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IN THE COURT OF THE KING
Rod Laver, the greatest tennis player of all time, recently
ranked Lew Hoad as the best player of the "past champions"
era, applauding his "power and explosiveness". You could
use the same terms to describe Lew's nephew, Clifford Hoad,
the drummer and now frontman of Kings Of The Sun. Cliff
learnt a lot from Uncle Lew, who won every major title apart
from the US Open. "He was responsible for bringing drums
into my life," Cliff tells Howzat! "He brought back many
records from the US in the early days, which is when I first
heard my drumming idol, Gene Krupa, whom Lew loved." Cliff
also adapted one of Lew's tennis tricks. "He taught me my
infamous behind-the-back drumstick shot on the hi-hat,"
Cliff smiles. "This was a trick shot he'd use at the net
at Wimbledon."
The new Kings Of The Sun album, the aptly titled Rock Til
Ya Die, shows they are not just "past champions". They should
have conquered the world with their first two albums, 1988's
self-titled set and 1990's Full Frontal Attack. Now, at
a time when many doomsayers are saying rock is dead, the
glorious new record reveals that rock can be resurrected.
Rohan Connolly, The Age's senior footy writer, loves his
rock, recently bemoaning on SEN, "Where have all the guitars
gone?" He added, "There's something fundamentally wrong
when old people like me are listening to heavier stuff than
the kids!" As TISM stated in The Last Australian Guitar
Hero, "What's the fuckin' point of drum and bass if no one
can play guitar?" Cliff is aware the world has changed.
"Everything is now so immediate," he says, "but bands were
never immediate, they were heartfelt. People still feel
from the heart, but they don't seem to have the time or
inclination to live their lives through the music of a band
and its members, like the old days." But Cliff believes
things go in cycles. "The rock bands that are out there
are still living the dream, and things will come 'round."
Kings Of The Sun return to Melbourne this week for their
first shows in "Rocktown" since a 1998 Palace gig with Sammy
Hagar. The gigs (Espy on Friday, Cherry on Saturday) are
the live debut of Clifford Hoad's Kings Of The Sun, with
fans flying in from Sweden, WA and Queensland. The band
features guitarist Quentin Elliott (who played with the
Kings at the end of the '90s), guitarist Dave Talon (ex-Rollerball),
bass player Darren Marlow, drummer Baron Von Berg, and Cliff
on drums and lead vocals. Yep, two drummers! This could
be the greatest combination since Hoad and Rosewall.
GREAT SCOTT
Speaking of great Aussie rock, we remember the legend Bon
Scott, who died in London 34 years ago today (Wednesday),
aged 33.
HOT LINE
"The rock came back today" - Kings Of The Sun, Rockpile.
CHART WATCH
INXS have two Top 40 singles.
Swing JOEL FLETCHER FEATURING SAVAGE (number four)
Never Tear Us Apart INXS (16)
Riptide VANCE JOY (21)
My Life BLISS N ESO FEATURING CEEKAY JONES (32)
Need You Tonight INXS (33)
Drop The Game FLUME & CHET FAKER (35)
Like A Drum GUY SEBASTIAN (36)
INXS score their first number one album in 24 years. And
they have five albums in the Top 50, including Shabooh Shoobah
at 41 and The Swing at 43.
The Very Best INXS (number one)
Flesh & Blood JOHN BUTLER (two, debut)
Kick INXS (seven)
Live At Wembley Stadium 1991 INXS (17, debut)
The Brink THE JEZABELS (21)
The Greatest Hits AUSTRALIAN CRAWL (23)
Flume FLUME (25)
Triple J Like A Version 9 VARIOUS (29)
Overcomer PREPARED LIKE A BRIDE (30, debut)
Circus In The Sky BLISS N ESO (31)
Taylor Henderson TAYLOR HENDERSON (39)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Rocktown KINGS OF THE SUN
My Darlin' Girl THE AUDREYS
Let It Be Now THE ALTERNATIVE
Dropout HALFWAY
(Ain't Enough Love) On The Snowy Mountains CHARLES JENKINS
& THE ZHIVAGOS
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