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BLACKBIRDS RETURN TO THE MEMO
 
Hey folks, first off, thanks to everyone who came to the Tote on the 21st of Feb for the Popboomerang Shake 3 Reprise Show. We had a ball - wonderful to play on big stage with a decent PA to nice crowd and with such a great line up of bands. Scroll down for some pics.

Right now we are resting between engagements in preparation for two great shows in April at the Archies Creek Hotel on Sunday 5th April and a return to our favourite Southern venue the Ember Lounge at Memo Music Hall on Thursday 23rd April. 
 
Get tickets for Memo Music Hall here!
Tickets for the Memo show are limited to 80 people so get in quick. We'll be supported again by Edie and Archie's band That's Alright, who are indeed pretty alright.

Also in this issue we look back into the 1990's with an article on Gina's old Flicker band mate Bruce Begley as well as an interview with the founder of the popular new Facebook group Sound As Ever (Australian Indie 90 -99) plus our perennial All Our Friends Bands Are Awesome section. 

Scroll on and until next time, Let your Freak Flag Fly! - Blackbirds FC
ARCHIES CREEK ACCOMODATION
If you're thinking about heading down the coast for our 5 April show at Archies Creek don't forget you can stay at the pub. Check it out here. The food's great as well.


The Story Behind The Song:
 
I Couldn't Win
Gina in Flicker with Bruce Begely on the far right.
This issue we look at our cover of I Couldn’t Win (track 11 on Field Recordings).  Written by Andrea Croft and Gina’s former Flicker bandmate Bruce Begley, I Couldn't Win, as its title suggests, is a resigned look at a failed relationship. The song was originally recorded by The Honeys and released on their 2007 comeback record Star Baby. 
I Couldn't Win writers Andrea Croft and Bruce in The Honeys
Our version is a tribute to Bruce who passed away in 2016. Bruce is one of the unsung legends of Australian music with a tremendous head for a melody and a world-weary perspective. Gina’s towering lead vocal is supported by backing vocals from her daughter Edie bringing a special magic to the chorus.
 
I Couldn’t Win is the second of Bruce’s songs Blackbirds have covered following the Flicker song It’s OK to Surrender from our Life Sciences EP. 
 
Bruce came to prominence with The Honeys in Perth in the late 80’s and moved with the band to Sydney after being signed by Waterfront Records. The Honey’s split after releasing one album with members going on to form the Catherine Wheel while Bruce started the Snow Leopards and then Flicker with Gina in the mid 1990’s.
 
Gina and Bruce again in Flicker. Pic by the legendary rock photographer Tony Mott.
Flicker went on to release a string of EPs in the mid 90’s including Is That What You Wanna Do? and Out Where The Wild Things Grow.
 
In 2007 the Honey’s reformed to make Star Baby and play a handful of shows. Following Bruce’s death Gina and other members of the Honeys and Flicker got together in Sydney for a tribute show at the Marrickville Bowling Club in 2017.
ALL OUR FRIENDS BANDS ARE AWESOME

Our guide to other artists we use and recommend...
Julien's band The Vandas are reforming for a rare show at the Merri Creek Tavern on Thursday 26 March.  
 
Jez's party band The Pjammers are playing at the Dutch Club, Rosstown Rd Carnegie on Friday 13 March. Happy hour prices all night and classic dutch bar food. Music starts at 8pm.
SHAKE 3 REPRISE LAUNCH  
The Tote 21.02.20
Phil makes our mark on the ceiling of the Tote's band room. We've so made it now.
Matt from The Glory Box pulling a strange but cool pose.
Blackbirds FC hoping to catch the pesky kids who graffitied the fold back wedges when we weren't looking...one day you rascals!
Little Murders never sounded bettter.
Danny McDonald and Anna Burley from the Killjoys duetting.
SOUND AS EVER - nineties nostalgia group goes nuts
Sometimes thing happen really quickly on the internet.

At the moment two things spring to mind: toilet paper panic buying and the extraordinary growth of a new Facebook group dedicated to Australian music in the 1990's.

In just under three weeks the Sound As Ever group has grown to 7,000 members indicating a surprising level of interest in a bunch of bands that have largely broken up and are probably more concerned about their super and their kids than reaching the height of indie stardom and credibility.

