Mundine, Sandman, Flacco – 0, Karma County – 1

First rule of musical promotion: never play the same night as the World Middleweight Boxing Title is contested. But some powerful mojo was in the air this crisp autumnal Sydney evening, for not only did Anthony Mundine lose his title defence, but The Sandman and Flacco, those stalwarts of the stage, went down in a close-fought 12-rounder against a bruised and bloody Karma County at @Newtown (the sharply renovated old Newtown RSL).

Back from a long hiatus brooding on the nature of eternity and fame, Brendan "Boom-Boom" Gallagher, Michael "The Mauler" Galeazzi, and "Steady" Stu Eadie were into the ring almost before host COURAGEOUS CONSTANTINOS was able to check them for concealed weapons, and certainly before the sound desk was entirely ready to go (though this was quickly rectified.)

Launching straight into a choice combination of classic rights and lefts, they dug deep into a sampling of their upcoming (July?) album, tentatively titled "Pacifico". The title track, all soft, latin and reverb-y, may yet prove to be the only Australian top 10 single this year without any lyrics. Some beautiful, haunting singing, but no lyrics.

High points for the moderately laid back audience were clearly the new track 'Til, a melancholy reflective piece with a winning piano/brush one-two punch, and Almost All The Way, a wry, jaunty piece of bluesy, jazzy songwriting that would leave you on the canvas without even realising you'd been hit.



The contestants going the hack. (also pictured special guest Jac Amidy – X-castanet club) pic by Tim Gallagher

High points for the moderately laid back audience were clearly the new track 'Til, a melancholy reflective piece with a winning piano/brush one-two punch, and Almost All The Way, a wry, jaunty piece of bluesy, jazzy songwriting that would leave you on the canvas without even realising you'd been hit.

The Sandman & Flacco admirably tried to shape up to this awesome assault, but they lack the reach, the range, and the technique to go the full rounds with such a practiced opponent. Sure, Sandman's trademark deadpan smirky tale-telling still draws a nod of recognition from anyone in the audience who's ever been a bit shy, and Flacco's surreal absurdities are a perfect foil, and together they do manage to belt out a fine song or two. But towards the end of their set, Flacco's synthesised sound effect accompaniment was drawing all the laughs, and if you'd never heard a three minute fart gag, well, Flacco can make a synthesiser fart by just waving at it - literally!

After this it was time for the two opponents to come together on the one stage in the spirit of musical sportsmanship, and it was at this point that the audience were treated to a lengthy medley of classic Surf Guitar that would have made The Shadows get up from their graves and paddle on out for one more set. The high point was a stirring tremolo-driven revival of Stan Jones' Ghost Riders In The Sky, featuring Flacco and Brendan in duet, which brought forth many a "yippie-yi-yo!" and a "yee-hah!" from the audience. Who'd have known the scared, weird little guy would be so fast on the fretboard of his jazz acoustic? Drop the synthesiser and spend more time on the guitar, little guy!

Host with the most, THE GOLDEN GREEK, COURAGEOUS CONSTANTINOS, then stunned the crowd and shook the walls with a soaring, winding rendition of Hot Chocolate's Emmaline, putting so much of himself into the song, that as the dying notes echoed in the purple vastness of the room, the crew were able to carry off the remaining bits of him in a small plastic bag.

 


Karma County KO'd In The Third Round



Cameron Bruce and Dave McCormack – Victors


KC's Michael Galeazzi



Some performers light up the stage, others light only a candle. Karma County's first set (Round 2 – Wednesday 12 May, 2004) showcased songs from their forthcoming album with a generous serving of old favorites. It was a candlelit affair, washing over the audience like a calm sea; very soothing and enjoyable. Brendan Gallagher was in fine voice, and the trio of Gallagher, Galeazzi and Eadie were sounding tight, though in a loose and comfortable old shoe kinda way.

In comparison to the KC candle, Dave McCormack and Cameron Bruce were a bright floodlight blasting from the stage, one acoustic guitar and one Nord keyboard sounding at once fragile, manic, and murderous. There was some wild drumming from both performers, some spontaneous, even Tourrettes-like, mood swings, and a few wild segues into some hilarious song selections, such as an overwrought cover of "The Eye of The Tiger," the Polaroids' own "I am a Hypnotist of Ladies" and even a few Custard perennials.

In The third set, KC took a further beating from McCormack, who assumed the role of punishing dictator as he fronted the collaboration and commanded the entire room (and lighting, at one point transforming the ambiance to resemble his bedroom) while he administered the final killer musical combinations. The coup de grace for the stunned and bloody Karma County battlers saw Bruce and McCormack come crashing down with the massive killer Polaroids hit, "The Inner West (they got the beautiful girls)" and sweep the floor clean with an encore of Yazoo's "Only You".

Yes, they came out fighting, and in the end, the judges had to give it to 'em on points. The tag team of McCormack and Bruce where the toughest performers on the night.

Lucky for KC, they are up against a couple of girls next week, in the form of Abbie Tucker and Abby Cardwell. A rumored late entry to the 'girls night out' bill is another Abbey, in the form of Miss Dobson of Leonardo's Bride and Paul Mac fame. Come on along as the vibe changes from macho to missy next Wednesday 19 May, from 8pm ($10 at the door.)





An Aberration

Karma County's spiritual home is Bondi Beach, but if you're going to fight them on the beaches, you better be prepared to fight them anywhere they challenge you, and this week the Karma County boys were dragged from fight club to fight club, right across the continental United States, by that killer chick clique of The Aberration.

Abbie Cardwell (TripleJ Unearthed discovery) chose Louisiana and Texas for her bouts against the boys.

