Vale Spencer P Jones

 📷: @horseboy69

We here at AM HQ would like to pay tribute to the life and artistic endeavours of Spencer P Jones. From The Johnnys to The Beasts, PK to Maurice Frawley, Spencer was a musician’s musician who was sought after for his inspired guitar playing, and deep knowledge of blues, rock, country and soul music. He also was an exceptional songwriter and bandleader, building a long and celebrated discography leading various acts carrying his name.

Kiernan was a member of one such band, Spencer P Jones and The Last Gasp, that recorded one album and performed from 1997-2001. The images of Spencer, Kiernan (in the background with Brian Hooper in the foreground), and Matt, Ken and Adam (the Arnold Horns who have recorded and toured with AM since 2002) are from the 1998 Meredith Music Festival where SPJ & TLG appeared on the Sunday morning line-up (and as luck would have it, an hour or so after a very young and green AM played).

Spencer's performance that day contained all the customary power, intensity and humour that he was known for and it was great for us young bucks still finding our way in the Rock n Roll circus to witness. Said Kiernan of performing alongside SPJ “…Spencer was a unique blend of gentleman and rogue, scholar and punk. He was an absolutely top-shelf songwriter who blossomed late. The Last Gasp would play at gloriously insane volume levels, propelled by the leader's chainsaw rhythm guitar. Spencer was completely authentic, and often relentless. One night in Canberra I wasn't playing in a part of an especially loud song, probably trying to add some unnecessary dynamics. Spencer detected this, turned, fixed a menacing glare and screamed over the maelstrom: "Play motherfucker, play!!!…”

We doff our collective cap to mark the passing of one of the most distinct musical voices ever to sound across the Australian music landscape.

Chris Wilson Benefit

📷: @sean.clohsey

We have good, strong memories of Chris Wilson here at Augie, not only of countless blistering shows we all saw over the years individually but as a young band supporting this giant of the Melbourne and Australian music scene.  The word 'fearsome' has often been employed to describe Chris' stage presence and for good reason.  He's one of the few people on the planet who really should be up there striding the stage and commanding it, fronting whatever outfit it may be, singing, playing, regaling and in full control of space - it all comes from heart, gut and mind and a complete love for the art.  Which of course makes the sometimes tenderness and complexity of the delivery all the more compelling.  Loose $5 t shirt and work jeans back in the day, and if I'm being honest I probably nicked that signature look for myself - it's still my stage uniform of choice but where Chris looked like he just happened to be at the bar and sauntered up to the mic to destroy an unsuspecting crowd, I look like I forgot to get dressed and luckily found a Target on the way to the rock club.  At soundcheck on the first night of a residency at the Royal Derby on Brunswick St. many years ago he came into the band room and sat down with a sigh which I took to mean "give a man some space you pale little shoe gazers".  Instead he spied some CDs poking out of my backpack, one of them Nick Drake's Bryter Later, and proceeded to tell me Five Leaves Left was the one to get, especially for River Man.  We talked a little about Nick's finger picking and the deceptive strength of his playing and singing both.  I confessed I didn't really know how to be consistent in any facet of what I was doing and he told me a few things about preparing which I still use.  One in particular, if you're a bit shy about warming up around other people then use any opportunity when there's a bit of noise, especially if you're in the van on the way, to just hum quietly, find the frequency and match it.  Gentle advice, gentle technique.  Later that night after we'd put in what I hope was a serviceable bit of noise for the crowd as they'd readied themselves for the real thing, Chris came up on stage and grabbed the mic by the neck, asked "How bout Augie March Ladies and Gentlemen?" to a polite smattering, then "I said HOW BOUT AUGIE MARCH?!  GIVE IT UP FOR EM YA BUNCH OF FUCKIN' STIFFS!!".  Still our favourite bit of promo and one of the most encouraging things a person could do for an admittedly fragile bunch of chaps with bad haircuts.

Our gratitude and love to Chris and his family, from the Augie family and onward from the bigger family of Australian musicians.  We are indebted and urge all lovers of music to help the Wilsons in their time of great need by visiting this page CHRIS WILSON FUNDRAISER and making whatever contribution you can manage.

