Rose Tattoo - Wax Museum, Washington (1982) Ex. Bootleg

(Australian 1976-1985)
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In the latter part of 1982, Angry and Rose Tattoo set off to take on the United States. America was nothing like England. The crowds were different, the music was different. Rose Tattoo arrived with their Australian-produced album, and their Australian-produced sound, and basically no one knew what to make of them.

For a start, the Americans couldn't get over their appearance. One of the first record company executives spent ages on the phone with Robbie trying to get a handle on what was required to prepare the band for a performance. They'd seen photographs, so they thought the band members needed to spend hours in the dressing room having their tattoos painted on before walking on stage. They'd already experienced the make up and costumes of Kiss, so they assumed Rose Tattoo was just an extension on the theme. They thought the tattoos were just a gimmick.

As Angry says, "Basically they just didn't believe that five guys in a band could all have tattoos. It didn't make sense to them. They started asking questions like 'How long is it going to take to airbrush all those tattoos? How much will it cost?' They just couldn't come to grips with the fact they were real and wouldn't wash off." Even when they understood the tattoos weren't fakes, they couldn't believe the band had come together like that. They thought they'd all sat down one day, and said "Gee, Rose Tattoo is a good name for a band", then spent months with the tattoo artist getting ready to look the part.

They couldn't really cope with any part of the band's image. "Robbie had to say to people in the record company 'Look, you've got to be prepared. Don't expect them to walk in, and be like me. Don't expect them to look like me. Look at the album cover, that's what they're really like.' In other words, it was like they thought the whole image was part of a costume...like we might actually clean up to be really nice guys underneath it all. We were nice guys of course, but not to their standards. It was like, you know, having your daughter bring home twelve Hell's Angels and you're a church minister. It really freaked them out."
After a while though, people did cope, and as Angry says, "Once they got used to the fact that we didn't beat people up, and we didn't molest small dogs and children, we had a really good relationship with the record company."

* US Tour Backstage Pass

Work was tough in the states.   Rose Tattoo played every night of the week, sometimes twice a night. The picked up part of the ZZ Top tour, which was great for them because they'd worked so well together in the tour across Europe. They also did a tour with a guitar player called Pat Travers, and then did a full tour with Aerosmith. They couldn't afford to take a single day off. They'd open for Aerosmith early, then go on to a pub on the other side of town and do a later gig.................

Rose Tattoo had two major problems in the States. The band just wasn't gelling the way it had in the past. There were some bitter internal conflicts between the members and management. A couple of the guys were really unsettled and unhappy about the way things were turning out. They were still convinced they should have consolidated their success by touring England and Europe for a second time, because they felt like they'd sort of hit America half-baked.

They weren't properly prepared for the US audiences, and their music wasn't packaged properly for the American promoters. Although they were getting rave reviews from their live gigs, the album wasn't getting any airplay. "It wasn't recorded in America, so it didn't sound like it was recorded in America," Angry says, "We were told that to get radio airplay we had to re-record the whole album. There just wasn't the time or money to do that. We were led to believe that if the record had an American sound, it would have got a lot more play, which would have meant a lot more sales and a lot more promotion for our spots on the tours. But, that didn't happen."

* The Tatts Live In Washington 1982

On stage, the band was having problems relating to the American style. The band was so rebellious and defiant, their reception on stage was always somewhat guarded. As Robbie says, "Obviously when they used to go on stage they got a reaction. You could always hear this expression of'oh'. It was this sort of group sigh, because most of the time they looked like they'd just been dragged out of graves. They were constantly pale and grey."

Angry's style as a front man also caused some problems with the American audience. He was too brash, and he wanted to say too much. Instead of just standing on stage saying, "Let's party", Angry always wanted to rant and rave between songs about the evils of the world. His approach suited the English audiences, but the American audiences found it too confronting. They didn't want to hear what he had to say, they just wanted to have a good time.

American Crowd Not Sure What To make Of Angry

There were even quite a few gigs where the band was booed off stage. Angry would hear the wisecracks of a heckler near the front of the audience, and in taking on one individual, would end up taking on the entire crowd. As the booing got louder and louder, he'd get angrier and angrier.
After gigs like that, the whole band would have to go somewhere quiet to try to settle down. Angry would have to sit alone trying to calm his rage before he could speak to anyone.

