The sixth annual “Wash Winter’s Willies Away With Whiskey” festival was a screaming success down at the Tote on the last Sunday of July.

And now Clinkerfield and Miserable Little Bastards shows resume sporadically, with both bands new albums in the mixing stages and due for release soon.

Jimmy’s back every Tuesday night at the Gem, plus other sporadic shows all over town.

Check gigs page for updates.

Peace.

When Jimmy returns, it’s all hands on deck preparing for the last Sunday of July and the Sixth Annual “Wash Winter’s Willies Away With Whiskey” festival at the Tote Hotel, back on the calendar after the Tote looked lost to us forever recently. Stay tuned for details. And it looks like Jimmy will reconvene at the Gem Bar & Dining Room, picking up his never ending solo Tuesday night residency.

And recording of new albums is well underway…

The drunken pirate convict rockenroll warhorse machine Clinkerfield returned to the farmhouse of Carrigmore in central Victoria in February to record a new album, tentatively titled “A Heart Full Of Ice & A Gut Full Of Rubble“. But maybe we’ll just call it “Clinkerfucked“. With song titles like “K.A.O.S. Is Everywhere”, “Stumblin’ Into The Pit”, “Nowhere & Nothin’ At All”, “That Sweet Ol’ Sour Taste Of Defeat”, and ”The Doomed Pirate” – amongst others - it promises to be a real cheery affair. Recorded by Fergus McAlpin and Adam Afiff – our brothers from Silver City Highway – over a hot and stormy week in mid-February, initial rough mixes of the completely live sessions have been providing much pleasure, and indeed, entertainment! Look forward to further news as post-production and mixing unfolds…

The Miserable Little Bastards (”depression era show-tunes for the new global recession, and a salvation procession from emotional oppression“) – that hangover healing group of desperadoes from Clinkerfield, Redfish Bluegrass and beyond – have also completed a marathon recording session in at Fitzroy’s Adelphi Studios in April, just before Jimmy left town, where they worked up an album of old depression era tunes mixed with new original compositions from the current global recession era, proving that not much has changed, that nothing ever really changes, and it’d be real nice if we all had a little bit more spare change. Over two days in the beautiful surrounds of Adelphi, they completed a full album of around a dozen songs. Again, this should be out some time later in the year.

And thee primo MLB hisself, riotous ringleader and footloose frontman, Jimmy Stewart – who, previous to his current adventure in the USA, was on tour through Western Australia for five weeks playing a rash of shows across Perth, Fremantle and anywhere else he could wrangle – is working up a minimalist recording of some of his songs that are too gay for his two bands. But, being the slack shit that he is, works have completely stalled. Indefinitely.

Stay tuned for announcements of Clinkerfield and Miserable Little Bastards shows that may pop up between Jimmy’s escapades out of town and country.

Aside from that, it’s business as usual at Waste Management™, with Clinkerfield™, Miserable Little Bastards™, and Jimmy Stewart™ projects all bubbling away. Jimmy has finally removed his eye-liner after a successful theatre season for “My Friend Schadenfreude“, the show he performed with Nicola Gunn at La Mama in September, and for now at least he’s beaten off the temptation to return to the bosom of his new Russian gypsy family in New York City. Next year.

Pre-production and pro-crastination continues apace in the Carrigmore farmhouse on new albums for all the various Transmutations of Waste, and a re-pressing of Clinkerfield’s “A Head Full Of Rain & A Heart Full Of Puddles” album is underway, with plans to include a Previously Unreleased™ song from the magical 2007 sessions that didn’t make it onto the original cut. Special.

Squizz the gigs page for details, for Clinkerfield and Jimmy pop for shows over the coming months, though with Greg “Miserable Fiddler Bastard” Field still in the USA, there are no MLB shows until November when they will take their misery to happy QLD for a show or three. In the meantime, placate yourself HERE with the YouTube video of them performing “What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor?” on ABC TV’s show “Spicks & Specks”.

And after much dilly-dallying, Jimmy is finally returning to his homes away from home in Western Australia, with a solo tour booked for the last weekend of November. This is his first trip out West after touring there seven times last year! Upon returning he takes up at his other home away from home, the Gem Bar & Dining Room, to re-convene at the scene of his 18 month long Tuesday night residency, for a summery month of Tuesday evenings in December.

Busy.

(Click HERE and HERE for reviews/pictures of the WWWAWW event.)

Ringleader of W.M. incorporated, Jimmy Stewart, is back home and straight back into a busy schedule after a dozen or more shows across NYC and Nashville. Two months of adventure, a whole lotta luck, and a raucous chilli-vodka-fuelled residency at The Anyway Café (a magical little Russian gypsy hole in Manhattan), means plans are already underway for a return to the States before too long.

