AUSROCK 2

Tough Luxury (update)

2010-08-09T18:22:00.006+10:00

Tough Luxury got together in Sydney last weekend (flew in from around the country) & had a blow at Sound Level Studios Sydney They are looking at recording a couple of new tracks in the future, It would be good to see them back together playing, I'll keep you posted.

The video my of Without Warning may of aged a little, but the song still rocks....

Without Warning - from Music Video 1986

Tough Luxury | MySpace Music Videos

Check them out at www.myspace.com/toughluxury2010

Ausrock.blogspot.com

2010-03-08T17:59:00.000+11:00

G'day, this blog is just a shadow of the original Ausrock blog which was deleted by blogger on Australia Day 2010 (26th Jan). If you just finding this blog today, you have missed a whole lot of fun. I have a good idea who got Ausrock removed, but i am not a vindictive person, they think I am damaging their income, i am just broadening their fan base. But hey enough of that, they can't permanently stop music being sampled/shared, you can find a lot of Aussie music at the top of my blog roll, so enjoy, I am (basically) outta here, with maybe the occasional future post - hooroo!

PARADES - Past Life 2010

2010-02-13T22:43:00.004+11:00

Parades is a new indie rock band from Sydney

Album will be out through Dot Dash in April and they're touring with The Seabellies, throughout March-April.

More on the band here: myspace.com/parades

They have a new single called Past Lives:
Past Lives

THE CORPS - Live at the metro

2010-02-13T21:06:00.004+11:00

"the Corps" Live at the metro

Live Corps

THE CORPS - Nail It Shut 2007

2010-02-05T12:55:00.004+11:00

Sydney based 5 piece band, The Corps, play original hardrock & roll crossed with punk. From the influences of bands like Motorhead, Rose Tattoo, and Condemned 84 comes an Oi! sound, yet heavier and laced with slide-guitar. It is in an Aussie tradition of no-bullshit rock & roll that they have created a growing cult following both locally & abroad.

http://www.myspace.com/thecorps

Alex : vocals

Scott: Guitar

Aj: Guitar

Will: Bass

Jordan: Drums

1. Sold Out2. Graveside3. Sunny Days4. Over The Top5. A Girl Like That6. Into Battle7. Bad Taste8. Shattered Pride9. Get A Job10. Nail It Shut11. Built To Last12. Itchin' For Evil

Thanks to Scott

Nail It Shut

CHRIS TURNER - My Guitar And Me 1980

2010-02-04T09:30:00.000+11:00

Recorded in Sydney in mid 1980 this is the first solo album by Chris Turner, a guitarist formerly in ROSE TATTOO and BUFFALO, also features fellow Rose Tattoo members, the late Pete Wells, Dallas Royal and Geordie Leach. Real rocking guitar playing from Chris Turner as well as great slide guitar from Peter Wells, not a well known album, but a classic none the less, if you like guitar, you'll like this.

01 My Guitar & Me
02 Oxford St Dogs
03 Backdoor Man
04 Little Girl River
05 So Far So Good
06 Motel Gypsy
07 Messin' Around
08 Ear Bleeder
09 My Guitar & Me

Chris Turner

DESERT RAT - Home From the Front 1978

2010-02-04T06:31:00.000+11:00

Melbourne pub band that worked heavily around the traps. Recorded one album that was engineered and produced by Gil Matthews from Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs

01 Need Your Love
02 Reaching For the Sky
03 Faces
04 Do Somebody Wrong
05 Rock And Roll Lady
06 Take me On
07 Runaway Child
08 Crystal Ball
09 Arabian Rock
10 Take Me Shake me
11 No Place Like Hell

Desert Rat

BLACK ALICE - Endangered Species (1983)

2010-02-04T05:35:00.000+11:00

Black Alice was a Perth heavy metal band from the early 1980s that sounded like Judas Priest.

The album was financed by West Coast Records, Perth, of which was managed by Gary Keady who at the time had an output deal with Powderworks Records in Sydney and Powderworks were an independent distributed by RCA. RCA sponsored their recording session in Singapore and released the album internationally before it was made available in Australia.

