Virtual Unreality

We talked to Mick Medew and Ursula about their upcoming Sydney show and what they’ve been up to generally.

Plus, we’ll finished the obituary caper and played some new music that’s appeared on the virtually unreal radar.

Listen!

Playlist

• The 5678’s – Woo Woo
• The 5678’s – I’m blue
• The 5678’s – Cuckoo
• Mick Medew and Ursula – Punk Grandma
• VU interview – Mick Medew and Ursula
• Mick Medew and Ursula – God bless Yoko Ono
• Mick Medew and Ursula – In the Zone
• Painters and Dockers – Nude School
• Smoked Salmon – Hell in a handbasket
• The Flaming Lips – Ego tripping at the gates of hell
• Alison Krauss & Union Station – Looks like the end of the road
• Pete Cornelius – Cruickshank
• Pete Cornelius – Sick of this town
• Johnny O’Keefe and Margaret McLaren – Mocking Bird
• Bee Gees – Massachusetts
• Bee Gees – Holiday
• Bee Gees – New York Mining Disaster 1941
• The Scott Morgan Band – Heaven & earth
• Sonic’s Rendezvous – City Slang
• The Scott Morgan Group – Come on baby
• Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band – Wangaratta Wahine
• Max Merritt & the Meteors – Western union man
• Max Merritt & the Meteors – Fannie May

Richard Lawson from the renewed Grooveyard phoned in to tell us about a couple of special gigs they have coming up.

We got sidetracked with Rickenbacker 12 strings, had a Marianne Faithfull tribute and continued the the 2025 obit show.

Listen!

Playlist!

• Marianne Faithfull – Les Prisons du Roy
• Bob Dylan – Song to Woody
• Grooveyard – Avalanche of Love
• VU interview – Richard Lawson (Grooveyard)
• Grooveyard – Tenku Town
• Mick Medew and Ursula – In the zone
• The Byrds – Mr Tambourine Man
• The Minus 5 – Blue Rickenbacker
• Stanley Knife – Hare Wanke
• Marianne Faithfull – As tears go by
• Marianne Faithfull – Why’d ya do it?
• Marianne Faithfull – For beauty’s sake
• Bob Seger System – Ramblin’ gamblin’ man
• Bob Seger System – 2 + 2 = ?
• Sergio Mendes & Brazil ’66 – Mais Que Nada
• Sergio Mendes & Brazil ’66 – Fool on the hill
• Caterina Valente – Ganz Paris Träumt Von Der Liebe (I Love Paris)
• Caterina Valente – Malagueña
• George Benson – Off broadway (for Quincy Jones)
• Ray Charles – One mint julip (for Quincy Jones and Roy Haines)
• Ray Charles – I’m gonna move to the outskirts of town (for Roy Haines)
• oland Kirk – Rolando (for Roy Haines)
• Grooveyard – Days of the week

We have a long interview with Luther Russel, one half of Those Pretty Wrongs with Jody Stephens. He has a new album out today. Plus John Kennedy phoned to tell us how his tour is going.

Listen!

Playlist!

• The Unwoke – Discontent
• The On and Ons – Rollercoaster
• John Kennedy and the New Originals – King St
• VU interview number 1 – John Kennedy
• John Kennedy And The New Originals – Well, I’m Sixty Four
• Perry Keyes – Streets of a Black & White Town
• Luther Russell – Happiness for Beginners
• VU interview number 2 – Luther Russell (part 1)
• Luther Russell – Your reckless heart
• VU interview number 3 – Luther Russell (part 2)
• Luther Russell – The Midnight Flame
• VU interview number 4 – Luther Russell (part 3)
• Luther Russell – Downtown Girls
• The I Don’t Cares – Back
• Françoise Hardy – Tous les garçons et les filles
• Françoise Hardy – All Over The World

A paisley-themed episode of Virtual Unreality with our first in-studio guest for the year, the one and only Clyde Bramley of Sydney power pop legends The On and Ons.

They have a new release, so Clyde was in the hot seat while we talk shit and play records.

Listen!

Play list

• Far from there – Imber
• Paper Cup – Pretty Wrongs
• Happiness for beginners – Luther Russell
• Roller Coaster – The On and Ons
• Tonight – MC5
• Come and see her – The Easybeats
• Reber Rouser – Duane Eddy and The Rebel ls
• You really got me – The Kinks
• Been there – The On and Ons
• I remember you – Frank Ifield
• Go all the way – The Raspberries
• Happy man – The Sunnyboys
• Oliver’s Army – Elvis Costello and the Attractions
• Simon Says – 1910 Fruitgum Co
• Brand New Key – Melanie
• American Nights – The Runaways
• (Scare me) outta my mind – The On and Ons
• Face of the screaming werewolf – Fleshtones
• Teenage head – Flamin’ Groovies
• Avalanche of love – Grooveyard

The Hard-Ons are celebrating their 40th anniversary (WTF?) with a tour and there’s a movie about them. We got bassist Ray Ahn on the blower to find WTF is going on.

Then we had Catherine Traicos in the studio to talk about her new music and some gigs she has coming up.

