.

.

THE STEMS
release new live album
THE STEMS OFFICIAL LIVE 

OUT NOW via CHEERSQUAD RECORDS & FOLC RECORDS 

LISTEN HERE

40th Anniversary National Tour
kicks off August 23

.

.

Legendary Western Australian band The Stems turn 40 this year and are celebrating with the release of an official live album.

Having forged a reputation for their electrifying and powerful live shows throughout Australia and Europe, The Stems live shows have long been a favourite among boot-leggers, with many unofficial live recordings surfacing over the years. To coincide with their 40th Anniversary tour, The Stems’ ‘Official Live Recording’ is out today through local label Cheersquad Records & Tapes and FOLC Records in Spain.

On November 11, 2017, during the 3rd of a highly successful 6 show national tour, celebrating the 30th anniversary since the release of their debut album, ‘At First Sight, Violets are Blue’, original members Dom Mariani, Julian Matthews and Dave Shaw, bolstered by Ashley Naylor (Even, Paul Kelly, The Church) and Davey Lane (You Am I) took to the stage at the legendary Gov Hotel in Adelaide for what was to be a scintillating live set, that unbeknown to the band was being recorded.

.

.

How it happened;

Enter Vic Conrad, leader of Adelaide band The Garden Path, one of the supports for the show. Vic’s connection to The Stems goes way back to the 1980s when the band slept on his floor one early tour! Vic had arranged for a multitrack recording of his own band that evening. With the tour done and dusted and a few months later, Vic contacted Dom, to tell him that he had a multi-track recording of The Stems’ performance from that concert also. Vic generously sent the recording to Dom, who then promptly forgot about it… until a recent conversation with Julian ignited the idea of a live album. Unsure of what it sounded like, they decided to check out Vic’s multi-tracks and were pleasantly surprised by what they heard.

Dom Mariani: “The band is in full flight and rocking. If we knew it was being recorded, we probably wouldn’t have been so uninhibited. We let it all hang out, warts and all.”

With the intention of releasing a vinyl album of the recording, 8 songs were selected from the set-list and were duly and expertly mixed by Julian at his Nut Sauce Studios.

Julian Matthews: “This recording is a joyous rendition of what we sound like live.”

‘The Stems Official Recording’ captures the band in a powerful performance proving they deserve their reputation as one of Australia’s best live bands.  Out now through Cheersquad Records & Tapes and FOLC Records in Spain.

.

.

Falling from the Sky is the band’s first recording since their 2007 album Heads Up. Recorded at Revolver Studios and mixed at Pet Rock studios in Perth, it features original members Dom Mariani, Julian Matthews, Dave Shaw and current guitarist Ashley Naylor (Even, The Church, Paul Kelly).  Listen to the single HERE.

The killer groove and throb of the drums and bass, the wild fuzz tone, distinctive vocals, tight harmonies and above all – the infectious melodies… they are all there and all intact.

Falling from the Sky shows that The Stems in 2024 have lost none of the potency that have made them the best and most virtuous garage band in the land.  

SINGLE Falling From The Sky is now available on all streaming platforms and limited edition vinyl through Cheersquad Records and FOLC Records in Spain.

.

.

THE STEMS
40th ANNIVERSARY
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL TOUR

FRIDAY AUGUST 23 THEATRE ROYAL | Castlemainewith THE PRIZE
SATURDAY AUGUST 24 CORNER HOTEL | Melbourne with THE PRIZE
SUNDAY AUGUST 25 THE GOV | Adelaide with ROMANA ASHTON & THE REEDS
FRIDAY AUGUST 30 MANSFIELD TAVERN | Brisbane with UPS AND DOWNS
SATURDAY AUGUST 31 MANNING BAR | Sydney with THE NEW CHRISTS & DJ COTTERELL
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 6 FREO. SOCIAL | Perth with RINEHEARTS & VANCOOL

Tickets are available direct from venues or Leicashow.com.au 

.

