Juliette Salom, Dom Lepore, Gabrielle Duykers, Maddison Young, Liam Heitmann-Ryce-Lemercier, Sofia Perica, Cyclone Wehner and Bryget Chrisfield
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PUBLISHER
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FOUNDER
Rob Furst
EDITORIAL NOTE
I’ll be honest with you, sweet readers.
Æ I’m sending my love from afar this month. While you’ve been enjoying the tail end of patio season, I’ve been off sinking cheap beers and looking at churches and castles.
But my time away has only made me more grateful for what we’ve got at home: our taps that can provide hot and cold water at the same time (what a concept), our coffee (obviously) and most of all, our culture, made up of you lot.
And there’s nothing that better encapsulates the spirit of our city than RISING, which will soon be settling in over our venues like a dark and magical fog. This month’s cover star, Suki Waterhouse, has been lured in by the festival’s enigmatic charm and will soon perform in Melbourne for the first time ever. The show-stopping lineup also includes indie angel Soccer Mommy and local menaces Tropical Fuck Storm, who both kindly shared some insights ahead of their upcoming shows.
Elsewhere, doom-metal pioneers Divide and Dissolve discuss using their words (and when not to), folk hero James Vincent McMorrow takes us back to his breakthrough release and young punks Sonic Reducer dish out turbulent tales from their first overseas tour.
I’ve got to stop or I’ll get too homesick, but I swear it’s a good one. Enjoy it for me!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TRADITIONAL OWNERS
Our magazine is published on the lands of the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation, and we wish to acknowledge them as Traditional Owners. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging.
DISTRIBUTION
COVER
Our June cover star is Suki Waterhouse shot by Muriel Margaret. SOCIALS
Beat Mag will be distributed free every month to hundreds of locations around metro Melbourne, to enquire about having it at your venue email distribution@furstmedia.com.au
RISING EXPANDS WITH FED SQUARE BLOCKBUSTER AND LANEWAY TAKEOVERS
Melbourne’s rapturous winter festival of art, music and performance has unveiled a slate of exciting additions to its 2025 program. Building on March’s initial announcement, RISING’s expanded offering extends the festival’s footprint across the CBD with more free and ticketed events designed to transform the city during the chilly winter nights.
LIME CORDIALE ADD THIRD MELBOURNE SHOW WITH 52-PIECE ORCHESTRA
Due to overwhelming demand, Lime Cordiale have added a third performance on September 13 to their Melbourne Symphony Orchestra collaboration. The tour has proven so popular that the genre-blending duo will now perform three consecutive nights at Hamer Hall.
ILLUMINATE ADELAIDE 2025: DRONES, DINOSAURS AND DIGITAL DETOXES
The event’s fifth edition will deliver 134 experiences including nine world premieres and 23 Australian exclusives. Illuminate Adelaide will showcase extraordinary art, cutting-edge technology and diverse music across multiple venues throughout the city.
FED SQUARE HOSTS MABO DAY CELEBRATION OF MUSIC AND CUISINE
The Koorie Heritage Trust Mabo Day Celebration Concert will transform Fed Square with a vibrant lineup celebrating a landmark moment in Australian history. The free event brings together Torres Strait Islander performers and speakers based in Narrm for an evening filled with music, spoken word, short films and a community ukulele sing-along.
ST KILDA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ‘ABSOLUTELY RIPPING’ 2025 PROGRAM
The event has revealed its most expansive program to date, celebrating its 41st year as Australia’s longest-running short film festival. The 2025 festival will screen over 150 films across 34 curated sessions, marking an exciting return to St Kilda Town Hall for the first time since 2019, alongside other iconic Melbourne venues.
SXSW SYDNEY UNVEILS FIRST WAVE OF GLOBAL ARTISTS FOR OCTOBER TAKEOVER
South by Southwest Sydney returns for its third year, unveiling its initial music festival lineup featuring UK indie-rock experimentalist Jasmine 4.t, Irish rockers Cardinals, Manchester’s Freak Slug and UK creative studio Ristband collaborating with Pivots for an immersive multimedia experience.
AT YOUR LOCAL INDEPENDANTLY RUN MUSIC VENUE
BKTHERULA (USA)
THU 05 JUN
THE SUPERJESUS FRI 13 JUN
GIG GUIDE
JACK BOTTS FRI 06 JUN BURTON C. BELL (USA)
01/06 ‘FRONT BAR SESSIONS’ WITH BANJO LUCIA + ELLIS KING
05/06 BKTHERULA (USA)
06/06 JACK BOTTS
07/06 THE FERGUSON ROGERS PROCESS
08/06 ZAEDEN
13/06 THE SUPERJESUS
14/06 BURTON C. BELL (USA)
15/06 ‘FRONT BAR SESSIONS’ WITH AMAYA LAUCIRICA
22/06 ‘FRONT BAR SESSIONS’ WITH NIKODIMOS
29/06 BON BUT NOT FORGOTTEN (MATINEE)
04/07 LITTLE BIRDY SOLD OUT
05/07 THE ANGELS
11/07 DONNY BENÉT
12/07 THE SMITH STREET BAND SELLING FAST
ROCKDOGS SUPERGROUP (PIE NIGHT) SAT 07 JUN
25/07 COUSIN TONY’S
31/07 MICROWAVE (USA) + FREE THROW (USA)
01/08 MOTTA MAADI MUSIC 08/08 PRESS CLUB
30/08 THE HOMEGROWN FESTIVAL
04/09 THE BEARDS SELLING FAST
05/09 THE BEARDS SOLD OUT 11/09 CHERIE CURRIE
12/09 EARTHLESS 13/09 FOLK BITCH TRIO
20/09 THE GET UP KIDS (USA)
04/10 HARRISON STORM
12/10 THE LATHUMS
22/10 SHANE SMITH & THE SAINTS SELLING FAST
24/10 PAVLOV’S DOG
22/11 ONSLAUGHT (UK)
MORE EVENTS
24/06 DRAG BINGO
COOL SOUNDS FRI 13 JUN
GIG GUIDE
(JPN) SUN 15 JUN
02/06 ‘SOCIAL SANCTUARY’ w SNOWY, BEEFHEART & MCQUINN + ZA NOON
07/06 ROCKDOGS SUPERGROUP (PIE NIGHT)
08/06 CHASING GHOSTS
09/06 ‘SOCIAL SANCTUARY’ w MEIWA, TANYA GEORGE + MY ANH
12/06 MEL PARSONS (NZ) 13/06 COOL SOUNDS 14/06 KANEKOAYANO (JPN) SOLD OUT 15/06 KANEKOAYANO (JPN) SELLING FAST
20/06 MANDENG GROOVE
28/06 JEM CASSAR-DALEY
30/06 ‘SOCIAL SANCTUARY’ w OWELU DREAMHOUSE, EGGY + CONG JOSIE AND THE HELL RACERS (20TH BDAY SHOW)
04/06 JOEY LIGHTBULB & FRIENDS (20TH BDAY SHOW) SOLD OUT
05/07 VELVET BLOOM 06/07 KINGSWOOD (20TH BDAY SHOW) 13/07 GUT HEALTH (20TH BDAY SHOW) ALL AGES ALCOHOL FREE MATINEE
20/07 PETER COOMBE (20TH BDAY SHOW) FAMILY MATINEE
25/07 AUGIE MARCH (20TH BDAY SHOW) SELLING FAST
26/07 THE DEANS OF SOUL (20TH BDAY SH0W) 27/07 DARREN HANLON (20TH BDAY SHOW)
31/07 ROD COOTE
01/08 NAI PALM (20TH BDAY SHOW) STICKING AROUND FOR A BEV AFTER THE GIG? FLASH YOUR STAMP OR TICKET TO ONE OF OUR BAR STAFF FOR 10% OFF POST-SHOW DRINKS
Wild Folk
28 June From 3pm
CULTURE IRELAND BRINGS TOP TALENT TO THE NATIONAL CELTIC FOLK FESTIVAL
The National Celtic Folk Festival is turning up the heat in 2025 with a celebration of culture, music and pure fun like never before. From electric tunes and dynamic theatre to gourmet food and captivating storytelling, this year’s program is bursting with vibrant traditions and contemporary creativity.
SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL BRINGS MEDITERRANEAN HEAT TO AUSTRALIA
The HSBC Spanish Film Festival is set to deliver a cinematic feast from Spain and Latin America across Australian screens this winter. Palace Cinemas has announced the first highlights from the 2025 program, featuring a carefully curated mix of contemporary and award-winning films screening at venues nationwide.
NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL UNVEILS PACKED WEEKEND OF ROOTS MUSIC
The Newport Folk Festival is set to return with more than 40 acts across six venues in Newport this July. The community-driven festival showcases an eclectic mix of folk, blues, world music and storytelling, featuring both established and emerging artists from across Australia.