Thanks, Glenn Richards on behalf of Augie March     

The Night Cat This Weekend

Playing at The Night Cat this Friday and Saturday night.

Image and animation by Matthew Dunn, music and text by GAR.

"Bootikins" May Tour Update

It's two weeks before we head out on the road on the "BOOTIKINS" May Tour, kicking off at the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine on Friday 4 May.

Our first Sydney show has sold out, so we've added a second. The new show is on Sunday 27 May at The Lansdowne Hotel - tickets on sale now.

Special guest on all shows is the wonderful Ro. 

Davey Craddock has been added to both shows at Mojo's in WA.

See you in May!

 - The Good Gardener

A word from The Good Gardener

Thanks to all who attended the Velvet Room ‘listening party’, a very warm evening in every sense and a good hit out for the band leading into a run of shows in May.

Work begins soon on a new film clip for the next single, and Glenn will be in Sydney April 27-29 available through Parlour for house shows. Details here.

---

"BOOTIKINS" MAY TOUR

Tickets on sale now. Special guest on all shows is the wonderful Ro. 

Sadly, Good Saturday which was to be held in Sydney over Easter has recently been cancelled.

---

BOOTIKINS MERCH

We have printed up some Bootikins t-shirts, designed by Matthew Dunn. Available in a range of sizes in charcoal and navy.

Also available to order is The Art of Bootikins, an A5 sized booklet showing the creative process behind the Matthew Dunn designed Bootikins album cover.

Of course, you can order the Bootikins CD and LP If you haven't already done so, including a bonus sticker with the CD and an artwork print with the LP.

Going through the archives recently, we found some long out-of-print CDs, including Thanks for the Memes (2003 version), Sunset Studies (digipack), Moo, You Bloody Choir (digipack), One Crowded Hour EP (digipack), Watch Me Disappear (digipack) and Glenn Richards' Glimjack (digipack). Click here to order.

---

Thanks to Jeff Anderson for taking photos at The Velvet Room show. View the complete photo gallery here.

 - The Good Gardener

Bootikins Out Now, On Tour in May

It's Friday February 23 2018. BOOTIKINS is out now.

And to celebrate, we're announcing a national run of shows - "BOOTIKINS" MAY TOUR.

Augie March sets out on the road through May in support of the new album, hitting most capitals for our first run in donkeys yonks. Expect all the new but a good dose of the old from our now sprawling back catalogue. 

During May we're playing the following:

Friday 4 May  Theatre Royal, Castlemaine VIC
Saturday 5 May  The Workers Club, Geelong VIC
Friday 11 May  The Night Cat, Melbourne VIC
Saturday 12 May  The Night Cat, Melbourne VIC
Friday 18 May  Mojo's Bar, Fremantle WA
Saturday 19 May  Mojo's Bar, Fremantle WA
Thursday 24 May  The Imperial Hotel, Eumundi QLD
Friday 25 May  The Zoo, Brisbane QLD
Saturday 26 May  The Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney NSW

Special guest on all shows is the wonderful Ro. 

Tickets on sale now.

---

ORDER BOOTIKINS

If you haven't already pre-ordered, exclusive to the Augie March shop, all BOOTIKINS CDs and LPs include a bonus sticker with the CD and an artwork print with the LP.

The album lyrics are here, and Glenn's album track by track is here.

---

ABC LOCAL RADIO

If you missed Augie March with Myf on ABC Local Radio yesterday, you can have a listen here. Go to Thursday 22 February, and around 59 minutes into the recording. It includes live performances of When I Am Old and a Tom Petty cover, You Got Lucky.

---

THE VELVET ROOM

If you're coming along to The Velvet Room tonight, doors open at 7pm, with Augie March on stage at around 8pm. And we'll have plenty of merch available: CDs, LPs, Bootikins t-shirts, posters and books. 

 - The Good Gardener

Bootikins Preview

It's just 24 hours before the official release of BOOTIKINS.

Tuesday evening was spent adding signatures to hundreds of LPs and CDs.

