The 5.6.7.8’s, Japan’s premier garage-rock group, stars of Quentin Tarantino’s 2004 blockbuster Kill Bill Vol. 1, and special guests of the Hoodoo Gurus on their national Dig It Up! tour in April, have announced three select headline shows for Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart. All three shows are limited in capacity and include new Sydney venue The Factory Floor, which can be found on the ground floor of The Factory Theatre complex in Marrickville.

A little about The 5.6.7.8’s from their bio…

The 5.6.7.8?s was formed in 1986 and still rocking in their very own DIY way around the world. This all female Tokyo garage-trio has released numberless singles and albums and have toured America, Europe and Australia round & round. After Quentin Tarantino has invited them to his “Kill Bill” movie (& on the Soundtrack as well), the trio’s cult popularity exploded into a really big bang. Their “Woo Hoo” cover featured on the soundtrack run around the world as well as the band, which had also shared the Redding festival main stage with The White Stripes, New York Dolls etc…. 

In 2010, Jack White (White Stripes/The Dead Weather) invited ‘em to Nashville and recorded live show also two singles on his label “Third Man Records”.

Don’t miss these most-excellent fun-packed shows

DIG IT UP! THE HOODOO GURUS INVITATIONAL
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF RECORDED HISTORY IN 2012

Come along as the Hoodoo Gurus invite some of their favourite acts and key influences for a one-of-a-kind tour that celebrates 30 years since the release of Leilani (le Hoodoo Gurus iconic debut 7”) and a career that has delivered more than 30 timeless hit singles (I Want You Back, Bittersweet, What’s My Scene?, 1000 Miles Away, The Right Time et al). Their nine studio albums have also enjoyed critical and commercial acclaim in equal measures and they have the reputation of being one of Australia’s most consistent and powerful live acts.

Invitees include the legendary garage-rock pioneers The Sonics, brothers-in-spirit, Redd Kross and The Fleshtones the moody & compelling Died Pretty, Japanese all-girl legends The 5.6.7.8’s plus a hand-picked selection of local celebrities: Royal Headache, The Lovetones and Hard-Ons among them.

But that’s not all! In a personal celebration of this milestone, the Hoodoo Gurus have announced they will perform Stoneage Romeos (their landmark debut album) in its entirety plus a selection of their other hits. How excitement! Stoneage Romeos is a permanent fixture on various lists of Australia’s top albums including the 2010 book “The 100 Best Australian Albums” and Triple J’s Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time in 2011. Stoneage Romeos was also the subject of its own tribute album ‘Stoneage Cameos’ featuring covers by The Living End, You Am I, The Drones and a host of high profile contemporary acts of the day.

But that’s still not all…

As part of the celebration of this momentous milestone in the band’s career, Sony Music will release GOLD WATCH: 20 GOLDEN GREATS, a new Greatest Hits collection covering the bands entire 30 year career including the new single “Use-By Date”. “Gold Watch” will be released on Friday 16^th March.

Tickets for all shows are on-sale Monday 30th January. Sign up to the Dig it Up! mail list @ www.digitup.net.au for your chance to purchase pre-sale tickets.

Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind celebration: Dig it Up! The Hoodoo Gurus Invitational.

For full details head over to www.digitup.net.au

THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS FINAL SHOWS: SYDNEY, CANBERRA & MELBOURNE SHOWS

Recently reunited as part of Sydney’s On the Street live series, the Lighthouse Keepers, featuring original band members Greg Appel, Juliet Ward, Stephen O’Neil and Michael ‘Blue’ Dalton promptly sold out their show the quickest of all OTS shows and left a smile on the dial of all that attended.

Juliet Ward still chewed gum while she sang, Blue Dalton still looked half surprised and half asleep as he hooked up another harmonica run and several songs still ended in another fine mess – but upstairs at the Sando this night we were all bouncing along, singing along, giggling along exactly as we had back then.  – Sydney Morning Herald September 12, 2011

Following that modest success, The Lighthouse Keepers have decided to crank up the engines once more and take the whole shebang out on the road again, heading down to Victoria for two performances at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club and the Caravan Music Club in Oakleigh, before heading back up North for dates in Sydney and Canberra.

At all shows the Lighthouse Keepers will be performing two sets each night and with a guest speaker in support.

Three sets later we walked out hot and sticky (but now mercifully not stinking of smoke), humming one of those Greg Appel melodies and feeling good about the world. It was just like the old days.

Thursday 5th January: Oakleigh, Caravan Music Club
Tickets $22.00 + bf (General Admission) or $27.00 + bf (Reserved Seating) from www.caravanmusic.com.au or phone 0411 569 180.

Friday 6th January: Melbourne, Northcote Social Club
Tickets $25.00 + bf from feelpresents.oztix.com.au, phone (03) 9486 1677 or in person at the Venue Box Office.

Friday 3^rd February: Canberra, The Polish Club
Tickets $25 on the door.

Saturday 4^th February: Sydney, Camelot
Tickets $25.00 from www.trybooking.com/BBHG or phone 9550 3777

DIRTY THREE – NEW ALBUM FEBRUARY 2012, AUSTRALIAN TOUR MARCH 2012

In early 2012 Dirty Three will boldly break cover with an extensive Australian tour, including their own headlining shows, festival appearances and their first ever performance at the Sydney Opera House. The band will also release a remarkable new album in late February.

“I think we may have cracked it. This may well be the definitive album from Dirty Three.”  – Warren Ellis, November 2011

Dirty Three’s last tour of Australia was in 2009 when they performed their album Ocean Songs in its entirety as part of the Don’t Look Back classic albums series, a run of shows that sold-out across the country. This was a tour that confirmed Dirty Three’s status of one of the greatest live acts in the world.

“Dirty Three assailed and attacked the hot and humid Enmore Theatre on Australia Day with full and absolute effect. Playing in total their classic album ‘Ocean Songs’ we witnessed a band that is ageless and timeless. One of, if not the, greatest band that this country has ever produced.” – Oceans Never Listen

“There was not a single person in The Forum that would deny the sheer power of the Dirty Three’s songs live.” –  The Dwarf

“It’s safe to say that everyone should see the Dirty Three.” – The Vine

The planets will once again align in 2012 as Dirty Three tour Australia and release their first new album since 2005’s Cinder.