GONERFEST 21 - Friday Bands
CLICK ON A DAY TO SEE PHOTOS & DESCRIPTIONS
(Como, MS + Memphis)
Goner Fest faves since before there was a GF. That might not make sense, but it actually sort of does. Two erudite ambassadors of anything and everything rock and roll related that’s worth knowing. Could probably do some kind of wildly-entertaining “all 21 Goner Fests in 21 minutes” thing, but don’t give them any ideas. Wait…make that 21 hours. 
(San Antonio, TX)
Winners of this year’s brilliantly-stupid bandname sweepstakes, San Antonio’s Sex Mex musically channel the now-timeless bedroom-overdriven distorto-pop rush of Jay’s Blood Visions chapter with some drum-machine bounce a la the historically-adjacent Digital Leather, plus other aesthetic callbacks to the glorious aforementioned era of no-fucks-given. Make sure to check out Sex Mex’s hilarious “RELEASE EVERYTHING!!!” approach to their Bandcamp page, plus singles and cassettes across several labels. When a band names their own imprint “Wowee Zowee”, expect the unexpected.
(Calgary, Canada)
Whether intentional or not, the primarily-forgotten out-pop/fringe/noise/deconstructo-free-rock micro-scenes of the 90s have a current torchbearer in the form of this Canadian duo. Full-length The Stones Are Watching and They Can Be a Handful appropriately released in 2022 by Siltbreeze, which is exactly where the band would have ended up if they were active 30 years ago. Brilliant and heart-stopping.
RIYL: rougher Strapping Fieldhands material, The Shaggs, TFUL 282, The Tower Recordings
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(Tucson, AZ)
Hey, search engine optimization wasn't a thing in the mid-to-late-70s, and neither was Tucson's Class, but you wouldn't know it by the historical attention to detail re: pub-rock, power-pop, hooky-punk and no-B.S. rock. These ham ‘n’ eggers probably know what Cyril Jordan had for breakfast on this day in 1976. And their Bandcamp bio is a wish-I’d-written-it work of art. Brilliant!
(Montreal, Canada)
Members of Duchess Says, CPC Gangbangs, Red Mass, etc return after a decade absence with the best take on post-punk we’ve heard in recent memory. Equally likely to lock into an ESG/Delta 5 groove with a Hall and Oates hook as it is to grow a hundred foot tall wall of riffs and roll right over you. Upcoming second full-length on Goner!!
(Los Angeles, CA)
House band for the International Museum of Post-Punk History, if that existed, but with stuff happening here that doesn't fit the '77-'82 timeframe implied (like some Sonic Youth and noise-rock). New enough and true enough to the sound that the internet can't decide if they are from Australia or The U.K. (try L.A.). Named for the U.K.’s top secret pre-Manhattan Project efforts to develop nuclear weapons, Tube Alloys released their debut full-length in 2022 on La Vida Es Mus/Urge Records.
(Nashville, TN)
Punked-up pub rock or rocked out pub....pun....ok screw that. If you're a fan of The Only Ones or Cheap Trick, and you should be on both counts, then don't miss this newish Nashville/Dublin (??) outfit that’s got signed to the highly-regarded Dirtnap Records after their stellar set at one of last year's Gonerfest afterparties! They're on the big stage this time, and ready to deliver, big time.
(Christchurch, NZ)
In and of itself, a Flying Nun band gracing Gonerfest is not a common occurrence, and this is no common Flying Nun band. Known as “The Gordons” in their industrialized post-punk incarnation in the early to mid 80s, they became Bailter Space around ‘87 and found a weird amalgam of Talk Talk, Swans and what you wished Killing Joke of that era sounded like. Then around ‘90…’91 they found their thing; a (for the time especially) very heavy, very intense form of “shoegaze” that made bands like Ride and Slowdive sound like Enya. They even tried to BritPop it up for a second, but it was way too hairy for the masses. Has def achieved numerous moments of greatness relative to their chosen style, has never really stopped making music, has never released a bad record and is notoriously loud onstage.
