Stu Thomas is one of the great heroes of Oz rock. Weather he’s playing with Kim Salmon, Dave Graney, with his own band the Stu Thomas Paradox, or doing a set of Lee Hazelwood covers, Stu is an amazing player and an asset to any band he joins. Never one to repeat himself, Stu’s latest release  Counting To Infinity features some brilliant Noir rock, as well as some classic movie tracks, including Thunderball and Johnny Guitar. Stu is a true original and all round bloke you can trust.  Munster: How many instruments do you play and do you have a preference between guitar or bass?   Stu:Well yeah, I play a few instruments. I started at school on cornet trumpet and was in one of the school big bands. When the teacher used to go out of the room, and we were meant to be practicing, we would swap instruments. I used to grab the bass, or jump on the drums, sometimes piano. That’s when I first got into playing bass. My Mum then bought me a small steel-string guitar, which...

  I first saw Blackie when I was 16. It was the Hard Ons 21 st birthday tour, and I was stuck in Coolangatta, a long way from home. I knew nothing of the band but the name intrigued me so I went along. To this day one of my top five gigs. Hit after hit of Pop Punk brilliance, that for me the Hard Ons are the gold standard in the genre. And here was Blackie, who combined Metal style shredding with fast three chord punk rock playing. My tiny mind was blown. Since then Peter Black has also launched a solo career. 2020 sees the release of his sixth and seventh solo offering. One electric, one acoustic. Aside from being one of the country’s best guitarists, Blackie solo work proves what a beautiful songwriter he is. The man can do no wrong. Munster: Now you’re playing a gig this Saturday with the Hard Ons, and I saw a while back you did a gig in Sydney with Nunchukka Superfly, which was 20 people only. You obviously love playing live, but I take it with the lockdown period playing ...

  Letter from the Editor issue 29 Now. I’d just like to clear things up. No, I’m not stopping Munster . Issue 28 was not the last issue. I said that as a joke to stick it to Izzy Folau, so rest assured I ain’t stopping. Mind you I was quite humbled by the amount of grief and sorrow that I received when people thought it was the end, and also very humbled people were asking how they can donate to the Go Fund Me, the one that didn’t exist.  Having said that would have been nice to see how much money I would have raised. But then what would I do with the money? I don’t like flying so I couldn’t flee the country, and all I wear is t-shirts and op shop jeans so I ain’t spending it on a new wardrobe. And there’s about five pubs I’m a regular at and I don’t like change so it’s not like I could move two doors down and drinking the money away somewhere else. I think I could just spend it at the Balaclava and hang out in the pokies area no one would look there. That’s my way of hiding a...

  Kim Salmon is one of the most important figures not just in Australia, but also in Europe and the states. A highly influential figure that has influenced music scenes all around the world with several bands. Kim's latest release proves that after all these years he’s still pushing bounders and making new and exciting music. Kim Salmon and the Surrealists have just dropped Rantings from the Book of Swamp , their first LP in ten years, a double LP that was an improvised affair, featuring some ripping songs that only the godfather of grunge could muster up. Munster: How are you holding up in these odd times? Kim: It's tough for a lot of people and people can get bored. (laughs) Today's been a good one, I’m keeping myself amused. I’ve been doing a few paintings and I know I’m not alone. There’s gonna be a lot of COVID art that will come out when this is all over, whenever that is. Certainly gives me the chance to do something I’ve been putting off for years. Playing Mus...

  Deniz Tek and James Williamson Deniz Tek and James Williamson both started in bands that sold bugger all records when they were together the first time round. Several decades later both got the bands back together and got the respect they deserved. In the meantime, one became a record label executive while the other became a Navy flight surgeon and an ER doctor.  You couldn’t make it up.  James Williamson and Deniz Tek reunite for their second collaboration (the first being Acoustic KO ). There ain’t nothing soft about their new LP Two to One . Old school loud Rock ’n’ Roll that the pair is known for, with elements of the Detroit garage sound both mastered in the 70s.  Deniz and James joined me from their US home-bases.   Munster:  How did the idea for the LP Two to One come about? Deniz:  Well James was doing some work with Cleopatra Records, and doing session work with some of their later releases, including Mitch Ryder and Robert Gordon. So h...

Coffin Wolf Coffin Wolf have finally dropped their first long player; Talk Amongst Yourselves .  The band have spent the last six years as a mainstay of the Melbourne Rock scene. They've released several singles and EPs.   Coffin Wolf is one of those bands that is almost impossible to lump into one genre. They're one of those bands you have to hear or see live. Trying to describe their sound is no easy task and you expect the unexpected with each song.  Their first album combines elements of trash, hardcore, punk and metal, providing an experience that most Rock pigs will come out enjoying. Singer/guitarist and band founder Braiden spoke to us about the new LP and the band's history.    Munster:  How did Coffin Wolf start and also where did the name come from? Braiden: The name doesn’t have an amazing story. It’s simply two dumb words put together and see what happens and that’s where we ended up...after a few beers of course. It started back in 2014. We’ve...