New Year's Eve in Brunswick

Given it's holiday season now, we could run this blog to cover every day's gigs because, let's face it, something is ALWAYS going on in the Wick. That's why we've just listed the gigs for this new year's eve and haven't bothered covering this Friday and Saturday and are not awarding this week's Golden Parrot. But it's is time to start thinking about who, out of all this year's talented winners of the Golden Parrot, will walk away with the coveted 2006 Platinum Crazy Parrot.

The Perocoloco (crazy parrot) awards are held annually in salubrious locations and have become somewhat of a Brunswick institution. More details on this year's awards will be posted next year( ie next week).

We promise that we will not follow the particularly lame example of Time Magazine when they awarded the 2006 person of the year to "you". We can assure you that you won't be winning anything, well, not in the way that Time did it. We've got far more class than that. And integrity.

See you next year.

New Year's Eve
DJ TROY Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9pm. Free.
HAVE YOUR SAY BAR TUNES Cornish Arms Hotel, Brunswick. Free.
NYE PARTY – FEAT: DJ’S THE AMBASSADORS OF THIS OLDE SCHOOL Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. Free.
THE COMMITTED SOUL TRIBUTE The Spot, Brunswick. 7pm. Free.
PAUL WROKEY BAND Lomond Hotel, East Brunswick. 5.30pm. Free.


Wednesday 3rd January
PERICO with Sean Payne
Criterion Hotel, Yarrawonga

The Wick In the Wong

After a packed gig at the Brunswick on Friday night, Perico go country with their next gig at Murray River town, Yarrawonga.

Commencing at 8pm, Brunswick's favourite rockers take their eclectic blend of country/rock/folk/pop to the Criterion Hotel on the main drag at the Wong on Wednesday 3rd January and it's free.

Christmas Gigs in Brunswick

"We wish you a Merry Christmas..." - not exactly carol time in Brunswick, but some great Christmas shows to intersperse with the office parties and the desparate last-minute shopping.
It doesn't get much better than Sunday's Noise Bar extravanganza, with the brilliantly-named Kids in Cults rocking alongside Brunswick studs, Crazy Like a Fox and all girl group Bang Bang Bangs. Actually, it does get better, because Friday night's Golden Parrot winning gig is possibly the 2006 pericoloco gig-of-the-year.
Featuring an opening set from the accomplished Jeff Samin and Ben Birchall, Brunswick supergroup Perico follow, featuring Tim Gartland back on vocals and guitar for the first time in 8 months. Finally, international musician Mark Sinton and the Prefabs complete the perfect set. Merry Christmas.

Friday
MASTER CARDINAL + MY SECRET CIRCUS + ALITHIA Cornish Arms Hotel, Brunswick. 9pm. $5.
BEN BIRCHALL & JEFF SAMIN + PERICO + MARK SINTON & THE PREFABS Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9pm. Free.
STARKY + MOUNTAINS IN THE SKY + DARDANELLES East Brunswick Club, East Brunswick. 8.30pm. $12+bf.
TV WEIRD Plan B Bar, Brunswick East.
BENNIE & THE FLY-BY-NIGHTERS Lomond Hotel, East Brunswick. 9.30pm. Free.

Saturday
A NIGHT ON THE TILES BY DISCOUNT LIQUOR RECORDS – FEAT: THE CRACKWHORES + BEACHCROMERS + THE LOVESLAPS + SWEDISH MAGAZINES + THE MATTI B Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 9pm.
BILLY JOE BUFFALO Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 6pm. Free.
BLUEBOTTLE KISS + LAURA & EMILY ULMAN East Brunswick Club, East Brunswick. 8.30pm. $12+bf.
MARIKA + PAPER PLANES + NEW ESTATE Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9pm. Free.
P-TEX Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7.30pm.
STOVETOP + TINPAN ORANGE Cornish Arms Hotel, Brunswick. 9pm. $10.
THE CONCH + BRUNSWICK MUSIC GROUP Noise Bar, Brunswick. 3pm. Free.
THE WEATHERMEN Noise Bar, Brunswick. 2pm.
BRODERICK SMITH BAND Lomond Hotel, East Brunswick. 9.30pm. Free.

Sunday
AMBASSADORS OF THIS OLDE SCHOOL Retreat Hotel, Brunswick.
DJ PAT & SHANNON (DALLAS CRANE) Beergarden – Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 3pm.
JAY BOATS Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 6pm. Free.
KIDS IN CULTS + TIJUANA SOUVENIRS + CRAZY LIKE A FOX + BANG BANG BANGS + IAN NIGHTINGALE Noise Bar, Brunswick. 3pm. Free
THE COMMITTED SOUL TRIBUTE The Spot, Brunswick. 7pm. Free.
THE WEATHERMEN Noise Bar, Brunswick. 12pm.
JIMMY DOWLING’S UMMER OPEN MIC SESSIONS Cornish Arms Hotel, Brunswick. 6pm. Free.
KELLY AUTY BAND Lomond Hotel, East Brunswick. 5.30pm. Free.

