This September and October is being celebrated by Not Ok. A punk band originating in New Zealand but we now get to claim them as our own. Just finishing up a tour with Horace Pinker (USA) they are ready to step up to claim their rightful position as Renegades first punk band to hold the cover position. We love these guys and wish for you to all take them in and listen to everything they have to say whether it is in their lyrics, over a beer at the pub or in their very own words published within our pages. For more information on Not Ok check out their myspace http://www.myspace.com/notokband

Other bands featured in the fifth edition are: The Ramshackle Army, Manic Pistoleros and The Meaniacs.

We also have features on Blood Sweat and Beers, Hardcore 2010, Barons of Tang, The Tearaways, Necromantix, Conversations with Punk – A spiritual dialouge, GBH’s upcoming tour, Pink Eye Tour and many many more.

As for where you can buy Renegades Empire this time around. We have made a few changes. Bored of supporting newsagents and have them steal all our money we’ve decided to change our distribution of the magazine. The best place to buy the new edition (and all past editions for half price) is right here but apart from that stay tuned and we’ll let you know which shops will be stocking Renegades Empire in your cities. It’s time we got to those independent record stores and buy the CD or magazine believe it or not these are the people who are keeping the gigs alive and bringing Aussie music to everyone.

A complete list of places will be available in the next couple of days but if you just can’t wait that long you can buy it online now here

Until next time Renegades

In the week leading up to Revolution Rock in Sydney we had a chat to event organisers Basil and Evan. Here is what they had to say…

1. What brought about the decision to put on Revolution Rock originally?

Basil: As a massive fan of both The Clash and Joe Strummer it made perfect sense to do such an event…I guess the catalyst was a few years after his death I was seeing lots of tribute nights and simply couldn’t believe no-one in Sydney had done one for Joe.

Evan: Baz had mentioned the idea of doing something in Sydney. A lot of people world wide were affected by Joe and his music. So when he passed away people felt compelled to do something. At a rather enthusiastic Bronx concert we started getting serious about the idea. The next day we started putting it together and the rest is history.

2. Are you both fans of Strummer? How has his life and legacy impacted your life?

Evan: Joe Strummer was always making new music as he went on. He never lost his passion or faded away and if anything got better with age. Also, there was also a very human side to Joe in which you saw the highs and low and you could see a real person behind the performer. I always liked his honesty and rather a musician who can be honest and somewhat real than one merely writing a polished bio about how honest and real they are.

Basil: Sure are! The way the guy lived his life everybody should aspire too, he would talk to anybody about anything anytime. He stuck up for the little guy, he had a heart of gold and made amazing music to boot! It is truly amazing to see his legacy live on all over the world and it truly is a testament to what he did when he was alive to impact people’s lives.

Evan: Also in terms his influence in doing these events, I think his DIY approach helped push a couple of guys who were a bit new to putting on shows to pull their resources together and give it a go.

Also his world music sensibilities helped make us look at different styles of bands for these shows. It was important to make it inclusive to all people and musics and not just be about mohawks and three chords.

3. How has previous Revolution Rock’s gone, and what have been some of the highlights for you over the years?

Basil: Every year we are amazed and every year is a highlight…in 2009 we took a gamble and put a completely unknown band on to headline the event (King Cannons) and the gig sold out within half an hour of doors opening! Which goes to show, it is not just the substance of the bands but the idea of the night that brings the punters in.

Evan: Whilst the bands and the music are always amazing, it’s a highlight to meet people from different places, ages and walks of life and see how passionate they are for Joe Strummer. Meeting a guy who’s twice your age who can tell you about seeing the Clash and how it affected him, hits home. I think over time these events have become about the people at the shows and the thing that binds them and that has formed a community in itself.

4. What is the selection process for the bands you choose to play Revolution Rock? Who is playing this year and any insights into what Strummer tributes they will be playing?