SPILT MILK FESTIVAL RETURNS, DROPS 2025 LINEUP AND DATES
Spilt Milk festival returns to Ballarat, Perth, Canberra and Gold Coast this December. This year’s lineup will be led by Kendrick Lamar, Doechii, Dominic Fike and ScHoolboy Q, with local additions including Don West, Mia Wray and Rum Jungle.
NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB REVEALS MILESTONE BIRTHDAY LINEUP
Northcote Social Club is turning 20 this year, bringing back familiar faces and new friends to celebrate the milestone with a series dubbed 20 Gigs for 20 Years. The beloved Melbourne venue will host a lineup of shows featuring artists who have helped shape the venue’s story over the past two decades from June 30 to August 29.
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT BACKS 1000M HIGH MOUNTAIN DINING VENUE
Macedon Tea Rooms will soon undergo a significant refurbishment to create a spectacular dining experience atop Mount Macedon, thanks to support from the Victorian government. Their plans include an expanded outdoor seating area showcasing the panoramic views, evening dining options, and dedicated spaces for events and functions on the 1,000-metre-high mountain peak.
THINK YOU’VE GOT THE BEST BEATS IN MELBOURNE? THE FLIP BEAT BATTLE WANTS YOU
Producers, sample choppers, and loop-layers — get your beats ready. Section 8 is bringing back its legendary beat battle FLIP this King’s Birthday public holiday and it’s shaping up to be one of the biggest throwdowns yet.
VMDO
IS OFFERING A CAREER-CHANGING UK FELLOWSHIP
OPPORTUNITY
Victorian music producers and engineers can now apply for the Fast Track Fellowship, offering a two-month professional development opportunity in the UK. The VMDO (Victorian Music Development Office) program returns in 2025 specifically targeting mid-career Victorian-based music producers or engineers who work closely with musicians in recording studios.
GOTYE-BACKED ELECTRONIC MUSIC WONDERLAND FINDS PERMANENT HOME
Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio (MESS) will relocate to Fed Square in spring 2025, becoming a central hub for electronic music creation in Melbourne’s CBD. The relocation will make MESS’s collection of over 1,000 historic electronic instruments accessible to a wider audience of creators and visitors.
FRANZ FERDINAND ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE SHOW AT LIVE AT THE GARDENS
Get ready, Melbourne – Live at the Gardens just locked in one of the biggest indie-rock comebacks of the year. That’s right, Franz Ferdinand are heading back to Australia on November 28 and they’re bringing their swagger, sharp riffs and a brand new album with them to the Royal Botanic Gardens.
DOUBLE VISION IS BRINGING A TECHNO REVOLUTION TO ACMI THIS WINTER
ACMI’s winter season Cold Fusion will transform Fed Square into a multisensory playground featuring Back to Back Theatre and the inaugural Double Vision festival. The ambitious program blends film, TV, art, music and culture in what ACMI Director Seb Chan describes as an opportunity to “discover new genres” and “connect with new friends who share similar interests.”
COMEDY FESTIVAL ROADSHOW IS BRINGING THE FEST’S BEST ACTS TO YOU
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow is hitting the road again, bringing comedy legends and fresh faces to regional Victoria throughout May and July. Australia’s most iconic comedy tour celebrates 27 years of laughter by delivering a dynamic lineup straight to Victorian towns.
DENI UTE MUSTER ADDS THE WIGGLES TO MASSIVE 2025 LINEUP
The Deni Ute Muster have unveiled The Wiggles are officially joining the party. And they’re just cherry on top of a stacked lineup featuring international country heavyweights the Zac Brown Band and Jackson Dean, alongside Aussie legends like John Williamson, Kasey Chambers, Troy CassarDaley, The Wolfe Brothers, Kaylee Bell, Lane Pittman and more.
WINTER NIGHT MARKET FIRES UP WITH STREET EATS AND LIVE MUSIC
The Queen Victoria Winter Night Market is making its grand return, firing up the grills (and the fire pits) for 13 weeks of food, fire and midweek fun. Kicking off Wednesday 4 June and running through to 27 August, this iconic event is bringing the heat to hump day like only Melbourne knows how.
MELBOURNE’S HUGE MUSIC PRIZE OPENS WITH $60,000 UP FOR GRABS
The Melbourne Prize Trust announced that entries are open for the 2025 competition, which features four distinct categories catering to performers and composers across all music genres. Now in its 21st year, the annual Melbourne Prize continues to recognise and reward artistic talent while fostering creative development for Victorian musicians.
NEW MUSEUM TO OPEN IN ONE OF MELBOURNE’S MOST ICONIC BUILDINGS
Arts Centre Melbourne officially unveiled its latest cultural venture: the Australian Museum of Performing Arts (AMPA), a permanent new destination set to celebrate the nation’s rich history of stage and screen. Nestled on the upper terrace of Hamer Hall with sweeping views of the Birrarung, AMPA will be a bold celebration of Australia’s performing arts legacy.
VIAGRA BOYS ARE BRINGING THE INFINITE ANXIETY TOUR TO AUSTRALIA
Viagra Boys are heading back to Aussie shores and, for the first time ever, heading across the ditch to New Zealand — with the announcement of the Infinite Anxiety Tour of 2026, set to rip through both countries this January. They’ll perform at Festival Hall on January 20.
USHER
ADDS EXTRA MELBOURNE AND SYDNEY DATES TO 2025 AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Global R&B superstar Usher is officially returning to Australia in 2025, and fans are wasting no time securing their spot. Following an overwhelming demand for tickets, the Grammy Award-winning artist has added two shows each in Melbourne and Sydney. He’ll perform at Rod Laver Arena on November 19, 20, 22, 23, 25 and 26.
SPIDERBAIT LEADS
MELBOURNE’S FAVOURITE ROCK ‘N’ FOOTY FESTIVAL
The Reclink Community Cup is back for its 32nd year, bringing Spiderbait, Frente, Surprise Chef and a host of musical talent to Victoria Park on 15 June. Melbourne’s iconic charity event continues its tradition of music, mateship and mud as musicians and radio personalities battle it out on the footy field.
THERE’S A NEW VENUE IN BRUNSWICK HOSTING INTIMATE SUNDAY SESHES
Melbourne’s always got room for another watering hole, especially when it comes with a side of killer music and a community feel. Enter The Lebanese Rocket Society. They’re wasting no time making a mark with a special Sunday sesh featuring local legends Soju Gang and Polat on May 25.
GLOBAL MUSIC HEAVYWEIGHTS DESCEND ON AUSTRALIA FOR BIGSOUND 2025
BIGSOUND 2025 has announced its first speakers, with industry powerhouses flying in from around the world for the September event in Fortitude Valley. The premier Australian music industry conference and showcase festival is focusing on connection that counts this year, bringing together artists and industry leaders to shape the next chapter of Australian music.
THE CAT EMPIRE ANNOUNCE HUGE NATIONAL TOUR
The beloved genre-bending icons are set to light up stages across the country this August, announcing a national tour in celebration of their colourful and kinetic 10th studio album, Bird in Paradise. They’ll play at the Northcote Theatre on September 6 and 7.
WESLEY ANNE TURNS 22 WITH A FREE FIVEMONTH MINI FESTIVAL
The beloved Northcote venue will host themed events featuring musicians who have helped define the Wes’ identity over more than two decades. From jazz to country, indie to folk, each event showcases different sounds that have shaped the venue’s past, present and future. It’s on from May 24 to September 20.
HANDPICKED FESTIVAL JUST DROPPED A STACKED LINEUP FOR 2025
Handpicked Festival 2025 is back in full bloom, and this year it’s bringing an allstar cast of Aussie talent to the vineyards of Lake Breeze Wines in South Australia on November 8. Catch Hilltop Hoods, The Rubens, Xavier Rudd and more.
KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD ANNOUNCE MIND-BENDING DUAL TOUR
Melbourne’s psychedelic juggernauts King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard are finally bringing the chaos back to Australia. Landing hot on the tail of their upcoming 27th album Phantom Island, this run of dates sees the band splitting personalities across two entirely different performance formats in each city: orchestral grandeur and rock and roll mayhem.
ALT-POP STAR BANKS IS HEADING ON AN EAST COAST AUSTRALIAN TOUR
The acclaimed alternative pop and R&B artist Banks, also known as Jillian Rose Banks, will perform in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane following the February 2025 release of her latest studio album, Off With Her Head. See her at the Forum on November 18.
SUKI WATERHOUSE
RISING 2025 welcomes the dazzling, one-of-a-kind talent for her Melbourne debut.
