Georgia Maq & Ben Lee | Review | Melbourne Recital Centre | 24th September
We crossed over Princes Bridge, through the throng posing for photos in front of the illuminated facade of Hamer Hall, past the NGV and its ponds, and past the VCA campus to The Melbourne Recital Centre, a far cry from the beer-sticky carpet of The Old Bar where I last saw Georgia Maq in June.
Noah Kahan Live Review | Melbourne | Rod Laver Arena | 25th September
Noah Kahan transformed Rod Laver Arena into an intimate, communal space for his highly anticipated The Great Divide World Tour. Featuring an elaborate shifting house set, massive unscripted crowd singalongs, and a local Melbourne horn section for the finale, Kahan delivered a grounded and brilliantly authentic performance.
HEALTH | Review | Melbourne | The Forum | 20th September
From King Yosef's raw sonic assault to Perturbator's pulsing beats and HEALTH's iconic live show, here is our full review of one of the best heavy electronic bills to hit Melbourne this year.
Robert Forster | The Thornbury Theatre | Melbourne | 12th September
One of the country's greatest artists still puts on an exceptional show. Incredibly cool and deeply honest, the show was as full of surreal idiosyncrasies as it was of moments of divine transcendence.
The Temper Trap | The Forum | Melbourne | 11th September
The Temper Trap made a triumphant return to Melbourne for the first of two sold out nights at The Forum. Celebrating their new album Sungazer alongside career-defining anthems like Sweet Disposition, the night was a masterclass in hometown nostalgia, intimate storytelling, and pure euphoria.
Electric Callboy | Rod Laver Arena | 8th September
From sweaty club gigs to packing out Rod Laver Arena, Electric Callboy turned Melbourne into an absolute rave on the TANZNEID tour. Backed by coldrain and Ice Nine Kills, the German electrocore heavyweights delivered walls of pyro, circle pits in fluoro tracksuits, and a classic on-stage shoey to prove heavy music can still be pure, unadulterated fun.
Jonny Chopps | The Night Cat | Melbourne | 4th September
The footpath thronged on a Friday night out the front of The Night Cat. I got my stamp and entered as my insides shook with the bass of the DJ holding it down between sets. The stale smell of cigarettes and weed permeated the venue, and the crowd was sparse around all four sides of the Night Cat’s middle-of-the-room stage.
South Arcade | The Croxton
The Oxford four piece arrived with a point to prove, opening with “HOW 2 GET AWAY WITH MURDER” and a relentless amount of adrenaline from the band. Their glorious blend of pop punk glossiness, nu-metal chunky riffs and a specific kind of nostalgia boasts their trademark sound “Y2K-core”, a breath of modern influence on an era we all yearn for deep down.
Holding Absence | 170 Russell | Melbourne | 16th August
Holding Absence are one of those bands on a seemingly permanent uphill ascent. The many years of relentless and extensive touring as a supporting band have led to the well-deserved next few months of upcoming headlining shows.
Ocean Grove | 170 Russell | Melbourne | 15th August
As the night drew to a close, the impressive line-up left everyone more than satisfied, Blinder, Deficit and Cane Hill all came through as expected and this is certainly not the last we will see of ocean grove within the coming years as they set aboard the Hellbound II metal cruise joining the jam-packed line up featuring Amity Affliction, Parkway Drive and Alpha Wolf, be sure to not miss out.
Parkway Drive “Killing With A Smile” | The Forum | Melbourne | 9th August
Decades later, the impact of that debut album is still undeniable: it’s alive, hitting as hard as ever, and proving why it shaped an entire generation.
Plini | Northcote Theatre | Melbourne | 8th August
Plini’s Northcote Theatre show was as down-to-earth as it was grandiose. Incredibly talented artists with endless chemistry both in their musicianship and on-stage interactions. It was a joy to have been able to experience the electricity in that theatre last night.
Citizen “Halcyon Blues” Album Review
Halcyon Blues is an album where every song sounds unique, yet they blend together beautifully to create a cohesive body of work. While some songs stand out more than others, this album is best enjoyed listened to front to back, and loud.
Wage War | The Forum | 2nd August
There’s a physicality to hardcore that can sometimes get lost when it moves onto larger stages. Wage War doesn't let that happen. The crowd is pulled closer into the performance with every breakdown, while the band themselves seem locked into a constant state of controlled confrontation.
Laufey | Rod Laver Arena | 1st August
If Laufey doesn’t end up as a generational artist, up there with the jazz and classical all-timers, then the timeline probably got messed up somewhere. I believe it’s inevitable.
Karnivool + Tesseract | Melbourne | Margaret Court Arena | 24th July
The Neighbourhood | Margaret Court Arena | Melbourne | 10th July
The Neighbourhood truly are a unique indie rock band that have contributed so much depth and saturation to the alternative rock scene over the years.
Deafheaven | The Forum | Melbourne | 9th July
Deaf Heaven is certainly a band for the books and with so many gigs approaching in the next couple of months, it certainly presents so many opportunities to experience their heavy thrill live.
Motionless In White | Margaret Court Arena | Melbourne | 24th June
Honestly, I have no notes. This has to be one of the best shows I have ever experienced, and every single band and moment during this night was a pure 10/10. However, one thing’s for certain: Everyone needs to see a Motionless in White show at least once in their life.
I Prevail | John Cain Arena | Melbourne | 18th June
Having listened to them since their debut album Lifelines, it is always a pleasure to see I Prevail constantly growing. Watching them seamlessly step up to command a room of this magnitude just proves exactly why they earned the headlining slot.