Viva Bob Vegas is the first live tour in 5 years for legendary Australian (very) funnyman Bob Downe. Relax as Bob takes Maynard on a tour of his career and his favourite moments from his latest show. Touring now to Brisbane, Brunswick Heads, Sydney & Melbourne.

Planet Maynard

What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Bob Downe

Recorded in 1986 this song was always an unforgettable moment in the live show. Featuring haunting vocals from Nastassaja Bassi (Jacqueline Amidy)and the virtuoso violin of Kid Paganini (Kathy Bluff). Audio restoration by Geoff Overmyer.

The Castanet Club - Wuthering Heights

From The Musical Flags "Showbag" EP 1981. That's the photo I took of them out the front of the Cambridge Hotel one Sunday afternoon that year. 
Vocals: Barton Malcom, Steve Abbott, Glenn Osborne, Johnathon Biggins, Nigel Davenport, Allan Gibson.
Enjoy the woke lyrical feel of "I work everyday so I'm a part of the consumer society..."

The Musical Flags - I Cant Stop

Opening instrumental  track from the 1981 Musical Flags extended play "Showbag" 45rpm vinyl release on Cordial Factory Records.
Title refers to being inside a tube while surfing.
Personel: Barton Malcom, Steve Abbott, Glenn Osborne, Johnathon Biggins, Nigel Davenport, Allan Gibson.
Audio restoration from vinyl by Geoff Overmyer & Maynard.

Musical Flags - In The Green Room

Track 2, side 1 from the 1981 Musical Flags extended play "Showbag" 45rpm vinyl release on Cordial Factory Records.
Personel: Barton Malcom, Steve Abbott, Glenn Osborne, Johnathon Biggins, Nigel Davenport, Allan Gibson.
Audio restoration from vinyl by Geoff Overmyer & Maynard.
Photo by Maynard from back cover.

Musical Flags - Sky Command

Track 3, side 1 from the 1981 Musical Flags extended play "Showbag" 45 rpm vinyl release on Cordial Factory Records.
Personel: Barton Malcom, Steve Abbott, Vocal; Glenn Osborne, Johnathon Biggins, Nigel Davenport, Allan Gibson.
Audio restoration from vinyl by Geoff Overmyer & Maynard.
Photo by Maynard from back cover.

Musical Flags - Short Change

Johnny Goodman tells this Brechtian tale of burglary, from the 1986 Castanet Club album. Side two, track three.

The Castanet Club- The Ballad Of Victor's Menswear (The Middle-Class Thief)

In an overcrowded world of fashion choice Wheels & Dollbaby has always been a bit special. Across the road there in Sydney at the time, opposite Route 66, dressing people such as Deborah Harry, Dita von Teese, Scarlett Johansson, Kate Moss, Jerry Hall … Please make welcome the grunginista, who’s always fashion forward, Melanie Greensmith.

Wheels & Dollbaby's Wild Ride

Brigitte Handley of The Dark Shadows has returned to Australia to let Maynard know what he is missing on German television. Also to remind all of us of the educational value of the work of Falco (even though he was Austrian).

Brigitte Handley - in Köln

Live from Loveshack Saturday 16th March 2019. With DJ Tony, Maynard and even a few selections from Lance Leopard thrown in for an evening of hi retro & hi jinx.

Maynard's Loveshack March 2019

Friends of Lance and Magnolia Leopard gathered at Palms in Oxford Street to celebrate their lives. It was my honour to play a few tunes Lance seemed to like. Enjoy as we did. "What a crowd, what a time...".

Lance & Magnolia Memorial 4.8.2024 Music

Friends of Lance and Magnolia Leopard gathered at Palms in Oxford Street to celebrate their lives. hear tributes from Steven Devine, Miss 3D, Robert Sellars, Jason Phillips, Bec Mullins, Mogadonna, Cindy Pastel and more...

Lance Leopard & Carmel Sydney Memorial Tributes 4.8.2024

Believe in yourself, like Steve Gutenberg believes in himself at the start of Can’t Stop The Music. Perfect for ring tones or alerts. You time IS now!

My time is now!

Murray McCloskey had Pete Young and myself on ABC radio to explain just why watching Can't Stop The Music on the big screen with 200 people is a good thing to do. do that Saturday night at Dendy Newtown. https://maynard.com.au/cant-stop-the-music-returns-to-sydney/ tickets - https://www.suff.com.au/cantstopthemusic

Maynard & Pete Young talk Can't Stop The Music - ABC Radio 9.9.2024

Paula Towers had me on her Arts show on Eastside Radio Sydney to explain why anyone should see Can't Stop The Music on the big screen Saturday night at Dendy Newtown. Tickets suff.com.au

Maynard on Eastside Radio - Can't Stop The Music screening Saturday night

Triple J staff celebrated 50 years of Triple J on Sunday 19th January. Even the ABC itself did the same thing later that day.Hear from Rusty Nails, Dr Karl, Sarah Macdonald, Craig Donarski, Andy Marinos, Dame Lush, Hannah Thompson and other ex ABC staff as well as current Triple J listeners.

