Electric Callboy pulling a massive crowd into Rod Laver Arena feels like a fever dream for anyone who caught their sweaty club shows just a few years back. The German six-piece has managed to do what practically no other act in heavy music can pull off right now: marry blistering metalcore with Eurovision-grade techno absurdity, turning Melbourne’s premier tennis barn into an absolute rave.

Japan’s coldrain kicked things off with zero wasted motion. The Nagoya veterans delivered a razor-sharp, ridiculously tight half-hour that proved why they have been kings of the Japanese heavy circuit for nearly two decades. Ice Nine Kills followed by completely flipping the tone into full slasher theatre. Spencer Charnas ran through horror classics with blood bags, chainsaw props, and enough theatrics to rival a Broadway production, keeping the floor primed and the circle pits churning.

Once the house lights cut for the main event, opener TANZNEID blew the roof off. Jets of flame, blinding strobes, and CO2 cannons erupted as the pit descended into pure bedlam. Looking across the floor, you saw thousands of punters clad in fluoro ski suits, sweatbands, and dodgy mullets screaming every word to Tekkno Train and Hypa Hypa. Dual frontmen Nico Sallach and Kevin Ratajczak bounced off each other with effortless charisma, anchoring the chaos with clean pop vocals on one side and savage gutturals on the other.

The sheer commitment to the bit is what makes this band special. Midway through, they disappeared only to re-emerge in matching white outfits for a completely earnest, arena-wide singalong to Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way, before snapping instantly back into the heavy groove of The Way You Are. Behind the kit, former Sum 41 drummer Frank Zummo was relentless, tearing through a monster solo that proved he was born to play with this outfit.

Then came the obligatory local ritual. With the crowd bellowing relentless chants from the barrier to the upper tiers, the lads gave in. Right on centre stage, they poured beer straight into a sneaker and knocked back a proper Aussie shoey, sparking one of the loudest cheers heard in the venue all year.

Closing out the main set with Elevator Operator, the encore felt like a victory lap. RATATATA sent the floor into a frenzy, Space Man had the seated sections bouncing on their feet, and the bowl-cut wigs inevitably came out for We Got The Moves. Electric Callboy delivered exactly what Melbourne punters came for: an unapologetic, sweat-soaked party where nobody took themselves too seriously.

Electric Callboy | Rod Laver Arena | 8th September

Jonny Chopps | The Night Cat | Melbourne | 4th September