Powderworks never released the album, only the single 'In the Hall of the Ancient Kings'. The album was only ever released in Europe with a deal done by Gary Keady with John Glover of 'Street Tunes', who owned the library of Paul Kossoff.

Black Alice were badly done by. The album Endangered Species was excellent and totally original, a little ahead of it's time for Australia. Even Kerrang voted it in 1984 as one of most original albums to come out of Australia. Like a lot of Australian albums at the time 'Endangered Species' got caught up in the independent 'hassle'. Because the album was made without major record company support and because the band was from Perth, there was little chance of getting a deal direct with a major and thus no hope of gaining promotion to promote the album and the band. It was not a particular success and Black Alice effectively ceased to be shortly afterward.

In 1988 Page and Hartley revived the band with help from Cichon and Johnston from Rose Tattoo to provide the soundtrack for the film Sons of Steel in which Hartley starred.

Page formed Trilogy in 1984 with two former members of Saracen and later did extensive session work including two Angus McDeth albums and in the mid-90s formed a cover band called Black and Blue that evolved into Black Steel.

01. Wings Of Leather, Wings Of Steel
02. Psycho
03. Hell Has No Fury Like Rock 'N' Roll
04. Place Of Slaughter
05. In The Hall Of The Ancient Kings
06. Roll The Dice
07. Running Hot, Running Wild
08. Rat Catchers Eyes
09. Power Crazy
10. No Warning

Rob Hartley (vocals)
Jamie Page (guitar)
Vince Linardi (bass)
Joe Demasi (drums)

a colonial jig in the song 'Man of Metal' (about Ned Kelly - title forerunner to the later movie title 'Sons of Steel' ). This song was left off the album along with 'Hellhouse' but later added to the 'No Warning' release in Europe only

thanks to Deutros
Black Alice

HEROES - S/T 1980

2010-02-04T03:33:00.000+11:00

Heroes began in October 1977 when ex-Rabbit members Jim Porteus, Mark Tinson & Phil Screen recruited vocalist Peter De Jong. Basing themselves in Newcastle emphasising pub rock which gained them a good following. In 1980 the band signed to Alberts/EMI and recorded this, their self titled album which reached #1.

Heroes other claim to fame is that they were the last band to play at Newcastle's Star Hotel, the controversial closure of which sparked off street violence and rioting that night. Their choice of song, The Star and the Slaughter, led later to singer Peter de Jong being charged with the incitement to riot. One verse runs: "I want action, And I want fighting in the streets. Gonna take this town by storm, Gonna burn the buildings down ... "

01 The Star And The Slaughter
02 I Can't Go On
03 Tongue Tied
04 Back To The Love
05 In For The Kill
06 Baby's Had A Taste
07 Look At The Time
08 Something You Need
09 Talkin'
10 To-nite

Heroes

Contraband - Contraband (1979)

2010-02-04T01:33:00.000+11:00

Contraband were a Sydney hard rock band, previously known as Finch. Finch formed in stillwater in 1973 and, after signing a deal in the US with CBS's subsidiary label, Portrait Records, the name was changed again to Contraband due to dutch band called Finch.The band broke up in 1979. Nothing like 70's aussie rock, former band members include Mark Evans (AC/DC) and Bob Spencer (Skyhooks, The Angels).

Deutros
Contraband

TRILOGY - Life On Earth (1985)

2010-02-03T23:38:00.000+11:00

Jamie Page (guitar); Jon Ryder (vocals, bass, keys); Peter Thompson (drums) Perth progressive metal trio, formed out of the remains of Saracen by Ryder and Thompson with ex-Black Alice guitarist Page. Like Black Alice, Trilogy was better known outside of Australia, with Europe lending a particularly keen ear to their Rush-like sound. Page left after the first album to be replaced by Peter Jenkins; this line-up issued one more album before switching back to the name Saracen with the return of guitarist John Meyer from his three-year tenure with Rose Tattoo. The second album was only available in France.

