And the trad folk rock and Paddypunk bands of Australia have been busy, like the descendants of gold rush immigrants that many of them are …

THE GO SET need no introduction to Shite’n’Onions punters nor the greater folk punk rock world. After completing a national album tour last year with the legendary burly bard MICK THOMAS of WEDDINGS PARTIES ANYTHING glory (in addition to his other outfits) the always industrious Goeys will be working on a new album this year. And UK and German punters will be able to see them treading the boards alongside the mighty ‘Weddoes’ and English folk rock stalwarts THE MEN THEY COULDN’T HANG this northern spring. All details to be found at www.myspace.com/thegoset

A band S’n’O readers might not be familiar with are Melbourne’s THE HORNSWAGGLERS. They are an unusual mix of ‘seventies punk theatrics and classically-trained musicianship. Frontman Mike loves to tear it up with all the ragamuffin cathartic display of Birthday Party-era Nick Cave and even cuts the mustard with a pocket-sized Chinese accordion. The engine room of the band is fiddler – or should that be ‘violinist’? - Kat Chishkovsky who came to Paddypunk via Flogging Molly. Kat is also the latest member of another Melbourne outfit …

… CATGUT MARY. On last news I heard, the Catgut Mary album ‘BOURBON AND BLACK PORTER’, which was recorded last October, is due to be released in America at some stage this year. Kat is now lending her fiddler’s elbow to the band after the departure of a certain accordionist, an incarnation also known by the name of ‘Will Swan’ (and various drunken expletives). With singer Tim Bradtke’s distinctive snarl from beginning to end, the rough cut has a surprising range of songs on it, including barnyard hoedowns and sea shanties. For my own two bob’s worth, the best song on the album is easily the tale of drunken seadog love called ‘LIKE A SHAG ON A ROCK’ which was written by Ulster’s own Warren ‘The Admiral’ Fraser. www.myspace.com/catgutmary

And while we’re in Melbourne, probably the most anticipated release this year, in not just the folk punk world but the Australian punk community in general, is the forthcoming album by THE CURRENCY. Emerging from the bones and ashes of all-time legendary folk punkers MUTINY, and having none other than former LIVING END gun drummer Travis Demsey sweating in the engine room, The Currency deliver a fully-realized ‘nostalgic but totally contemporary’ take on traditional Australian balladry and aesthetics. All waistcoats and flashing mandolin strings, the Currency have taken the time to forge particularly well-crafted and memorable songs for this record. Having been playing a lot in Melbourne and interstate, they are also an excellent live show, mean and relentless but not at all pretentious. Alice Green’s bass work is like nobody else’s and the band are a guaranteed ticket for quality original Colonial folk rock. www.myspace.com/thecurrency band

Heading up the east coast to Queensland, we find JACK FLASH, ( www.myspace.com/jackflash). Featuring a singing mandolinist and an arsenal of guitars electric and acoustic, this band combine a strong country punk sound with subjects like bushranging and pioneers as befits their own backgrounds. The result is a sort of rural punk that, for my money, is always interesting and authentic. The fiddle work is demonic and the band’s stand-out feature is that they sound like a crew of total ‘naturals’. They have an EP ‘TAKE NOTICE’ selling well at shows and online. Definitely a band to watch.

Seeing as I am in Sydney, I will take this opportunity to present four-on-the-floor barroom heroes THE HANDSOME YOUNG STRANGERS. A fight-stopping rhythm section and with banjo work that draws blood, HYS are soaked to the bone in muddy creek water and also the grey rainwater of gushing inner city Sydney drains. And their beards are soaked thoroughly with draught beer. Their sets are a mix of rip-roaring Colonial traditionals, a few choice covers and, increasingly, their own stuff. There is much in the pipeline for this band this coming year, so definitely keep a pierced ear to the railway line: www.myspace.com/thehandsomeyoungstrangers

In the ‘political’ national capital of Canberra, THE O’HOOLIGANS continue to work away on their own innovative brand of acoustic carnival sing-a-longs, easily the most underrated band in the field but this will likely change when their album is really out and about. The superb EP ‘GARDEN FRESH DARJEELING TEA’ is an eclectic and imaginative collection, where accordion washes combine with lunatic nautical mantras, chiming iron bells and swinging ‘twenties fez-topped crooning. Get your batch of tea at: http://www.myspace.com/ohooligans

So … there is indeed much music to be found behind the brewery door.

All the best to you all, from among the mauling insects and bikini girls and mauling bikini girls (yeah, right).