Basil: We just want bands that “get” Joe Strummer and The Clash. Not bands that want to be there for fame or money (after all it is a charity event), but bands that genuinely love to play music and genuinely want to pay their own tribute to the great Joe Strummer.

Evan: It’s usually the bands who have that genuine love and excitement for Joe always make the best bands. The bands who are watching the first band till last or who will talk about how stoked they are to play the show are the ones who always give the music the proper respect and connect with the crowd.

Basil: This year we have playing The Domnicks from WA which features Nick Sheppard who at one point in his life was actually a member of The Clash! We also have The Rumjacks, The City Lights, Madonna and The Tearaways, couldn’t hope for a better line-up! I hear one band is doing White Riot this year, which is a first for Revolution Rock, believe it or not!

5. Tell us about Strummerville and why should people support the charity? How can people support it if they can’t get to the gig?

Basil: Strummerville is an amazing charity which was set up by Joe’s family and friends following his passing in 2002. It provides facilities and resources to young bands that perhaps otherwise wouldn’t have access to these facilities. It also provides mentoring for the bands, and who knows maybe one day the next big thing could come straight out of Strummerville!

Evan: I think people who are into Joe’s music are also into new music’s and diverse forms of creativity. So getting behind Strummerville is essentially helping support the very music and ideas we all care about. Back in the 70’s Joe Strummer had Tymon Dogg to help him learn his chops and get his start and now in 2010 kids now haves Strummerville to help them out.

Also Strummerville have always backed this event 100% and have given it great support.

Basil + Evan: If people cant get to the show on Saturday at the Annandale or the Birmy on the 4th of September in Melbourne they can donate online or buy some merch at www.strummerville.com You can also do things like organize a benefit and spread the word and let people know of their work.

6. The night has only been held in Sydney the last couple of year, what influenced your choice to take it to Melbourne as well this year?

Basil: Every year we get bigger and bigger and we always wanted to expand to other states as there is a lot of interest from bands and fans in those states. One guy and his wife flew over last year to Sydney from Adelaide just for our Sydney show! So we really want to take this to the other states and spread the love so-to-speak. Next year – Perth!

7. What can we expect for this weekend’s Revolution Rock in Sydney?

Basil: You can expect 5 of the best bands in this country all playing dedications to Joe Strummer and The Clash in their own way and style…it really is something for all ages (over 18 of course!) as we have young punks every year and then old rockers, and people that attend the events love getting together with like-minded fans and dancing their arses off!

Evan: Five great bands, a lot of good vibes and Baz’s long awaited return to the stage (the sleeping giant has awoken)

8. What’s next for you guys?

Basil + Evan: After the post show nap, we’re launching a small music label called Paperbag Music which will be a host to bands, shows and a distro for a variety of great bands and hope to continue helping up and coming bands get out there for all the world to see. Also bunch of new shows on the boil and the sad realization that we’ve gotta wait till 2011 to do another Strummer show.

9. Last words?

We just wanted to give a quick thanks to everyone who has made the pilgrimage from near and far every year to this event. Also to all the bands who give their time and do great performances each year. Finally everyone who’s supported us over the years by posting something online, telling a friend about the show or just letting us know how much they enjoyed the gig.

The show just isn’t about bands or hearing Clash songs but a community of people coming together and sharing their enthusiasm and love for music and for Joe. They’re the heart of this event.

Cheers!

Revolution Rock Comp

Renegades Empire has a double pass to give away to the Sydney Revolution Rock at The Annandale this Saturday night.

To win simply read the interview with event organisers Basil and Evan and tell us what Strumnmer song a band will be playing that surprisingly is yet to be played at any previous Revolution Rock nights.