Æ What comes to mind when you hear the name Suki Waterhouse? An It Girl of the 2010s? The best part of Daisy Jones & the Six? An entrepreneur of apps and accessories? The fiancé of a certain heart-throb vampire? Scratch a line through all of that – the legacy left by Suki Waterhouse will be her music.
This winter, the British cool girl is bringing her show to Aussie audiences for the first time ever. As part of RISING, Suki is taking on the Athenaeum Theatre on June 6 and PICA on June 7 to perform her latest album, Memoir of a Sparklemuffin. “It’s kind of surprising to me that anyone listens to my music in Australia,” she says. “It feels like the complete unknown.”
Suki’s humility is somewhat out of proportion to her stardom. But, as the self-described actress/model/whatever points out, she’s been writing songs since she was a teenager. It hasn’t been until the last few years that she’s been solidified as one to watch as a musician in the indie-pop scene.
“I feel like for the past decade I’ve been sort of silently building up to have this life as a musician – always in the studio, always writing,” Suki says.
“There was a very small amount of people who were listening to it, but it was still always there and happening. I couldn’t really ever have thought that I would be actually going on stage and performing the songs and being able to make albums, or anything like that.” Music has always been a means of reflection for Suki. Since she was 17, she’s considered the craft as a “refuge”, a place where she could “make these memory stamps and hold this mirror up to myself.”
Even her most recent releases, On This Love and Dream Woman, draw on stories and anecdotes from different corners of her life, surfacing throughout the tracks as a kind of scrapbook of existence.
“I think I use music as these markers of time, like proof that certain things had happened to me or I’d felt certain ways,” she says. “I had this real desire to put these memory sticks into songs. If I could put the feeling into a song, then I would always remember that it really happened.”
As a performer who has spent much of her life in the entertainment industry as a vessel for someone else’s stories, it’s clear that music is Suki’s way of picking up the pen and writing her own. “That’s the great thing about music,” she says. “I get to be the crazy boss.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever been able to have control over anything in a way where I’m actually creating this from scratch. I own every decision that goes along with it, which is really liberating.”
One of those decisions was holding off on releasing both On This Love and Dream Woman, along with Memoir of a Sparklemuffin. “I can be quite manic in what I decide to do with songs,” Suki says in the most nonchalant way, making one wonder how this ocean breeze of a human could ever be manic.
“If it doesn’t feel totally energetically right, then I’ll just blow the whole thing up right before it’s gonna come out.”
It’s understandable that Suki wanted to spend a little longer on tracks that weren’t ready for the album release, considering that “in the whirlwind of making the record, I was making it while I was pregnant. I had to hand it in like a week before I had my daughter.”
“I still had these songs that I really needed to have out in the world,” Suki continues. “And I didn’t want to just lose them, because then they’ll go into the void and never get put out. And I feel really strongly about Dream Woman and On This Love.”
Suki says that when it came to turning Dream Woman into a music video with her sisters (it was shot by Madeleine and directed by Imogen), she was “in the mood for not having a crew, and literally just going around with a handheld camera and running into stores in New York.”
“We really had absolutely no plan. It was just like, let’s run over the bridge in the freezing cold,” she says.
“It felt like a return to how I used to go around New York City when I was 18 and, like, film myself outside of a boy that I had a crush on’s apartment crying or something.”
“You know what I mean?” she adds, laughing. “I would always make little dramatic films of myself, or I’d always have a camera and be self-timing stuff. That’s kind of the joy of working with [my sisters].”
This type of childlike enthusiasm and curiosity in the art that she’s creating is as potent in Suki’s music as it is in her live show.
A magical dose of escapism into the mind of Suki Waterhouse, her Memoir of a Sparklemuffin performances include glamorous outfits, an ethereal “forest-themed wasteland” stage design, a “dangerous amount [of] shrubbery”, and – of course – a sparklemuffin or two.
But what is a sparklemuffin? It’s actually a small, colourful jumping spider is native to southern Queensland that’s earned its nickname because of its outrageously bright appearance and the males’ tendency to dance as a way of wooing the ladies. Oh, and the female spiders also eat the guys if they reckon their dancing isn’t up to scratch. Suki identified with the sparkly creature, and thus a memoir was born. Will she try to see the Australian arachnid when she visits? “I have to, don’t I?” she laughs.
SUKI WATERHOUSE
WHERE: RISING – ATHENAEUM THEATRE + PICA
WHEN: 6 + 7 JUN Made in partnership with RISING.
“I
feel like for the past decade I’ve been sort of silently building up to have this life as a musician – always in the studio, always writing.”
RISING: GUIDE
FREE PROGRAM :
INTANGIBLE #FORM
The exquisite, crystalline Capitol Theatre gets a captivating makeover with Shohei Fujimoto’s ocean of lasers. Presenting intangible #form in Melbourne for the first time, the atmospheric venue will transform into a light-spiked cave, becoming an unmatched visual spectacle.
THE CAPITOL – RMIT 4–15 JUN
SPACE-OUT COMPETITION
Sometimes you need to switch off. South Korean artist Woopsyang’s Space-Out Competition gives you a reason to. It’s Melbourne’s turn to be tasked with sitting for 90 minutes and maintaining a state of calm. You can’t fall asleep, laugh, or use technology. The key to victory is that nothing matters.
QV MELBOURNE 9 JUN
MATHA
Moorina Bonin’s conceptual film Matha, whose name is derived from the Yorta Yorta word for “canoe,” depicts how First Peoples’ cultural practices are ever-flowingly passed down, renewed and regenerated over time. Her stories and words from Country continue to thrive in the present.
HAMER HALL FAÇADE 4–15 JUN
SHOUSE COMMUNITAS
Community is at the forefront of this mass-musicking event, where the audience – anybody from toddlers to 90-year-olds – dance and sing together to make rapturous music. After their first stint at St Paul’s, SHOUSE’s Communitas returns to RISING at the Melbourne Town Hall, hoping to gather more music-lovers and have their voices soar even higher.
MAIN HALL, MELBOURNE TOWN HALL 8 JUN
BLOCKBUSTER
Fed Square is turning up the heat with a massive celebration of Punjabi culture right at the heart of Melbourne. Running day-to-night, the all-ages event features colourful Punjabi art, delectable street food and Pakistani music at this transformed cultural hotspot.
FEDERATION SQUARE 7 JUN
RISING STAR KARAOKE
Warm up your pipes and give your favourite tune all you’ve got with Mummy’s Plastic’s karaoke in Capitol Arcade. Whether you’re with a group of friends or riding solo, there’s no better way to let loose on a starry night than by singing your heart out.
NIGHT TRADE 4–15 JUN
NYEGE NYEGE COLLECTIVE
The name “Nyege Nyege” is taken from the Luganda word “ekinyegenyege,” meaning “irresistible urge to dance” – so the collective’s cosmic beats will certainly keep you grooving. Afro-galactic electronic sounds from the Ugandan festival are being plugged into Melbourne’s laneways, with a roster of incredible artists soundtracking the city’s nightlife with futuristic music.
NIGHT TRADE 5–8 JUN
MUSIC : DAY
TRIPPER
One ticket for 25 acts. RISING’s Day Tripper is full of quirks, curiosities and wonders. Lasting all day, the party promises tons of eclectic soundwaves emitted across Swanston Street. Brooklyn shoegazers DIIV, Mississippi disco-soul singers Annie & The Caldwells, and a cohort of experimental and indie bands at Chapter Music’s farewell party are just the tip of the trip.
MELBOURNE TOWN HALL, NIGHT TRADE, THE CAPITOL –RMIT & MAX WATT’S 7 JUN
FIRST FREQUENCY (RONA & DJ PGZ)
Once the bustling Day Tripper ends, its celebratory afterparty First Frequency begins – a Blackfulla Dance Music Experience, providing a sovereign space for mob to move, gather and experience auditory storytelling. Kaytetye producer and DJ RONA’s set is infused with rhythms from her desert home, while Gunai/Kurnai and Yorta Yorta DJ PGZ’s rave-inspired sound pays homage to club music’s Black roots.
MELBOURNE TOWN HALL 7 JUN
BLACK STAR
The Black Star duo of Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli debuted in 1998. The American rappers emerged collaboratively as a statement of defiance, framing hip-hop as a vehicle for black liberation. Yasiin Bey previously performed The Ecstatic last year at RISING, but now the two will take the stage together in Melbourne for the first time.
PICA 11 JUN
NEW RAMPANT OPTIMISM ROADSHOW
Ned Collette, Leah Senior and Michael Beach are playing their brooding acoustic tunes with a coterie of gifted musical talent. US underground rock icon Thalia Zedek and local Naarm legends Mick Turner from Dirty Three and Chris Abrahams from The Necks are some acts backing their intimate, dark jams.
