EARLIER this year Newcastle post-punk band dust had a show in Sydney that would prove pivotal.
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Gabriel Stove (vocals, guitar), Justin Teale (lead guitar), Kye Cherry (drums), Adam Ridgway (guitar/sax) and Liam Smith (bass) knew before the gig that Mark Bawden and Daniel Radburn of Rad Music Management (Hockey Dad, Bad//Dreems) were in the audience and interested to check out dust live after latching onto their first singles Stare and No Use.
"After that gig they messaged us straight away and we had a big Zoom call altogether and Mark [Bawden] said he was eager to sign us and it's been all up from there," dust bassist Liam Smith said.
Up is an understatement. In April dust will play 21 shows in Europe supporting stablemates, Wollongong surf-rockers Hockey Dad. The tour passes through the UK, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and the Czech Republic.
Dust formed during the COVID lockdown out of the ashes of Ridgemont High and Looseleaf IV. The band has played in Sydney, Wollongong and Melbourne and at this year's BigSound in Brisbane, but this will be their debut international tour.
"We've all been big fans of Hockey Dad and when they were younger we saw them in Newcastle, so it's bit of a wig out," Smith said.
Dust plan to release another two singles early next year before dropping their debut EP.
VACATIONS RETURN
NEWCASTLE indie heroes Vacations returned home from their second North American tour of the year last week and have knuckled down to write their third album.
The four-piece of Campbell Burns (guitar, vocals), Jake Johnson (bass), Nate Delizzotti (guitar) and Joseph Van Lier (drums) played 12 shows on the tour, including their debut gig in Mexico.
MELODY ENDS WAIT
IT was April 2016 when Kurri Kurri songstress Melody Pool released her second and most-recent album Deep Dark Savage Heart.
Six and a half years - and a mental health battle, a break from music and triumphant 2021 live comeback - later, Pool will finally release new material on December 2 with the single Lost In Time, the first taste off her forthcoming third album.
TUKA TAKES BREAK
SYDNEY hip-hop stalwarts The Thundamentals are hitting the road to promote their sixth album All This Life, but someone will be absent.
Founding member Brendan Tuckerman, aka Tuka, while still a member of the three-piece, won't perform on the tour due to focusing "his energy on his songwriting and personal and family life."
Instead, The Thundamentals' Morgs (Morgan Jones) and Jeswon (Jesse Ferris) will be joined by Horrorshow's MC Solo (Nick Bryant-Smith).
MC Solo is pulling double duty as Horrorshow will support The Thundamentals across the tour, including their Cambridge Hotel show on February 17.
NEWLING DOUBLE UP
RISING gruff-voiced indie-folk artist Adam Newling delivered an impressive debut of emotive story-telling and melody when he released the album Half Cut and Dangerous in April.
Hunter fans of the Cronulla singer-songwriter have two chances to ascertain if Newling is the real deal when he performs at Maitland's Grand Junction Hotel on January 11 and then Newcastle's Cambridge Hotel on January 13.
