Thornhill Christmas Festival Extravaganza | Melbourne Pavillion

Ho ho ho, motherfuckers! Another year, another Thornhill Christmas Festival Extravaganza, and this year it’s going to be massive. With eight incredible bands from across the country set to take the stage of the gorgeous Melbourne Pavilion, the third annual celebration promised to be something special. Walking into the venue, Tristan and I gawked at each other as we took in the tall ceilings with cascading chandeliers shimmering in the reflection of the glossy black floors. It boasted a large dance floor that wraps around to the bar and some stairs that double at a merch stall and viewing area, perfect for anyone who just wants to kick back and soak in the experience. 

Blood Oath / Photo Credit: @_tristanphotos

Speaking of merch, I spoiled myself with some early Christmas presents, snatching up a sick Headwreck jersey and CD, and a Justice For The Damned cap that I will be happily flexing at all future gigs. Just as I wandered away from the bar with a cheeky beer in hand, Blood Oath took to the stage, and I beelined for the closest spot near the barricade. Having only recently made their debut in June 2025, with only one EP and single in their discography, they were the only and I hadn’t seen live yet on the bill, I was mind blown by the end of it. Allison Watter’s haunting growls and screams sliced cleanly through Renjen and Ricky’s shredding with satisfyingly precise mayhem, leaving my jaw slack with adoration. 

Watters prowled the stage, perching on the amp to ruthlessly maul the speakers, and as they played through their final and favourite track of mine, “Pardon My French”, the whole room’s eyes were on them. It was safe to say they made their mark on the audience, infusing the energy in the air with a crackling intensity that set the tone for the rest of the evening. 

Next up were Headwreck, the nu-metal powerhouse from Brisbane that have exploded in the scene these past few months with their recent release “Attitude Adjustment”. I first discovered them at Windwaker’s gig back in February and immediately fell in love with their sound. Jamo, Colby and Dayne bound onto the stage in elf costumes, tearing into the intro for “Low Blow!” as vocalist Connor Hickman sprinted on shortly after in a very flattering Mrs Clause costume, taking the festive spirit to the next level. Bouncing from heavy to clean in a heartbeat, with many references to my favourite childhood memories, like sneaking in the Wrestlemania “Are you ready to rumble!” as a precursor for the breakdown in “Filet-O-Fish”. Being able to play off these moments makes their personality as a band shine through, but don’t think for a second that these guys don’t shred live, they’re incredibly tight without even a drop of sweat off of their back. 

Headwreck / Photo Credit: @_tristanphotos

Diesect are a meticulous blend of electronic and hardcore, manipulating tinny shrills over pummeling drum kicks that create a full body of sound within all of their tracks that is utterly mesmerising. Getting to see them perform is also always equally as hypnotic, their stage presence is leering and the pure onslaught of their punishing riffs shakes the ground beneath my chunky black boots. “SUFFER IN THE DARK” is a track that frequents my daily rotation of tunes, and every time I get to hear it live I am never not enthralled, the doom riddled groove as Bigara bellows the lyrics “I met the devil just to fucking see / Why this life has done nothing but torture me”. The set wraps up the crowd sweating from the ruthless mosh that ensued behind me during the set, yet still enough energy to roar with applause as the band left the stage.

Diesect / Photo Credit: @_tristanphotos

Yours Truly / Photo Credit: @_tristanphotos

Stepping outside quickly for some fresh air (a cigarette), I made my way back in about halfway through Diamond Construct's set just as they slammed into “Psychosis”, an absolutely treacherous banger to be blessed with. Lead singer Kynan was rocking a white tracksuit with his signature fingerless gloves as he stormed the stage from side to side, effortlessly bouncing between rapping and screaming that made everybody in the pit bounce. Justice For The Damned deliver the same merciless tone - sauntering the stage while absolutely bludgeoning on their designated instruments. Whether it’s the deliciously punishing triple kicks in “Stay Relentless” or the gore soaked tone of Bobak Raffiee’s vocals, their set was a barrage that never loosened its grips. In short, they don’t just play heavy, they incite it, turning hardcore mayhem into a disciplined spectacle that left the heart pounding, the anticipation palpable as the night reached its fever pitch. 

Yours Truly is a band that has truly (pun absolutely intended) come into themselves this past year. Since the release of their record “TOXIC” last year, they have been touring and absolutely crushing it and have no plans on stopping soon. Mikaila’s stage presence is so charming and playful, which is a delightful contrast to her gritty and soaring voice. Although their music isn’t as heavy as the precious bands, it’s the perfect concoction of playful and angsty that had the heads around my bopping in time non stop. Switching things up a bit, they played a cover of Silverchair’s “Freak”, each band member beaming with excitement and genuine love for the track. Closing out on their hit “Call My Name”, I was reminded yet again why I make sure to catch these guys every time they play a gig near me, as a smile subconsciously gleams on my face as I snapped my neck in time with the upbeat tempo. 

The excitement in the air was buzzing as the night was nearing its end, and as I stood in my spot that I had camped in for most of the afternoon, I watched behind me as the band room began to fill out for the Trophy Eyes set. From the first notes ringing out over the speakers, the room seemingly moved as one with every lyric shouted back at the band like muscle memory. John Floreani commanded the stage with that familiar mix of vulnerability and urgency, swinging between introspective moments and full throttle urgency without losing the room's attention for even a second. They played a great combination of older staples and newer cuts, and it was so cool to see everyone knowing the words to every single tune. 

Trophy Eyes / Photo Credit: @_tristanphotos

And then, it was time for the main event. As the clock struck 9.25, distant sleigh bells began ringing as the stage lights began to dim, and the opening riff to “Nurture” began to hum out, being played live for the first time since 2021. Each member took to the stage in their own festive gear, and I have never seen a pit open up faster. The band was tight but never sterile; riffs rang out succinctly, drums hit with heated intent and every pause feeling deliberate before crashing back into the shimmering madness. 

In a picture perfect moment, Jacob held the mic stand up in the air triumphantly in his Grinch Oodie, as cheers deafened the venue. Santa cheerily danced around the stage too, taking moments to air hump the guitarists and jump up and down along with the thundering drums. For the first time ever, Thornhill played through the cover of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi”, which was as spine tingling as hearing it on Triple J’s Like a Version for the very first time. 

The night was full of unforgettable moments, from Santa throwing presents in the crowd and giving them to crowd surfers, to Mikaila joining the group on stage for a spine chilling rendition of “Lily & the Moon”. In the wake of their phenomenal last minute clutch at Good Things, and the resound success of “Bodies”, the band seems to have launched themselves to new heights, and seeing them perform tonight proved this new found glory further. Initially closing out with “nerv”, the band waved the audience goodnight, beginning to head off stage before Santa clutched the microphone once more, announcing that he’s decided we all deserve one more song. Being the kings of last minute planning, Jacob asked the sound desk to make everything on stage gold and find the file for “Casanova”.

The unexpected encore was the climax the night deserved, and the final wall of death exceeded my wildest imagination. The whole entire room practically split in two, as one brave man in a banana costume dropped to his knees, as bodies from either side stampeded toward him as the breakdown resonated, slamming into one another in a perfectly cinematic moment. Bravo.

And thus was the end of yet another fantastic Thornhill Christmas Festival Extravaganza, and as the bodies filed out of the venue and I felt my feet starting to give way, I couldn’t help but skip back to Tristan's car, us both gushing and already reminiscing about the flawless show we watched unfold. 

Thornhill / Photo Credit: @_tristanphotos

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