff, is focused on improving the life chances and capacity of young people through music and the arts and, after being decimated by public liability insurance, the project now returns bigger and better than ever under the banner of AWESAM (South Australian Music Industry Association). To celebrate The Riff project's tenth birthday and recommencement under its new banner there will be an all-ages 'resurrection' show at the Underground on Sat 9 December. Performers at the free event will include Snatch The Band, Unknown Truth (who will be playing their last show for the year), Fallen Sunrise (who will be playing their first ever performance) and Chris Live (who will be playing his first show since being back in the country). Doors open at 7 pm and the night will be filmed by AWESAM TV.

With their new album 'Wooden Tongues' catching everyone speechless and driving their stake into the avant-garde of hip-hop, Curse Ov Dialect, yes those multicultural missionaries of the hip-hop era, are taking their multiple messages to the Adelaide streets on Fri 15 December at the Jade Monkey with special guests DJ Tr!p and Funsound. The band's brand new album is one of Australia's first hip-hop signings to a US record label (Mush) and has been described as 'political rap written with the skill of a multi-culturla Public Enemy'.

Get ready for the phenomenon that is the Sick Puppies and their Free Hugs Campaign thanks to the success of their tune All The Same. The band from New South Wales who moved to Los Angeles about a year ago are riding high on a wave of international good will thanks to the campaign which was posted on YouTube and scored over five million hits in under a month, inspiring millions of people in over 40 countries to spread the free hugs message. Get down to Jive on Tue 19 December for your free hug.

If you've heard that The Mars Volta have cancelled their Australia tour, don't fear - according to the Frontier Touring Company, the band have confirmed new show dates in March next year and those who already purchased tickets will not need to exchange them, as they will still be valid. Catch The March Volta in Adelaide on Mon 19 March 2007 at Thebarton Theatre.

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