Click here for more info

Graveyard Train

www.myspace.com/graveyardtrain3051

We met our cover band for our 4^th edition when enjoying the splendors that the Tamworth Country Music Festival had to offer earlier this year. Like many other bands before them they were braving the sweltering heat to entertain the crowds on Peel Street with 4 other bands all from Melbourne under the collective name of the Gut Rot Tour ( I presume it was called this in honor of the copious amounts of beer and crappy food they had). They intrigued us and we haven’t been able to get them out of our heads since. The band label themselves as horror country something that makes every person I talk to laugh but I believe it adequately describes their sound and image. Graveyard Train sing songs of ghosts, murder, scarecrows and bone yards and they do it all with a cheeky grin, a washboard and a hammer and chain.

We tricked the boys into being a part of the magazine. They gave us a wonderful interview with facts about how they started and where they are going next which we twisted into a shockingly true* story about the bands true night time antics. It’s a funny/scary read that the whole family can enjoy. After lead singer Nick read the finish result he said: “you are strange strange people. but that’s a compliment Awesome – definitely covered the myth and nonsense of Graveyard Train in fine fashion. I’m not sure whether i want to give my mum a copy or not…”

Graveyard Train have just released their new album at a sold out launch show before packing up to tour the world (well Europe anyways) so give the boys a bit of cash when they return from their journeys and buy their new album it’ll be the best thing you have done since last Monday you can buy it here: http://www.spookyrecords.com/

*not at all true but we did read between the lines

NEXT GIGS:

25^th September @ Wave Rock Weekender; Hyden, WA

1^st & 2^nd of October @ Chopped Festival; Newstead, VIC

The Go-Go Haunters

www.myspace.com/thegogohaunters

A last minute band to jump on the 4^th edition bandwagon. We found these guys on a desperate Thursday night 3 days out from going to print after a band we originally had lined up couldn’t get their act together. I feel like everything worked out the way it was meant to though because coming across The Go-Go Haunters is one of the best things that has happened around here.

The hauntingly beautiful Go-Go Haunters hailing from the sunny Gold Coast are new to the world of music. They have a creepy edge on most other bands and are intriguing to the very end. Their HorrorPops style sound keeps me coming back to their Myspace to listen and wait expectantly for more tunes. In a world where good and evil fight for the upper-hand The Go-Go Haunters prevail.

During the interview they wished us all “unpleasant dreams and frightful screams”

P.S. They are after a new bassist so if you think you could play the roll get in contact with them.

Also our major stuff up meant we printed their photographers names on the wrong images and I feel real bad because they are really good people and exceptionally good photographers you can check out and support their work here:

Harmony Nicholas:

http://dalaiharma.carbonmade.com/

Harmony Nicholas Facebook Page

Ben Nichols:

http://bigfry.tumblr.com/

Ben Nichols Facebook page

NEXT GIGS:

25^th September @ Toddfest 2010, The Jubilee, QLD

30^th October @ All Hallows Eve, Brisbane

5^th November @ Enigma Bar ALL AGES, Adelaide

6^th November @ Adelaide

25^th & 26^th March @ Taree Rockabilly/Psychobilly/Hotrod Festival, Taree, NSW

Marching Orders

www.myspace.com/marchingorders

Our feature punk band for this edition is prettier than most. We didn’t choose them because of this. The real reason we were sold on them being in the magazine is because their song Brothers In Arms got stuck in my head one day on a random ’search for a new band’ day and Faith asked what it was I continued to sing (admittedly it must have been annoying because I only new one line in the chorus) and so I showed her and we decided then and there that these guys needed to be a part of our magazine.

What I got out of this interview was that all of the Marching Order men were playing in other bands. I hear people complain about how hard it is to manage one band let along two or three like some of these guys. But to me I just saw a complete dedication to music and in particularly OI punk music. They must really love it.

You can buy their latest at http://www.interpunk.com/

Jack Flash

www.myspace.com/jackflashband

Jack Flash are one of the first bands to hit us up way back when (earlier this year) and their brand of celtic folk punk reeled us in. We’ve heard people talk of them prior to the interview and since and they are always described as such nice guys. It’s very true.