Happy 50th Birthday Triple J !

Australia’s Coldest 100 returns for 2025 this Saturday 25th January with @ozkitsch presenting 100 tunes you won’t find easily anywhere on any continent. Just look at this list of artists that Andrew Sholl has curated that you’ll never again see in the same room.

Australia's Coldest 100 - 2025

The Castanet Club bring their treatment to Johnny Cash's classic. The bass guitar really pumps this along with the help of that Rodney Cambridge MBE drum sound. Castanet Club album 1986, side two, track four.

The Castanet Club - Ring Of Fire

Alex James gave me a call this morning to explain the love of Xanadu as a musical and as a mode of transport.

Xanadu on ABC Central West breakfast with Alex James

It was a decadent night of openings and virgins as The Sydney Hellfire Club took over its brand new venue, the storied Midnight Shift. Success was guaranteed long before the doors swung open, with a crowd at least a hundred deep waiting to ascend the staircase and take their place in kinky history. 

Spend the Night at Sydney Hellfire Club

The interview starts off well, with Maynard referring to the legendary band as the Painters Dickers, which could absolutely only be a cue card typo and definitely not a crass moment from the usually chaste Maynard. This is no ordinary sit-down interview; instead you will find an action-packed rollercoaster, perfectly recreating the experience of Melbourne’s legendary Painters & Dockers playing Sydney for the first time in 25 years at The Factory on Saturday 8th August. Maynard got up, played his trombone with them and spoke with the band, and captured the excitement of what was a blustery night of Dock Rock. This show is lewd and contains ribald language. 

The Painters & Dockers dock on in Sydney after 25 years.

The audio from A Very Maynard Xmas 2025 for those that find all of my suits are a bit hard on your eyes.. A Very Maynard Xmas 2025 brings you the unexpected festive farce that you’ve come to expect from someone who has inflatable legs for a window. Low budget has been swapped out for no budget this year as a Xanadu-themed Xmas special brings you the talents of Leslie Fountain (Glenn Keenan), Fat Elvis (Chris Kelly, Ship-o’-Fools) and Olivia Cardboard-John on the Maynard International Studios Mainstage, as well as greetings from around the world and around Tony Push (whose new teeth are a feature this year), plus more impractical outfits and the wonders of Magpie TV. Watch the full video show https://maynard.com.au/very-maynard-xmas-2025/

A Very Maynard Xmas 2025 (audio version)

Xmas favourites from the much loved and distributed Very Maynard Xmas CD about 2009-ish

A Very Maynard Xmas CD 2009ish

Tim Ferguson & Maynard return with Bunga Bunga 20 to bring you the birth of the latest show for the Doug Anthony All Stars; Near Death Experience. Follow the lads and their fans over two weird nights at the Harold Park Hotel in Sydney. DAAS try out the jokes and songs for the first time in front of an audience. Meanwhile at the Frou Frou Cafe, Tim still tries to cheer Maynard up about being unemployed all year.

Bunga Bunga 20 Tim Ferguson & Maynard

Paul Lekakis had a number one hit in Australia for 5 weeks in 1987 with Boom Boom (Let’s Go Back to My Room). But the song was recorded much earlier in Italy. Lively Paul Lekakis is a model/dancer/actor/singer that is coming to Australia as part of the Totally 80s tour and he’s never been to Australia before. I ask Paul the important question, what are you going to wear?

Boom Boom Paul Lekakis

A fun cover of The Cowsills song from The Castanet Club. Note subtle change to backing lyrics.

The Castanet Club - The Rain, The Park, & Other Things

Great chat with Simon Le Bon, ahead of the Duran Duran Australian tour 2010. The New Romantic legend himself.

Simon Le Bon Interview 2010

Maynard plays a set at the very groovy and much cooler than him Electronique Club in Sydney in September 2017.
 Shameless.
But he was dressed in full Martin Fry 80s regalia for all the ABC tracks.

Maynard DJ set @ Electronique September 2017

Mrs Fred Sinatra was a cult sensation across Australia with her signature sign off. It all started one morning on my Triple J breakfast show when I rang F. Sinatra in the Las Vegas phone book. A classy lady.

You've Got The Wrong Sinatra! - Mrs Fred Sinatra

Everyone's SPECIAL in this country shuffle. Vocals from Stomping' Betty and Lance Norton.

From The Castanet Club 1986 album, side two, track five.