ATHENAEUM THEATRE 8 JUN
BETH GIBBONS
Beth Gibbons has a voice like no other. The singer of Portishead, she’s the defining voice of trip-hop – bewitching, ethereal and ghostly, her fragile vocals perfectly accompany the genre’s sublime late-night grooves. For one night only, Beth will play Hamer Hall with music from her new gorgeous solo album Lives Outgrown, and some career classics.
HAMER HALL,
ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE 1 JUN
JAPANESE BREAKFAST
The emotional and poetic theatrics of Japanese Breakfast will return to the big stage at PICA as the band plays their first Melbourne show in eight years. Their lead songwriter, Michelle Zauner, gave their new album an apt title, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women), pointing to their audience and its poignant acoustics.
PICA 5 JUN
PERFORMANCE : HEDWIG
& THE ANGRY INCH
This iconic Broadway smash hit transcends theatre – hailed by the likes of David Bowie, Prince, and Madonna, it’s been given a glammed-up Australian adaptation channelling the original’s anarchic spirit. This hilarious and passionate story following Hedwig, who dreams of rock ‘n’ roll stardom with her exhilarating live band, The Angry Inch, is unmissable.
ATHENAEUM THEATRE 13–29 JUN
BLKDOG
Botis Seva’s thrilling and profound hip-hop dance from the West End is a dark story exploring today’s youth coping with trauma and a harsh world that crumbles around them. This visually stunning and distinctive performance will induce chills.
THE PLAYHOUSE, ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE 4–7 JUN
HEARTBREAK HOTEL
EBKM’s Heartbreak Hotel explores the titular fragile emotion through science, novels and memoir. Karin McCracken plays a woman navigating heartbreak who confronts all her exes, each played by Simon Leary. The offbeat performance is funny, heartwarming and honest.
THE SHOWROOM, ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE 10–22 JUN
THE ACT
The body pushes and pulls between personal expression and professional service. Bunjalung Ngapuhi dancer and artist Amrita Hepi and sex worker and writer Tilly Lawless draw upon their experiences to confront the false divides between intimacy and commerce in The Act.
CHUNKY MOVE STUDIOS 11–14 JUN
KILL ME
Argentine choreographer Maria Otero pushes the limits of autobiography with her new vulnerable performance, Kill Me. In the third chapter of her Remember to Live series, she continues her commitment to making radical work about her life until she turns to dust –this entry dialling back the display of her body as a live research object.
THE SUMNER, SOUTHBANK THEATRE 5–8 JUN
HAMLET
The Shakespearian story of the depressed Danish prince gets a contemporary reimagination from a neurodiverse cast. Eight performers with Down syndrome deconstruct Hamlet in this marvellous, refreshing take, focusing more on shared frustrations and community.
UNION THEATRE, THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE 4–8 JUN
COMPLETE WORKS: TABLE TOP SHAKESPEARE
The massive scope of how Shakespeare’s plays can be told is truly revealed in Complete Works. Retellings of 36 of his works with an affordable price point, Forced Entertainment will retell those Shakespearean tales with household items as the characters. It’s the same emotional impact with a new seasoning.
GUILD THEATRE, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE 6–15 JUN
BY DOM LEPORE
FESTIVAL GUIDE
Ç GOOD FOOD AND WINE SHOW
Eat, drink and be merry at this delicious gathering. Featuring masterclasses, live cooking demonstrations, artisan stalls and enough samples to keep you stuffed all day, this event offers foodies the chance to get to know some of Australia’s finest producers.
MCEC 30 MAY–1 JUN
RISING
Melbourne’s blockbuster winter festival is back, bringing a plethora of weird, wild and wonderful things to the CBD. From a viral space-out competition to an art-sculpture mini golf course (and everything in between), this electric event is hard to define but easy to love.
MELBOURNE 1–16 JUN
Ç TASTE SORRENTO
Located on the far tip of the Mornington Peninsula, Sorrento is a cornucopia of culture and cuisine. In June, the region celebrates local excellence with markets, art festivals, culinary gatherings, a winter swim and a big community bonfire.
SORRENTO 1–30 JUN
CASTLEMAINE
JAZZ FESTIVAL
One of Victoria’s most charming country towns comes alive this June with jazz reverberating from every corner. Grammy Award-winning artist Dobet Gnahore leads the charge this year, alongside many other big band, contemporary, fusion, traditional and mainstream jazz acts.
CASTLEMAINE 5–8 JUN
ST KILDA FILM FESTIVAL
Running for more than four decades, this iconic film festival celebrates some of Australia’s best cinematic works. With screenings from the Astor to the Alex, the City of Port Phillip will showcase movie magic for 10 big days and nights.
ST KILDA 5–15 JUN
Ç WOODEND WINTER ARTS FESTIVAL
If you’re a fan of classical music, this one’s for you. Set in the picturesque rural village of Woodend (just over an hour’s drive out of the city), this serene festival features performances and talks, with many events taking place in the grand St Ambrose church.
WOODEND 6–9 JUN
DAY TRIPPER
Presented by RISING, this festival-within-a-festival features a feast of music and performance centred at Melbourne Town Hall and seeping out into surrounding venues. This year’s lineup includes DIIV, Annie and the Caldwells, BKTHERULA, Mount Kimbie and Ripple Effect Band.
MELBOURNE CBD 7 JUN
Ç MINDBODYSPIRIT FESTIVAL
Looking for spiritual and mental healing? Head to this weekend wellness festival in South Wharf. With sessions on breathwork, manifesting, Ayurvedic essential oils, astrology, sound healing, meditation and even facial yoga, the event features more than 200 exhibitors and 45 presenters.
MCEC 6–9 JUN
Ç LIGHTSCAPE
This family-friendly frenzy returns, bringing all that glows to Melbourne’s biggest urban garden. Check out light sculptures, projections and more than 20 new illuminations while sipping piping-hot mulled wine or hot cocoa. Immersive and spectacular, it’s a great excuse to rug up and get outside with the family.
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS 20 JUN–10 AUG
OZ COMIC-CON
Collectors, cosplayers, gamers and geeks, Oz Comic Con welcomes you with open arms. The annual event returns this year with a lip sync battle, celebrity meet and greets, gaming of all kinds, flash tattoos, dance-offs and more.
MCEC 7–8 JUN
MORNINGTON WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL
Spread across streets, bars, restaurants and cafes, this King’s Birthday Weekend festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary in style this year. Featuring a plethora of local performers and with free and ticketed events, it’s the perfect reason to escape the big smoke and drive down the coast.
MORNINGTON 7–10 JUN
HYPERAVE
It’s been described as a “hard, fast and dirty” rave – who wouldn’t want a piece of that? Featuring hardstyle artists including Maddix, Vini Vici, Darren Porter and more, this weekender is for the real rave bunnies.
PICA 8–9 JUN
EAST GIPPSLAND WINTER FESTIVAL
Prepare yourself for cold weather wonder at this month-long regional festival, stacked with more than 100 events showcasing the vibrant culture, cuisine and community of the area. Think ice sculptures, medieval fire features, winter feasts, light shows and even a scarecrow competition. Well worth the drive!
EAST GIPPSLAND 20 JUN–20 JUL
WORLD BACHATA FESTIVAL
Get your dance on at this lively annual event, focused on forms of Latin dance such as salsa, merengue, zouk and bachata, of course! Offering workshops, theme nights, bootcamps and much more, the festival is the perfect place for dance enthusiasts to boogie down with world-renowned dancers, singers and DJs.
BOX HILL TOWN HALL 27–30 JUN
STAGE GUIDE
Ç LOVE AND INFORMATION
Fast moving and featuring more than one hundred characters, this information bonanza is a puzzle made up of secrets, emotions, facts and fictions. Debuting in London’s Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs in 2012, it’s finally Melbourne’s turn to get a piece of the action.
THEATRE WORKS UNTIL 14 JUN
SAMSON AND DELILAH
One of the most beloved French operas comes to St Kilda for a short run. Charting a tale of seduction and downfall, the show will see the debut of mezzo-soprano Deborah Humble as Delilah and Rosario La Spina as Samson.
PALAIS THEATRE 1–3 JUN
Ç NO SCRIPTS GIVEN: AN IMPROVISED
COMEDY
Resolving to make lemonade out of lemons, this improvised show tackles the nasty, annoying and painful parts of life, bringing darkness into the light. Even though you’ll never know exactly what you’re going to get, your night is in good hands, guaranteeing big laughs and happy commiseration.
THE BUTTERFLY CLUB UNTIL 20 JUN
POV
This experimental theatre piece is made up of 14 unprepared actors and one 11-yearold director. Following the breakdown of her family, Bub turns to filmmaking to work out the truth of what’s happened, using the actors to play the roles of her parents.
