Puff'n'Stuff

When the sky turns grey and moody, when the dark clouds of despair hang heavily on the far off line of the horizon, when the ravens are driven before the sintering wind, raucously calling to each other as they evade the clutching fingers of an advancing winter, and as the first meanly cold raindrops hit the front verandah, Puff's gloomy thoughts turn to a warm fire and a bottle of first rate port. Well, that and a baleful contemplation of all the other tossers who try writing moody and intense prose to while away the hours. Luckily for Puff, there's other things to do, like going out and seeing some damn fine live music, as provided by the many fine performers whose microscopically small tales of woe are neatly encapsulated in these pages. Read on, if you're still awake...

The BBC called them "Twisted, dark, uncompromising... Perfect!" and that's about the size of it. Coming to Australia for the first time ever, and with the right season in mind are Bullet For My Valentine, an English band of rare pedigree and fine fever. Their album 'The Poison' sold like hot - and very spicy - cakes and when their tour was announced... oh calumny! There was no Adelaide date to be seen on the touring sheet. And then, almost as if by a miracle, rumours of an Adelaide date was posted, and it seemed as if prayers had been answered, if a little too late for those fervent fans who had already booked their tickets for Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane, lest their hopes be further dashed by those two words they despaired to read: 'Sold Out'. Stay tuned, for it seems Bullet For My Valentine are still heading this way.

On the other hand, you always know what's coming up at the Gov because they always seem to feature top quality lineups with great music. Continuing in the great vein is the popular 'Best Of Local Anaesthetic #5' in the series for those local acts in their prime. So, with that in mind, here's to the bill on Fri 1 June, which does have some interstate influence this time around... there are four acts - Mildura's best kept secret 'Jackson Firebird' (Vic); the epic posture blues/rock of 'Andrew Higgs & The Sandcastle Harum' (SA/Vic); the confrontational heaven/hell trance of space rock children 'Ezulai' and indie-rock super group 'Space Monks' in their debut performance.

Also at the Gov, since Puff is currently on that thread, congratulations are due to Emma Haslam, who takes on the gig as promotions and band person there with the retirement of Chris Burford. Haslam comes to the job after quite some experience as a publicist for WOMAD, and other APA gigs around town.

Perhaps they think of themselves as a pair of old cardigans, for Mike Rudd and Bill Putt claim they've been around for so long they're considered part of Australia's musical furniture. Bands such as Spectrum, The Indelible Murtceps and Ariel illuminated the '70s and inspired many of Australia's popular music icons, and these guys were the driving force behind 'em. Spectrum's enormous '70s' hit, I'll Be Gone (someday I'll have money) still inspires crowds to sing along all over the country, and Puff, for some strange reason best left unexplained, still likes to hum the harmonica break once in a while. Weird. I'll Be Gone was honoured in 2001 by being included in the APRA's list of the top Australian songs of the last 75 years (it came in at No.13). In any case, Spectrum play at the Wheatsheaf Hotel on Mon 11 June from 4pm and the whole gig is being recorded live by the legendary Mick Wordley of Mixmaster's Studio.

Here's a tour which is missing Adelaide, so far as Puff knows. The bastard offspring of Damageplan, Mudvayne, Nothingface and featuring Vinnie from Pantera. The band is Hellyeah and they're touring Australia in June and early July, and they're not coming to Adelaide. Boo yah!

As was reported in these very pages a few issues ago, the Red Paintings have been busy as bees around a honeypot, except in their case they've been following the honeypot all around the world, flitting here and there... ugh, that's where the analogy breaks down a little. The Red Paintings have been touring, performing songs from their new EP 'Feed The Wolf' and, presumably, taking some time to bed in a few tunes from their forthcoming release 'Animal Rebellion'. It's been all go for the 'Paintings, who have finished up a world tour with The Dresden Dolls, and are just about to embark upon their own rather massive roadshow, which sees them taking in something over 15 dates around Australia. They'll be at the Electric Light Hotel on Sat 7 and Sun 8 July.

Don't forget: Sodom are playing Fowler's Live on Mon 11 June as part of their 'Persecution Across Australia' tour, their first Australian tour.

It seems to have been quite a long time since anything much was written in this column about Magic Dirt - as they seem to have been rather quiet of late. As it stands, you'll be able to renew an old acquaintance with Adalita and the guys when they perform at the Gov on Fri 20 July. That's the 63rd anniversary of the plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler by blowing him up, but there's probably nothing significant in that fact.

There's a possibility this has already registered in the subconscious somewhere, so it bears repeating that The Beasts Of Bourbon new album is entitled 'Little Animals' and it is out now. What's more, the 'Beasts, fronted by Tex Perkins have been trying out their stuff and flexing their muscle in the US, but have now headed back home to biff their way into your forebrain, touring throughout June, then heading off to Europe for a set of blistering shows over there throughout July. Meantime, catch them at the Gov on Fri 15 June.

After resting their weary bones following a bout of interstate touring the Backseat Romeos have it all to prove when they hit the stage at the Jade Monkey on Sat 2 June, along with Miss Golly Gosh and Standard Union.