(Columbus, OH)
Columbus' OH’s best and loudest have been consistently growing a voluminous rabbit-hole discography since 1989. Shortly thereafter they became the G.O.A.T. of 90s garage-rock by not only being the gnarliest, noisiest and loudest, but also through a restless urge for experimentation that found the band stretching out and pushing boundaries rarely approached by their contemporaries (barring the like-minded Oblivians/Necessary Evils/Dirtbombs axis of evil). The Cheater Slicks’ 90’s run of albums on In The Red is an essential chunk of underground rock exceptionalism for fans of all things….I dunno…..great. With a triumphant return to In The Red for last year’s amazing Ill Fated Cusses album, the Slicks are an unstoppable (not even triple-bypass surgery!!) force ready to show you noises you didn’t know a semi-hollowbody could make. With added stun bass of JAMES ARTHUR (Necessary Evils, Legs, Fireworks, James Arthur's Manhunt) added for maximum blastitude.
(Sydney, Australia)
Since burning up the stage for GF 19, Sidney Australia’s gloriously silly garage crew has a new LP (last year’s Goodnight Neanderthal) on Goner and a reissue of their 2018 debut on Goodbye Boozy. There will be no taking of anything too seriously and perfect vibes for the Sat night pre-headlining slot.
(New York, NY)
This entry should simply read, "Does it really need to be spelled out here?” . But if you’ve lived with a pack of feral dogs up until last month (and are still reading in an unalienated fashion), let's just say that if you are attending Gonerfest, then you are a fan of at least something this man has touched, There’s the namesake Blues Explosion, Pussy Galore, Boss Hog, Gibson Bros., Heavy Trash or Jon Spencer & The Hitmakers; the current all-star ensemble headlining this year’s Sat lineup that features Sam Coomes (Quasi, Heatmiser), Janet Weiss (Quasi, Sleater Kinney) on drums and Bob Bert (Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore, etc, etc) on percussive detritus.
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!
Last Batch Of Tickets On Sale Now!
BUY TICKET HERE!
Scroll Sideways for additional days - Sunday is going to be huge!
Plus:
Thursday afternoon Wristband Party / DJ action @ Central Station
Sunday Night Post-fest Comedown Dance Party @ DKDC
and Afterparties every night!
Get your tickets and come see us in Memphis!
CAN'T MAKE IT? GET A STREAMING TICKET HERE AND CATCH ALL THE ACTION FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR COUCH!
CHECK OUT GONERFEST 21 PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY LINK HERE
Headlined by Bay Area Budget Rock legends The Rip Offs and Derv Gordon of 60s/70s UK freakbeat heroes the Equals, Gonerfest 21 will showcase another unique and wide-ranging bill featuring bands, MCs, and DJs from Memphis and around the world.
Highlights include a number of acts coming from overseas, including performances by African desert blues collective Etran de L’Air, Japanese garage punks Angel Face, and Kiwi psych/shoegazers Bailter Space. There’s also another strong showing from Australia, with Split System, Gee Tee, Michael Beach and RFMC all making the trip over from Down Under. Garage rock legends Jon Spencer and the Cheater Slicks will also perform, as well as American bright lights Oneida, Rosali, and Schizophonics. Gonerfest 21 will also showcase exciting new bands like San Antonio's Sex Mex, Nashville's Sleeveens, and Calgary's Puppet Wipes.
Finalized MCs and DJs will be announced soon!
The first block of passes to the festival sold out earlier this year. Additional Gonerfest 21 tickets will be on sale next week. Golden Passes, which allow entry to all official GF21 events, are $150. Single-day passes will be available at the door, according to venue capacity.
Artwork by the excellent Eric C
DATES: September 26-29, 2024.
Over 30 bands over 4 days, plus afterparties and more fun in Memphis!
Make plans now!
Fact: Gonerfest 20 brought in fans from 41 U.S. states and 11 countries! Over half of our attendees are repeat visitors to Gonerfest!
Plan to stay through Sunday - Sunday afternoon's show is heavier than usual, plus Sunday Night DJ Sets are insane!
See you in Memphis!