WHAT WOULD JELLO DO?

Returning to Australia for his first band shows since 1983, former Dead Kennedy’s frontman Jello Biafra has now added a handful of talking shows to his extended schedule

Entitled What Would Jello Do?, the talking shows follow on from Biafra’s you tube series of the same name in commenting on contemporary political issues, democracy, government conspiracy and cover ups, election fraud – the type of banter Jello is notorious for telling and for which he’s an excellent orator.

What Would Jello Do?

In addition, Jello will also perform a DJ set in Hobart and will also perform in Sydney for Vivid Ideas joining the forward thinking Ruby Speudo and artist Karen Therese in discussion on a subject entitled Build A Movement.

Vivid – Build A Movement

Jello last appeared in talking mode in Australia in 2012. He appeared to packed houses both solo and in Q&A mode for the Melbourne Festival commenting on SLAM and Occupy on a panel that also included The Church’s Steve Kilbey and moderator Dave Graney.

Meanwhile, Jello’s new music venture The Guantanamo School Of Medicine also tour Australia this May performing the Dead Kennedy’s hits of yore as well as material from all three JB&TGSM albums.

Don’t miss Jello Biafra live in Australia this May. Tickets for all shows are on-sale Wednesday 1st May.

FLAMIN’ GROOVIES – SHAKE SOME ACTION!

Thirty-One years after they last performed, San Francisco’s legendary Flamin’ Groovies will make again their presence known via Dig it Up! The Hoodoo Gurus Invitational appearing at shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

The 2013 Flamin’ Groovies will feature original and founding members Cyril Jordan (guitar) and George Alexander (bass) plus singer / guitarist Chris Wilson, the vocalist for the band’s second era of 1972 – 1982 (Roy Loney having been the frontman in the 1st incarnation of 1965 – 1971) and singer of such classics as Slow Death (considered by the Rolling Stones as an inclusion on their Some Girls album) Yes It’s True, and the all-time power-pop anthem from the album of the same name Shake Some Action.

Slow Death

Shake Some Action

Train spotters will remark that the Groovies toured Australia in 1986 but that tour was without either Chris Wilson or Roy Loney – the singers respectively, on all Flamin’ Groovies recordings between 1966 – 1981. Dig it Up! will be the first time the Wilson / Jordan / Alexander collective has played anywhere in the world since 1982. Dig it Up!

In addition to Dig it Up! Feel are now chuffed to announce the Flamin’ Groovies will also play headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne. Tickets for these limited capacity shows at Sydney’s iconic rock venue the Annandale Hotel and Melbourne suburban favourite the Caravan Music Club will go on-sale Friday 5th April.

But wait, there’s more…  Joining the Flamin’ Groovies in Sydney will be fellow Dig it Up! invitee Peter Case, a former member of both The Nerves (original owners of the Blondie hit Hanging On the Telephone) and power-pop giants The Plimsouls. Case will perform the hits of both those acts plus a selection from his Grammy award winning solo years. Another first for Dig it Up!

Melbourne’s own power-pop champions Even will join the bill at Oakleigh.

NB: The Flamin’ Groovies Adelaide show on April 26th has been cancelled. Refunds are available the point of purchase. Alternatively anyone that has purchased an Adelaide Dig It Up! ticket can use that ticket for entry to the Melbourne Dig It Up! Howzat for value!

JELLO BIAFRA & THE GUANTANAMO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Jello Biafra, the infamous former frontman and chief-agitator for legendary U.S. punks Dead Kennedys, returns to Australia this May for his first live-band performances since the infamous DKs tour of 1983.

Biafra will be bringing his new latest musical project with him: The Guantanamo School Of Medicine, featuring former Rollins Band and Ween bassist Andrew Weiss, drummer Paul Della Pelle (Helios Creed and Nik Turner’s Space Ritual) and the twin guitar attack of Ralph Spight (Victims Family) and Kimo Ball.

Formed in 2009 after Jello was inspired by The Stooges performance at Iggys 60th birthday and a rare stateside visit from Australia’s own Radio Birdman, Jello & Guantanamo… quickly recorded an album, The Audacity Of Hype released to immense anticipation via Jello’s Alternative Tentacles label. Fans were not disappointed. Audacity… retained some of the spy-music-on-meth chaos of the Dead Kennedys while adding a healthy dose of Detroit style proto-punk mixed with layer upon layer of sonic guitar noise. In short: it rocks.