"I'm Ready to Go" says Perico Front Man

Returned Perico superstar singer, guitarist and song-writer, Tim Gartland, announced emphatically on the weekend that he was back and that he "was ready to go". Performing on a stage overlooking Melbourne's eastern suburbs which he likened to "standing on the Berlin Wall in the 1970's overlooking oppressed people in the east", Gartland was confident and bore no signs of ageing.

Perico return with Gartland on stage on Friday night at the Brunswick Hotel. Playing with Perico are Jeff Samin and Ben Birchall (early) and Mark Sinton & the Prefabs (late).

Brunswick This Weekend

In the hiatus between Meredith and the Perico XMAS show next week at the Brunswick Hotel, pericoloco went searching for a quieter place to recover. This week's Golden Parrot is awarded to JESSICA PAIGE + NICK STYLES + JUSTIN GROUNDS + BILLY JOE BUFFALO performing at Don’t Tell Tom Bar on Saturday evening.

Friday
DJ POWELL + DJ PANDY The Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 8pm.
KRISTY LEWIS & THE WRETCHED Plan B Bar, Brunswick East. 9pm.
LOUIS KING (CD LAUNCH) + PETE BAYLOR The Cornish Arms, Brunswick. 9pm. $10.
MASONIA Don’t Tell Tom Bar/Café, Brunswick. 9.30pm. $5.
BIG TONY'S SHOW OF RESPECT – FEAT: T.K.BOLLINGER The Edinburgh Castle Hotel, Brunswick. 8pm.
MAURICE FRAWLEY & THE YARDHANDS Lomond Hotel, East Brunswick. 9.30pm. Free.
TRIPOD CHRISTMAS TOUR (COMEDY) East Brunswick Club, East Brunswick. $29+bf.

Saturday
DOWNHILLS HOME The Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 5pm.
JEN CLOHER AND THE ENDLESS SEA East Brunswick Club, East Brunswick. $15+bf.
SPECTRUM Lomond Hotel, East Brunswick. 9.30pm. Free.
THE BANK HOLIDAYS + NED COLLETTE + J WALKER The Cornish Arms, Brunswick. 9pm. $10.
THE VAGRANTS + SOULPHONIC + KINEMATICS The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 9pm.
JESSICA PAIGE + NICK STYLES + JUSTIN GROUNDS + BILLY JOE BUFFALO Don’t Tell Tom Bar/Café, Brunswick. 9.30pm. $10.
THE CONCH Noise Bar - Railway Hotel, Brunswick. 3pm. Free.

Sunday
BLACKFEATHER Don’t Tell Tom Bar/Café, Brunswick. 7.30pm. $10
CAROLINE OATES Plan B Bar, Brunswick East. 6pm.
CERES CHRISTMAS CAROLS – FEAT: CARL PANNUZZO + MAL WEBB CERES Community Environment Park, East Brunswick. 6pm. $15/$10.
DJS PAT + SHANNON (DALLAS CRANE) Beergarden – The Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 3pm.
GATORBAIT The Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 6pm.
JAY BOATS Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick. 6pm. Free.
MOONEE VALLEY DRIFTERS + THE LUAU COWBOYS The Cornish Arms, Brunswick. 5pm. Free.
THE HAPPY ENDINGS + GLENY RAE VIRUS & HER TAMWORTH PLAYBOYS (CD LAUNCH) The Retreat Hotel, Brunswick. 7:30pm.
WELLYN & OLLIE BROWN + DAN & RYAN (SUBAUDIBLE HUM) East Brunswick Club, East Brunswick. $10+bf.
MERRI CREEK Lomond Hotel, East Brunswick. 5.30pm. Free.
SANDILANDS + CLINT DYLAN O’GRADY Lomond Hotel, East Brunswick. 9pm. Free.

This Weekend's Gigs

Lots of amazing stuff this weekend. Where else could you get to see The New Pornographers Rose Tattoo The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Augie March,Dallas Crane, Spencer P Jones and The Escape Committee? Well not really in Brunswick but at "Brunswick in the Bush" at the fabulous Meredith Music Festival.

If you haven't got a ticket there seems to be a sudden last-minute glut so you haven't been looking hard enough. The big surprise news this year is that Brunswick rock stars Perico will be playing at Meredith. Well, playing up anyway. Look for four philandering blokes up the front during Augie March and that'll be them.

Golden Parrot? Rumour has it that the Golden Parrot has gone missing and is believed to be hidden under blankets in someone's boot (alongside the stubbies and the mate without a ticket) on its way to Meredith. Pericoloco apologises for not awarding the Golden Parrot this weekend and requests that anyone who knows of its location to contact this blog immediately.

Perico Auditions Un-Earth New Talent

7 months of trawling through submissions, checking out talent at seedy bars and holding lengthy auditions have come to end, according to rumours circulating Brunswick today.

It is believed that Brunswick supergroup Perico are about to announce the expansion of the band from a cosy threesome to a noisesome foursome.

"I distinctly heard two guitars and a three-part harmony when they were practicing" said a neighbour who preferred to remain anonymous. Another neighbour claimed to have seen strange people coming and going at night.
"Whoever I saw, wasn't just another one of those groupies I see hanging around. He looked like a musician, so it wasn't their drummer Col either, it was someone new."