THE SHOW ROOM 4–8 JUN
Ç MAGICIANS AT WORK
Part performance, part workshop and entirely magical, this show sees Australia’s top magicians debuting brand-new tricks alongside early-career magicians. In a series of short demonstrations which the audience is encouraged to give feedback on, this show will dazzle and surprise.
THE CHANNEL 11 JUN
THE NIGHT FLOWER
Burlesque meets live art meets rock gig (also featuring poetry readings and vocal soundscapes), this hybrid show has a little bit of everything. With feminism at its core, it’s a thrilling watch created by some of the city’s finest creatives.
THE BUTTERFLY CLUB 6–14 JUN
CIRCE’S CARNIVAL OF VICE
Directed by Wayne Pearn, this play draws inspiration from James Joyce’s legendary epic Ulysses. Watch as Circe puts men under her spell, dragging them into a hallucinogenic, gender-bending dreamscape where heaven and hell collide.
FORTYFIVEDOWNSTAIRS 11–22 JUN
THE SELKIE PROJECT
This one-woman show, brought to life by writer and performer Georgie Dunham, captures the myth of the selkie: a seal-human hybrid motivated by pleasure. Featuring live electric guitar, oceanic projections and immersive soundscapes, it’s an emotive and captivating watch.
TW EXPLOSIVES FACTORY 12–21 JUN
Ç JULIA
Created by treasured Australian playwright, Joanna Murray-Smith, this theatrical spectacular turns a lens on the legendary speech on misogyny made by Prime Minister Julia Gillard in 2012. This is a limited encore run, so make sure you see it before it’s gone.
ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE 25 JUN–19 JUL
RENT
Presented by Aspect Theatre, this one’s a timeless classic. Come along with a group of starving artists in Lower Manhattan in the ’80s and experience the power of community, creativity and friendship during the time of the HIV/AIDS crisis.
SHIRLEY BURKE THEATRE 13–21 JUN
Ç THE VAUDEVILLE REVUE
Fusing comedy, cabaret and circus, this thrilling show really has it all. One second, you’ll be giggling at a witty joke, and the next, you’ll be gasping at the sideshow stunts. Dazzling, electric, sexy and stunning, it’s a sight to behold.
SPEAKEASY THEATRE UNTIL 28 JUN
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
This cult-favourite musical comes to Melbourne for a limited run. Following the eccentric gay rock singer Hedwig and her fabulous backing band, this genre-defying sensation is packed with laughs, drama and bangers.
ATHENAEUM THEATRE 13–26 JUN
MACBETH
Shakespeare’s tragic classic will be brought to life in Malvern, stirring up a whirlwind of power and paranoia. The play follows Scottish general Macbeth, whose unquenchable thirst for political success leads him down a dangerous and despicable path.
MALVERN THEATRE 20 JUN–5 JUL
THE CAPITOL ORCHESTRA AND MY FAIR LADY
Live music and cinema come together in this delightful matinee. The show will feature a screening of Audrey Hepburn’s 1964 film My Fair Lady with a live score of 1920s-style jazz courtesy of the Capitol Orchestra. Part of the venue’s 100th anniversary celebrations, it’s a special chance to catch an iconic flick.
THE CAPITOL 21 JUN
HADESTOWN
From the minds of singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and director Rachel Chavkin, this bold performance is guaranteed to tug at the heartstrings. It follows two tangled love stories: one involving the young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and the other featuring King Hades and his wife Persephone.
HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE THROUGHOUT JUN
JUNE
MEMO MUSIC HALL
JUNE
SUN 01 BACHARACH & BEYOND PRESENTED BY JACK HOWARD & THE AMBASSADORS OF LOVE FRI 06 THREE PIANOS, SIX HANDS & THIRTY FINGERS A BOOGIE WOOGIE SUPER SHOW
07 LANDDOWNUNDER WHEN AUSTRALIAN MUSIC TOOK ON THE WORLD
08 EASY RIDER BLUES A CELEBRATION OF MELBOURNE ROOTS MUSIC W/ ANDY BAYLOR AND HIS CAJUN COMBO - PLUS GUESTS
13 RIFF RAFF 70’S BON SCOTT ERA AC/DC LIVE SHOW
14 WESTERN WINTER WARMER DOUBLE HEADLINER CELEBRATING LACHLAN BRYAN & THE WILDES W/HANA & JESSIE-LEE’S BAD HABITS WED 18 SINGSONGS THE ULTIMATE SINGING EXPERIENCE RETURNS
20 BABBA AN EXCLUSIVE MEMO SHOW
22 TWIGGS (ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND TRIBUTE) W/ GEOFF ACHISON & THE SOULDIGGERS
28 AMY WINEHOUSE RESURRECTED (USA) 2 SHOWS - AN EARLY & LATER SHOW
SOCCER
MOMMY
WORDS BY GABRIELLE DUYKERS
Sophie Allison – affectionately known as Soccer Mommy –has never been interested in indie-rock orthodoxy.
Over the past decade, Allison has evolved with finesse, consistently gravitating toward different corners of sound. “It’s just me being chaotic and not being able to stick to one thing,” she says. “I find that with every album I make, afterwards I want to shift in a different direction and find something new that’s exciting to me.”
Emerging from a period of profound personal loss, Evergreen is a dramatic shift from the experimental, horror-tinged tones of 2022’s Sometimes, Forever. The mostly acoustic album sees Allison at her most intimate, echoing the unvarnished honesty of her early recordings.
“I wanted to write music that was a little bit more straightforward and confessional,” she says. “And I think the songwriting always leads you to what the production’s going to be.”
Æ Anchored by raw, heartfelt lyricism, her music has drifted from shoegaze fuzz and warped dream-pop to glitchy electronica and industrial grit. Now, her fifth album, Evergreen, strips everything back to a hushed, folky minimalism. Ahead of her Forum debut on 13 June, Allison delves into the unexpected return to her roots.
Raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Allison started writing songs on guitar at six years old. But it wasn’t until 2015, the summer before a short stint at New York University, that the teenager uploaded her first set of lo-fi bedroom pop demos to Bandcamp. Soccer Mommy quickly captivated listeners with catchy, plaintive melodies and candid verses, distinguishing her from singer-songwriter contemporaries.
A staunch advocate for physical copies, each track began as a demo on Allison’s beloved four-track cassette recorder, capturing live takes. “It felt like I was 18 again,” she recalls, “just sitting in my house making really simple versions of songs, where I didn’t have this big, grand idea of all this crazy stuff I was going to try.”
Evergreen became a vehicle to ground herself as she navigated the complexities of grief. Her reckoning with life’s “inescapable impermanence” captures moments of insanity, numbness, anger and joy, before leaving listeners with a flicker of hope. “In the light of day/ I’m haunted by it all/ she cannot fade/ she is so evergreen,” Allison sings on the closing title track.
“It felt like I was 18 again, just sitting in my house making really simple versions of songs.”
Nuances of these emotions are honoured even in production, where subdued arrangements leave each sentiment uncrowded. This delicate approach came in collaboration with producer Ben H. Allen, known for his work with Deerhunter and Animal Collective.
Together, they replaced Soccer Mommy’s synthesised layers with soft flutes and swirling strings for something “more organic” and “unexpected”. One of the album’s defining features is its use of earthly ambient sounds – something Allison has always loved.
“It pulls you into the moment of a song,” she enthuses.
“Makes you feel like you’re in a certain space, experiencing this thing… It adds an aura.”
On tracks like Lost, she uses an effects pedal to manipulate her voice, turning whistles and hums into bird calls, crashing waves and rustling leaves.
“I wanted [the album] to feel like you’re laying outside,” she explains. “Eyes closed, the sun is on you, and you can feel the warmth and flowers and trees.”
While Soccer Mommy’s lyrics often read like diary entries – introspective and painfully relatable – Allison is careful to separate emotional truth from any personal exposure.
“Songwriting is something I’ve been doing my whole life,” she says. “It’s a way for me to process my thoughts, my feelings, worries and anxieties. But even when you make confessional music, there’s a way to write where you’re saying things that cut right to the bone for you personally, but it’s also still vague.”
It’s a distinction that feels particularly relevant in a culture where the lines between artist and audience have become increasingly blurred, with more artists addressing the emotional toll of parasocial relationships. With an incisive pen, Allison shares just enough to welcome connection without surrendering too much.
“The songs still hold really specific things that are a bit of a secret for myself,” she smiles. “It’s really nice to know that something you’ve made means something to people – that they’re hearing you and understand and have similar experiences. But when I’m writing, I’m never thinking about anyone but myself. That might sound selfish, but I’m only thinking about whatever I need to make and what I like.”
