When Giants Walked The Earth

ANDY SHERNOFF of The Dictators

with PAUL COLLINS of The Beat & The Nerves

Andy Shernoff tells tales of the days when sex was safe and drugs were cool in his solo musical memoir, When Giants Walked The Earth. Andy weaves a narrative recalling intimate stories of growing up in New York City, the early days at CBGBs and touring the UK at the height of the punk-rock explosion in 1977 while performing his tunes that have been recorded by The Dictators, Joey Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Mary Weiss (Shangri La's) and Dion DiMucci.

In 1974 Paul Collins formed The Nerves, who proved to be one of the pioneers of the burgeoning U.S. punk-rock scene, independently releasing their own EP (which included the classic "Hanging on the Telephone"). After The Nerves disbanded in 1977, Collins moved to LA and formed The Beat who toured with The Police, The Jam, and Joe Jackson; and released many acclaimed power-pop albums.

Thursday, November 11th. Doors at 8PM.$8 in advance — $10 day of show.(Tickets available via TicketWeb). *
Union Hall
702 Union Street
Brooklyn, U.S.A.
* Sadly this show has been postponed.

(Let's All) Turn On!

HOODOO GURUS

with THE MASTER PLAN and DADDY LONG LEGS

Like most bands, Australia's Hoodoo Gurus were largely the product of their influences; unlike most bands, however, the Hoodoos channeled their inspiration from the vast entirety of the American pop cultural landscape, drawing on such disparate sources as B-movies, bad sitcoms, and junk food — in tandem with the usual suspects like garage-rock, power-pop, and surf — to create a distinctly kitschy and catchy sound. Formed in Sydney in 1981, Le Hoodoo Gurus (as they were originally dubbed) were led by singer/songwriter Dave Faulkner, who along with drummer James Baker previously served as a member of the short-lived Perth punk unit The Victims (best known for the autobiographical single "Television Addict"). Ex-Scientists Rod Radalj and Kimble Rendall rounded out the group's initial lineup, and their unique sound of three guitars and no bass — along with Faulkner's infectious songs — quickly earned them a record deal. After issuing their debut single "Leilani" in 1982, both Radalj and Rendall quit, and were replaced by former Fun Things guitarist Brad Shepherd, and bassist Clyde Bramley.

In 1998, the Gurus announced they were splitting up, and the career-spanning compilation Ampology was issued in 2000. Two years later, Dave Faulkner, Brad Shepherd, and Mark Kingsmill were working together again as members of the garage-influenced The Persian Rugs, and in 2004, after Faulkner had reworked "What's My Scene" from Blow Your Cool as a theme song for an Australian rugby team, the band reunited (with Rick Grossman returning on bass), staging a successful tour down under and releasing a new album, Mach Schau. In 2009 the Hoodoo Gurus inked a deal with Sony Music Australia, resulting in their ninth full-length album, 2010's Purity of Essence and have been touring the world ever since.

[The Master Plan is a NYC punk super-group made up of members of The Fleshtones and The Dictators, while the Andy Shernoff produced Daddy Long Legs is a young, blues-punk band featuring members of The Electric Shadows and the Stalkers.]

Tuesday, October 5th

Doors at 8PM. $15 adv / $17 dos

(Advance tickets available now!)

The Bell House

149 Seventh Street

Brooklyn, U.S.A.

It feels good to feel...

Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (Stage On Herr)

268 Herr Street, Harrisburg, PA, 17102

Dave Faulkner's birthday bash

This past Saturday, Dead Flowers was THRILLED to have been able to host and help organize a 50th birthday bash for the legendary Dave Faulkner of the Hoodoo Gurus (not to mention The Victims) at Magnetic Field... Dave is a fantastic, down-to-earth cat, and the party was a real blast with performances by The Brooklyn Atomic (Steve Wynn with Linda Pitmonn, and various Fleshtones and Dictators), The Master Plan, and The Fleshtones, plus The World Famous "Bob", various drag queens, and Phast Phreddie spinning boss tunes all night... Dave even joined the 'Tones on vocals and guitar for their finale, a scorching version of his own "Like Wow-Wipeout!"

Dig photos of the action here (via Fuzzco).