PREVIEW THE ALBUM

Thanks to The AU Review, you can stream BOOTIKINS today in advance of the release and read Glenn's track by track of the album. Click here for more information.

---

ABC LOCAL RADIO

If you're near a radio today, we're being interviewed and performing two songs on Myf Warhurst's Afternoon Music Show on ABC Local Radio. Tune in around 1pm today (AEDT). Details about Myf's show here.

More news soon, including Australian tour information.

New Video: When I Am Old

After teasing with a lyric clip for the last week we finally have the official version for WHEN I AM OLD, a suitably aching and beautiful vision courtesy of Sunny Leunig, his two man crew, and the always magnetic Jack Charles.

You can view some behind the scenes photos from the video shoot here.

And there's some in-studio photos from the recording of BOOTIKINS here.

Watch the BOOTIKINS album trailer below:

---

GOOD SATURDAY

For those of you in Sydney, just announced is Good Saturday over Easter on March 31. It's a great lineup, with You Am I, Something For Kate, Jen Cloher, CW Stoneking and more.

Ticket details here.

- The Good Gardener

When I Am Old Tee

“Though I look old, yet I am strong and lusty” which is as I would like it, sadly there are many down sides to ageing to which wisdom and viagra are but feeble and low barricades to an onslaught as assured as Death’s arrival, which, clippity clop, whirring scythe and ragged flapping robe, is close by always and It breathes heavy as the sand in the cup more empty slips, rapid ashes, down the dark funnel of dementia.  So, fools, “play on; Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die. That strain again!”   

PRE-ORDER THE T-SHIRT

This video will be available in tee shirt. My extremely solid fx will only be available to oncoming traffic young people on acid who have noticed your tee shirt, or to you when you get home less 20 years off your life from one of our draining and life changing gigs, and unable to focus on your usual vain mirror check before you collapse into your cheap bed and worry about when you are old. Sleep in it, wear it the next day.  It’s metal, it comes from real shit.

BOOTIKINS ENTIRE LIVE AT THE VELVET ROOM (VIC)

We're playing the new album in full for the first ever occasion on album release day, Friday 23 February 2018, at the Velvet Room at Thornbury Theatre. The audience will have the opportunity to watch and listen up close as we road test this set of challenging and diverse material, and there's sure to be a good deal of high level tinkering going on. Not to mention low level chat. Final tickets available here.

 - The Good Gardener

When I Am Old Premiere

Tune in to Double J after 5pm (AEDT) today for the premiere of our next track: When I Am Old. 

 - The Good Gardener

Fake Jive

After shocking the establishment with the classical graffiti cum art naif explosion that was the Bootikins Lyric Video, then showing the chardonnay pashing ‘videographers’ of inner city latte Australia how to rock a studio clip with twelve old devices and a MacBook Pro for the Bootikins Official Clip, maverick arsehole and auteur of Truth, GA Richards returns with a crazy beautiful meditation on all things hippocampus. Behold the new lyric video for the album track "Fake Jive". Roll in your grave Brubeck, but also you Desmond because hardly anyone knows it was yours, hahahaaaaa.  

Bootikins Artwork

Matt Dunn is a very accomplished multi media artist who approached Glenn some time ago to contribute some music to a long term project which is still in the works.  Glenn said “of course, but first you have to do an album cover for me”.  Matt did that and more,  while Glenn has yet to present Matt with a single note of music.  

The following is a fraction of the back and forth which will give some insight to how much goes into every aspect of making a music record within the cottage industries.

Continue reading here.

Bootikins Official Video

Owing to a very late collapse of a planned video project we had to take it on ourselves to make the clip with a variety of devices ranging from a decent dslr through various generations of iPhone and iPad, to a couple of ancient pc webcams, all gaffa taped around the Sound Park studio room where much of the album, including the Bootikins track, was recorded.  Being so late in the game there were issues of attendance which led to some continuity problems we had to ingeniously overcome by hoping nobody would really notice.  Glenn took the various data home with him to Hobart and worked night and day to make a rough hewn, slightly psychedelic cut that, nonetheless, captures the band at somewhere very near the early stage of a studio tape recording.  