 Fat And Forty As Support For Gun's N Roses

In many respects the American tour was a disappointment, but it wasn't a complete disaster. Despite the problems, the boys kept up the appearance that things were terrific, so outsiders would never have known what was really going on. As Angry says, "To anyone else the band would have seemed supremely confident. Their perception of us was that we compared to the early Rolling Stones because we had the same stance. We were very brash, very arrogant...it was like 'You don't like this? Well, piss off' you know."
Some great things also came out of the tour. While the death knell might have been sounding for Rose Tattoo, another rock band was only just getting things together....Guns N' Roses, the band that later became the biggest rock act in the world. If it hadn't been for Angry and the boys touring the States, Guns N' Roses may never have formed.

In 1982, they were just a backyard band, performing under another name. They were nobody's, but they happened to be fans of Aerosmith, so one day they went along to one of the concerts. That's when Guns N' Roses first saw Rose Tattoo, and in their own words, they were never the same again. Later, when Guns N' Roses had achieved worldwide recognition, they freely admitted that Rose Tattoo was their inspiration. They even, to some extent, followed in the same tradition with their names...they matched the feminine rose with the masculine gun.

* US Tour T-Shirt

"They openly, gushingly credited us with their beginning, to the point where it's almost embarrassing," Angry says. "It took them a year or two to actually adopt our look and go out and get tattooed. Then they started to play like we played. I met them all when I was living in LA in 1989. They'd got word I was in town and they called and suggested we hang together for a while. They say that we were the spark that lit the fire that became Guns N' Roses. We were very flattered, and mightily pleased that we'd left our mark on the US."
[Taken from Angry: Scarred For Life p136-143]
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This post consists of FLACs taken from a taped FM Radio Broadcast of their Washington concert. Sound quality is excellent and vibrant and includes full artwork for various releases of this popular bootleg. A must for any Tatts collector. Many thanks to the rosetattoo fanpage for the US Tour Photos shown above*

Set List:
01. Introduction
02. Bad Boy For Love
03. Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw
04. We Can't Be Beaten
05. One Of The Boys
06. The Butcher & Fast Eddy
07. Juice On The Loose
08. Rock 'n' Roll Is King
09. Branded
10. Scarred For Life

The Tatts were:
Angry Anderson (Vocals)
Pete Wells (Slide Guitar)
Robin Riley (Guitar)
Georgie Leach (Bass)
Dallas 'Digger' Royall (Drums)



Rose Tattoo FLAC Link (342Mb)

Mike McClellan - Ask Any Dancer (1974)

(Australian 1966 - Current)
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Mike McClellan has long been regarded as one of the finest singer, songwriter, guitarists Australia has ever produced.  He's had three top 5 singles, recorded ten albums, of which two went gold, many songs covered internationally, hosted his own TV series on the ABC (Australia's national broadcaster) for four years and sold out concerts across Australia.  He's universally known as The Song and Danceman after the title of his biggest hit which was voted song of the year by the Australian Music industry in 1974.  It's an iconic song in his native Australia and has been covered many times around the world.

For 15 years he was the pre-eminent singer songwriter of his generation in Australia before retiring from the road to pursue a very successful career in advertising.  But in the last 5 years he has returned to writing and performing and, in the words of ABC 702 radio's Drive presenter Richard Glover, "just gets better and better."

When Song and Danceman was released in 1974 Mike McClellan was already an established performer on the acoustic music scene.  That song topped the charts bringing him national recognition and a following that has remained loyal to his highly personal brand of music for over 40 years.  For those who had already experienced his talent his first hit single did no more than reinforce what they already knew: that he was one of the best songwriters to emerge from this country in many years and among its most talented singer/guitarists.

He had began performing in the late 60’s and released his first album, titled simply Mike McClellan in 1972.  It was regarded as one of the most auspicious debut albums from any writer/singer of his era.  He toured extensively for the next 2 years playing the songs and previewing the material that would make up his breakthrough record.

His second album, Ask Any Dancer went Gold and Song and Danceman was voted Song of the Year at the Annual Music Industry Awards in February 1975.  He hit the cover of every magazine in the country and played concerts from Darwin to Tasmania.  It hardly needs repeating that Song and Danceman has become an Australian classic having been recorded many times, both here and overseas.

