THE ESPY – VALENTIINE & KELLIE LLOYD
Valentiine hit the Espy Front Bar with a stellar lineup to celebrate National SLAM Day. Joining the girls will be Brisbane’s own Kellie Lloyd from Screamfeeder, joined for a very special duo with Clint Hyndman from Something For Kate and opening the night will be those raucous boys from the north side, Woolhouse. Celebrate SLAM Day. Save Live Australian Music and get along to the Espy. Free entry and bands start around 8pm.
VICTORIA HOTEL – SAINT JUDE
This Thursday, the Victoria Hotel welcomes two cracking Melbourne bands to its stage. Saint Jude play exceptional country blues, with a rock’n’roll swagger. This five-piece have talent that is unmeasured and produce an extremely desirable sound. Joining them are mates The Death Rattles, who go about their business just as masterfully, and who are just as entertaining. These two bands represent what this day is about and must be seen live.
THE EVELYN – THE BENSON CAMPAIN
They filled venues across the hood, supported acts such as Paul Kelly and left punters feeling pretty damn fine at the end of each show. Now after a two and a half year hiatus the folkalicious, bluesicle, hip hop heartic, rootsy men of The Benson Campain are back for a one off charity event, putting on this special night of entertainment, with all tickets sales going towards starting up a new musical charity website concept changethebeat.org which will be launched in 2012 and uses music to help many people across the world. Joining them will be the amazing Rob Sawyer and the fantastic Hiding With Bears and the superb Emma Hales.
THE TOTE – PRIMITIVE CALCULATORS
Get out your numerology charts, primitive calculators and ouija boards, ’cause coincidences like this don’t happen every day. Ground breaking early ’80s Melbourne post punk experimental noise outfit Primitive Calculators play one of their rare performances along with Scrap Museum, BJ Morrizonkle, Beat Disease and Teenage Libido. Where else but The Tote? Doors open 7pm, tickets $15 at the door.
GRACE DARLING – CITIZEN SEX
The Grace Darling celebrates SLAM day with a free party and free booze – well, until it runs out. Featuring Citizen Sex and ScotDrakula, the Grace Darling has you covered for Collingwood.
THE TOFF IN TOWN – UV RACE
The Toff In Town is proud to present a massive night of Melbourne’s most chaotic bands featuring The UV Race, Bitch Prefect and Repairs. The full-length debut masterpiece from Melbourne avant-tard six piece UV Race, follows two limited-edition (and now highly sought after) 7″ singles released here and in the USA, and has fulfilled the potential only hinted at on those EPs. Produced by Mikey Young of Eddy Current Suppression Ring, it brings to mind some of the cornerstones of mid ’70s proto-punk. The UV Race avoid rote punk trappings with their sophisticated use of piano and saxophone, and the over-riding presence of singer Marcus’ introverted musings on life as a small town misfit. Head down to The Toff In Town this SLAM day to watch them tear up the joint, with help from Bitch Prefect and Repairs. Tickets are on sale now from Moshtix, Polyester Records (city) and on the door if available.
YAH YAH’S – HARMONY
Like two ideologies in decline caterwauling towards fundamentally opposed extremes, Spod and Harmony will engineer mass bi-polarity in captive heads. Dizzying delusions of ecstasy and lobster mutations followed by a misery dump of unprecedented proportions. Bridging the divide will be the ragged glory of Deep Heat (featuring members of Boomgates and Diamond Sea) who will open the night by peeling faces right off exposing the lobe for the manic double stroke that follows. Go and celebrate the glorious diversity of Australian live music in all its unbalanced, hormonal splendour at Yah Yah’s on Thursday February 23.
THE RETREAT – SPENCER P JONES
To celebrate Australia’s very new national independent music day, SLAM Rally Day, The Retreat Hotel has put a hell of a lineup to celebrate the occasion. The night features local greats Spencer P Jones And The Escape Committee plus M J Halloran And The Sinners, and blessing the stage boards for these guys will be Waco Social Club. Killer bands. Killer venue. Killer price (uh, free, ya dig?) with a 7pm start.
