zarsoffbros.com

Izzy is on leave doing university research in Queensland, as well as writing some material for the next Zarsoff Brothers album, so there are no live gigs booked for the band in the short term. When Izzy clocks back on, however, the band will mount a tour of skullduggery around Sydney and NSW regional venues. Meanwhile, Zarsoffs drummer Bologne and his band LICK are gigging and recording, and Shaggy is performing live around Sydney venues with his own band. Smokey is also performing with BEACHHEAD, so keep an eye out. (While Izzy is in Brisbane, he is playing bass with a semi-acoustic outfit called Paspalum.)

The latest Zarsoff Bros studio album is MIXED BUSINESS. To get hold of a copy, drop into your nearest music shop and order one (tell them it’s distributed by MGM), or you can order direct from us at twenty bucks including postage: For mailing details, send us an email at zarsoffbros@netscape.net

If you are a music store operator, you can order copies of the album from MGM Distribution (Mark Bolton - 02 92838250)

The Zarsoff Bros were intending to apply for the Marketing section of the John Butler Seed Grants that recently became available. Our intention was to apply for some money to pay for a publicity push on the new album. So, we contacted at least five PR companies who specialise in publicity for bands, to ask for a quote so we could submit it with the grant application. We were greeted with stunned silence by most of them. Two promised that they would provide us with a quote, but failed to do so by the grant deadline (in fact, both have not contacted us since). We can only surmise from this behaviour that PR companies are not in this for the business, but to be associated with something Cool. Even after nearly 30 years in the business, the good old Zarsoffs are still considered too left field / controversial / uncool by the powers that be! We can’t even pay somebody to do our publicity! However, we wear this rejection as a badge of honour, as we do booking agents reticence to book us into venues. The Zarsoffs have never compromised their original intention to take the piss out of an industry that takes itself way too seriously, and this latest episode proves we are still the Bad Boys of Australian Rock!

“Chockablock Full of Live Zarsoffs” - originally released as a cassette album in the mid-1980s - is now available again on CD through our own label Browneye Gramophonics for 17 bucks per copy including postage & GST (for payment and mailing details, contact us via email). Track listing: ROCKIN IS OUR BIZNESS, YOU AINT HERE, ONE OF THOZE NITES, DICKS DON’T GROW ON TREES, HOT ROD, IS SHE REALLY …?, MELLOW SAXOPHONE, REELIN & ROCKIN, BANG YOUR BOX, THE BLOOZ, CLEVER BASTARDS, I GOT STONED & I MISSED IT, I LIKE GURLZ, STACEY BROWN GOT TWO, DO THE CLAM and a rare recording of THE GARBAGE POEM. These songs are from various live shows between 1980 and 1985, featuring a number of lineups.

Honky recently passed away, and the band will be dedicating all future Mixed Business performances to him. Deputy Rusty will play keys in his place.

We have a new website folks, please change your bookmarks. It will take me a little while to get the content out of the existing site so check back here often to keep up to date.

Izzy Foreal - Peter Knox
A Figment of Your Imagination.
Throughout the 1970s, Izzy was bassist with THE 69ERS. The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock has this to say about this band:

Formed in 1969 Style Rock & roll, jugband Original line-up: Francis Butler (guitar, vocals, harmonica, kazoo), Brian Bethall (bass, guitar, vocals), Keith Longman (drums, vocals) Albums: The 69ers Album (Du Monde/Festival, 1971), Francis Butler’s 69ers Live (Festival/Infinity, 1974), There is No Escape (Francis Butler solo, Rhema, 1978).
History
Sydney band The 69ers played a good-time mix of vintage rock’n'roll, jugband music and country-swing that placed them somewhere between The Panama Jug Band, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen and Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band. There were a number of other local bands playing a similar style at the same time, including Starving Wild Dogs, Original Battersea Heroes, Gutbucket Blues Band, Stovepipe Spasm Band and Moonshine Jug and String Band. Continue Reading »

Smokey Zarsoff - Garry Dale

Smokey Zarsoff - Okay, Smokey!