Jack Flash are currently in the studio recording an album that has Renegades HQ a-buzzin’. Jack Flash are a great folk band with a mix of mando, banjo, fiddle, tin whistle and all the usuals and my favorite a lagerphone. LEGENDS!

Towoomba based and playing gigs in Brissy usually I’m writing this blog mainly so they will read it and organise a tour down to NSW. C’mon boys don’t disappoint us, we wanna see you play!!

Until the rest of us can experience Jack Flash we can stay glued to our computer screens like the nerds we are and get excited about every bit of Jack Flash news that comes our way.

NEXT GIGS:

4^th September @ Rosies, Brisbane, QLD

8^th October @ All Ages BAM Festival, Peak Crossing, QLD

Kujo Kings

www.myspace.com/thekujokings

We’ve done a few interviews in the last 8 months and none have been as funny as the one we did with Kujo Kings. A ska band 6 members strong are babies among the bands they play with such as The Loonee Tunes & The Resignators but these guys hold their own!

Just a sample of what the article holds:

Three words to describe your band?

Hughie: Ridiculous, Insane, Insanulous!

Byrnezy: Best Band Ever

Wes: About a 7

Josh: Untalented ‘Suburban Rhythm’

Luke: A sexy party…

Beth: …for ya earhole!!!

Whitty and charismatic these kids will dish up their brand of ska music for the world.

NEXT GIGS:

21^st August @ Rude Boy Rumble 2 Cherrybar, Melbourne

19^th September @ Last Band Standing Semi Final, Melbourne

Also featured in Edition # 4

The ramblings of Glen Smyth of  Dizzybeat Network

A plug for up-coming gig Revolution Rock – A Joe Strummer Tribute Night

A chat with The Vibrators before their Australian Tour

A great gig review and photos on CHOPDOGS Ska Weekender

An interesting interview with Mariachi Punk band calling Melbourne home – Puta Madre Brothers who says “Our goal in life is to end in the end”

Meet and greet with Saturdays Army (www.myspace.com/saturdaysarmy) Adelaide underage rockabilly band

An introduction to Missing Link Digital Media for more info on that visit www.missinglink.net.au for quality Australian music that doesn’t rip anyone off.

I hope you’ve found some new bands to consume your weekends with.

We have a new and improved website giving you more information about punk music in Australia then you ever wanted to know. We’ll be updating gigs weekly and adding photos as we get them.
We also have a bunch of new competitions coming in each week so you can win really cool stuff by only jumping through a few hoops!

Also all of our past editions plus the current edition featuring Graveyard Train are all half price ($5) so buy them all.

I hate the Australian Customs people. It is because of their horrible mistakes and poor judgment that our fourth edition was late hitting news agencies and we couldn’t send it out to you guys on time. To make up for it and because we are in a good mood today I’m saying for the remainder of this month ALL our magazines including our brand new one (which we only picked up this morning and we had to wear horrible hi-vis gear which wasn’t attractive at all) will be only $5 plus postage.

Buy it. Read it. Buy one for ya mum – make her read it.

For those who have already purchased the new issue I’m chucking in something free for you so lucky you. And for those on subscriptions you’ll be looked after in the next couple of weeks with lots of free stuff coming your way when we launch our new members section of Renegades Empire.

Stay safe.

Here’s a fun game to play in between sets at gigs.

Sit somewhere where their is a steady flow of traffic through the bar and smile at everyone who walks past. People will either think your completely crazy or they’ll come talk to you and volia you’ve made a new friend.

Be smiling at you all soon.

Renegades

P.S. Buy our new magazine online and in newsagencies now. It’s sick! It’ll make you smile, even if I can’t.

Featuring…Horror Country band Graveyard Train www.myspace.com/graveyard3051 it really is an intriguing story we got out of them and we felt we needed to share with you all the mystery that is Graveyard Train. They are also releasing their new album on the 23rd of July at The Corner Hotel, Melbourne through Spooky Records. Everyone get out and experience a great band.

