Everyone’s Alone, the brand new studio album for Tex Perkins & The Dark Horses is out today, and the road-hewn sextet are currently on tour in support of their latest record, but its release has been marred by last night’s stopover in Sydney being gatecrashed by NSW Police looking for drugs.
Tex Perkins & The Dark Horses played Sydney’s The Factory Theatre last night and according to eyewitness reports, several police officers marched through the crowd with sniffer dogs, searching for individuals in possession of drugs, with Tex Perkins taking to Facebook today to cheekily announce: “Happy Album Release Day Tex Perkins & The Dark Horses, great drug free gig last night at the Factory in Marrickville, oh that’s right, one dude got busted!”
The NSW police officers reportedly interrupted the support slot from Drones member Mike Noga, performing in solo balladeer mode, and busted one individual for possession. We’ve reached out to Tex Perkins and the New South Wales police but haven’t heard back for deadline.
One punter also took to Twitter to voice their criticism of the authorities’ gatecrashing, writing:
https://twitter.com/deestarod/status/263946395369762816
The police presence at the The Factory Theatre is part of the introduction of a raft of new measures to crackdown on licensed venues in Sydney in an attempt to curb alcohol related-violence, including more police patrols with sniffer dogs that are allowed to search members of the public without requiring a warrant.
The new police state tactics come with new legislation that includes the tightening of liquor licensing laws in Kings Cross, such as the introduction of plastic glasses after midnight, a mandatory alcohol-free hour before a venue closes and mandatory ID scanning. All measures rolled out by the NSW Government in response to concerns about alcohol-related violence at Sydney’s late-night venues.
The new security measures and liqour licensing regulations at music venues became a political hot topic again this year following the death of teenager Thomas Kelly in a senseless attack in Sydney’s King Cross in July, and since then has become a political platform for pokie-lined pub venues and politicians alike.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore and the City Of Sydney Council is looking to turn around the culture of violence in the CBD with its new Open Sydney cultural policy, which is proposing nearly 300 new initiatives that aim to double the late-night economy’s annual turnover to $30 billion and increase after-hours jobs by 25 per cent by 2030.
The first major initiative being the launch of the inaugural Kings Cross Festival, which was announced yesterday, which will light up the popular late-night district over five days and five nights with a series of gigs, bands, cabaret, art walks, family events, and screenings across multiple venues.
Meanwhile, Tex Perkins and his fellow Dark Horses – Charlie Owen, Joel Silbersher, James Cruickshank, Murray Paterson, Stephen Hadley and Gus Agars – continue to snake their way along the East Coast to support their latest LP, Everyone’s Alone.
The new record follows on from last year’s eponymous release, and demonstrates the group heading into yet another direction that stretches the abilities and poetic reveries of their gravel-voiced frontman and his talented band. Hopefully the group, joined by Mike Noga, can continue the rest of their tour without the needless attention of the Police raiding their shows.
Tex Perkins & The Dark Horses Australian Tour 2012
With Special Guest Mike Noga
Tix On Sale Now
Friday 2nd November Milton Theatre Milton NSW
69 Princes Highway Milton
Tix from Malibu Music – Ulladulla (02) 4455 5693 & Country Leather – Milton (02) 4455 3056
Saturday 3rd November Street Theatre Canberra ACT
Childers Street Canberra
$Tix from www.thestreet.org.au & 02 6247 1223
Thursday 8th November The Zoo Brisbane QLD
711 Ann Street Fortitude Valley
Tix from www.oztix.com.au
Friday 9th November Star Court Theatre Lismore NSW
126 Molesworth Street Lismore
Tix from www.starcourttheatre.com.au & Star Arcade Lismore 02 6622 5005
Thursday 15th November The Corner Hotel Melbourne VIC
57 Swan Street Richmond
Tix from www.corner.com.au & 03 9427 9198
Friday 16th November SSA Club Albury NSW
570-582 Olive Street Albury
Tix from www.ssaclub.com.au & 02 6041 2222
Friday 23rd November The Venue Townsville QLD
719 Flinders Street Townsville
Tix from www.oztix.com.au & the venue
Saturday 24th November Tanks Art Centre Cairns QLD
46 Collins Avenue Edge
Tic from www.ticketlink.com.au & 1300 855 835nbsp;