01. Fight Like The Devil
02. Wastin' Time
03. Playing With Your Life
04. Rough Time
05. Life On Earth
06. The Hammer
07. Holding You Close
08. Pariah
09. Northern Lights
10. Gettin' Outta Here

thanks to Rush2112

Life On Earth - mediafire or
Life On Earth on sharebee

TRILOGY - Next In Line (1986)

2010-02-03T23:11:00.000+11:00

This album was released in Europe under the name TRILOGY - NEXT IN LINE!! Tracklist: AGAINST THE
WALL, IN THE MORNING, TIME IS OVER, NEXT IN LINE, LMD, SKYLINE, FIGHT WITH FIRE, THREE YEARS, ON THE RUN

thanks to Rush2112

The Next in Line album was also released as Saracen, under the band name Saracen.

Next In Line

BOSS - Step On It @ 320 *

2010-02-03T22:57:00.000+11:00

* LINE-UP:
Peter Sutcliffe - Lead and Rhythm Guitars, backing vocals
Craig Csongrady - Lead and backing vocals
Kevin Pratt - Lead and Rhythm Guitars
Scott Ginn - Bass Guitar and backing vocals
Joe Tatts - Drums
John Dick - Additional Drums

TRACK-LIST:
1. Kick Ass Rock 'n Roll (4:35)
2. That Woman (4:15)
3. Dancin' Queen (3:35)
4. Strange Games (4:05)
5. Hard 'n Fast (3:58)
6. Escapee (4:20)
7. Take it or Leave it (3:20)
8. Free Wheelin' (3:47)
9. Cry Cry (4:55)
10. Shake It (4.31)

BOSS
LP Rip @ 320
BOSS ART

VA - JJJ Live At The Wireless (1983)

2010-02-02T23:08:00.000+11:00

Live At The Wireless was a crazy idea cooked up from JJJ's music people that has snowballed into the phenomenon that the Live At The Wireless compilations are today. This the very first "Live At The Wireless" managed to combine more technical and logistical problems in one hour of broadcast time than the station had ever encounted in eight years of recording. Over six weeks in July and August 1983 JJJ transmitted, Live-to-air performances of eighteen local groups - three at a time from three different locations.
The bands in this series were a small but significant sample of Australian music at the time encompassing the exhausting variety of styles, influences and directions, managing to cram eleven of these artists onto this album.

Various Artists
Live At The Wireless Vol 1

01 Pleas - Private Lives
02 (Bits Of) Wood - The Particles
03 Samurai Stomp - Samurai Trash
04 Hammer The Hammer - The Go-Betweens
05 My Baby Thinks She's A Train - The Triffids
06 Random Men - Second Language
07 Bring The Hammer Down - Do-Re-Mi
08 Lay Him Down - Dropbears
09 You've Changed - Soggy Porridge
10 Dig It Up - Hoodoo Gurus
11 Ritual - Idiom Flesh

JJJ

JOHN JUSTIN & THE THUNDERWINGS - Justice (1986)

2010-02-02T23:00:00.000+11:00

01 Justice
02 Flash King Cadillac
03 Outback
04 Little Miss Love
05 Good Thing Going
06 This Crowd
07 Frontier Man
08 So Far So Good (tonight)
09 After The Heat
10 Watching Winter Pass

JOHN JUSTIN

MR FLOPPY - The Unbearable Lightness of Being a Dickhead (1993)

2010-02-02T16:37:00.000+11:00

Mr Floppy from Melbourne, best known for their cover of Kate Bush's song Wuthering Heights, music style with similarities to TISM. silverchair covered "Boring Fart" for the intro on their first tour.

Chew The Fat
Get A Dog Up Ya
Birdie Num Num
Head Job
Wuthering Heights
P1ss Off, You Witch
Steak And Kidney Pie
Forgetting
Boring Fart
They Call Me Bruce
The 1992 WS Cox Plate
Sunflowers
Only A Story Pt 2 - Kellars Keep
Only A Story Pt 3 - Dance Of The Puppets
Only A Story Pt 1 - Return Of The Witch Lord
Wuthering Heights Pt 2
I Feel Sick
100,000 Morriseys
Noonan
N, A