"I am Caligula...No I am Caligula...No, I am Caligula"

Greetings. We’re back for more punishment. 2017 was a terrible year, most people will acknowledge that and are, or should be, setting their visors appropriately for 2018. Just keep your eyes to the ground and you might find a dollar. Or maybe a discarded copy of our NEW ALBUM! Or, you might be thinking you’ve just bought a copy of Tayla’s new one, or maybe a nice little cake from Brunettis after navigating the prams and the grossly bulging cyclists, but in neither case were you correct because instead you bought a copy of our NEW ALBUM!  Which was made in the awful year of 2017. Let that sink in. What a bad year. Full of bad people doing bad things. I’ve been one of them, one of those bad people. If not in my actions then certainly in my thoughts. And in my actions. But in my thoughts I’ve gone beyond what I see myself ever actually doing, which is not unusual, it’s part of having a healthy imagination. If you’re a sociopath. Or, if you’re trying to write a NEW ALBUM! Which, being a sociopath, I went and did, again, even after so many tries at it before, and knowing full well what it would do to everybody involved. Even you. Accidental owner of our NEW ALBUM!
 
Right there in the swill of 2017 I cranked my four track recorder, lemon spritzed my Caballero, put the metaphorical bull to the knife and asked the questions again. And the answers duly came, they swum up to me and variously oinked, quacked, simpered, barked viciously, different voices but the same language, “make us Glenn, make us into the world, into the year of 2017, we will make you too Glenn, we will lift you and bear you on the swill current back into the premature summer so quick you won’t discern the addled jasmine from the early onset pond rot…and we will become you Glenn, and tell the stories you were too afraid to tell, hahahahahaha, WE ARE BOOTIKINS, WE ARE YOUR…” new album.  

Why use Bootikins for a title? Well, apart from its promise of all things brutal and aggressive, which are after all our traditional stylistic weapons of choice, I found that I was writing a lot of songs with a narrative voice that belonged to the more corrupt, venal, ambitious and callous incarnations of my character. Deliberately I was mining the misanthropic and the resigned, the “worn out man” in me next to the ambitious, energetic grafter in me. For better or worse this collection is peopled with angry, uncertain, trapped shades, Manes, from the Ancient Roman - they will become worse the more love they have for inflicting injury. They fear and desire youth because they are not young, they rail against death only because it refuses to claim them entirely. Grown arch and cynical because in truth they cannot cope. 

On to the back story to the recording. A fair bit was done piecemeal like the last one, between Melbourne and Hobart and whatever houses and sheds opened their doors in between. Several were begun as four track demos in Hobart, did the rounds in Melbourne, then found themselves back in Hobart for overdubs. But a good chunk we also made like a proper band, in a great, dirty, old fashioned studio, to a gorgeous old 2 inch tape machine, live and kicking. And what made this already rare and special experience a thousand times more special was the unexpected emergence from retirement of the legendary, sadly now passed, Tony Cohen who wanted to make good on a promise to himself that he’d one day do something with our band. This was news, amazing news, to us, and it still amazes me that we got a chance to work with the man. The moments are ours and we will cherish them, it only suffices to say he got us feeling like, and playing like a real band again after a long interim, and we made some very good music together.

G.A.R.

---

PRE-ORDER THE ALBUM

The album BOOTIKINS will be released on February 23 2018. You can pre-order on CD and LP here. Exclusive to the Augie March shop, all pre-ordered CDs and LPs will be signed by the band. And there is a bonus sticker with the CD and an artwork print with the LP.

BOOTIKINS is the first single - watch the lyric video:

Read the BOOTIKINS lyrics here and the full bio is here.

---

BOOTIKINS LIVE AT THE VELVET ROOM

We'll play the new album in full for the first ever occasion on album release day, Friday 23 February 2018, at the Velvet Room at Thornbury Theatre. The audience will have the opportunity to watch and listen up close as we road test this set of challenging and diverse material, and there's sure to be a good deal of high level tinkering going on. Not to mention low level chat. Limited tickets available here.