But presently, Jimmy has been invited to perform as part of a two-week musical theatre season at La Mama running from 26 August to 6 September, collaborating with internationally acclaimed performer Nicola Gunn. The show is “My Friend Schadenfreude”, and it is the story of The Inconsolable Woman and her Mute Bellhop. Jimmy relishes in the role of the bellhop, and breaks into calamitous song occasionally… Visit www.nicolagunn.com and www.lamama.com.au for more info, or phone 03 9347 6142 for bookings. Tickets are $25/$12 concession. It will be a most interesting collaboration and show between two dynamic performers…

Jimmy also performs a few solo shows of his own, including two special appearances in August at the Gem Bar & Dining Room, returning to the scene of the 18 month long Tuesday night residency he completed there before he left shore for the USA in May.  In mid-October he returns to Western Australia for a short jaunt – after six trips West last year this will be his first for 2009. Slack-o.

The Clinkerfield/Redfish Bluegrass collaboration The Miserable Little Bastards continues to garner more exposure than Clinkerfield ever did…! Fresh from their appearance on ABC TV’s program Spicks & Specks where they performed “What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor?” with mischievous glee (watch the YouTube video HERE), they pop up for a show or two before taking a break whilst their internationally jetsetting fiddler Greg Field embarks on his own USA adventure. The Bastards will be cranking up again in October.

And the drunken pirate convict rock’n’roll machine Clinkerfield takes the mighty bathtub out onto the high seas once again with a slurry of shows, taking in some good old favourite local holes, including closing out the High Vibes festival on Sunday 20 September at the Northcote Social Club, and a looming October show with the Kill Devil Hills (WA).

Betwixt all this hullaballoo, long overdue pre-production has commenced on three (or more) new albums, with Jimmy currently holed up in the farmhouse Carrigmore where Clinkerfield recorded their 2008 hit album “A Head Full Of Rain & A Heart Full Of Puddles”. He’s currently finding it very difficult to concentrate, and even harder to figure out which album to make first…

So lucky there’s some shows to let all hell loose upon! Check that gigs page and sign up for that mailing list for regular updates and other hot tips…

In the US, Jimmy will be playing shows in NYC and Nashville, with more shows to follow.

This means that Jimmy’s solo Tuesday night residency at the Gem Bar, now a year-and-a-half long, is finishing up.

Upon Jim’s return Clinkerfield will host the sixth annual Wash Winter’s Willies Away With Whiskey festival at the Tote on Saturday 25th July.

Check back to this news page for more updates on USA adventures and other bizzo.

A couple more Clinkerfield shows are planned, and a few Miserable Little Bastards (Clinkerfield/Redfish Bluegrass collaboration) shows too.

Jimmy continues at the Gem every Tuesday, heads to Tassie for three solo shows 2-4 April, and is off to the USA for a few shows in June.

And a little bit of pre-production is underway for new recordings.

The Miserable Little Bastards (Clinkerfield/Redfish Bluegrass collaboration) recently performed a version of “What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor” live on ABC TV’s program ‘Spicks & Specks’. Everyone was very excited to meet Murray from the Wiggles. Unsure when the episode will go to air…

A couple of other shows are looming, Jimmy continues at the Gem Bar every Tuesday, and recording plans are underway.

Clinkerfield appear at the St Kilda Festival on Sun 8th Feb, 4:30 pm on the World Music Stage.

Jimmy Stewart’s Miserable Little Bastards appear at the Labour In Vain Hotel Sun 15th Feb.

Jimmy has re-commenced his Tuesday night residency at the Gem Bar & Dining Room, now 13 months running.

And after a busy Summer, shows will wind down to focus on more recording.

Firstly, we’ll be Beating The Bejesus Outta Boxing Day, with a show at the Tote early in the night, before barrelling into Pony for the infamous 2am slot… Owww!!!

Then it’s onwards into 2009 with our fifth annual January residency at the Old Bar, every Sunday this year leading up to Australia Day Eve. Different guest acts each week, B-Grade Celebrity chefs on the BBQ, and more….

And after a full year Jimmy’s Tuesday night residency at the Gem has a break over the silly period (the Gem closes on 21 Dec, re-opens on 2 Jan), resuming indefinitely in early 2009.

Stay tuned for updates on shows, and new recording plans for Clinkerfield, and The Miserable Little Bastards (Clinkerfield’s old-timey collaboration with Redfish Bluegrass)…