This delicate tension — between the deeply personal and quietly communal — is what makes Soccer Mommy so enchanting. Each song serves as a private talisman, but also an invitation: come sit under the branches, listen to the birds and perhaps find something of yourself in the shade.
SOCCER MOMMY
WHERE: RISING – THE FORUM
WHEN: 13 JUN
Made in partnership with RISING.
ILLUMINATE ADELAIDE
Illuminate Adelaide returns for its fifth edition from 2–20 July 2025, transforming South Australia’s capital into a winter wonderland of art, light, music and technology.
Æ As the chill of winter settles over Adelaide this July, a constellation of light is about to burst forth across the city. For three spellbinding weeks, the fifth edition of Illuminate Adelaide will once again transform the South Australian capital into a pulsating playground of art, technology, music and immersive experiences.
This year’s incarnation pushes boundaries further than ever before, with nine world premieres, 23 Australian exclusives and an astonishing 134 experiences scattered throughout the metropolitan area. The music program is explosive as ever – let’s dive in.
UNSOUND ADELAIDE
The Southern Hemisphere’s only outpost of Europe’s cult experimental music festival Unsound returns over two electrifying nights with its most impressive lineup yet. This year features legendary Velvet Underground founding member John Cale, improvisational US noise duo Yellow Swans (in their first-ever Australian appearance), German producer and DJ Wolfgang Voigt presenting his influential GAS project, and UK electronic musician aya with her new show Hexed! Friday’s program at Lion Arts Factory brings together a global lineup of boundary-pushing artists, beginning with the innovative percussion and electronic grooves collaboration between Valentina Magaletti and DJ Nídia. The night continues with the Andean-influenced sounds of LOS THUTHANAKA, followed by aya’s genre-defying Hexed! performance and culminating in Yellow Swans’ powerful noise explorations. After midnight, the venue transforms into Unsound Club with sets from First Nations artist DJ PGZ, UK underground mainstays Raime and Nídia.
Saturday shifts to Hindley Street Music Hall where two legends from different musical worlds headline the evening. John Cale, whose influential career spans from the Velvet Underground to his visionary solo work, will perform material from across his storied discography. Wolfgang Voigt’s exclusive A/V presentation of his ambient-techno GAS project promises to be equally mesmerizing, with rising band Moin completing the lineup. The festivities continue at Ancient World for the Unsound Closing Party featuring unique DJ sets alongside local Adelaide talent.
LION ARTS FACTORY, HINDLEY STREET MUSIC HALL, ANCIENT WORLD 11 & 12 JUL
SUPERSONIC
A brand-new music event taking over Adelaide’s West End for one night only, Supersonic presents 17 artists across seven venues for a truly immersive musical journey. This multi-layered festival spans 12 hours, allowing audiences to move between free and ticketed events featuring live performances, DJ sets and film screenings throughout the night.
The diverse lineup showcases both emerging and established talent across multiple genres and disciplines. Highlights include performances from Alycia Bennett, Chela Betty, Memphis LK, Marcus Whale, and Motez, who will curate a special techno program at Lion Arts Factory. The Mercury Cinema hosts The Sound of Revolution Film Program, curated by Shalom Almond, offering extended music documentaries and visual work for those seeking a more contemplative festival experience.
Supersonic creates a dynamic environment where festival-goers can craft their own unique musical journey, moving between venues and discovering new sounds throughout the night. From indie performances to experimental electronic music, the inaugural event aims to energise Adelaide’s nighttime culture and spotlight the city’s West End as a creative hub.
ACE GALLERY, ANCIENT WORLD, ILA, JIVE, LION ARTS FACTORY, NEXUS ARTS, MERCURY CINEMA 19 JUL
KIASMOS
Experimental Icelandic techno duo Kiasmos bring their acclaimed live show to Illuminate Adelaide for a one-night-only performance. Comprising good friends Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen, Kiasmos create a unique blend of minimal techno and orchestral flourishes that has won them global acclaim and a devoted following.
Their performance delivers what critics have called an “emotional rave” experience— music that’s both emotionally evocative and wildly infectious on the dance floor. With their seamless fusion of electronic beats and neoclassical sensibilities, the duo’s return to Australia after more than eight years promises to be an exhilarating multi-sensory performance featuring immersive live visuals that perfectly complement their hypnotic sound.
HINDLEY STREET MUSIC HALL 18 JUL
10-MINUTE DANCE PARTIES
A high-energy, immersive pop-up experience inside a shipping container at Lot Fourteen, 10-Minute Dance Party offers the perfect burst of joy and release during the festival. Popular Melbourne-based artist and DJ Jof O’Farrell invites guests to step inside a fun-filled lighting extravaganza and let loose for 10 electric minutes surrounded by pumping beats, immersive lighting, and pure party vibes.
This all-ages event celebrates the universal nature of dance and the social aspect of its importance within the community. Whether used as an energising start to an evening of exploration or a celebratory finale to a night of experiences, the dance party creates a concentrated dose of festival energy in an intimate, judgment-free space. Collaborating with three rotating DJs throughout the season, O’Farrell ensures each 10-minute experience offers a fresh and exhilarating escape.
BASE CAMP, LOT FOURTEEN 3–20 JUL
ILLUMINATE ADELAIDE
WHERE: ADELAIDE
WHEN: 2–20 JUL
SONIC REDUCER
WORDS BY MADDISON YOUNG
Perched outside the unfamiliar likes of noble accommodation amid Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, a short trek from theproudest of erotic boutiques, Sonic Reducer had only one goal: to secure a cheap pack of Dunhills.
Æ “25 fucking dollars,” mutters Sonic’s effervescent drummer, Lachie Grinbergs. At 21, he’s a self-appointed serial chain-smoker, but only in the circumstance of touring. “Smooth original ‘flayor,’” taunts bassist Louie Hanna, drawing attention towards the lack of spell check in cheap imports.
At five past nine, almost fashionably late, Sonic Reducer takes the stage, vigorously launching into the beckoning anthem of discomfort in the unknown, Stay Out from their EP Skewball. Frontman Cormac McKahey throws himself around in a quiet fury, all while retaining the charm of a flirt. His presence is unfiltered, the microphone seemingly the only thing that keeps him grounded, his doe eyes revealing the rawness of a performer, a musician and a freak.
New addition, guitarist Ryleigh Hilton, takes on the title with pride, his shyness quickly dissipating at the tearing of each chord progression and riff, a controlled chaos that hits you square in the chest.
Lachie, classically trained in jazz, vitalises such skills in his drumming through an explicit use of syncopation, sound and texture, providing odd time signatures for what is stereotypically modest. Louie is unapologetic; by the way they aggressively manipulate the bass to deliver a definitive growl, it’s apparent they play as if their life depends on it.
Sonic Reducer is on a crusade. Their charm is reckless, a strange blend of vulnerability and charisma that makes it difficult to look away. They’re tenets of punk, though entirely polite about it.
Upon the culmination of their audacious set, it’d be appropriate to place the lot in a retirement home for a game of scrabble with your grandmother. Still, their ‘fuck the system’ mantra remains dangerously intact – brazen, unchecked and extending to the multitude of two-minute noodle packets pocketed at chain supermarkets.
Last year, Sonic was informed with only five days’ notice that they’d be replacing the original opening act for Royel Otis’ Europe and UK headline tour, going from playing pubs in Wollongong to packed-out European theatres.
Upon inquiring about Sonic Reducer’s European voyage, I was met with a handful of tales and assorted feelings.
Gripping a can of VB, Lachie begins the tale with a grin reaching the crevices of both flushed cheeks. “We were stopping through Germany, a town called Duisburg,” – he interrupts himself – “You’ll have to look up how to spell it, I don’t have a fucking clue.”
“We were trying to find a bar to go to. It was the first night we had to ourselves, it was Germany for God’s sake, [so] we were bound to take up such an opportunity. We travelled the half hour into town, dressed up real nice, which didn’t completely match the context of the environment – Duisburg isn’t the fanciest of cities, you know? Regardless, we dress to impress ourselves, of course.
Credit: Babyman
“We ended up at this tiny little bar, probably the smallest in the town, absolutely packed nonetheless, you couldn’t even walk around. There were people smoking inside, beer spilling from pint to pint. We went outside with our beers, two pints in, having smokes, and this little, absolutely minuscule French man had come up to us, pouring questions at us as fast as his liquor.” He goes on to deliver a French accent. “‘Where are you from? Your accents sound very funny. Why be here?’”
After claiming he, too, was a musician, demanding they follow him on TikTok and showing them a bad serenade about being cheated on by a girlfriend, the man started breathing rapidly.
“And you won’t fucking believe this, his phone is still in our hands, his song whispering in the background, the geezer pops both his legs up on the table.” Lachie impersonates the man once more: “‘Bet you don’t know which one is a prosthetic.’”