Percy ;-)
Being a Dickhead

THE CROCODILES - Tears 1980

2010-02-02T12:26:00.000+11:00

The Crocodiles were formed in 1980 in New Zealand, largely as a continuation of the Spats, the Title Track "Tears" and the album both reached number 17 on the New Zealand national charts, best remembered for the only one song, "Tears", and being the stepping stone for the very successful solo career of Jenny Morris.http://www.sergent.com.au/crocodiles.html

Line-Up:Peter Dasent (Keyboards)Tony Backhouse (Guitar)Fane Flaws (Guitar)Jenny Morris (Vocals)Bruno Lawrence (Drums)Mark Hornibrook (Bass)

01 New Wave Goodbye02 Any Day Of The Week03 All Night Long04 Tears05 In My Suit06 Young Ladies In Hot Suits07 Whatcha Gonna Do08 Ribbons Of Steel09 It's The Latest10 Working Girl

Tears

CROCODILES - Looking At Ourselves1980

2010-02-02T12:23:00.000+11:00

CROCODILES - Looking At Ourselves1980

01 Hey Kids02 Teenerama03 New Girl On The Beat04 Miss Universe05 Looking At Ourselves06 Out of Love07 Telephone Lover08 First Date09 Back With The Boys10 Wanna Dance11 Everywhere I Go12 Gangland

The second album from the Crocodiles - featuring a early recording of the QED hit Everywhere i Go. Jenny Morris departed in July 1981 and began her very successful solo career.Line-Up:Peter Dasent (Keyboards)Tony Backhouse (Guitar)Fane Flaws (Guitar)Jenny Morris (Vocals)Bruno Lawrence (Drums)Mark Hornibrook (Bass)Looking At Ourselves

QED - Animal Magic (1984)

2010-02-01T23:17:00.000+11:00

Formed in 1983, Jenny Morris with Rex Goh (ex-Air Supply). The duo's debut single, 'Everywhere I Go', peaked at #19 on the Australian charts in early 1984, but was a bit of a one hit wonder, as the parent album, "Animal Magic", faded into Aussie music history.
EVERYWHERE I GO on Youtube

1. SOLO AND MORE
2. SAYONARA
3. BRRBIE DOLL
4. THIS ONE
5. BLINDFOLD
6. I'LL GET IT RIGHT
7. SHOW BIZ
8. ANIMAL MAGIC
9. EYESORE
10. EVERYWHERE I GO
11. YOU'RE SO HIP

QED vinyl rip 192
QED

Geeza - 1977 - StreetLife

2010-02-01T23:16:00.000+11:00

Geeza - 1977 - StreetLife

track list:
01 Sydney City Ladies
02 You Can't Do That
03 Song To Warilla
04 Streetfighter
05 Dragon Queen
06 Run 'N' Hide
07 Too Much Goin On Here
08 The Jean Genie

LINE UP
Terry Halliday (vocals)
Gabriel Vendetti (guitar)
Lee Martin (bass)
Alan Fraiel (drums)

This band only did the one album but it has some brilliant songs and with a name like Geeza you', d think they were pommy. They do a great cover of Bowie`s Gene Genie . Hope you enjoy the album.
orginally posted at Lost-in -time check him out, for more great Aussie music
Geeza

THE TRILOBITES - Turn It Around (1987)

2010-02-01T23:15:00.000+11:00

The Trilobites were a Sydney-based band in the late 80s and early 90s. They mainly played around Sydney's southern suburbs, often at The Den at Penshurst, Caringbah Inn, and Sylvania Hotel. When Savage Mood Swing was released in 1990 The Trilobites had already released several good solid singles, an EP, plus a live album, and were deservedly enjoying the embryo of indie success with a growing live following amongst punters plus a sprinkling of airplay on Radio Triple J
On 24 October 1987 stalwarts of the Sydney live scene The Trilobites decided to record their show at The Caringbah Inn and turn it into a live LP, Turn It Around, released only on vinyl. For a live album it's an excellent fast-n-furious ride through several excellent songs, if perhaps a little too brief. Mike Dalton's voice is screechingly on song. We get two Trilobites originals, "Turn It Around" and "American TV", plus seven covers which seem to serve as their tribute to the American indie scene. (batfink)