It's meant a lot to the musicians themselves as well. The Ergot Derivative's Jamie Saxe spoke for many with his recent post:
 
Can I just thank the peeps that started this page. It is wonderful. It is a shallow ego thing on my part I guess but you spend your 20s and 30s playing and making music. You don't get famous. You don't even sell that many records. Time moves on. You look back and think well I had fun and I tried to create music that means something and have a little nostalgia smile curl around the edge of your mouth. Then you read comments that way back then, your music actually did resonate with people and to your surprise, some people even still listen to it. It is a lovely feeling. Most bands on this page probably wanted to connect with an audience. To hear that that happened is a very special thing in the present time of being a pizza cook and dreaming of being in a band way back then when enough youthful arrogance lead one to think that maybe we could change the world.. Thank you. xxx

For Blackbirds FC it's a time we look back on with fond but hazy memories. The web wasn't a thing, mobile phones didn't exist and people went to the pub and saw a band if they were bored. But those days are long gone and frankly its a bit of shock to find such a hunger to remember what many think of as a golden era for Australian music. 

To find out what its all about we put the blow torch on Sound As Ever co-founder and Poboomerang Records supremo Scott Thurling and demanded answers...
The Punters Club - the epicentre of 90's indie music in Melbourne. Bands played there, drank there, lived there and in Frente's case formed there.
What was the impetus behind setting up the Sound As Ever group?

Scott: Jane (Gazzo - co-founder) had the idea for the group as she was not able to find anything online specifically celebrating this brilliant decade of Australian Music.

She, like many of us passionate hoarders, had accumulated a treasure chest of music related artefacts from those days that needed to be shown off. It made sense to shine a spotlight on all things Australian 90s indie music with a dedicated group page. The response has been bigger and better than we could have imagined.

 
Another shot of the Punters from back in the day. Apparently this corner is still haunted by the ghost of the guitarist seen here. 
The FB group has grown extremely quickly with over 7,000 people joining in a couple of weeks. Why do you think it’s been so popular?

The response rate exceeded any of our expectations. It was clear that this was a concept that people were instantly excited by and word of mouth quickly spread and people started inviting their friends to join the community.

So many of us still love the Australian songs released in that decade but we also have such vivid memories of the artists and bands, venues, radio programs of that that time as well as friendships and relationships formed back in those days that were so intrinsically linked to the music scene we enjoyed.
The Punters Club as it is now - disappointingly its a pizza joint/bar called Bimbos...
What has been your favourite post or memory so far?
 
My favourite part of this group to date is how it instantly became a place where musicians, fans, media and industry figures from that period can relate and communicate in a positive forum to share their 90s Australian music memories. There has been very minimal negative or controversial comments or posts in these early weeks which is a relief to the small team of admin people behind the scenes.

Do you think the 90’s was a golden age for Australian music? Why (or why not)?

The 90s saw an explosion in the Australian alternative music acts (Ratcat/Frente/You Am I, Spiderbait etc.) taking on the mainstream with the assistance of festivals such as the Big Day Out and support of JJJ radio and TV shows like Recovery. Guitar pop and rock was king in many ways but it felt like most styles of alternative music were given good support by the media and radio. I am not sure this is quite the same today.

 
Sound as Ever co founder Scott Thurling manning the merch desk at another legendary 90's venue The Tote.
What future plans are you cooking up for the group or to celebrate local 90’s bands in general?

There has been lots of discussions about and ideas floating around already. We have created the group Youtube and already hosting cool 90s related Australian musical content and we have secured the group bandcamp page for the group where we plan to host out of print or unreleased Australian recordings. We are currently compiling a first compilation album of unheard songs from the Australian music vaults.

There has been suggestions of 90s music memorabilia swap meets, poster art exhibitions, Sound Is Ever endorsed gigs and who knows, even curated group concerts or festivals. We will take it slow and steady but think big!

Check out Sound As Ever (Australian Indie 90 - 99) on Facebook here: https://m.facebook.com/groups/144323856639909?ref=share

Spotify play lists we're digging on right now.
  • DJ Crispi and DJ Kez's killer head to head set from the Popboomerang Shake 3 launch. Listen here
 
  • The Post To Wire blog's New Music list featuring the latest americana, alt.country, folk, blues and rock. Listen here
 
  • Alvis Parkinson's All Time Great Time list. Listen here
And, if you haven't already, please check out Blackbirds on Spotify. If you like it, please consider buying a record. So far since 2015 the band has made $23 from Spotify plays, which is what we make from selling one vinyl LP and while we love people listening to our stuff, there's bills to pay..... 
 
Listen to Blackbirds FC on Spotify
Click here to buy our record
Our mailing address is: blackbirdsfcband@gmail.com

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Blackbirds FC · 34 Station Place · Glenhuntly, VIC 3163 · Australia

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