After a long break from making music, Simon Juliff (The Roys) returns with a new LP, his first  solo LP titled Stars. And while he may not have been in the studio or on stage for a long while, Simon has spent the last few years dabbling away at writing tunes at his own leisure. Stars is a ripper LP and the first released on the revamped legendary Melbourne label Dog Meat Records. Produced by Joel Sibersher, Stars features some great powerpop and ballads, it so good it makes me hope it doesn’t take Simon another 16 years to put out another record. Munster: Is Stars your first release since the Roys, in 2007? Simon: it is. I was dormant for that time, I was just writing songs and occasionally thinking about doing something else, forming a new band or getting the old band back together. And not getting around to it, having kids and all that. Munster: so for all that time you were writing for your own enjoyment? Simon: yeah and I played songs my brother, and my friends, sometimes...

Combining elements of 60s garage, funk, soul and old time rock n roll showmanship, the Schizophonics are one of the hardest working bands you’ll see. And I mean that on stage. Singer/guitarist Pat Beers comes across like a mix between Jerry Lew Lewis and an eight year old kid on too much red cordial, the man never stops, while some singers take 5 to get a breath Pat keeps the party going with some amazing onstage moves that would score high in any Olympic gymnastics competition. While the bass often switches, Pat and Lety Beers are the core and soul of the group. The two of them, along with their beautiful dog Beanie, spoke to me via the zoom machine on the eve of their return to Oz Munster:   you guys are about to come down for your third Down Under tour, the first tour I saw you guys in a packed out room at the Tote, but the second tour was for many people there last gig before the pandemic. Lety: that was crazy. We started in New Zealand, then we went to Australia. Then we w...

  Ribspreader-(2022) Director: Dick Dale The Players: Tommy Darwin, Marni Russo, Tess O’Flaherty, Fred Negro, Chantal Contouri Ribspreader is the brain child of Murder Citys answer to Herschell Gordon Lewis, Dick Dale. I first met Dick back in 2010 when he played at the Arthouse with his South Australian based band Kamikaze. 40 minutes of pure chaos, sleaze and blood, which is wot punk should be. I loved every bit of it. Later I discovered Dales love of cinema, and his film festival, Trasharama, Australias only traveling film festival. Fair to say, I knew a beautiful friendship would develop straightaway. Dale has been working on this film for around a decade, making it on his own dime and time, until he launched a crowd funding campaign to help him get the production over the line. While he managed to raise a 50k, which is a great achievement, thats small change when it comes to a full length film, and given Dales punk rock attitude, its not surprising his punk DIY ethos i...

  Blues/punk rockers Daddy Long Legs embark on their first tour of Oz this month. Starting out on Norton Records, home of legends such as Andre Williams, the Sonics and Link Wray, the New York based group recently dropped their new single, Nightmare, a cracking and frighting tune that sums up what we’ve all gone through the past few years. They even got there mate Eric Goulden to do backing vocals. Singer/guitarist Brian Hurd spoke to me on the zoom machine while the band was mid tour in Europe. Munster: Dave, who teed up this interview up, told me he can’t stop listening to the new Daddy Long Legs single new single Nightmare. Once I heard it I kept pushing repeat as well. Brian: Right on, thankyou. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aERV8PUZ_50 Munster: It’s certainly a song of the times, did you write it about all the stuff that happened in the last few years? Brian: Yeah it’s absolutely of the times, and inspired by everything that’s happened all around us. The story behind...

  Melbourne five piece the Prize have come a long away in a short amount of time. The band’s first gig was opening for Civic at a sold out Croxton, and there first release Wrong Side of Town has been rereleased after its first pressing sold out. Combining elements of Cheap Trick, the Flaming Groovies and the Divinys, the Prize is a ripping power pop band, with several lead vocalists making them a very unique band both live and on record. Wrong Side of the Track is a strong contender for one of the year’s best releases. Drummer/singer Nadine Muller spoke to us via the zoom machine Munster: I just saw online that the Prize’s debut EP Wrong Side of Town had entered its second pressing, congratulations. Nadine: Thankyou. Very exciting that it sold out so quickly, that first press. Munster: It didn’t take long for that first pressing to sell out did it? Nadine: It came out in September, and it sold out online in 24 hours. There available again. Now in a different cover desig...

  Perth legend Dom Mariani is back with a new LP with his blues rock outfit Datura 4. The bands new LP, Neanderthal Jam, is a mix of 13 th Floor Elevators and 70s Australian rock blues, plus throwing up current day topics we can all relate to. From the Stems to the 4, Dom Mariani always brings something new to every release he does and while the Stems reform for the odd show now and then, he’d prefer look forward releasing new music rather than rest of his brilliant back catalogue. Munster: I’ve been enjoying the new Datura 4 single Black Speakers, got a real 70s, Roky Erickson sound to it. Dom: It’s one of those songs that came out of a jam. We put it together, we have a keyboard player, Bob Patient, who brings a lot to the jam, and it was created out of the rehearsal room. Most of the songs on the LP were done that way, hence the title of the album. Munster: You say it came from a jam, did you bring a riff to the practice room, present it to the band and take it from the...

  Director: Andrew Leavold The Players: Fred Negro, Sam Crassweller, Mark Carson, Phil Miles, Ross Knight, Paulie Stewart, Dave Moll (Warning: Article contains spoilers) Now. Not sure if I can be impartial with this review, considering im interviewed for the film and count both the star and director, as well as several people in this talkie great friends. But sod it, i/ll do it anyway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkvQI-AOjyQ Pub: The Film is the telling of the life and work of the mayor of St Kilda, Fred Negro. Yes, he is the unofficial mayor, but hes done more for the suburb by the sea then any member of council has in the last thirty years. I ave no idea wot the tourism/advertising budget is down at the Port Phillip Council, but for me, Fred has done more for St Kilda, in terms of advertising the place and documenting it/s history, with a pencil and paper then any lame advertising campaign or festival has ever done. Musician, cartoonist, barfly, father, husband it/s a...