Louie goes on to offer up another story from the road. “We were playing in Newcastle, I believe.” They stop to reconsider. “Doesn’t quite make a difference anyway; it was one of those places where the crowd struggled to let loose.
“Regardless, the show prevails, and after the fact, I go into the photography pit to hand out our zines. This 40-year-old woman begins to stare me down with the biggest goo-goo eyes I’d ever seen.” They giggle: “I feel like I should preface that she wasn’t a very seductive cougar.”
“She began to query me in her thick accent: ‘Can I come backstage with you?’ I let her down easy, and she goes on to release the most bloodcurdling ‘NO’ I had ever heard in my entire life.” Now, the band’s gearing up to unleash their new EP SQUEEZE, set for June 13. Ahead of its release, they’ve dropped a handful of singles, the first of which, DIP ME IN HONEY, has been a longtime feature of their live set, written at a time when the band performed as a threepiece, with Cormac to play bass before the role was permanently sanctified to Louie. BABYMAN muses on consumerist drug use in a timeless manner, a high-energy anthem that comes at you swinging hard and slow.
Their latest release, NEEDLES came on a whim, singing to the posers. “All the young punks”, as Cormac puts it, hold very few principles except for their blatant glamourisation of drug use in a scene that has a messy history with such.
With the EP locked and loaded and enough manic energy to carry them through to whatever the future holds, Sonic Reducer is primed to make a name for themselves in more than just the punk scene. Or maybe working at a pub isn’t as bad as it seems. Better to keep your hopes up.
SONIC REDUCER
WHERE: BAR OPEN
WHEN: 21 JUN
DEAN LUKE
WORDS BY LIAM HEITMANN-RYCE-LEMERCIER
Naarm-based singer-songwriter
Dean Luke channels his unique indie folk style through a fresh new exploration of losing love and religious faith in his latest song Love Again.
Æ The fourth release from the multi-talented musician – and something of a companion piece to another musical reflection of love and heartache, his earlier dream pop single Love Can Be So Cruel – the new song explores losing love and the feeling that it’ll take a miracle to find it again.
Described by Dean as an anthem for those who’ve had a falling out with love as well as a falling out with God, Love Again explores the act of calling out to a higher power during times of heartbreak and helplessness. It also touches on Dean’s painful and disappointing past with religion, as a demonstration of Dean’s continual development as an artist. The new song relies upon deeply personal, painful sources of inspiration to fuel his craft.
While Dean admits he does not have a religious background himself, he does explain that he’s had experience with religion. It was something which, “for better or worse,” Dean says, “sort of just appeared in my life” following the separation of his parents when he was young.
During this time, Dean’s father became a devoted member of a cult. “Suddenly, whenever I’d visit my dad, religion was ever-present. My dad was abusive, and he used his religious views to justify his abuse.”
It’s these experiences that introduced Dean first-hand to religious hypocrisy, intolerance and abuse, causing him to scrutinise religious faith and organisations at a young age.
“In a way, beseeching the heavens is the ultimate form of helplessness.”
“The song is about losing love and the feelings of helplessness associated with it. Regardless of one’s religious or spiritual inclinations, it’s common to feel the desire to cry out for help to any higher power that will listen during those times. In a way, beseeching the heavens is the ultimate form of helplessness.” He elaborates, “But what if the experiences you’ve had have led you to doubt the existence of God and question whether religion is a force for good in the world? That’s what made me realise I could play with my own past with this song, and the idea of reluctantly calling on God as some sort of last resort.”
“Everyone’s going to interpret the song differently. I don’t think anyone would really hear it and think that it’s a declaration of faith, by any means, but it’s kind of ambiguous. It doesn’t let people know whether I have a good view or a bad view of religion. The song is more about calling out to God in times of hopelessness,” he says.
“But I think it’s pretty obvious in the lyrics, it’s not a particularly positive portrait of religion. It sort of shows I’ve had some pretty unpleasant experiences with it before…”
When asked, Dean admits that the artists who influenced Love Again musically are folk and alt-country songwriters like Jeff Tweedy, Neil Young and Lucinda Williams.
“People hear the harmonica and immediately say Neil Young, which is totally valid. But musically, this song is a love letter to Lucinda Williams. It’s a shameless homage to her song Fruits of My Labour; it even follows a similar chord progression.”
“A while ago,” he adds, “I went through a pretty tough year, and that song was like a life raft to me. Every time I’d hear it, I’d sort of just float away to somewhere better. I didn’t share my Spotify Wrapped that year because it showed I’d listened to it an obsessive amount of times.”
Continuing to grow and mature as an artist, Dean’s new release represents a brave approach to facing trauma through music and the redemptive capacity of art in all mediums.
DEAN LUKE – LOVE AGAIN
LABEL: INDEPENDENT
RELEASE: 3 JUN
Made in partnership with Dean Luke.
Credit: James Anderson
DIVIDE AND DISSOLVE
WORDS BY SOFIA PERICA
Who needs lyrics when the music hits this hard?
Æ Doom-metal force Divide and Dissolve craft seismic, soul-stirring instrumentals that speak louder than words ever could.
Their recent release Insatiable isn’t just an album – it’s a living, breathing organism. Led by Black and Cherokee composer Takiaya Reed, the project channels doom metal’s raw power into something far deeper: a call for Indigenous sovereignty, an honouring of ancestors and a fierce resistance to white supremacy and colonial violence.
On the album, Takiaya pushes their sound further than ever, weaving crashing riffs, neoclassical textures and even vocals for the first time into a sweeping meditation on grief, impermanence and the possibility of freedom. Insatiable doesn’t ask for your attention – it commands it.
“I was channeling a lot,” they begin, reflecting on the album’s genesis. “I was thinking about love, and it felt really big inside of my chest. I needed to do something with these feelings. They were everywhere. So Insatiable is what came out.” Insatiable stays true to Divide and Dissolve’s signature roots but with a refined, atmospheric edge.
Takiaya’s haunting saxophone work adds a brooding, almost cinematic layer to the thunderous guitars and relentless drums, anchoring the heaviness in something both soulful and unsettling. It’s a sound that feels at once deeply traditional and entirely their own.
Of course, the album is mostly instrumental – a deliberate choice. The band believes deeply in the power of nonverbal communication, in the vibrations of music as a universal language. “Our voices are such incredible tools, but most communication is nonverbal,” they explain. “I’m kind of obsessed with that. We don’t need words. I like that the music just feels – you can prove it over and over again. That’s the power of sound.”
Though Takiaya wanted to break that silence with the use of vocals, even if it is just for a moment. On the track Grief, Takiaya’s distorted voice cuts through the heavy drone, repeating: “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do/ I’m so lonely without you.” It’s a raw and haunting moment made more powerful by its rarity.
“The voice is such a mysterious instrument,” they say. “This album feels different, and I wanted to honour that.”
The inclusion of vocals may be subtle, but it marks a shift in the project’s evolution. Insatiable expands the sonic palette of Divide and Dissolve: the moments of near silence punctuate the chaos, creating space for reflection.
While doom metal might seem like an unlikely genre to express love, Takiaya flips that expectation on its head. Love, instead, is used as a revolutionary force. “Love is the highest power,” they say. “And anything is possible with love. Things that feel impossible, systems that seem unbreakable, can move or even end with love. That’s why it’s my main focus.
“You know, I’m Black and I’m Native – I’m Cherokee,” they continue. “I think about the displacement of Indigenous people around the world. I think about descendants of slaves. And I think, wow, so much had to happen for us to even be able to have this conversation.”
This kind of love isn’t soft or naive. It’s the kind that digs its roots into the soil of ancestral memory, drawing power from histories of displacement, struggle and resilience.
Still, Insatiable stays true to its core. It remains an unflinching confrontation of systemic violence. But it also asks: what happens after the destruction? What does healing look like? What kind of world can we build if we let love lead?
They describe the album as a kind of offering to the future, an act of care that might not be completed in their own lifetime. “One of my friends said to me, ‘It’s like planting a tree you won’t eat the fruit of.’ That’s what this is. That’s what love is, to me. And that’s beautiful.” They laugh when asked about performing the album live at the Tote in June. “I’ll play my heart out,” they say, without effect. “That’s what people can expect on June 19th.”
Still, at the core of all of this – the sound, the resistance, the meditations on lineage and healing – is something beautifully human: the desire to live well and to let others live well, too.
“I’m just out here trying to live a good life,” she says. “I just want to feel good. I don’t want to make people feel bad. I want to humanise myself, my experience. That’s what Insatiable is. It’s a love letter. It’s me trying.”