The Castanet Club

The Castanet Club - S-P-E-C-I-A-L

A bitter sweet finish as the final song on The Castanet Club 1986 album. A Hank Wangford song. Beautiful harmonies between Lance Norton(Glenn Butcher) and Natassaja Bassi (Jacqueline Amidy). Listen to the orchestra, we could only afford it for 8 bars.

The Castanet Club - Anyway

As part of their Can't Stop The Music world tour, Village People played the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia on 25th May 1980. Triple J (that had went to FM only in January) recorded for Rusty Nails dance show "Number One Song In Heaven" to go to air on Sat 7th June.
Can't Stop The Music opened on 1st June at The Pavilion, with the after party at Maxys.
Hear the voices of David Hodo, Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo, Felipe Rose, Alex Briley, Rusty Nails and more.
Includes IDs from David Hodo at beginning from Maynard breakfast show Triple J 1989.
Audio engineer Barry Smith describes the recording day (and night); 

"There were probably four or five of us there. Keith Walker, Ian Davies, John Diamond, Michael Byrne and myself. A very long day on recall, about 0700 to +0400. I remember it well because of the effort needed to get rid of earth loops caused by the amount of effects gear on stage. Also because of the volume from the edge of stage sited main speakers that I was forced to jump in front of, to get off the stage mid-show. My left ear was ringing for days and is now way down on my right ear. They used Aphex processing on their main speaker feed making it extremely bright. It certainly cut through the air at the Hordern Pavilion that night."

Audio engineer and mixer Keith Walker remembers;

"My memory of the show was great band, great time. serious fun to mix later. It was the late great David Ives that put the deal together for the Jays.
After listening, now I know why I had such great time. Where do I start. Ray Simpson a star, sensational band of musicians and the off stage backing chorus. Listening to the mix, I’m thinking at least six vocalist in the chorus, more like a serious Broadway show chorus, rhythm section insanely cool. Horns, keys, killer guitarist - hottest grooves and feels. Sensational. Only downside was the onstage feedback. The stage monitor mixer was fired after that gig. I spent time with the bands musical director, I remembered spending time with the band’s MD so I could get my head around the arrangements. Beautiful written arrangements, fab to mix."

Thanks to Keith Walker, Chris Norris, John Diamond, Ian Davies, and all who appreciate good disco...

Village People LIVE Sydney 25th May 1980

Lene Lovich recorded live in Sydney, by Triple J, Thursday 2nd May 1985.
Sister Video, Lucky Number & Blue Hotel.

Thanks to the Triple J sound crew for making this so cool.

Photo credit Dr Jazz, 1980.

Lene Lovich live in Sydney 1985

Tijuana Taxi the Sydney sensational Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass cover band are returning to The Camelot Lounge in Marrickville to blow your bolero jacket off.
Tina Harris has been a fan of Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass since hearing her parents vinyl records as a child.
Great instrumental tracks like Spanish Flea, The Lonely Bull, Casino Royale and This Guy’s In Love With You.
As a party was winding down a few years ago, she put some of those 60s albums on again and was inspired to form Tijuana Taxi. An eight piece band (with marimba) that plays a handful of shows every year to packed houses of people who cant get enough Herb either.
Maynard quizzed Tina on what to wear to the gig and the best Herb Alpert track to play at a sexy party.
Learn about the inner workings of an eight piece band (with marimba). Including the correct use of latin percussion and the psychology of keeping eight musicians together in the cauldron of the Sydney music scene. 
Tijuana Taxi play The Camelot Lounge in Marrickville on Saturday 8th December.

Tijuana Taxi play Herb Alpert live

Kylie Minogue’s Enjoy Yourself tour played Sydney on 5th February 1990. I was there to cover it for my Triple J breakfast show the next morning.
At Kylie Minogue’s third only live show in Australia, you’ll hear Ms Minogue herself, Ray Medhurst (Rockmelons), Nick Ferris (Ten Wedge), Alan Jones (you know him), DJ Pee Wee Ferris, James Freud (Models and bass in Kylie’s stage band), Richard Wilkins (MTV etc), Glen A Baker, even Dave Mason (The Reels).
Plus sometimes blunt opinions of the overexcited audience that paid the 1990 price of about $30 a ticket at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

Kylie Minogue 1990, Enjoy Yourself tour, Sydney

Bunga Bunga 60 has Tim & Maynard keeping Australia up to date on the things that count. 
Distracting zombies with online streaming and the fate of that possum in Maynard’s shed. 
They take Crankmail on Bond, boobs, and a rather feisty Dachshund from Perth calls into the Alan Jones show to counter the issues brought up last time by Tim’s cat.

Bunga Bunga 60 - Tim Ferguson & Maynard

When going nowhere fast, isn't fast enough


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