01 Dress In Black
02 I Wish it Could Be 1965 Again
03 American TV
04 Walking Out on Love
05 Not Trying To Hurt You
06 Turn It Around
07 Tennarama
08 Piece Of Sh1t
09 Come To Where Its At

Turn It Around

The Aliens - Translator (1980)

2010-02-01T23:13:00.000+11:00

There were various versions of THE ALIENS before and after, but the classic and definitive line up consisted of...
Danny Johnson- lead vocal and bass
Greg Webster - lead guitar and vocal
Geoffrey Stapleton - guitar and vocal
Rob Grosser - drums

They played their first show with this line-up on ..
Tuesday 23rd of January 1979 at Marijuana House- Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia.
and played their last show on ...
Tuesday 20th May 1980 at The Canberra Theatre - Canberra, ACT, Australia.

In that brief sixteen month period they played 356 shows around Australia

The Aliens

TOUGH LUXURY - Streetwise (1986)

2010-01-30T22:26:00.000+11:00

Some rare AOR, Tough Luxury formed in Sydney in 1984, playing a boogie/blues based heavy rock with a style sounding similar to early Def Leppard . Members came and went with high regularity. The Line-up for their one and only album was

Stuart Cave (vocals)
Peter Rich (guitar)
Dave Edwards (guitar)
Mark Essenhugh (drums)
Kevin McDonald (bass)

Side A tracks: 1."Don't Look Back", 2."Without Warning", 3."Moving Too Fast", 4."Changes".
Side B tracks: 1."School's Out", 2."Roll The Dice", 3."High & Mighty", 4."Streetwise".

Streetwise

PINK FLAMINGOS - We Never Close 1982

2010-01-30T20:48:00.000+11:00

In 1980 the Pink Flamingos formed out of the ashes of the demise of Kiwi Bands Dragon and Hello Sailor.
The bands debut Album in 1981 took out every major award at the NZ music awards and became a big summer hit later that year. The Flamingos tour over that summer was a box office triumph.
September, 1981, The Pink Flamingos relocated to Sydney and recorded " We Never Close" with Dragon Producer, Peter Dawkins.
November, 1981, The Pink Flamingos scoop 5 awards at RIANZ Music Awards – Best Album, Best Male Vocalist, Engineer of the Year ( Graham Mhyre ), Producer of the Year ( Bruce Lynch ) and Group of the Year
The Pink Flamingos will perform all of their original hits when they tour with The B52’s and The Proclaimers this Summer in NZ

01 Just Like In The Movies
02 Voodoo
03 Is That The Way?
04 Hungry Night
05 Hard Was Anne
06 We Never Close
07 Divine
08 Girl
09 Believe In The Ruins
10 Prosperpine
11 What Your Eyes Don't See

Flamingos

2010-01-28T17:28:00.000+11:00

SNAKE - Let The Music Begin 1986

2010-01-28T01:27:00.000+11:00

Rare Aussie Metal featuring vocalist Larry Attard, a founding member of the original Snake who has reformed Snake in 2006 with a new line up, and has re-recorded six of these original songs from 'Let The Music Begin'.on a new CD called "Strike"

Snake - Let The Music Begin, Possum Records, 1986

Track Listing:

01 Let The Music Begin
02 Time
03 Strike
04 Every Dog Has Its Day
05 On The Right Track
06 In For The Kill
07 3rd Time Lucky
08 Out Of The Night
09 Don't Mess With Me
10 Sweet Revenge

Band Members:
Larry Attard - Bass, Vocals
Gordon Hedges - Drums
Gary Nelson - Rhythm Guitar
Kim Wheeler - Lead Guitar

Recorded At:
Ramrod Studios, Sydney, 1985
Big thanks to Stuart
Let The Music Begin

LIGHTNING ROCK - Live 1984

2010-01-27T22:56:00.001+11:00

Lightning Rock were going from 1981 thru to 1986 and were one of the founding bands of the early aussie metal scene along with Boss ,Heaven ' Bengal Tigers and Shy Thunder.
Like most bands at this time they started out playing metal covers off the time like Judas Priest,Scorpions and Ufo
before progressing to originals like Power Rockin ,Satan's Way, Alucard and The Quest. Recorded live at the Mona Vale Hotel on Sydney's northern beaches.

