As we got to the door, it was going to be a case of bad luck for many, for at 8.45pm all tickets were sold and it was a full house. “To do a song like that you can’t just approach it as a boast, you have to be a bit self-deprecating. Love to you and everything Blank does for local music!

“We weren’t a band on their third album struggling to find material, it was like, ‘what you got? The slow bluesy track illustrated Jones’ black humour about his fast-approaching mortality and his knack for observation in the lyrics, “There’s a clean waiting room, there’s a sense of pending doom, at the hospital.” Salmon says it was fairly obvious to everyone that At The Hospital would be Jones’ farewell. The Beasts Of Bourbon could be an notoriously volatile band. “Spencer made it onto that one track and directed it and played acoustic guitar on it,” he says. There was no promise that anything would be achieved other than a welcome catch up over beers and war stories. Soon the ideas flowed from various members – Perkins, Kim Salmon, Charlie Owen, Boris Sujdovi and Tony Pola –  and the end result was Still Here, the band’s first studio album since 2007’s Little Animals. Copyright Blank Gold Coast 2014. We’re very happy for him to have made it on there.”.

Salmon’s Pearls Before Swine was also finally recorded after it was initially written for The Beasts Of Bourbon years ago to poke fun at the band’s supposed bad boy image, with the lyrics, “They like to call me the magnate of decadence and depravity/But shit has me drowned because I’m just a magnet and it works like gravity.”.

An old Hooper solo song What The Hell Was I Thinking was also re-recorded for the album as a tribute. Ploog also drummed for Beasts of Bourbon in 1983, Damien Lovelock in 1988 and with fellow The Church member Peter Koppes in 1991 for an album and tour. It’s one thing you get with age.” The Beasts release Still Here next Friday and will perform at Newcastle’s Cambridge Hotel on March 9. https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/E9srhG6YCw3ZDt9UDADP4R/a7041131-9051-401f-96c8-9ccdfe562e32.jpg/r0_132_3543_2134_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg, Totty's punk success a result of steel city energy, How the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach kick-started The Soul Movers' soulful recording experience, Divinyls Australian tour cancelled due to “unforeseen circumstances”, Door open to New Zealanders this month in first stage of travel bubble, Premier confident of government's legal position ahead of port trial, Inside this stunning, million-dollar Crebert Street home that's set a new sale record for Mayfield, What's On: Your guide to the October long weekend, Plans for the new John Hunter Hospital building unveiled, Dog chases cat up telegraph pole, as Sniper gets shot at freedom. It’s not that anyone is easier to get along with, it’s we’ve all learnt to accommodate more.” Salmon, who also fronts post-punk stalwarts The Scientists, can even see The Beasts recording more albums and continuing to tour beyond their upcoming run of dates. Playing the James Baker-written ‘Drunk on a Train’, he paid homage to the former Beasts of Bourbon and Hoodoo Gurus drummer, and remarked, “That is a hit record, one of you kids out there need to record that, we are too old to make it a hit”. Most there knew every song. We were brimming with inspiration, ideas and energy.” Read more: How the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach kick-started The Soul Movers' soulful recording experience The show-stopping moment of Still Here is undoubtedly Jones’ final song, At The Hospital. Alright let’s do this’. As far as our reviewer is aware Spencer did write or co-write the songs he mentioned. Aside from drumming, Ploog also contributed song writing to The Church's releases. But it was as if the black clouds hovering over the bunch of old friends revitalised and refocused the infamously ferocious hard rockers. “It’s up to everyone to be who they are. They finished the set before the encore with the Axemans Jazz classic ‘Dropout’, and it was almost like Tex didn’t want to leave the stage. Salmon says it was fairly obvious to everyone that At The Hospital would be Jones’ farewell. The passing of Beasts of Bourbon members Spencer P. Jones and Brian Hooper hit the Australian music community hard in 2018. They came back and did a four song encore, and finished with the Spencer P Jones classic, ‘Execution Day’. “To do a song like that you can’t just approach it as a boast, you have to be a bit self-deprecating.

They rocked, and the audience loved them. Lead singer, songwriter, and also founding member of the Beasts of Bourbon Spencer P Jones, had left this mortal coil, but Hoody, Slim, and Billy Pommer Junior were out there on stage, and although Spencer was missing, he was there through the tunes he had penned: ‘Slip Slap Fishin’’, ‘There’s Gonna Be a Showdown’, ‘Elvisley Yours’, ‘Bleeding Heart’, and crowd favourite ‘Mountain Man’ to finish. “I can understand how to get everyone involved and make stuff happen. The Beasts of Bourbon pose for a group portrait in 2007. [3] He also became involved in various side projects. Please note: All comments made or shown here are bound by the An original member of Beasts of Bourbon and early-80s favourites the Johnnys, Jones will perform a solo set and then hook up with Salmon to perform songs from their 2013 collaboration album Runaways. The night began with a big lineup outside the venue, of those who had not bought tickets to this much-anticipated gig.