Also featured in Renegades Empire Magazine # 4 is the Go-Go Haunters another spooky band but this one from the ironically sunny Gold Coast. Don’t let their beauty scare you these guys will bite. Then their is Marching Orders, Melbourne OI punk band set to take over the OI scene with a vengeance, Jack Flash from Toowoomba the Folk Punk masters and last but not least Kujo Kings, young ska lovers from the beautiful Melbourne.

We also have some great features on the Sydney Ska Weekender, The Vibrators Tour, History of Hardcore from some of your favorite hardcore bands and some funny stuff we got sent in the mail. We also met some new bands that we couldn’t wait to tell you about such as Saturdays Army (Adelaide Rockabilly kids) and The Puta Madre Brothers (three piece, one man band)

Plus much much more.

This one is bigger than ever. And I want you to buy it.

Small delay (sorry, beyond our control!) on sending them out though we won’t receive them until early next week ourselves. Order them first here online or wait and buy it at your nearest stockists in around 2 weeks time.

We’ll be at a few gigs in the next couple of weeks so come say hi. We’ll be the ones with the magazines, hopefully.

This week at Renegades Empire we jumped straight back into work after realising that there is no rest for the wicked.

Back to working on issue # 5 and preparing to receive issue # 4. I will admit that some of the articles in # 4 I glanced at and didn’t read completely does that make me a bad editor? Probably but it also make me excited to read the mag when it gets sent to us. Because we were a little late getting it to the printers I don’t like our chances of having it this week like I hoped but the suspense always makes me that little bit more eager, which is cool.

# 4 introduces you guys to a heap of new bands in Australia we’ve got QLD and SA representing in this one and even a Perth band. As for the elusive cover spot, I’m not going to tell you who scored that just yet but I will tell you they are the craziest by far and if you haven’t heard of them yet you will be chanting their name very soon.

As for whats happening in the rest of the world. Here is the stuff I got told about this week:

1. Carpathian will be heading out on the road this month joined by Ghost Town, before returning to Europe throughout July and August.

and now we are back.

For those of you who follow us on Facebook and Twitter or can hear our screams you will know that issue # 4 of Renegades Empire Magazine was sent to the printers 2 weeks ago. Then we took a break. Now we are back and scouting for stuff for Issue # 5.

We’ve uploaded some photos of Chopdogs Ska Weekender held in Sydney at Hermanns Bar on the 5th of June to our Flicker for your veiwing pleasure and i’m STILL uploading videos to YOUTUBE of the SKA bands that graced the stage to entertain. (it takes so dang long)

Now I’m back to work and looking for bands. If you want in the magazine email us and let us know about your band. Cover spot is still up for grabs and I’m open to all suggestions.

Keep your ears to the ground. Renegades Empire is going to be giving you alot more in the next couple of weeks.

- The Snowdroppers at The Gum Ball. Have you ticked them off your to do list yet?  http://www.snowdroppers.com/shows

So this weekend we went the The Gum Ball. A music festival near Maitland in NSW. What can I say really. It rained, it was wet and gross and my hair was frizzy but the food was hot the drinks were cold and the bands rocked my soul.

The day before The Gum Ball we procrastinated from driving and went and bought a sick camera so now we have some great photos to publish in the next edition of Renegades Empire Magazine. So keep an eye out for that. We got to see the Brothers Grim and The Blue Murders again and they made us fall in love again. Those boys are good at that. And we also got the experience The Snowdroppers once again. Johnny Wishbone playing that banjo what else is there really to say. I love a good banjo….

We got the chance to discover some new bands as well which you can read about soon in #4 of Renegades Empire Magazine.

Now that i’m home and dry and drained from the Renegades business meeting we just had i’m off to bed so I can get up tomorrow morning and finish off #4 and get to the printers on time so you can all enjoy a good read. Your going to love the next issue it’ll scare your socks off.

Get to a gig. Fall in love with a new band. Tell us about it.