Abby Dobson (Leonardo's Bride) dragged them to Chicago and then to San Francisco for further tenderising.

Then Abi Tucker (Secret Life of Us) and her own band (albeit helped along by guest drummer, KC's Stu Eadie) kicked them cross-country all the way back to Detroit and New York for a brutal onslaught of musical style.

After three shows polishing a selection from their upcoming album, 'Pacifico', Brendan, Stu and Michael are now consistently smooth on their first set, well received by a capacity crowd, and played with more edge and volume than before.

Eyebrows were raised in unison with the first notes from Abbie Cardwell's fine set of tonsils. The opening combination of tracks from her new album "Notes From Yesterday" followed by a smokey blues version of "When a Man Loves a Woman" (a borrowed title) took us all straight to Abbie's own musical time and place, somewhere near Louisiana perhaps, though her lyrics were of her home in Adelaide. This young lass is clearly going many places. Later she fought the lads in Louisiana on "Anchor Down" and left us winded and shaky-legged in the corner at the end of the round in Texas with a soulful rendition of Dolly Parton's "Joeline."

We know Abbie Dobson from Leonardo's Bride, but tonight she was also Brendan's musical soulmate, despite a bout of opening nerves (in no small way assuaged by MC Courageous Constantinos, who first massaged her neck and shoulders, and then selflessly flung himself on the overactive smoke machine to help clear the air). Abbie D's smokey, honey-toned voice was as light as air on "Cloud Watching", though she never sounded better than when accompanied by Brendan's guitar on a cover of The Beatles' "Golden Slumbers".

After such West Coast sweetness-and-light, Abbie Tucker of TV's "The Secret Life of Us" was all power, anger and Detroit aggression, with a range of songs from her own new album, "Dreamworld." Newsflash: the little blonde soap-bubble we knew from TV is gone, and what remains is dark, emotional, and has a lot of unresolved issues still to express with remarkable vocal intensity. In the spirit of the game, she even over came a huge anxiety attack and took to the drums on a cover of the Motels "Total Control."

In the end it took three women to teach the three lads of Karma County that the way to win is to work together, and the night's highlights all came when the girls were up front, with the boys in support. The last rendition of The Beatles' 'Oh Darlin' simply stunned the breathless audience.

The winner on the night was entertainment. And for 10 bucks the crowd agreed. Quote of the night came from a KC fan and friend... " you guys always make me feel happy". That's how fights should always end.




I'm In The Jelly-Wrestling Pit, And I Can't Get Out!

It was the night the Blues had something to prove in the footy stadium. A biting-cold wind was whipping the posters from the light poles down Enmore Rd. The coldest, windiest night of the year with drunken, angry Queenslanders roaming the dark alleys, and somehow all that dark energy came together in a tight, angry knot of a crowded room, shedding layers, spit and vinegar, to see Karma County fight to regain the championship at @Newtown from The Self-Righteous Brothers (plus one.)

It was Karma County's fourth chance to showcase their upcoming album, Pacifico, and this night they really hit the sweetspot, drawing a big crowd that was keen to talk over the top of it all, but which was shushed into silence anyway by the delicacy of 'Almost All The Way,' 'Rose Coloured Glasses,' and the long-lost "Long Distance Karma" from their first album. But music soothes the savage beast for only a while, and soon the crowd was baying for the blood of these elder statesmen of the Coastal vibe.

Up next, the Self-Righteous Brothers (Jay and Lindsay of slack-rockers Frenzal Rhomb) plus one (Bow Campbell of Front End Loader) taunted the mob like bullfighters, teasing them with soft acoustic country-rock stylings teamed with the acerbic wit of lyrics in songs such as "The Only Gay Soldier In Iraq," "Daddy Drinks Because You Cry" and "Who Will Buy (this beautiful baby.) When a band's opening number is "F*ck Off And Die" in sweet three-part harmony, you know you're in for a focused assault.

Bruised and bloody, the crowd turned uglier, beginning to pick up on the sledging between Jay, Bow and Lindsay, and Karma County's Stu Eadie. Best sledges of the night - "Which damn fool gave the drummer a microphone?" and "There's no 'i' in rock, but there's a 'you' in 'f*ckwit'". Soon, it was all bets off, all togs off, everyone in - a musical wrestling pit of bands and bystanders, including the No Longer Righteous Brothers, Stu, and the hecklers in the audience. Up went the cry, "bring on the mud and the dirty fighting!"

Picking up on the mood, the two bands tag-teamed their way out of trouble, coming together and absolutely belting out a power-rock anthem of forbidden jailhouse lust in "Love On The Inside," strutting through Walter Egan's late '70s one hit wonder, "Magnet and Steel" and stumbling through a parody of Mondo Rock's "Come Said The Boy", where Jay forgot most of the lyrics. Lindsay covered nicely with a flawless impression of an early '80s TripleM back-announce at the end.

Belted into submission, the crowd settled long enough for MC Courageous Constantinos to award the title of Best & Unfairest to Karma County before he sent us all home with a traumatic rendition of Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell."

We're still picking clots of mud out of our hair...





KC have a new album 'Pacifico' due out sooner than later.

There's a rumour the boys have been talking to Vitamin about a distributing deal. Vitamin are the boutique ditributors of other greats like David Lane, Melanie Oxley & Chris Abrahams.

Live shows will be scarce until after that juncture folks. Many thanks from Stu, Michael and Brendo go out to all that attended and all that helped make the shows happen including all our wonderful guests, the guys at the venue and our technicians and experts.

Thanks for the great memories.

Watch the skies. Or keep an eye on the KC site.