The band lineup was
Mal Starr - Vocals
Brett King - Guitar
Kevin Pyne - Guitar
Gary Christensen - Bass
Paul Christensen - Drums

Thanks to Haggis
Lightning cd1
Rock cd2

GRAHAM KENNEDY'S - Blankety Blanks 1977

2010-01-27T22:52:00.000+11:00

Born on 15 February 1934, the only child of Cyril and Mary Kennedy, Graham Cyril Kennedy was raised in the working class Melbourne suburb of Balaclava.
Kennedy left school aged 15 to work for Radio Australia but soon made live television his domain during a 12-year stint as the host of In Melbourne Tonight. Kennedy's sharp wit and spontaneous nature won him 14 Logies - including the "Star of the Year" award at the first ceremony in 1959 - and made him the most popular person on Australian television.In 1998 he was inducted into the Logies hall of fame.
But his irreverence also resulted in a number of controversial moments.
In 1975 he was banned from live TV for his infamous crow call of a four-letter word (Farrrk). Kennedy returned to the small screen two years later with the game show Blankety Blanks broadcasingt 5 times a week Graham Kennedy quickly proved his TV legend status with a nightly 30 minute of fun and lunacy, turning Blankety Blanks into Australia's favourite show.

He died in the New South Wales Southern Highlands in the early hours of 25 May, 2005 , aged 71 after being cared for in the last years of his life by friends Tony Sattler and Noelene Browne

SIDE 1:
Million Dollars.
Slick Dick.
All The Horsemen Knew Her.
Stuffed Turkey.
Rusty Bottom.
The Hitch-Hiker.
Everybody Crap.
A Mouse In Her Pussy.
Rosalyn's Curry.
Cyril, Horse And Carts.

SIDE 2:
Rhythm Method.
Who Is Bernard King?
Barry's Lunch.
Did It Need Picking?
Crabs.
Cocky, Crutch And Stump.
Too Soft.
Midnight In The Toilet.
Cyril At The Doctor's.
Dick The Butler.
Dick Without A Hole. Dick Without A Hole.

G K

BLACKJACK - Five Pieces Of Eight (1985)

2010-01-27T22:42:00.000+11:00

John Giles (guitar, vocals)
Rikk Giles (vocals)
Paul "Jackie" Gleason (bass)
Thunderfoot Van Taneran (drums)
Daryl Williams (bass)

Not the Micheal Bolton/Bruce Kulick version :-p...
But a hard driving heavy rock/metal band from Melbourne. The original line up formed around the Giles boys in the early 80's and produced a five-track EP in 1985 called "Five Pieces Of Eight" on the "Metal for Melbourne" label. With a few demo tracks recorded before the band gradually faded into obscurity. Big thanks to Glenn who used to run Metal For Melbourne, here is some Metal For Everyone.

01 Highwaymans Inn
02 Hot Rocket
03 prelude
04 Man At Arms
05 the Wizard

Art
Pieces Of Eight

PAUL GAFFEY - Mephistopheles (1975)

2010-01-27T22:30:00.000+11:00

An symphonic album from '75 that are a concept album . Dark, haunting and tasteful, filled with mellotrons, acoustic / electric guitars, painful and majestic musical songs.

musicians
*Paul Gaffey/vocal
*Stan Wilson/organ, piano
*Peter Harris/mellotron
*Doug Gallagher/drums, conga
*John Young/bass
*Mark Punch/acoustic guitar, electric guitar
*Jim Kelly/acoustic guitar
*Simon Heath/moog
*Tony Buchanan/sax
*Don Wright/sax

*The Singers Of David/choir

Mephistopheles
So Sad
Dreamer of Dreams
Paradise
Dear People
Finale

see the comments for words from Paul Gaffey and Simon Heath

Ausrock Blog

2010-01-27T17:13:00.000+11:00

G'day, some nasty bugger has got ausrock.blogspot.com removed all together.