Tours with such performers as Roger Miller, Melanie, Dr. Hook, The Hollies and Leo Kottke expanded his audience even further and he earned rave reviews for his capacity to hold his own in the company of such internationally recognised stars.  That recognition took a giant leap forward when Rick Nelson recorded one of his most acclaimed songs, Rock’n Roll Lady, in 1975 and John Farnham covered Saturday Dance.
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Note: Mike McClellan was voted into the Australian Country Music Hands Hall of Fame in 1984, and  a picture of his hand print is shown below. To read more about this award, see The History Of Australian Country Music
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Mike McClellan - 1984

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my near mint condition LP that I purchased from the Essendon Secondhand Records Store some years ago. Full album artwork and label scans are included, but of course.  Points of interest on this LP are the who's who of Aussie Rock that play on this album, namely Doug Ashdown and Graham Lowndes on backing vocals, Tim Partridge on bass, Kerry Tolhurst on guitar and Russell Dunlop on drums.
I really like this album and it is hard to pick a favourite track as they are all fantastic, so I'm not going to try. Have a listen for yourself - you won't be disappointed.
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Track Listing
01. Song and Dance Man
02. Come Up To My Room
03. Me And Petunia

04. Rock ‘N’ Roll Lady
05. Catfish Ray
06. Traces
07. One Man Band
08. Another Grey Day
09. Sinking Ships
10. Sweet Rollin’ Man
11. One More Song
12. Saturday Dance
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Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, – Mike McClellan
Bass – Dave Ellis, Tim Partridge
Congas, Tambourine, Shaker, Washboard, Percussion – John Sangster
Drums – Doug Gallacher, Russell Dunlop
Electric Guitar – Mark Punch, Tim Piper

Harmony Vocals – Alison Mac Callum , Doug Ashdown, Graham Lowndes, Joy Mulligan, Norma Stoneman
Mandolin, Electric Guitar – Kerry Tolhurst
Piano – Tony Ansell
Piano Accordion – Enzo Toppano
Piano, Electric Piano, Harmonium – Tony Esterman
Soprano Saxophone, Arranged By [Strings & Brass] – Graham Lyall
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Mike McClellan FLACS Link (243Mb)
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REPOST: Boom Crash Opera - These Are Crazy Times (1989)

(Australian 1985 - present) 
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Originally a five-piece formed in Melbourne in 1985, Australian rock band Boom Crash Opera, like many bands before them, got their grounding from the pub rock circuit. The main guys in Boom Crash Opera had previously been in the band The Serious Young Insects. Their striking debut blended the muscular rock of "Listen Like Thieves" period of INXS with an almost English melodic richness not dissimilar to Tears for Fears. Power vocalist Dale Ryder was backed by trademark chant style vocals from the other band members, including group co-founders and writing partners guitarist/bassist Richard Pleasance and guitarist Peter Farnan (credited also as executive producers), alongside producer Alex Sadkin, who tragically died shortly after he finished working on the band's 1987 self-titled debut.

Keyboardist Greg O'Connor and drummer Peter Maslen completed the bands first lineup. After five hit singles at home, including the number one "Great Wall," another single, "Her Charity," did well in getting them noticed in the States, as did "Onion Skin" (a Top Ten rock chart hit) and "Talk About It" from the band's second LP, 'These Here Are Crazy Times'.
However, the hand of fate that helped bands such as INXS, Icehouse, and Midnight Oil find success abroad eluded Boom Crash Opera, and many critics argue that they deserved wider acclaim and recognition. Further misfortune would occur upon the departure (due to tinnitus) of Pleasance, as well as wrangles with their label.

They finally settled on BMG for their next album, 'Fabulous Beast', which marked the debut of Pleasance's replacement, Ian Tilley. Many more singles were notched up in Australia, culminating in a 1998 best-of appropriately titled 'Best Things', after which O'Connor left.
Pleasance went on to produce other artists such as Deborah Conway (Do Re Mi) and Noiseworks' Jon Stevens; he also worked with Suzanne Vega and Elvis Costello. Two Pleasance solo albums, 'Galleon' and 'Colourblind', were issued by John Farnham's Gotham Records. [ Extract from Kelvin Hayes, All Music Guide ]
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Album Review
From the opening percussive chaos of "Onion Skin" to the final reverberations of "Super Heroes", this album is a melodic and toe tapping treat. Some of the production is a bit shrill by today's standards, but there is just so much to like here. The butt swaying swing of "Dancing in the Storm" probably rivals the ecstacy laced joy of "The Best Thing" as best track on album, with "Get Out of the House" following closely for third place.
There is a reason why songs from 'These Here Are Crazy Times' dominate Boom Crash Opera's greatest hits album 'The Best Things' and that is quite simple, 1989 is when they topped the charts like never before and released their best songs.

