Raising hell

PHIL Jamieson isn’t a fan of nostalgia per se, but the Grinspoon singer does enjoy the funnier side of the 1990s re-revolution.

“It is really funny watching fortysomethings try to mosh again,” he told Double J this week. “They are so excited, but they just don’t have the knees any more.”

Jamieson has been hurtling forward, taking on a key role as St. Jimmy (which he shares with Geelong's Adalita and Sarah McLeod) in the rock opera musical American Idiot.

After a taxing seven shows on the boards this week, he will lead Grinspoon on stage today for the Hotter Than Hell festival at Corio.

Aping alternative line-ups once seen at Homebake and Livid, Hotter Than Hell delivers Grinspoon, Regurgitator, The Superjesus and others to the Gateway Hotel.

After a hiatus, the Grinners returned last year with a 20th anniversary tour of breakthrough debut album Guide to Better Living.

Whether the band continues on after its upcoming Groovin the Moo gigs is still unclear.

“Maybe we’ll want to do some recording, I don’t know,” Jamieson told Bob Evans.

But Jamieson is writing new material — revealing he has had sessions with Malcolm Clark (The Sleepy Jackson, Bob Evans) and was to bounce ideas with Davey Lane (You Am I).

If you love live acts that dominated the 1990s, it’s a good time to be in Geelong.

Coming up next weekend is the “Almighty Monster” A Day on the Green line-up at Mt Duneed Estate, with a high-quality sixpack of alternative rock.

There’s The Living End, Spiderbait, a reformed Veruca Salt, The Lemonheads, Tumbleweed and The Fauves.