.

STEMS BIO – A brief History

THE STEMS epitomized 80’s indie rock, giving it a wider currency. They are one of only a handful of bands (among them the Hoodoo Gurus and The Sunnyboys) that cracked the mainstream charts with an indie approach in the 80’s.

Making their debut in March 1984 playing alongside The Triffids and The Saints, The Stems released a series of independent records on Sydney’s Citadel Records with each release reaching #1 on the Australian alternative charts. But it was their debut album, released on Mushroom records, AT FIRST SIGHT VIOLETS ARE BLUE in 1987 that received national and international acclaim becoming one of the best-selling Australian albums of that year despite an almost total lack of commercial airplay in the corporate FM dominated 80’s.

Rolling Stone named their album “At First Sight” one of the top 100 releases of all time. It eventually attained Gold status, selling over 35000 copies. The album was re-mastered and reissued on vinyl and digital formats as part of their 30th anniversary celebration tour of Australia and Europe.

Appearances on Countdown, magazine covers, sold out shows – the world seemed at The Stems feet. However, due to the pressures of non-stop touring and the usual “personality differences” the Stems mysteriously imploded on the eve of a massive European tour in late 1987

Rebirth

Rising from the ashes of their 1980’s breakup, The Stems reformed in 1997 to perform a reunion show in their beloved hometown of Perth to an enthusiastic response. This event would see them return to the live scene in 2003. It is fair to say they were all surprised – even amazed – how popular they still were. They toured Australia, Europe and the USA including an incredible one-off show at the invitation of Bruce Springsteen’s guitarist (and Sopranos, Lillehammer TV star) Little Steven, who lists himself as one of the Stems biggest fans. At this show they shared the stage with The Stooges, Bo Diddley, Big Star, Nancy Sinatra…, and 60’s underground bands The Chocolate Watchband, The Pretty Things, Creation and the Electric Prunes who were an influence on their sound in their early days.

Things seemed to gain momentum. At the urging of Little Steven and a host of others the band made plans to record an album of new material ultimately titled HEADS UP – released on Shock Records in late 2007. Recorded in Perth on all analogue equipment and mixed in Cincinnati by producer John Curley (White Stripes, Afghan Wigs, Greenhornes and Ronnie Spector) the album was released to rave reviews and sold solidly around the world.

On the release of HEADS UP in late 2007 THE STEMS were invited on the “CLASH OF THE TITANS” tour with Radio Birdman and the Hoodoo Gurus.

Successful tours of Australia, Europe, Japan and Austin Texas’s SOUTH BY SOUTH-WEST Festival soon followed to much acclaim. The band went off the road again in 2009 before reforming with a new line-up in 2013 that included Ashley Naylor Even/Paul Kelly on guitar and vocals replacing keyboardist Richard Lane.

The band continued to play selective shows in in 2014, 2015 and 2016 including opening for the legendary SUNNYBOYS and the Dig it Up Festival.

In 2017 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of their classic debut album “At First Sight Violets are Blue” original members Dom Mariani, Julian Matthews and Dave Shaw were joined by Ashley Naylor (Even/ Paul Kelly/ The Church/ RockWiz Orchestra) and Davey Lane (You Am I) undertook an Australian tour to perform the album in full.

Following on from the very successful ‘At First Sight Violets are Blue’ tour the band hit the road again in the early part of 2018 for more Australian shows and a successful European tour playing to packed audiences in Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom.

In later part of 2019, the band reissued their second album ‘Heads Up’ and toured the east coast with the legendary RADIO BIRDMAN. This was followed by another successful European tour. These would be the last shows for some time for the Stems until recently when they were asked to open for Hunters Collectors.

In 2023 the band released MUSHROOM SOUP a definitive collection of their early work on vinyl through Cheersquad Records.

.

.

Follow THE STEMS
Facebook – Instagram

.

.

AMNPLIFY – DB