You wanted a little of something special? Don't forget this one then! Tim Rogers performs at the Gov with support from Laura Hill on Thurs 31 May.

There's a new campaign doing the rounds, and you should listen up. There's also a federal election coming up sometime later this year, and that's what it's all about. Rock The Vote' is an organisation determined to get the - shall Puff call them 'younger members of society'? - organised and get out there and vote. It seems like the idea isn't to sway the vote, it's more intended to get people involved in the voting process, since very often the young and the first timers don't get it together to take part in what is spectacularly and humorously referred to as 'the democratic process'. This campaign will swell and swell as we get closer to a polling date, but the kickoff in SA ain't too shabby. Helpin out at the SA launch with a gig at the Gov on Thurs 7 June are Fighterpilot, Soft White Machine, Cal Williams Jnr, Terra Firma, Laura Hill and Chris Finnen, Tony Font Show, The Dairy Brothers, JvE - DJ JoSH vs Ericson. In the front bar it's the turn of Local Anaesthetic with Mark Alan (Love Stereo), The Vampire Project. Here's Fighterpilot, gearing up to vote.

"Are You Getting Enough Rock?" ask The Dairy Brothers by way of introducing their forthcoming gig. They'll be performing at Jive on Sat 9 June along with Rejusa, Kids In Cults, and Happy Sometimes. Erm, they say in following up their kind offer, and using imagery which quite frankly makes Puff want to stay right in the one place, "If Meatloaf was ever shagging The Whitlams with the Bloodhound Gang heckling him, these guys would own the soundtrack". Eeek.

Bet ya don't know how many albums Bob Dylan has released, do ya? 32 is the number of the beast in this case: Bob Dylan has released an incredible 32 albums, and the latest one is entitled 'Modern Times'. The hot news is that's he's touring, with a full backing band, and he'll be performing at the Ent Centre on Tues 21 Aug, with The Frames. A nice double bill, that one!

There's news afoot in the sweltering kitchens of Sarah's Cafe, now located in the confines of Leigh Street in the West End of the city. A good brew is being made up, obviously, for on Thurs 31 June there's a reunion of the first acoustic set at Sarah's from 5.30pm with Mista Pete Wilson, Courtney Rob on her Australian Tour, The John Woods Band & Dawn of Jade in one of the best Thursday after work line ups you will see in Adelaide. It's a free gig. The following evening, Fri 1 June from 5.30pm (free) you'll find The John Baker Duo, The Lee Majors, & Goldstien.

And a quick look at some dates to come: Denmark's Nekomantix is one of the premier psychobilly bands in the world - a live juggernaut whose shows and albums are a guaranteed good time, and they'll be at the Enigma Bar on Wed 27 June... Mia Dyson is back with her new single People Will Turn On You, which is the first single off her third studio album 'Struck Down', due for release later this year. In the meantime, Dyson will be performing at the Gov on Fri 22 June... The Shins will be playing at Thebarton Theatre on Sat 4 Aug... Swedish masters of Black Metal Marduk will be inflicting sublime damage at Fowler's Live on Thurs 16 Aug, and that will be an all ages show... Queensland metal dudes Riviera will be playing in Adelaide in promotion of their forthcoming release, with gigs at Fowlers Live on Fri 29 June with A Thousand Nightmares and Nazarite Vow - All Ages; and on Sat 30 June at the Electric Light Hotel.

Wish them farewell, wish them bon voyage... the lads from Adelaide's Stolen Youth are off on their first overseas jaunt, which takes them to New Zealand for a clutch of gigs. After successful shows recently, Stolen Youth decided it was time to take their punk edged rock over the ocean. Rip 'em a new one, lads.

A quick note about The Audreys and their new friend, since it seems they found a touring buddy in the guise of Brisbane singer songwriter Andrew Morris, who is currently putting the finishing touches to his third album, under the watchful gaze of producer J Walker of Machine Translations. Morris joins The Audreys at the Gov on Sat 16 June, at what is likely to be their last tour for 2007, since they'll have to hit the recording studio themselves to record the follow up to the ARIA award winning 'Between Last Night & Us'.

At the conclusion of their recent US tour the Grey Daturas slipped into the recording studio of Austin Texas based record label Emperor Jones and slapped down enough noise to make a funky little EP. Getting their dates a little mixed up (the EP is out at the end of the month) hasn't caused them any grief at all, as they'll be whooping it up on Sat 1 June at the Crown & Anchor with fellow noise rock lords, Birushanah (Japan, Album Launch) and local art punks, Robotosauras (ex- Love Like..Electrocution!).

Self-effacingly, mockingly even, local act King Curly points out they're yet to chart anywhere. King Curly goes on to point out he hasn't been invited (or even nominated) to an awards night either, yet some of the biggest names in the business (Paul Kelly and The Cat Empire amongst them) consistently claim King Curly as amongst their favourite musical acts. Mutilating the term 'Garage-Cabaret' in a contemporary sense, King Curly are performing two Adelaide dates this very weekend, so get along and say you were there at the beginning of a legend - Sat 2 at the Wheatsheaf Hotel and Sun 3 June at the Adelaide Festival Centre.

Get Out Of The House!