AFTER two years of COVID-caused frustrations, Steve Balbi is breaking loose with a hectic next 12 months.
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He's a man with a finger in multiple pies.
There's the long-awaited fourth studio album from pub rockers Noiseworks finally slated for release, after it was originally promised back in 2016. Balbi is also 70 per cent through the recording of the Electric Hippies' first new album since 1994.
He also recently completed a 40th anniversary tour of Space Race, with new wave legends Mi-Sex.
But for the time being Balbi is channelling his focus back towards his solo material.
In 2020 the 57-year-old released his Beatles and David Bowie-inspired solo album I Think I Know For Sure, which was naturally hindered by the pandemic and lockdowns.
In May last year Balbi recorded live versions of his new material at the Paddington RSL and so far he's rolled out the singles My Sunshine, Modern Love and Wonderful.
"I did a show last year, and I'm really fussy, and it was one of those shows when the band sounded great as they were on fire and I just started digging into the tracks," Balbi said.
"We've got them [the singles] out at the moment and it might end up on a record."
Balbi also plans to begin work on another solo record later this year, but he's particularly excited by the prospect of reuniting with his old Noiseworks bandmate, Justin Stanley, in the Electric Hippies.
Stanley is flying out from the US later this month to continue work with Balbi on the follow-up to their 1994 self-titled debut, which featured the top 30 single Greedy People.
"We hadn't really sat in a room together for 20 years and we pulled the guitars out and it was just as beautiful and as easy as ever," Balbi said. "You find your musical soulmate, people you just trust and can really be yourself, and Justin is that for me."
Steve Balbi plays Lizotte's on Saturday night.
EAT YOUR HEART OUT HOMECOMING
FRESH from their European tour supporting US band Tiny Moving Parts, Newcastle alt-rockers Eat Your Heart Out have announced a big homecoming show.
Eat Your Heart Out will play the Cambridge Hotel on June 17 to launch their new single Down, which will be their first new material since 2019 album Florescence. Down is also released online on June 17.
Sydney band Grenade Jumper and Newcastle punk rockers Collidescope will open the show.
The Cambridge show will be Eat Your Heart Out's first gig since parting ways with guitarist Andrew Anderson last month during the European tour.
BEDDY RAYS SHINE UP FOR ALBUM
RISING indie-rock band Beddy Rays will bring their national album tour to Newcastle's Cambridge Hotel on September 16.
The four-piece, featuring in Woppaburra descendent Jacko Van Issum (vocals, guitar) and Lewi McKenna (lead guitar), Brad O'Connor (bass) and Benny Wade (drums) have been promising to be Australia's next indie break-out band since their single Sobercoaster landed at No.54 on the triple j hottest 100 and racked up over 3.5 million streams.
Beddy Rays' self-titled debut album is out July 29 before their 10-date national tour, supported by Towns and Bakers Eddy.
C.W'S GRAND RETURN
IT'S been a decade since country-blues singer-songwriter C.W. Stoneking has toured with The Primitive Horn Orchestra.
Finally Stoneking has gotten the band of Stephen Grant, James Clark and Grant Arthur back together for a run of dates, including a show at Maitland's Grand Junction Hotel on August 24.
The Primitive Horn Orchestra played on Stoneking's acclaimed 2009 ARIA-nominated album Jungle Blues.
SLEEPEASER AT REST
NEWCASTLE emo band Sleepeaser have been laid to rest after they announced their dissolution this week.
The four-piece of Jake Hewish (guitar, vocals), Levi Dallen (drums), Maddy Jackman (bass) and Harry Brown (guitar) released the EP Everyone You Left Behind (2019) and a string of singles such as Secrets, Homesick and Televisionary and supported international bands Hundreth and Mooseblood during their four-year run.
While announcing their break-up, Sleepeaser also dropped a farewell track, Universally.
"We want to say a massive thank you to everyone involved in this project over the years, we've made so many friends along the way and will always cherish the memories we were able to create together," Sleepeaser posted on social media.
"From the people we shared the stage with, did sound, bought a shirt, came to a show or streamed a song, we're all forever grateful for spending your time on us."
REDDY REVIVAL
WHEN Helen Reddy died in 2020 she was hailed as feminist icon for her inspiring classic I Am Woman, which became the unofficial anthem of the '70s female liberation movement. It's a cause that remains important today, in this post-#MeToo era.
While Reddy might be gone, her music lives on in the Invincible - The Helen Reddy Story, starring Nikki Bennett (Hey Hey It's Saturday, Hair, All Saints).
Invincible - The Helen Reddy Story comes to the Cessnock Performing Arts Centre on June 18.
SLOWLY PICK UP PACE
MELBOURNE rockers Slowly Slowly will return to the Cambridge Hotel on August 18 on their wide-reaching regional tour. Despite COVID, the four-piece have grown in popularity through their 2020 album Race Car Blues. So far this year they've unveiled a more melodic synth-pop sound with the tracks Nothing On and Forget You.
CARRINGTON CRAWL
DON'T forget to head over the bridge on Saturday for the Carrington Crawl.
The free live music kicks off at Franky's Noodles at 12pm with Franky's House Band and The Adam Miller Trio before the passing through The Criterion Hotel, Young Street Hotel, Earp Distilling Co and Novotone until 11.30pm.
The all-Newcastle line-up includes Bloody Hell, e4444e, Ben Leece, Not Good Not Bad, Maeve Grant, Saylor and The Flavor and Fighting Fish.