Now, some of these songs do deserve to be left in the shadows. "Mountain Of Strength", for instance, is a dreadful tune, and while "Onion Skin" may be a fun little party number live, it wears very thin on the album within just a couple of listens. The album is much better off with such whimsical gimmickry skipped; "Where There's A Will" is a stronger place to begin a listen. And that leads me to the final point I want to make - there are plenty of solid songs here, perfectly enjoyable and satisfying to listen to; they are really just not on a par with "Dancing In The Storm". "Get Out Of The House", "The Best Thing" and "Talk About It" are however justification enough to venture into the shadows and give this LP a listen.
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The rip was taken from CD and has been posted in FLAC format for your pleasure. Also included is full album artwork and some choice photos of the band (mostly sourced from Boom Crash Opera's MySpace Page with thanks).
If you are interested in sourcing something different for Boom Crash Opera, then try the great megamix of their hits, put together by Tom Mix Oz Music
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UPDATE: This album has been reposted with an improved format and now includes additional bonus tracks taken from a 12" single (thanks to Mustang for supplying the single)
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Track Listing
01 - Onion Skin (3:28)
02 - Where There's A Will (3:59)
03 - The Best Thing (4:13)
04 - Piece Of The Pie (4:54)
05 - Forever (3:56)
06 - Get Out Of The House (3:18)
07 - Talk About It?! (4:02)
08 - End Up Where I Started (3:13)
09 - Dancing In The Storm (4:12)
10 - Mountain Of Strength (4:09)
11 - Axe To Grind (3:03)
12 - Super Heroes (4:43)
13 - Rocks Are In My Head (Bonus B-Side Single) (3:44)
14 - Onion Skin (Bonus Extended Mix) (5:06)
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Band Members:
Dale Ryder (Lead Vocals)
Greg O'Connor (keyboards/guitar)
Peter Farnan (guitar/bass/keyboards/vocals)
Richard Pleasance (guitar/bass/vocals)
Peter 'Maz' Maslen (drums/vocals)
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Boom Crash Opera FLAC Link (403Mb)

ACDC - Festival Hall Melbourne 1974-12-31 (FM broadcast) Bootleg

(Australian 1973-Present)
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It was in September 1974 when the legend that was Bon Scott joined the then still wet behind the ears AC/DC, formed the year before by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young in Sydney, Australia. Over the next five and a half years, Scott fronted the band and, in tandem with the Youngs, established the group as arguably the finest rock act in the world. Bon’s tragic passing in the early months of 1980 only served to strengthen AC/DC’s fan base and appeal and across the next 35 or so years (and counting!) with perennial new boy Brian Johnson having taken on Bon Scott’s role with both self-confidence and dignity, AC/DC have gone from strength to strength.

But the Bon Scott years remain those that most adherents of the group remember most fondly and it is with this in mind that one of his earliest shows with AC/DC is presented here.

The lead up to the Concert
In November 1974, Michael Browning, manager of the Hard Rock Cafe (Melbourne), became AC/DC's full time manager. Together they all moved into a house in Melbourne where there was apparent nightly debauchery. Nevertheless, though the band clearly knew how to party, especially with Bon now on board, they could also work hard and fast. Within ten days the group had recorded their first album, which they named High Voltage. This was undoubtedly influenced by the AC/DC name itself and was perhaps a discreet assertion that the name represented power and energy as opposed to sexual preferences. It also covered the base of the music, which was somewhat lo-fi, straight to the point good time rock n' roll with an added kick; the verve of youth and the unmistakable howl of Bon Scott.

