Babes in Toyland have a history of turning perceptions on their
head. Kicking off their career in 1990, their earliest recordings hinted
that BABE'S infernal rage was not just something that would flame brightly
and briefly, but that their songwriting powers and uncanny delivery had
unlimited scope. Now comes their finest recording to date, 'Nemesisters',
an album which present many facets of the BABES' collective personalities
that haven't so clearly been heard on their records before. BABES IN TOYLAND
have burned contemporary music with the fierce stamp of their own individuality,
making beautiful, raw, honest music that has often been imitated but never
bettered. If you didn't see the BABES on their first Australian jaunt don't
miss them at LIVID. They are the originators: the sweetest kittens with
the sharpest claws.
Rollins band - from Rollins himself. "...1993 found us with
a new bass player - the only lineup change we've experienced since the bands
formation in the Spring of '87. His name is Melvin Gibbs. Recording the
new album 'Weight': we were looking for something different than the normal
studio setting. To us the studio was never conducive to playing well. Besides
all of the work I put into the band I did some things on my own that might
be of interest. l I did a video with Iggy Pop for his song 'Wild America'.
Started a music publishing company called 'Human Pitbull'. I shot a movie
with Charlie Sheen called 'The Chase'. I finished up a book I had been working
on for years about Black Flag. For 1995 it will be touring..." Rollins
band are touring Australia now for the fifth time.
Morphine - Having barely cooled their heels after their first
Australian visit, MORPHINE are at Livid. Hot on the trail of their third
album 'Yes', it's only been five years since Boston's MORPHINE first rumbled
up from the netherworld and literally took the guitar out of rock. With
just bass, drums and saxophone, this unlikely power trio has become an international
phenomenon, playing for sold-out crowds in both clubs and on festival stages
around the world in support of their surprise hit album 'Cure For Pain'.
Consisting of Mark Sandman on two-string slide bass and vocals, Dana Colley
on baritone saxophone, and drummer Billy Conway, the band began as a light-hearted
experiment in darkness. With burgeoning worldwide recognition, Rolling Stone
magazine helped seal the skeptics opinion's by saying that MORPHINE was
'1994's biggest underground pop success'. Now in '95 MORPHINE's rich and
seductive sounds stand ready to engulf the collective unconscious of waiting
world.
Paw - Laurence, Kansas' wayward sons have all that - and the
result is 'Death To Traitors' an awesome follow-up to their first fist -
in - your - face debut 'Dragline'. you probably remember 'Jessie', the rad
tragic tale of a dog called, you guessed it, Jessie - a song that won the
hearts of all who heard it on the radio. But PAW isn't just a band, it's
a way of life and if you look in the right places around Laurence, changes
are you'll find them together. They've been like this since 1990 when the
brothers Fitch (Grant - guitars, Peter - drums) emigrated from Chicago and
hooked up with Hennessy (vocals) who'd moved from Laurence from Kansas City.
Their new and second album 'Death To Traitors' is colourful, top - heavy
rock with the high rev of punk and modern energy. It's too down to earth
to be hyped, too good to be dismissed. Don't miss PAW at LIVID on their
first ever visit to Australia.
Jello Biafra - One of Livid's major drawcards, JELLO BIAFRA has
a history that proceeds him. In the late 70's he joined with Klaus Flouride
(bass), East Bay Ray (guitar), 6025 (guitar) and Ted (drums) to form the
Dead Kennedys - the band that refined the alienation of California's music
subculture, giving it a politicised edge. In the ensuing years the Dead
Kennedys released five albums - each one a kind of punk State of the Union
address. In '82 JELLO formed the 'Alternative Tentacles' label which, by
late last year, had released 154 recordings by names such as Nomeansno and
The Butthole Surfers. BIAFRA's aesthetic has been evolving for some time.
Musically he has collaborated with the likes of Ministry's Al Jorgenson
and his attention has been increasingly taken up by his spoken word performances,
documented on four multi CD releases. BIAFRA says he now rejects the tour-record-tour
pattern of music as a job which makes this, his second visit to Australia,
even more of a treat. Don't miss JELLO BIAFRA in a rare, special appearance
at LIVID where he'll take some time to discuss punk rock - past and present.
Nomeansmo - The exciting quartet the rest of the world calls
NOMEANSNO was formed in 1981 in Victoria, British Columbia. The original
line-up remains intact to this day, consisting of brothers Rob and John
Wright, Craig Bougie, Dean Rusk and France Preseven. From the word go discerning
punters gaped with slack-jawed adulation while NOMEANSNO grew from strength
to strength, thanks mainly to relentless touring and their most uncompromising
power stance. In 1995-1996 the bank will play stadiums and concert halls
across the globe, fitting in a return trip to Australia (their second) to
play LIVID, where they'll showcase the new mega selling album 'The Worldhood
of The World As Such'.
Alex Chilton - After over twenty five year of of critically acclaimed
releases as a solo artist and lead singer/songwriter of Big Star, as well
as the front man for the hit blu-eyed soul pop bank The Box Tops, Alex Shilton
is back with the best album of his solo career, titled 'A Man Called Destruction'.
Produced by Chilton and engineered by Jeff Powell (Afghan Whigs, Primal
Scream), the new album digs deeper into earthly road house blues, raw rock
'n' roll and gritty R&B than anything he has previously recorded. Cited
as a profound musical influence from everyone to the Posies and Jeff Buckley,
Ales Chilton never went away but has quietly gone on to record some of the
most celebrated organic performance based albums of our time. 'I am of the
belief that you can just take musicians in the studio and let them do what
they want to do, and if you don't be-labour the point, they are generally
going to do something good the first or second time through", Chilton
remarks. "I thin we pretty much achieved it overall".