Last week, stoner rock icon Brant Bjork announced his Low Desert Punk Australian Tour.

Last month, CherryRock 2014 announced it’s expansion into Sydney.

Put them together and what do you get? The great news that Brant Bjork will now be co-headlining the first-ever CherryRock 2014 in Sydney alongside the equally legendary Meat Puppets.

The Kyuss Lives-turned-Vista Chino musician will be hitting CherryRock with a dream stoner rock band to back him, joining Brant Bjork at the Factory Theatre on Saturday 31st May will be Dave Dinsmore on bass (Che, Bl’ast), Bubba Dupree on guitar (Void, Hater) and Tont Tornay on drums (Fatso Jetson, Chuck Dukowski).

The CherryRock performance will also be Bjork’s only Sydney show on his forthcoming Australian trek. Co-headlining the Sydney edition will be the infamous Kirkwood brothers of Meat Puppets, heading to Australia for the first time in over 20 years this May.

Along with Meat Puppets and Brant Bjork, the first CherryRock to be held outside of Melbourne’s iconic Cherry Bar will feature 13 acts, with the first round bringing a slightly different lineup to the Melbourne edition that includes incendiary Sydneysiders Gay Paris.

Others on the bill include Melbourne four-piece Redcoats, the blues rock vigour of Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk, mighty Melbournites King Of The North, New Zealand’s roaring Beastwars, rising stars Drunk Mums, along with Child, Bitter Sweet Kicks, The Harlots, Don Fernando, and more to be announced in the coming weeks.

Speaking of expanding CherryRock 2014 in a climate that’s been less than forgiving to the music festival market, Cherry Bar owner and booker James Young admits, “I’m an idiot. There’s blood in the streets at the moment amongst the music festival circuit. Only an imbecile would choose this time to expand and take a 100% rock n festival dominated by the absolute very best Melbourne rock acts into another State.”

“I want CherryRock to work in Sydney. Meat Puppets and Brant Bjork’s ONLY show in Sydney plus a dozen other hand-picked incredible rock acts, all for $60. Surely we’re going to pack The Factory out and kick-start a unique annual rock festival in Sydney that everyone can look forward to and be proud of?”

The Cherry domo has also voiced concerns that the upcoming eighth edition of Melbourne’s CherryRock 2014 could be threatened by noise complaints from residents of a new residential complex “overlooking AC/DC Lane in the first week of June;” at least until Melbourne officials implement the coveted ‘Agent Of Change’ to protect CBD venues from noise complaining residents.

More recently, Young rescued rival live music venue Yah Yahs from restauranteurs by buying up the Melbourne hotspot. “Not on my watch!” said the Cherry Bar owner of the purchase, “Melbourne needs every live music venue it has. Let there be rock…”

CherryRock 2014 Sydney Lineup

Brant Bjork (USA)
The Meat Puppets (USA)
Redcoats
Gay Paris
Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk
King of the North
Beastwars (NZ)
Child
Drunk Mums
Bitter Sweet Kicks
The Harlots
Don Fernando

+ more to be announced

CherryRock 2014 Sydney Dates, Tickets

Saturday 31 May – The Factory Theatre
2pm – 11.30pm
13 acts, 2 stages, inside and outside.

Tix $60 (+b/f) from www.factorytheatre.com.au from Friday 14 February

CherryRock 2014 Melbourne Lineup

The Meat Puppets (USA)
Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk
Redcoats
King of the North
Beastwars (NZ)
Child
Drunk Mums
Bitter Sweet Kicks
The Harlots
Don Fernando

+ more to be announced

CherryRock 2014 Melbourne Dates, Tickets

Sunday 25 May – Cherry Bar, AC/DC Lane Melbourne
12noon-9.30pm
13 acts, 2 stages, no clashes

Early Bird tix $74 from www.cherrybar.com.au from 9am Monday 10 February

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