EP’s in each of 2011 and 2012 followed before the release this year of a second album White People and the Damage Done, Jello’s first concept album since the Dead Kennedys Frankenchrist album in 1985. White People…  tackles in gruesome detail: corruption, US foreign policy, media lies, and tabloid scandal in much greater detail than even Biafra’s talking albums could manage all mixed with a heavy dose of melody and Jello’s trademark wise-guy delivery.

Biafra explodes on stage, hands flailing, eyes on stalks, there is a madness in the house and it’s utterly compelling. It’s the same sort of acid barbed political and social commentary, hilarious, and terrifying at the same time, the dark humour pouring out of the songs in that superb helium voice. The fact that most people don’t even know these songs doesn’t get in the way of the reaction, which is explosive. – LOUDER THAN WAR

A long-time supporter of Australian music, for this tour, Biafra has selected some all-time favourites alongside a selection of new and cutting edge acts: Grong Grong, Hard-Ons, Useless Children and Zeahorse among them

After 30-plus years, Jello Biafra’s music and lyrics remain in a class of their own. Anyone interested in Dead Kennedys won’t be disappointed to hear how Jello has not changed with the times. He has continuously spoken the truth and has never waivered from his principles – Jello Biafra is more relevant now than he has ever been!

Tickets for all shows are on-sale Monday 18th March.

BLUE OYSTER CULT – 1ST EVER AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Blue Oyster Cult may be the ultimate ‘cult’ band. Revered by punks, metal heads, sci-fi geeks and horror movie fans alike, B.O.C. have carved out a 40-year career via a string of complex hard rock albums and killer live shows. The author Steven King adores them and so does Dave Graney. Their best known track Don’t Fear The Reaper, was a U.S. top twenty hit in 1976 and the album it came from, Agents Of Fortune (featuring a collaboration with songstress Patti Smith) achieved platinum status while their overall catalogue sales are in excess of 24 million. They also provided Radio Birdman with the album title Radios Appear, a lyric taken from the track Dominance and Submission from the Blue Oyster Cult album Secret Treaties.

Most recently B.O.C. have released The Complete Columbia Albums Collection, a 16 CD/ 1 DVD box set comprising all their studio albums from 1972 – 1988; three live albums; a rarities disc and the appropriately named radio broadcast collection: Radios Appear.

The live albums, starting with 1975’s On Your Feet or On Your Knees, clearly demonstrate BÖC’s strength as a live act; they’re a bracingly powerful band, the rock solid support of the rhythm-bass-drums embellished by Buck Dharma’s stinging guitar leads.

Already announced as a co-headliners at the 2013 Dig It Up! Feel are now proud to announce headline shows for Blue Oyster Cult in Sydney & Melbourne. For the these two special performances, B.O.C. will perform the entire show, no support – like wow!

This will be the first-ever Australian tour for Blue Oyster Cult and it’s all thanks to Hoodoo Gurus.

Tickets for Melbourne and Sydney sideshows on-sale Monday 11th March

BUZZCOCKS

UK punk pioneers Buzzcocks return to Australian in April for Dig It Up! The Hoodoo Gurus Invitational.

A key influence on Australian acts as disparate as the Gurus, Hard-Ons and The Mark Of Cain, the Buzzcocks trademark blend of hi-energy guitars and pop smarts has also influenced every wannabe punk band since 1976 and resulted in some of the greatest songs of that original era: Ever Fallen in Love, What Do I Get, Love You More, Harmony In My Head timeless tracks that resonate over and over with younger generations – and their live show is always top shelf.

Dig It Up! was the catalyst for this tour but now Feel Presents are proud to announce headline shows for Buzzcocks in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide. Original ‘Cocks Steve Diggle and Pete Shelley are once again at the helm and will lead their band of merry pranksters through a veritable feel-good punk rock jukebox.

Dig it. Up!

TICKETS ON-SALE MONDAY 25TH FEBRUARY