Tour Update for the Album

ollowing the Successful Melbourne Show last weekend including an appearance from Kim Salmon,
The Sydney Launch is Friday June 21 Next Week at the fabulous Patersham Bowlo

And for Brisbane folks there are still last minute tix available for tomorrow night at The Junk Bar

Sydney musician John Kennedy’s new album Raining Treasure celebrates the golden era of Australian independent music from the late ‘70’s and the 80’s. Kennedy compiled a list of classic indie songs (and some obscurities) from that era and with his band, John Kennedy’s 68 Comeback Special, has recorded songs from The Go-Betweens, The Triffids, The Scientists and many more. Some of these acts were contemporaries. Some were inspirations. All had some great songs.

The idea for this release sprang from the 2017 album, JFK and the Midlife Crisis. It was a concept album about a middle aged Sydney musician looking back over his life to the glory days of the Australian indie music scene. It explored the joys and disappointments of being part of the thriving music culture that was centred around Surry Hills at that time. The logical next step was to cover some of the great songs from that fertile period. These songs take you back to the Trade Union Club and the Strawberry Hills Hotel.

The tracklist is: 

An enthusiastic young music journalist once described John Kennedy as a humble genius. Kennedy is neither a genius nor particularly humble. He is the writer and performer of many fine songs, some of which have found a place in the hearts of music fans of the golden era of Australian independent music. Kennedy started his music career in Brisbane in the ‘80’s with his band JFK and the Cuban Crisis. The band moved to Sydney and after establishing itself on the indie music scene broke up leaving Kennedy to pursue a solo career with his band vehicle, John Kennedy’s Love Gone Wrong.

Despite numerous indie hits, commercial crossover proved to be elusive leading to his decision to leave Australia. Kennedy spent the ‘90’s living and playing music in Berlin, Hong Kong and London before returning to Sydney’s Inner West in 2000. He formed a new band, John Kennedy’s 68 Comeback Special and continues to perform and produce independent releases.

Over the years Kennedy has shared stages with many of the acts covered on this new album. His band members have come from or gone on to the Triffids, Paul Kelly, the Go-Betweens and Ed Kuepper. The current line up of the band boasts its own fine indie pedigree. Long time drummer, Peter Timmerman was an original Love Gone Wrong member before moving on to the Widdershins. New bassist Phil Hall played with Sardine v, the Dropbears, the Lime Spiders and many others. Guitarist Murray Cook started out in Finger Guns before going on to found what is probably Australia’s most successful independent band, the Wiggles. Together with Kennedy they have created versions of these Australian indie classics, reinterpreting some, expanding some and celebrating them all.