Those of us not in the Southern Hemisphere can only look on with envy as Radio Birdman head out across Australia.
RADIO BIRDMAN: RETALIATE FIRST BY MURRAY ENGLEHEART COMING FROM ALLEN & UNWIN ON JULY 2
BIRDMAN 5-0 TOUR KICKS OFF JUNE 21 IN MELBOURNE. ALL THREE SYDNEY SHOWS AND ONE OF TWO BRISBANE SHOWS HAVE SOLD OUT, OTHER SHOWS SELLING FAST!
| With the start of their BIRDMAN 5-0 50th Anniversary tour only a couple of weeks away, iconic ARIA Hall of Famers and legendary outsiders of Australian rock’n’roll RADIO BIRDMAN are also the subject of a new biography entitled RADIO BIRDMAN: RETALIATE FIRST, authored by esteemed Sydney rock writer Murray Engleheart (AC/DC Maximum Rock & Roll, with Arnaud Durieux, and Blood Sweat and Beers – Oz Rock from The Aztecs to Rose Tattoo) and published July 2 by Allen & Unwin. In a post on their socials Radio Birdman said. “Acclaimed author Murray Engleheart has written what promises to be, far and away, the most in-depth and complete history of Radio Birdman to date. Years in the making, Retaliate First is a compelling synthesis of thousands of hours of research, first-hand accounts and unique insights. It’s a must read for anyone who wants to know what really happened.” The announcement comes as the tour closes in on being a complete sell out, with all three Sydney shows and one of two Brisbane shows having now sold out, only a handful of tickets left for the other Brisbane show and both Melbourne shows (with special guests Civic) and the one Adelaide show on track to also reach capacity. |
| RADIO BIRDMAN – BIRDMAN 5-0! FRI JUNE 21: CROXTON BANDROOM – MELBOURNE with CIVIC – SELLING FAST SAT JUNE 22: CROXTON BANDROOM – MELBOURNE with CIVIC – SELLING FAST SUN JUNE 23: THE GOV – ADELAIDE with CULL THE BAND – SELLING FAST FRI JUNE 28: THE TRIFFID – BRISBANE with HITS – LAST TIX SAT JUNE 29: THE TRIFFID – BRISBANE with HITS – SOLD OUT! FRI JULY 5: MANNING BAR – SYDNEY with HARD-ONS – SOLD OUT! SAT JULY 6: MANNING BAR – SYDNEY with HARD-ONS – SOLD OUT! SUN JULY 7: MANNING BAR – SYDNEY with HARD-ONS – SOLD OUT! Tickets on sale via Oztix (except Brisbane shows, which are via Moshtix) |
| RADIO BIRDMAN: RETALIATE FIRST By Murray Engleheart Publication date: July 2, 2024 The ultimate in-depth biography of iconoclastic Sydney punk band Radio Birdman.‘Radio Birdman live brought loyalty as strong and powerful as their music. Yeah hup!’ – Anthony Albanese, PM and fan ‘Radio Birdman are analogous to dark matter: largely unseen yet profoundly influential.’ – Brad Shepherd, Hoodoo Gurus ‘Murray’s raw passion somehow doesn’t mess with his skill to present the story, the context and the truth.’ – Tim Rogers, You Am I and The Hard-OnsTales of Radio Birdman will be handed down through generations. Singer Rob Younger drinking from a human skull filled with sheep brains; fans unknowingly breaking limbs while dancing wildly at gigs; fighting off venue bouncers and hostile audiences with microphone stands, and having publicans cut the power in a desperate bid to halt their force-of-nature-like performances. Their riotous appearance at Paddington Town Hall in December 1977 drew an overflowing crowd of thousands, eclipsing the audience for AC/DC’s triumphant return to Sydney. While Radio Birdman split after a disastrous UK and European tour in 1978, hunger for a reunion grew by the day, and their eventual regrouping was met with wild acclaim. In a series of electrifying shows at the 1996 Big Day Out, they drew the spotlight away from the likes of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Rage Against the Machine and The Prodigy. Birdman continued to play sell-out gigs to devoted crowds both in Australia and across the globe and in 2007 were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Melbourne. With 2024 marking their half century of existence, and publication of this book coinciding with a commemorative tour that may be their last, Radio Birdman have moved from clearing venues of punters at early gigs to being internationally worshipped, their mysterious logo now proudly emblazoned on skin all over the planet. Murray Engleheart’s Radio Birdman: Retaliate First is drawn from more than 150 interviews with the band members, their closest associates, and most devoted fans. About Murray Engleheart Sydney based journalist and author, Murray Engleheart has written millions of words about music over more than four decades with his work published from Moscow to São Paulo, Japan to New York. From first doing album reviews in a high school magazine in 1974, he has interviewed a virtual who’s who of rock and roll from Keith Richards, Lou Reed and Patti Smith to Bob Dylan, John Lee Hooker and David Bowie. His first book was the global best seller, AC/DC Maximum Rock & Roll with Arnaud Durieux (2006) and his second, Blood Sweat and Beers – Oz Rock from The Aztecs to Rose Tattoo (2010). |
| RADIO BIRDMAN: RETALIATE FIRST (Allan & Unwin) Release date: 2 July 2024 in Australia. Pre-order link: https://bit.ly/AllenandUnwin |
Recent Comments