One Ok Rock | Margaret Court Arena | Melbourne | 12th March
It was a fun night with One Ok Rock, carrying the effortless comfort of catching up with an old friend. Always welcome, always great to hear from, and hopefully not too long before we share a room with them again.
Paledusk | Stay Gold | Melbourne | 28th February
As Lights came to a close, the band took a photo with the crowd, bringing their Australian run to an end. With one final “Arigatou gozaimasu” from Kaito, it was over. 2026 has already been off to a flying start for me, and it is hard to imagine many shows topping finally getting to see these guys live again.
Ed Sheeran | Marvel Stadium | Melbourne | 27th February
Since his humble beginnings busking on street corners, Sheeran has mastered the impossible: maintaining the closeness of a pub gig while performing on the world’s biggest stages. This Melbourne stop, the second of a three-night stand, felt less like a standard tour date and more like a spiritual homecoming.
Black Country, New Road | Palace Foreshore | Melbourne | 26th February
As the night grew colder and the wind picked up, the band moved into the title track, ‘Forever Howlong’, which saw Kershaw simultaneously singing, playing accordion, and conducting the rest of the band as they each played recorder. Slow-building and distinctly pastoral, it carried a medieval, chamber-folk quality that set it apart from the rest of the set.
The Gloom In The Corner “Royal Discordance” Album Review
Overall, this record is a massive step forward for the band. It manages to keep that chaotic, lore-heavy soul that made me fall in love with them in the first place, but the production and the songwriting feel sharper and more intentional than ever.
Kesha | John Cain Arena | Melbourne | 22nd February
There are concerts that feel like polite showcases of rehearsed routines, and then there are shows that feel like a collective exhale. On Sunday night, Kesha didn’t just bring her Tits Out Tour to John Cain Arena, she brought a manifesto of autonomy that was as raunchy as it was liberated.
Lambrini Girls | Northcote Theatre | Melbourne | 22nd February
Nothing “a short history of decay” Album Review
It is no wonder that Palermo has described a short history of decay as feeling like a “final chapter,” a conclusion to ideas that have permeated throughout all of their albums, but I think Nothing wants us to find solace through accepting this conclusion.
Bloom | Max Watts | Melbourne | 18th February
This show was a complete and utter success, with endless crowdsurfers and the most passionate audience I’ve seen in a very long time, it was hard not to feel like a proud parent in some strange way. A complete full circle for a band who deserves it more than anything, they’ve worked their asses off to get to where they are today, and I hope that after tonight they can see how much it has all paid off.
Floodlights | Balnarring Social Club | 15th February
An immensely likeable and charming band, whose music feels uniquely 2020s. They’re vague and thematic in their allusions to summer and country driving, and allow the listener to project into their music whatever they want it to symbolise.
Life’s A Beach | Riviera Beach Club Melbourne | February 14th
It was unreal from start to finish, and they’re a band I’ll never get sick of seeing live. But the cherry on top was the fireworks. Straight up fireworks. As Polaris’ set came to a close, the whole sky lit up in colour and the place just erupted, applause everywhere, people yelling, cheering, and soaking in the cool sandy breeze.
Angel Du$t “Cold 2 The Touch” Album Review
Cold 2 The Touch sees Angel Du$t dominate a whole range of genres, with punk, hardcore, indie, and psychedelic all getting a moment to shine on the album. The album is relentless in its intensity, but it never feels overwhelming. If you’re a fan of the lighter side of punk or the heavier hardcore side, you will find something you love in this album.
Karnivool “In Verses” Album Review
IN VERSES’ diverse mix of sounds and pacing is endlessly exciting, and its broad thematic sweep, deep emotion, and lyrical non-specificity deliver meaningful commentary without ever feeling self-aggrandising.
New Found Glory “Listen Up!” Album Review
As a whole, ‘Listen Up!’ highlights ‘New Found Glory’s’ enduring sound and lasting influence on pop punk. It honours the genre they helped shape while speaking honestly about growth, adversity, and connection.
Lou Reed | 170 Russell
It was frankly euphoric to see so many of Lou’s songs that mean so much to me played by musicians whom I so admire, and to see that such a buzz still surrounds Lou and his work. This concert was everything I could have ever wanted, and if a benevolent God exists he very well may have orchestrated this entire night just for me.
The Plot In You | PICA
Accompanied only by a lamp, dimly swaying above his head and an acoustic guitar, the somber lyrics “I used to seek violence, but now I use silence,” sent a shiver down my spine. As the second chorus hit, the rest of the instrumentals swung back in, a cinematic moment being encapsulated in a set like this makes for something you will never forget.
The Growlers | Northcote Theatre | January 22nd
The Growlers are a band you have to see live. They tease out the slow and brooding undertones of their ‘beach goth’ throughout the set, subtly changing the tempo of their songs and accentuating different notes of the melody to lull the crowd into a haze of the Western American frontier.
Viagra Boys | Festival Hall Melbourne | January 20th
Beyond what the audience is hearing, the band is also incredibly engaging visually, with Murphy’s signature heavily tattooed beer gut on full display, or Oskar Carls’ big, shiny tenor sax on stage left glistening under the downlights. Plus, with six band members on stage, there is always someone or something to watch.
Till Lindemann | Melbourne | January 18th @ PICA
