Hold on to your art-school ethos folks, Sonic Youth are confirmed for a show at Auckland's St James on Saturday June 26. And their special guest is former Dinosaur Jr-man J Mascis, who played a blistering show at the Galatos last year. What walls did that man shake, and he did it all sitting down. Sonic Youth are on top form, too, apparently. This from a NY Rock writer who described a recent show as "a roller-coaster ride of distortion, flange, strobe lights and rapid-fire drumming that sounded like an acid-rain storm on a hot tin roof". Also on the bill is Wellington's Birchville Cat Motel (Campbell Kneale, a one-man noise machine.) If that sounds like your cup of meat then know this: tickets are on sale Friday April 2.
BOMBS AWAY: Detroit's Dirtbombs - two drummers, two bassists and fronted by former Gories guitarist-singer Mick Collins - play the Kings Arms on Tuesday April 6. Collins has been called "the unsung hero of the Detroit scene" by Mojo but he says the "scene" is a "nice media delusion" and if you ask him about the White Stripes (Jack's nephew is in the band) he'll tell you to ask the White Stripes. On the Dirtbombs' latest album, Ultraglide in Black, they take their full frontal attack to soul songs such asChains of Love and Livin' For the City, which makes sense when you come from the home of Motown. It's terrific too. Tickets at Real Groovy or at the door.
NOW HEAR THIS: Dimmer take to the road on the back of the critically acclaimed You've Got to Hear The Music album which won four stars in these pages last week. The band is former Straitjackets Fits' Shayne Carter on guitar/vocals, Ned Ngatae on guitar, bassist Mike Hall (of Pluto/Sola Rosa), Andy Morton on keys, drummer Willy Scott (King Kapisi /Sola Rosa), and Anika Moa on backing vocals. The tour kicks off at the Classic in Auckland on Friday and Saturday, April 16 and 17, then hits Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch. Tickets on sale from the venues and Real Groovy.
HAD A DREAM: Auckland web-based short film-maker Peter Haynes, whose recent Fanboys has generated "tens of thousands" of downloads, is working on Mitsabi's Dream, a new movie based on his popular ongoing webcomic Angels2200. Mitsabi's Dream is being funded entirely over the internet, with donations from around the world, and is halfway through production. On completion it will be released online and sold on DVD. Haynes' Fanboys was popular at last year's Armageddon and he's hoping for the same, if not better, reception for his Dream.
SON RISE: betchadupa isn't the only band around boasting sons of those famous in the music world. The late Dylan Taite's son Paul is bassist in Goodnight Nurse, whose single Loner went to the top spot on Channel Z's nightime Music Response Countdown this week. Rock'n'roll dads everywhere would be proud. And if you ever thought Oasis sounded like the Beatles then think on this: Ringo's son Zak has been filling the drum chair for their new album ...
SMALL STUFF: And should you be interested, the guitarist with Deep Purple (always a consideration) is Steve Morse, who rocketed to attention with the Dixie Dregs in the late 70s, fronted his own Steve Morse Band, was guitarist in Kansas for a while, has won more accolades from Guitar Player than you could care to imagine, and has been with DP now for a decade while still playing with his own outfit and recording solo albums. A star in his own right, in other words.
IDOL 1: In a bizarre spin-off to NZ Idol, Radio Sport and Sky TV are running Commentary Idol, a chance for silver-tongued folk to compete for the opportunity to voice a Super 12 match. Turns out tonight's winner and narrator of the Blues versus Hurricanes game, is man-about-town and George FM radio host Peter Urlich. Talk about leaving it to the professionals.
IDOL 2: The 10 winners of tickets to Monday night's knockout round go to: Lance Bauern of Te Atatu South; Mary Kong of Epsom; A. Moore of Manurewa; Tessa Mitchell of Campbells Bay; Helen Sheehan of Mt Albert; Amber Cantley of Green Bay; Jo McLean of Mt Roskill; Alex King of Henderson; Dalibor Nikolic of Blockhouse Bay; Sheryl Wilson of Bucklands Beach.
<I>Chatterbox:</I> Sonic Youth's blistering return
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