George Young and Harry Vanda manned the controls behind the production desk whilst George played bass himself on some songs. Session musician Tony Currenti was enlisted to finish the drum parts as Peter Clack and John Proud had only played on one track each. The band now had a real record to stand behind and after a tour of South Australia finished the year off in style with a New Year's Eve gig at Festival Hall in Melbourne. By their own admission they would pretty much play in front of anyone, and often did. Every type of fan could be seen at an AC/DC show, from gays who assumed they were named for a different reason, to typical girl groupies and the standard male rockers - this was an act that could transcend boundaries. The High Voltage record was to set them well on their way down the road to glory. [extract from AC/DC - Two Sides To Every Glory, by Paul Stenning, Chrome Dreams Publishers, 2005. p49]

Thanks to heavy attention from the police, by the time AC/DC set up base in Melbourne the roaming hordes of Sharps had largely, though not entirely, died down; but a toughness of spirit and attitude in the city's audiences remained. Melbourne's character was what AC/DC were all about: Michael Browning was dead right.

Bon Scott showing his Scottish Heritage

Their reputation for high-energy performances preceded them thanks to a major New Year's Eve show at Melbourne's Festival Hall, and more notoriously, an incident at Prahran's Station Hotel, when Angus took exception to someone clearly unmoved by the band's performance.
Malcolm: 'Angus jumped out into the crowd and he ran up to this guy, grabbed his beer and poured it on his head. This guy had really fuzzy hair and it formed a puddle on top first and then slowly fucking rolled over his face. I thought, this guy's going to kill Angus! He didn't. He just sat there and took it. He felt so embarrassed. I thought at that time Angus had overdone it, but the place loved it. This guy that had the beer poured over his head became a bit of a cult hero!'

Browning's next move was to sign the band to a deal with agent Bill Joseph, who handled a number of major venues in Melbourne. A six-month contract with Joseph's Premier Artists agency provided each member with a wage of $60 a week, and covered the cost of their sound system and repairs to their tour bus, a huge beast of a thing formerly owned by Ansett Airlines.[extract from Ac/DC - Maximum Rock & Roll, by Murray Engleheart & Arnard Durieux, Harper Collins Publishers, 2006. p98]
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The Concert
Festival Hall Melbourne 1974-12-31 FM Broadcast (Radio 2SM)
The date seems to be correct according to here.
Set list: 1. She's Got Balls 2. Soul Stripper 3. Show Business 4. Can I Sit Next to You Girl? 5. Baby Please Don't Go 
Event line up for the evening: AC/DC Kush Hush Debbie Byrne
AC/DC's Line up : Singer: Bon Scott Lead Guitar: Angus Young Rhythm Guitar: Malcolm Young Bass Guitar: Rob Bailey Drums: Peter Clack

It is so weird hearing the "Dave Evans" arrangement of Can I Sit Next To You Girl with Bon's voice.
Notice that Malcolm alternates solos with his Brother during Soul Stripper and Show Business. It also happened in their Launceston boot, but in this one (Melbourne) we can hear it more clearly. In the BBC boot (1976), we realize that Malcolm has already left his guitar solo roll.
Pretty weird drumming on the songs, but interesting to hear Mal and Angus trading solos on Soul Stripper, otherwise no great shakes.

This was the first AC/DC show where religious picketers were handing out pamphlets about the devil and rock music, and some people gave them a real hard time. Very brave in deed ! This is definitely a show for all AC/DC diehards to have in their collection.
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This post consists of FLACs taken from a tape recording of the soundboard recording made by Radio 2SM and includes full album artwork made by DCE Bootleg Productions. Also released under the title of 'Down Under 74' (see left) and 'Soul Strippers' (see below). Sound quality is excellent!
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Set List:

1. She's Got Balls
2. Soul Stripper
3. Show Business
4. Can I Sit Next to You Girl?
5. Baby Please Don't Go
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Vocals: Bon Scott
Lead Guitar: Angus Young
Rhythm Guitar: Malcolm Young
Bass Guitar: Rob Bailey
Drums: Peter Clack
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AC/DC Live At Festival Hall FLACs (150Mb)

The Stockings - Red Tango (1981) + Bonus 12" EP

(Australian 1979 - '82)
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Hailing from Australia's left coast, this Perth combo indulged in driving, albeit straitlaced power pop/wave without resorting to any obvious gimmicks, not unlike contemporary country-mates the Serious Young Insects.
This Perth New wave band started life in Early '79 as "Rip Torn & The Stockings". Rip Torn being singer Bernie Lynch who left in 1980 to form "Living Single" who then became Eurogliders.