- The Good Gardener

Leaps & Bounds

LEAPS & BOUNDS OPENING NIGHT
THURSDAY JULY 13 2017

Yarra City Council is excited to announce the launch of the fifth annual Leaps and Bounds Music Festival opening Thursday 13 July featuring Augie March, Jess Ribeiro and The Pink Tiles plus a very special guest to perform Paul Kelly’s ‘Leaps & Bounds’.

Leaps and Bounds Music Festival 2017
Opening Night featuring Augie March, Jess Ribeiro and The Pink Tiles + mystery special guest to perform Paul Kelly’s ‘Leaps & Bounds’
Thursday 13 July
The Corner Hotel, Richmond VIC
Doors: 7.30pm

Tickets on sale now
$30 +BF from Corner Hotel

 - The Good Gardener

Record Store Day - April 16 2016

Well...after many years and quite a few false starts, our first four albums are to see the light of day on vinyl. Finally.

That's right, 'Sunset Studies', 'Strange Bird', 'Moo, You Bloody Choir' and 'Watch Me Disappear' are very soon to be released on vinyl. The first three are double albums housed in gatefold sleeves, while 'WMD' is a single LP.

The release date is Saturday April 16 - as part of Record Store Day. For those of you in Australia, you can try your local independent record store - or, if you prefer, you can order online now via Readings, who are offering a 20% discount on all vinyl sold throughout April. They will post it out to you on Monday 18 April.

Touring plans? There is discussion about some shows later in the year - we'll keep you updated as soon as plans are finalised.

 - The Good Gardener 

Thanks

View fullsize

Thanks to everyone who came to the recent shows. Hopefully we’ll get back to a few places and visit a few new ones soon but there’s no concrete plans yet.

If you are based inside or outside of Australia and keen to stay in touch please make sure you join the mailing list.

If you are interested in reading/talking any and all things Augie March there’s a fan-run forum on Facebook here. 

Melbourne This Friday, Bendigo Venue Change

MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE - FRIDAY

Augie March return to the live stage in Melbourne this Friday 17 April at the fabulous Melbourne Recital Centre. 

The band have been preparing specifically for this venue and the show will include songs not played live since before the hiatus (and in some cases, well before the hiatus). The Arnold Horns will be joining in, and special guest on the night is Fraser A Gorman. 

Tickets are available here.

---

BENDIGO VENUE CHANGE
 

The band are also playing in Bendigo this Thursday 16 April, originally as part of opening celebrations for the new Ulumbarra Theatre. However the refurbishment works have not quite been completed in time so the show will now take place at The Capital (50 View St Bendigo). Tickets purchased for Ulumbarra are valid for corresponding seats at The Capital, any queries can be directed to the Box Office on 03 54346100. Apologies for the inconvenience here but this was not within our control.

Tickets for the show are available here. The band is looking forward to getting back to Bendigo for the first time in over six years.

---

BRISBANE

And! Also finally returning to Brisbane after a six year gap, Augies play The Triffid on Thursday 30 April, and are happy to say the wonderful Mosman Alder have accepted their invitation to play on the night.

Tickets for this are available here.

 - The Good Gardener

---

Thu 16 April 2015 | THE CAPITAL | Bendigo | TICKETS | with Steve Lane & Jimmy Williams
Fri 17 April 2015 | MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE | Melbourne | TICKETS | with Fraser A Gorman
Thu 30 April 2015 | THE TRIFFID | Brisbane | TICKETS | with Mosman Alder
Fri 1 May 2015 | TANKS ARTS CENTRE | Cairns | TICKETS ph: 1300855835 | with King Pig
Sat 2 May 2015 | URBAN COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL | Caboolture | TICKETS

More shows, Never Been Sad video, Adam and Dave

A Few things. ‘Never Been Sad’ video is below. But first…

View fullsize

 
NATIONAL TOUR

Continuing our elongated National Tour / lap of luxury...
Looking forward to playing in Adelaide and Perth next.

---

HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE ADELAIDE

View fullsize

Fri 27 March 2015 | HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE | Adelaide BUY TICKETS

---

ASTOR THEATRE PERTH

View fullsize

Sat 28 March 2015 | ASTOR THEATRE | Perth BUY TICKETS

---

There are still good seats left in both theatres. We are not sure how long it will be before the band gets back to play in either city after these shows, so we are hoping to see everyone this time round, and play some good long sets.

