Shayne Carter and Dimmer

Anyone seen these guys lately? Sounds like they were great five years ago. I like Straightjacket Fits alright, and Dimmer seem to still be rather big here in NZ. Never heard more than a song or two. They're playing here real soon, though.

yeah they're back in melb soon too. i saw them play with sonic boom a year or two ago, they were pretty good then..

Just heard "You're Only Leaving Hurt" and "Seed" and liked them both much more than I expected. I followed Shayne from SFits to Dimmer and was unimpressed uninitially but perhaps I should revisit. Anyone want to suggest a best of Dimmer?

So it turns out his last two albums, "There My Dear" and "Degrees Of Existance" are a return to a band approach and have produced great results. The latter is steaming on his site and is particularly strong and stands well next to the Straitjacket Fits material. I sampled the first two Dimmer albums and while there are some gems there I wasn't enthralled by the electro-funk direction of much of it.

Man, when I first saw him on videos in the early 90s I thought he was gonna be an international star - he just had that certain something.

His autobiography Dead People I Have Known is pretty fantastic reading. Been revisiting Dimmer and getting a lot more out of it than when I was younger/brattier, heh.

Released a piano-based album a few years back, The Offsider; always wondered what underrated aero would make of it.

I recall being underwhelmed by "The Offsider".

Shayne also played guitar on some tracks by The Adults.

The I Believe You Are A Star anniversary tour was great - caught them at the Hollywood Avondale, great band adding some younger musicians (Louisa Nicklin, Durham Fenwick, Neive Strang) to stalwarts Gary Sullivan & James Duncan. Lovely to hear an extended kraut-rock jam on "Seed" & the encore of "Crystallator".

A little bit of 'Seed' last night. pic.twitter.com/xKvvsngwVf

— Russell Brown (@publicaddress) September 18, 2022

Dimmer was stupid good last night pic.twitter.com/kljJ5mUwVM

— Steve Newall (@STIVVY) September 17, 2022

Perhaps the tour will get his creative juices flowing again.

I had tickets to the original anniversary show, but gave up after it was postponed twice by Covid restrictions. Glad you enjoyed the show!

I still treasure my memories of the original album release show at Galatos with HDU in support. Both bands were fantastic that night. Back when you could smoke in clubs, and the air was awash with cannabis smoke. Those were the days!

Very intriguing, informative thread, hadn't seen it before. I'll add he also did right by Die! Die! Die! (ah, another opp for gratuitous geezer glory---from my ancient voice review of Promises, Promises):

...he Steve Albini–recorded, self-titled 2006 debut's flying shards of impulsive/compulsive encounters were caught by walls thrown up, tracks tightened till they imploded: 10 songs, in just over 20 minutes. But now, all through this Shayne (of Straitjacket Fits) Carter–produced set, walls are pushed out as inner space-junk expands; shards reappear as pieces of Andrew Wilson's personal blue skies, of old hopes and dreams. Breathing room is found, yes, though his shattered, scattered voice and guitar can't help planting some bizarre memory garden of l-o-v-e and more, despite it all. The eloquent guts of Lachlan Anderson's bass will never digest such seeds very easily, and drummer Michael Prain's Keith Moon-schooled soloing-as-accompaniment dents craters in today's glazed maze, where Wilson and "You!" grapple in reflective gear.

Die! Die! Die! play the Music Hall of Williamsburg March 29 and Highline Ballroom March 30.

Die! Die! Die! shows were always chaotically amazing. One of the most explosive live acts in NZ in the oughts, aside from Mint Chicks of course. Their shows were next level.

I was way into Die*3 for years but fell off after "Harmony".

I saw the Star show at SanFran last week, although I missed the encore (presumably Crystalator) because the friend I went with had an important meeting early.

I've been devouring his book too. He's endearingly blunt - I liked the part when his mum tells him to ditch the "dolly birds" and marry someone with child-bearing hips.