SINGLE PREMIERE: Even - 'Pretty Vacant' (Sex Pistols Cover)

21 January 2021 | 9:42 am | Neil Griffiths

"Ash recalled that our version of 'Pretty Vacant' turned out ok and thought perhaps it should get a guernsy."

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Aussie favourites Even's new covers album, Down The Shops, isn't out 'til tomorrow but you can listen to one of the stellar tracks from the record right now!

Premiering today on theMusic.com.au, the Melbourne trio have shared their cover of Sex Pistols' 1977 hit, Pretty Vacant, recorded live at the legendary Cherry Bar.

"For a handful of years in a row, Even would do a show at Cherry Bar called Even Jukebox where we did a night of cover versions," Even's Wally Kempton told The Music.

"Sometimes there was a theme and on one occasion we did 'Even Stevens' where every song we covered had been originally done by a Steve, Stephen, Stephanie or Stevie.

"Steve Jones, guitarist of Sex Pistols, co-wrote the Pistols' songs and a mutual fave of all three Even members was their track Pretty Vacant. As it happened, Red from Cherry recorded this particular evening and when compiling the album, Down The Shops, Ash recalled that our version of Pretty Vacant turned out OK and thought perhaps it should get a guernsy."

Other major acts covered on Down The Shops includes The Beatles, Blondie and Hoodoo Gurus.

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"Even has always enjoyed including the odd cover version into the live set - a way of paying homage to artists or songs we’re all fans of and that had been an influence on us," Kempton said.

"Bands we’d follow in our younger days used to do that and it was a great way of discovering the bands they’d been into - Hoodoo Gurus & Huxton Creepers being two of those, for example.

"Over the years Even have recorded covers for B-sides of 7" singles, bonus tracks on cd singles, contributions to tribute albums and performed many of therm live.

"The idea behind Down The Shops was simply to combine them all onto the one slab of wax for all to enjoy hearing where we came from."