Wow, more awesome overseas festival news that shows, once and for all, that Australian promoters need to get their shit together. Heavy Montreal takes place this year on August 9th and 10th – in Montreal, funnily enough! The line-up for this two-day affair includes Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Bad Religion, DRI, Body Count, Dropkick Murphys, Pennywise, Madball, Lamb of God, The Offspring, Fucked Up, Three Doors Down and dozens more. While you COULD compare it to Soundwave, Heavy Montreal keeps the emo/screamo/tweenwave/metalcore shit to a minimum – just solid punk and metal at the fore. Kind of like No Sleep Til a few weeks’ back … the one Australian festival I’d give anything to see make a comeback.
On a smaller scale, the Punk & Disorderly festival takes place in Germany on the 11th, 12th and 13th of April. With a cracking old-school line-up that features the likes of The Adicts, Sham 69, Discharge, The Bones, The Business, The Casualties and The Angelic Upstarts taking part, you gotta wonder why similar things aren’t happening here.
Up The Punx! is coming back for a third year, though, and seems to be growing exponentially – from a packed out Tote in 2012, Revolver Upstairs in 2013, to becoming a multi-city tour in 2014, kicking off in Hobart on June 21st. Fatty Esther and Hopes Abandoned are the first confirmed acts, with several more to be announced shortly. Stay tuned for more info in coming issues!
Speaking of Fucked Up (I mentioned that they were playing Heavy Montreal earlier, remember? Try to keep up!), the band has a brand new three-song 12” EP on the way called Year of the Dragon. It’s part of a series of records based on the Chinese zodiac, evidently! Interesting concept. Initial copies come with a bonus flexi-disc. How ’80’s magazine cover! I say that because music magazines in the 1980s sometimes had a free flexi-disc stuck on the cover. They’d last approximately four plays. But what do you WANT for free?!
The Smith Street Band has a new 7” EP out on Poison City Records, if you’re into that sort of thing, called Don’t Fuck with Our Dreams. No shade, they just have a very specific sound and appeal.
The mighty Comeback Kid have dropped a brand new single called ‘Wasted Arrows’. It’s taken from their brand new album, Die Knowing, on Victory Records. Fingers crossed for a tour!
Don’t forget – Canadian punk heroes Propagandhi have a show coming up at the Barwon Club on May 31st! Don’t miss it!
That’s about it for now. Catch you cool kids next issue for another dose of, well, this!
Written by Chris Cruz