Drummer James Baker contributed Drunk On A Train, Sujdovic offered Don’t Pull Me Over and Perkins wrote On My Back and Just Let Go.

[2], Ploog has also drummed for The Wigmen, The Deadly Hume, Funkicide,[1] and The Sleep-ins.[6]. Read more: Totty's punk success a result of steel city energy The session began initially as a Beasts Of Bourbon reunion. “There had to be some energy there for it to just happen,” Salmon says.  “We weren’t a band on their third album struggling to find material, it was like, ‘what you got? VISCERAL: The Beasts Of Bourbon in their hard-rocking prime. “There had to be some energy there for it to just happen,” Salmon says. In April the band released their debut album, Of Skins and Heart and the associated single, "The Unguarded Moment", which had been recorded late the previous year with Ward. [1][2] On early record covers of The Church, Ploog was incorrectly credited with all the drumming—Ward is not listed. WHEN frontman Tex Perkins corralled all the members of The Beasts of Bourbon’s various incarnations together at Melbourne’s Soundpark Studio last winter there was a sense of urgency in the air. Salmon, who also fronts post-punk stalwarts The Scientists, can even see The Beasts recording more albums and continuing to tour beyond their upcoming run of dates. I have not seen those rocking cowpunks for near on 35 years.

When Of Skins and Heart was released internationally (Carrere for Europe, Capitol for North America) it was re-titled as The Church with "Tear It All Away" replacing original track "Fighter Pilot...Korean War". He is also a member of Groom Epoch. Playing the James Baker-written ‘Drunk on a Train’, he paid homage to the former Beasts of Bourbon and Hoodoo Gurus drummer, and remarked, “That is a hit record, one of you kids out there need to record that, we are too old to make it a hit”. Ploog also drummed for Beasts of Bourbon in 1983, Damien Lovelock in 1988 and with fellow The Church member Peter Koppes in 1991 for an album and tour. Ploog joined The Church member Peter Koppes' group The Well to tour and record From the Well (1990) and Iridescence (1991). Website designed and managed by, The Beasts + The Johnnys: Live gallery and review | The Triffid | Saturday 2 March 2019, The Good Band does Hot August Night at HOTA, Festival of Small Halls announces Shellie Morris, Hussy Hicks on Spring Tour, New Music Premiere: We All Drive shake things up with ‘State of Emergency’, Top songwriters to craft new hits at Gold Coast SongHubs, New Music Premiere: TYDE rushes in with ‘Skin on Skin’, Live review: Homecoming | BBQ Bazaar | Saturday 26 September 2020, Machine Club + Super Massive + My Fiction: Live Gallery | Mo’s Desert Clubhouse | Friday 25 September 2020, Gold Coast get its first ever weekday farmers market, 10 Pawsome Dog-Friendly Cafes on the Gold Coast, Bluesfest 2021: The Church, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Living End lead third artist announcement, The Hive art gallery buzzes into Burleigh, New Music premiere: Thee End Less | Back to the Canyon, New Music: Tesla Cøils return with ‘The Party’. [5], Ploog left The Church after recording their seventh album, Gold Afternoon Fix which was released in February 1990.

What is obvious, however, is The Beasts have lost none of The Beasts Of Bourbon’s trademark rock’n’roll growl in what is a fitting tribute to Hooper and Jones. “It’s up to everyone to be who they are. CARRYING ON: The Beasts' album Still Here pays tribute to former members Brian Hooper and Spencer P. Jones, who died last year. As soon as we got through the door the support, The Johnnys hit the stage. “I’m so happy about that because I always thought it was a theme song for the band and that was my intention to write one, even though I’d left,” Salmon says. However, after Jones died in August the decision was made to drop “Of Bourbon” and simply call the band The Beasts. “It’s easy enough to interpret it the wrong way, but I talked them through it and now it’s bit of a favourite, so I’m very happy about that.” Read more: Divinyls Australian tour cancelled due to “unforeseen circumstances” The Beasts were so impressed with Still Here they’ve decided to reform and tour the new material and their greatest hits. Tex was in fine form, and the crowd was lapping it up. Photograph: Martin Philbey/Redferns Born in Te Awamutu, New Zealand in 1956, Jones arrived in Sydney in 1976. A five star night. “It’ll probably happen,” he says. “There’s a good chance. I can see a way of it working. The Beasts Of Bourbon could be an notoriously volatile band. Asked if everyone within the band had mellowed, Salmon says with a laugh: “We’ve perhaps all learnt to give each other space.