"Street Talking" was on their 1979 debut 12" EP release on the Sweetcorn label, as well as a self-titled 12" EP on Rough Diamond the following year. Not sure if they're the same recording but this would be from the latter record. The band is possibly best known for featuring Bernie Lynch on lead vocals and writing credits for the first couple of years. The rhythm guitarist (Frank - not his real name) went on to play in the Chantoozies. Bernie Lynch wrote "Street Talking" and the Eurogliders used to perform it in their live sets back in the early days in Perth. Their drummer at the time was John Bennetts, who also ended up in the Eurogliders.

In Grace Knight's book 'Pink Suit for a Blue Day", she talks about meeting Bernie Lynch at a BBQ, where they hit off immediately. "He was absolutely charming, obviously well educated, well brought up and with a nose that stopped passers by....he was in a band called Rip Torn and the Stockings. In Perth back then it was very difficult to get gigs unless you performed covers of popular tunes, the audiences preferred to hear
music they knew, and so The Stockings would perform songs by Ian Dury and the Blockheads and Graeme Parker, along with some of Bernie's songs.[Chapter 5, New Holland Publishers, 2010] 

Members of The Stockings went on to form The Eurogliders, who had a string of power pop hits in the 80s and 90s, one of Perth’s biggest exports. The Stockings are much more in the tradition of down beat Australian pub rock, Australian Crawl, Mondo Rock and similar acts.


In 1981, The Stockings (now dropping Rip Torn from their name) released their debut album, Red Tango. The title track, which opens this thing up, is less than substantive, but once it passes, Red Tango is predominantly if not completely good news.
In addition to the aforementioned "(She's a) Devil," "Good Luck,""Boy Girl," and "Limbo" persuade me just as much.

(She's A ) Devil Single

I'm detecting negligible traces of XTC and Joe Jackson among others, but you might think differently.  An EP and some singles surrounded Red Tango, but it appears the album's track list overlaps heavily with no non-album B-Sides.
Note that James Black (from another Perth band - Rum Jungle) played keyboards on the album, while Wilbur Wilde (from OL'55) features on Sax.  David Briggs (Little River Band) also produced this debut album.
The group eventually disbanded in 1982 with band members finding musical interests elsewhere. 

Limbo EP

The Stocking Recordings
Stockings EP (5 track 12") - Dada Records MX 191725 (1980) with Bernie Lynch
She's A Devil / Tiny Voices 7" - The Stockings ( Astor Aust 1980 ) with Bernie Lynch
Good Luck / Make You Cry 7"- Rough Diamond RDS 3502 (1981)
Red Tango LP - Rough Diamond RDL 8801 (1981)
Limbo / Boy Girls 7" - Rough Diamond RDS 3508 (1982)
Limbo EP (5 track 12") - Rough Diamond RDM 8803 (1982)
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This post consists of FLACs ripped from an almost mint copy of this rare early 80's album. Also included is full album artwork along with label scans, plus a bonus track "Street Talking" which was ripped from a Countdown performance(also included). If anyone has their first 12" EP and would love to hear from you, as I would love to be able to post this ultra rare EP as well (see pictured below).
UPDATE: Thanks to the generosity of the blog follower 'Amacau' I am now able to make The Stockings hard to find, debut 12' E.P available for everyone (pictured below in yellow). Thanks for the share mate.
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Track Listing

01 - Red Tango
02 - Limbo
03 - This Girl That Girl
04 - Make You Cry
05 - Mercy Man
06 - Good Luck
07 - Boy Girls
08 - Tiny Voices
09 - Relief
10 - (She's A) Devil
11 - On My Knees
12- Street Talking (Bonus 12inch Single)
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Band Members (1981):
Pierre Corsage AKA Frank Lee (Rythmn guitar, vocals)
Bob "Boris" Garter AKA Bob Fallovic (Lead guitar, vocals)
Lon Gerae (Bass, vocals)John Johnson AKA Fred A'Snare AKA John Bennetts (Drums)
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The Stockings FLACs (266Mb)

The Stockings 12' E.P  FLACs ( 117Mb)
New Link 16/11/2024