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
Yungblud | Sidney Myer Music Bowl | Melbourne 13th January
Thornhill Christmas Festival Extravaganza | Melbourne Pavillion
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.
Molchat Doma | The Forum
Molchat Doma have a very distinct sound and emanate an energy you can’t get from any band in the West. Their album covers feature famous brutalist buildings like the Hotel Panorama in Slovakia and the Pyongyang Hotel, and there is no better parallel to their sound.
High Vis | Bendigo Hotel
They’re an interesting blend of hardcore punk and indie rock, transitioning between moods with tact while maintaining momentum throughout a boisterous set. Heavy punk songs are balanced with stripped-back indie choruses, and whenever things get too dark, they lighten them again. An Aristotelian set by a disciplined, intentional band.