After that there’s Bluesfest, Bendigo, Melbourne Recital Centre (selling fast), Brisbane, Cairns and Caboolture. 

Fri 27 March 2015 | HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE | Adelaide TICKETS

Sat 28 March 2015 | ASTOR THEATRE | Perth TICKETS

Thu 2 April 2015 | BLUESFEST | Byron Bay TICKETS

Thu 16 April 2015 | THE CAPITAL | Bendigo TICKETS

Fri 17 April 2015 | MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE | Melbourne+ Fraser A. Gorman TICKETS

Thu 30 April 2015 | THE TRIFFID | Brisbane TICKETS 

Fri 1 May 2015 | TANKS ARTS CENTRE | Cairns TICKETS ph: 1300855835

Sat 2 May 2015 | URBAN COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL | Caboolture TICKETS

---

NEVER BEEN SAD VIDEO

“Lissome Pete, Angelica apple cheek, ever the inheritors, you don't strike as mild or meek

Just a genre, fodder, no canon, you read like a dunny wall I don't want to read at all...”

The video for ‘Never Been Sad’ from Havens Dumb sees the band working again with Ben Saunders, who made the wonderful clips for 'The Vineyard', 'Little Wonder', 'The Cold Acre' and 'One Crowded Hour'.
 
The Guardian is hosting it as an exclusive, you can view it here.
 
The video was shot on the green fields of a farm in Victoria and features ‘the kids of Jan Juc'. As for the song itself, here’s what Glenn says about its conception:

"Grumpy old man song probably had its first flash in the sun-drenched courtyard of Preachers bar in Battery Point, surrounded by perky Young Liberals who were just beginning to scent the winds of change to come, fresh loads of premium Sandy Bay manure in preparation for dumping over the existing desiccated turd puzzle. The insidious are always so very nice at the first meeting. In that ozonic (not yet animalic) field, dazed by early afternoon red beer and the sensory marina of interchangeable Calvin Klein aquatics, this pretty misery guts of a tune had its divine spark flinted.”

---

AN HOUR OF ADAM AND DAVE

Recently Adam and Dave hosted a show on Double J for a full hour playing songs from Melbourne and beyond. To hear the sort of rapport that only comes with a lifetime of repartee, go here.

 
See you round
 
 - The Good Gardener 

National Tour

View fullsize

At some of the very finest live performance spaces on the planet, from the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre to Hobart’s MONA to the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House, from the peerless Melbourne Recital Centre to Adelaide’s majestic Her Majesty’s Theatre… from the wonderful Astor Theatre in Perth… to Brisbane’s great new live space The Triffid, to the Ulumbarra Theatre in Bendigo and our old friend Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns: Glenn, Kiernan, Edmondo, Adam and Dave, plus The Arnold Horns at most shows – will play special one-night-only concerts featuring songs from right throughout their 17-year definitive history.

All the various ticket details are here, but note, many of these shows are on sale right now...

View fullsize

Sat 13 December 2014 | MEREDITH SUPERNATURAL AMPHITHEATRE | Meredith
SOLD OUT

Thu 1 January 2015 | MONA | Hobart
TICKETS

Sydney Opera House Presents    Sun 25 January 2015 | SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE Concert Hall | Sydney
TICKETS

Fri 27 March 2015 | HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE | Adelaide
TICKETS

Sat 28 March 2015 | ASTOR THEATRE | Perth
TICKETS

Thu 16 April 2015 | ULUMBARRA THEATRE | Bendigo
                 TICKETS from Fri 5 December

Fri 17 April 2015 | MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE | Melbourne
+ Fraser A. Gorman
TICKETS

Thu 30 April 2015 | THE TRIFFID | Brisbane
 TICKETS
 
Fri 1 May 2015 | TANKS ARTS CENTRE | Cairns
TICKETS ph: 1300855835

Sat 2 May 2015 | URBAN COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL | Caboolture
  TICKETS from Mon 1 December
 

Looking forward to seeing everyone.


- The Good Gardener