BAR OPEN – PHANTOM AGENTS
Phantom Agents are a lively indie rock four-piece from the northern suburbs of Melbourne. They have been together for almost seven years and have just released their eponymous EP. Phantom Agents take over Bar Open on Thursday in February, including this Thursday February 23 for SLAM Day. Also playing are Straw King Eye, The Philistines and Alexander Francis.
CHERRY BAR – SOUL IN THE BASEMENT
As part of the official SLAM celebrations, Cherry Bar brings you Soul In The Basement and a Women Of Soul Special featuring Chelsea Wilson and Deep Street Soul, Karen Morales, Milan Ring (Syd) and Candice Monique, with DJs Vince Peach and Pierre Baroni. Doors open at 5pm, $10 entry and you can party all night ’til 5am.
PONY – WE’VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU
Coinciding with SLAM Day, Thursday February 23 marks the launch of We’ve Been Expecting You, an avenue for up-and-coming artists Australia-wide to get into the Melbourne music scene.The best of the best will be presented to the masses on the last Thursday of every month at Pony. The grand opening of We’ve Been Expecting You will showcase Zuzu Angel, who are a rock’n’roll movement built on flirtatious guitar driven riffs and hip-shaking rhythmic grooves. Supporting these devilish characters are The 80 Aces, who will kick off their Australian tour next month. Also onboard, and with amazing stage presence is White Summer, who will kick the night off with a bang and give the other bands a run for their money.
THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL – LILLY ROUGE BAND
What began as a solo project in 2006 by front woman Lilly, the Lilly Rouge Band has grown to become a respected musical act. Splitting their time between the flashy-yet-trashy Gold Coast and the glitter and shine of Melbourne, Lilly Rouge plan on taking over the world one rock song at a time. They’re at the Brunswick Hotel with Purple Toes and Lalaist for SLAM Day.
THE PENNY BLACK – MONIQUE BRUMBY BAND
Two time ARIA Award winning singer songwriter Monique Brumby released her fourth studio album Skeletons’ Polka in 2010 to great acclaim. Monique is currently mixing her fifth studio album Half Moon Half Everything due out March 2012. Monique and her five-piece band are playing at The Penny Black as part of National SLAM Day this Thursday.
OTHER GIGS
GERTRUDE’S BROWN COUCH
Tyme & The Six Thousand Dollar Suits, The Groves, N.Cision.
JOHN CURTIN HOTEL
Alex Lashlie, Lyd & Sophie, The Wildes.
THE DRUNKEN POET
Roesy, Malachi Doyle.
THE OLD BAR
Mikelangelo & The Tin Star, Fraser A Gorman.
THE STANDARD
Ron S. Peno & The Superstitions Trio.
LABOUR IN VAIN
Eddie James & Sib.
THE LAUNDRY
Zee, Poco la pax, Ildiko, The Mcqueens, Thnkr, No Zebra.
ROYAL DERBY HOTEL
Local DJs, Uni Night.
RED BENNIES
The Bass Bizzare – DJ Q-Bert and Reeps, DJ Peril, Def Emission, Soliloquy, Mz Risk.
REVOLVER UPSTAIRS
Sherriff, Mistress Mondays, Glenn Mossop (Bonjah).
THE CORNER
Matt Corby (sold-out).
THE THORNBURY THEATRE
The High Society, Daydream Arcade, Rosie & George, Diamonds of Neptune, The Darjeelings, Rudely Interrupted.
THE REGAL BALLROOM
Elixir, Ollie Browne and Sam Bates.
CARAVAN MUSIC CLUB
Shane Howard & His Band.
GRUMPY’S GREEN
“The Bucket Room” invites local singer songwriter’s/bands/original material.
NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB
Tinpan Orange, Jess Ribeiro And The Bone Collectors.
EAST BRUNSWICK CLUB
Geoff Achison, Jimi Hocking with Shaun Kirk, with special appearances by Lloyd Spiegel and Shannon Bourne.
THE LUWOW
Mandingo Afro Beat, Afro Psych Grooves.