Listen!

Playlist!

• The day John Sattler broke his draw – Perry Keyes
• Ride to the station – Hard-ons
• Ray Ahn – The VU interview
• Buzz buzz buzz – Hard-ons
• A heartbeat away – Catherine Traicos
• O darling don’t be that way – Catherine Traicos
• Bitten – Cate Kileva
• A case of you – Joni Mitchell
• A simple thought – Catherine Traicos
• Steely Dan – Elana Stone
• Powderfinger – Cowboy Junkies
• I kissed a girl – Jill sobule
• Follow You Down – Hanna Enlof
• Shadow Love – Catherine Traicos

Author Murray Engleheart has written an extraordinary book on Radio Birdman so, we got him in to find out about the book and the man.

Listen!

On tonight’s chock-a-block show, we start off with a chat with blues legend Charlie Musselwhite ahead of his tour in September.

Then we’ll be joined in the studio by Shane Flew with whom be talking shit and playing records and we might even entice to play for us.

And that’s not all because in the second half, we talk to our mates Valerie Vande Panne and Ted Rall about the crazy state of US politics.

Listen!

Playlist!

• I don’t care – Nikki Lane
• USS Codfish – Bob Newhart
• Brownsville Blues – Charlie Musselwhite
• Charlie Musselwhite – VU interview number 1
• The Big Boat – Charlie Musselwhite
• I’m a king bee – Morland and Arbuckle
• She – Shane Flew
• Ancient History (live) – Shane Flew
• Hustle from the heart – Matt Ross
• Head to foot (demo) – Shane Flew
• She moved to Canada – Shane Flew
• Valerie Vande Panne and Ted Rall – VU interview 2
• Sister music (live) – Shane Flew
• Scotts of Riverina – Normie Rowe

Valerie is back and she’s bringing syndicated political cartoonist and commentator Ted  Rall to help us unpack the presidential debate and Trump’s Supreme Court victory.

We talk to Trash Springfield about what she’s been up to.

We have lots of music too.

Oh, and we received a call from Pismo Beach. Cripes!

Listen!

Playlist!

• Hand of Law – Radio Birdman
• The Grand Wizard (Psychotic Turnbuckles) – The VU interview
• Groove to the eye – The Psychotic Turnbuckles
• 1969 – The Psychotic Turnbuckles
• Control – Trash Springfield
• Trash Springfield – Another VU interview
• Confused by Early Signs – Trash Springfield
• We’re still here – Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore with The Guilty Ones
• Politician – Jack Bruce
• Back on the drink – Dave Favours and the Roadside Ashes
• Valerie vande Panne and Ted Rall – Yet another VU interview
• Siberia – Penny Ikinger
• Ted Rall and Valerie vande Panne – One more VU interview
• The Letter – Redd Volkaert
• Pandora’s Box – Cone of Confusion
• The Eye is the First Circle – Vanessa Perica Orchestra

Studio guests were Sydney band oWo. We’ve been playing their single. We like it, so thought we’d get ’em in.
Plus! Over the next coupla weeks we’ll be playing interviews with both Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton. They’re touring here together next month and we can’t wait. This week is Samantha Fish.
Plus! It turns out our friend Valerie is mates with Arj Barker so we thought it might be fun to find if she’s across a recent controversy.

Listen!

Playlist!

• Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs – No more war
• oWo – Built
• Models – Cut lunch
• oWo – What you get
• Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton – Deathwish
• The VU Interview – Samantha Fish
• Samantha Fish and Jess Dayton – Pink Cadillac
• Ghostwoman – Juan
• oWo – Tunnel of Vision
• Rubber Necker – Spghetti al telephono
• Shark arm – Gaslighter
• The VU Interview – Valerie Vande Panne
• Part chimp – Mapolean
• Brainiac – V1nc3nt com3 on down
• Swervedriver – Deep seat
• Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Soul type cast
• oWo – Mock it

Tonight’s guest is local musician Simon Hodges. He sent us a copy of his debut album, the virtually unreal lab rats thought it was pretty cool, so we thought we’d invite him to find out who is.

Listen!

Playlist!

• Taken by force – Civic
• Princess Tabu – Vika & Linda
• Billy is a runaway – Iggy Pop
• What’s your situation – Simon Hodges
• Warped – Red hot chilli peppers
• The baron of sentiment – Augie March
• My dreams keep me awake at night (parts 1 & 2) – Simon Hodges
• Ordinary world (acoustic version) – Duran Duran
• Leave it alone – Operator Please
• Bring Some Sun Back – You Am I
• Jenny was a friend of mine – The Killers
• Everything every way – Sunk Loto
• Black Velvet – Alannah Myles
• Wreckin’ bar (ra ra ra) – The Vaccines
• Jigsaw falling into place – Radiohead
• Hi Cs – Screamfeeder
• We’re not right – David Gray
• Election Day – Simon Hodges
• Talking to a stranger – Hunters and Collectors
• Every song – Andy Clockwise
• You’re on my mind – Old Man River
• You work it out – Simon Hodges