DIVIDE AND DISSOLVE
WHERE: THE TOTE
WHEN: 19 JUN
Credit: Abbey Raymonde
JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW
CYCLONE WEHNER
BY
WORDS
Much has happened since Irish singer/ songwriter James Vincent McMorrow last toured Australia in late 2017.
Æ
He signed to, then left, a major label, became a father and re-emerged from the “void of the pandemic.”
Now James is finally returning to celebrate the 15th anniversary of his cherished indie-folk debut, Early In The Morning (EITM), performing the entire album solo on guitar in intimate venues in addition to new songs and other favourites from an impressive discography – all with some twists.
Zooming at “half nine,” the normally private Dubliner is the picture of domestic cosiness, tea mug in hand. “My little two-year-old son just ran past,” he laughs. “Very likely he’s about to enter the mix.”
After the break-out EITM, James recast himself as a sonic adventurer with 2014’s Post Tropical – melding folk, soul and ambitronica, Bon Iver-style. He enjoyed crossover success in Australia when triple j picked up the “weird” single Cavalier (remixed by The 1975!). James played two “magical” nights at the Sydney Opera House for Vivid. Constantly evolving and expanding his reach, he keeps advancing.
As such, announcing a retrospective tour came as a surprise. In fact, the sage James initially dismissed the proposal. But, revisiting EITM for the first time in 12 years, he had a fresh perspective, recognising the guilelessness of its songcraft. James was especially proud that “there’s no skips.”
“What was interesting was I think I undervalued how good it was – and I know that would read kind of funny. But the reason I’ve always been very forward-focused is because I feel like there’s an obligation on musicians to push forward.
“I’ve always excluded my first album from that conversation. I made my first record and then I was like, ‘Okay, now let’s go!’ But, when I listened to it, I was like, ‘Oh, actually, based on the skillset I had at the time as a producer and as a writer, I was really putting my best foot forward in a way that I maybe undervalued.’”
James joined Columbia Records ahead of his fifth album, 2021’s Grapefruit Season – again unexpected for the longtime independent artist. “I think I would have gotten to the end of my career, whenever that is, and I would have looked back and a little part of me would have wanted to know what it felt like to be on a major label.”
The cult star wondered, too, what he might create with a budget, having curtailed his ambition in fulfilling 2016’s RnB-infused We Move – for which he’d teamed with outside producers, among them Drake’s associate Nineteen85. “I was like, ‘What happens if I go on a major label and they basically just open up the checkbook and go, ‘Do whatever you want?’ And they did!”
But, though he befriended the Grammy-winning Paul Epworth while recording Grapefruit Season, James found himself at odds with executives approaching artistry as “commerce” and unending deliberations – recalling that it “didn’t click.” “I just didn’t have a lot of fun making that record in a way that I thought I would, because, actually, as it turned out, flying by the seat of my pants is kind of 50 per cent of what I love about making music.
“I felt like it was a weird time in music. [The label] was just obsessed with TikTok and very little else – and nothing about my career has ever been social media-driven.” Still, James stresses, he has no regrets, his motto “everything for a reason.”
“Flying by the seat of my pants is kind of 50 per cent of what I love about making music.”
Meanwhile James has embraced the collab – even working with DJs like The Blessed Madonna. “There’s something beautiful about those collaborations because they’re so freewheeling,” he says.
And James is “slowly rebuilding.” In 2022 he issued the lowkey The Less I Knew, following with last year’s exploratory Wide open, horses – “a bit more of an event,” he says (and featuring his young daughter). Recently, James has circulated standalone singles, like the acoustic Cowboys Of Los. “I love making music very fast and releasing it very fast when the ink is still kind of wet on it.”
Yet the prolific musician has no immediate plans for album eight. “I think I’m gonna take a little pause.” James admits that there’s always professional “insecurity,” but he needs to rejuvenate. “I can see myself just taking a little break and trusting that the work I’ve done in the last few years will see me through until I release more music, maybe early next year. Maybe it’ll all change. Who knows? But I just don’t wanna define it. I wanna just allow it to be for a minute.”
JAMES VINCENT
MCMORROW
WHERE: NORTHCOTE THEATRE
WHEN: 5 JUN
WORDS BY JULIETTE SALOM
TROPICAL FUCK STORM
An impending shadow of inevitable mortality is at the forefront of everything that Tropical Fuck Storm does.
Æ It underlines their music, surfaces in their songwriting, follows them around the world like night follows day. But as much as the Naarm-born supergroup takes pleasure in throwing caution to the wind, Gareth Liddiard – one of the country’s greatest lyricists and their lead vocalist and guitarist – tells me, “I don’t wanna die.”
It’s a throwaway comment offered in the context of having spent the morning at the gym prior to us talking, but he means it.
While Gareth is referring to getting fit enough to be running rampant on stage on their upcoming tour – of which they’ll be taking on Naarm’s Forum for RISING on June 6 before heading to Europe and the US – a seething awareness of mortality can be heard across all their discography. Perhaps more so than ever on their latest album, Fairyland Codex.
It’s there in the title track, in its sombre lyrics suggesting that “A village in hell is waiting for you.” Its echoes reverberate throughout the song, the lines repeated from start to finish. Mortality, it suggests, might not be chasing you down. Instead, it’s patiently, knowingly, simply waiting.
If you’re looking for similarities between Tropical Fuck Storm’s debut studio album, A Laughing Death in Meatspace, and their fourth, you’ll find a few.
Montreal-based artist Joe Becker painted the colourfully sinister characters that adorn both album artworks. Apocalyptic stories of a world going to shit are hiding in the poetic lyricism. The vocals convey themes of worldly despair just as powerfully through the emotive strain of singing as through the lyrics.
“You feel daunted by tours coming up... “I just go, ‘Fuck, I better not die.’”
And yet – as Tropical Fuck Storm are prolific for doing – they’ve created a body of work dissimilar to anything else that’s been made before. It helps that the band consists of some of the best musos we’ve got. Fiona Kitschin (bass guitar, vocals), Erica Dunn (guitar, keyboards, synthesiser, vocals) and Lauren Hammel (drums, programming) play alongside Gareth.
“It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times,” Gareth quotes in a sing-song voice, referring to the almost-decade-long whirlwind of making and touring Tropical Fuck Storm’s music, plus playing in The Drones and Springtime.
“That’s it,” he clarifies. “It’s both. The good bits are fucking amazing. But then, it’s just weird. It’s a very weird way to live. And you do get worried. You do.”
“You feel daunted by tours coming up,” he continues. “I just go, ‘Fuck, I better not die,’” he laughs, before adding, “That’s what I seriously think. Maybe this will be the one. But I’ve been doing that for 20 years. What can you do?”
Just keep on doing it seems to be the answer – but only if you’re having fun. “You’ve got to be having fun,” Gareth insists. “You have to want to do it. If you are feeling a bit worn out or a bit sick of it, or like you’re pushing shit uphill, you should just fucking stop. Have a break, rather than force it.”
It reminds me of something Gareth said in an interview from around the time their first album came out. “We’re going to be huge,” he was quoted as joking. “If not huge, we’ll try to have a good time.” Now, he says, the sentiment still rings true. “I mean, being huge wouldn’t be as fun as it looks like,” he concedes. “But then, you know, I don’t know about it because I’m like a fucking Z-grade celebrity, really.”
Anyone with half a decent taste in music wouldn’t agree with Gareth on that, but that’s beside the point. “We’ve been fortunate enough not to be that big,” he says. “And the whole thing was just to have fun. You know, if we’re travelling somewhere, if we’re touring, we always make sure we actually see the sights.”
“You know? If I’m in Rome, I’m there to see Rome. I want to see the fucking Colosseum, I want to eat some pasta and have a good time. I want to meet the new pope. Pope Leo,” he laughs. What makes the stark imagery and evocative narratives threaded through Tropical Fuck Storm’s music stay with the listener, long after the guitar strings finish vibrating, is the band’s ability to draw on stories from the unbelievable realities that punctuate the world.
Call them protest songs or call them political – Tropical Fuck Storm songs are curious insights into the horrid and hopeful existence we all find ourselves in.
“If you shy away from all that shit and you’re just singing like everything’s good…there’s an elephant in the room that needs to be addressed. But at the same time, we’re not that political, we’re not prescriptive or didactic or anything.”
“It’s weird – we’re a weird band. But it’s honest, so people like it. I don’t want to be the band on the deck of the Titanic, either. You know what I mean? I don’t want to be pretending everything’s fine when it’s going to shit.”
Truthfully, witnessing a Tropical Fuck Storm show – as the entire Earth slow-crashes into an existential iceberg of apocalyptic demise – sounds like a pretty great way to go.
TROPICAL FUCK STORM
WHERE: RISING – THE FORUM
WHEN: 6 JUN
Made in partnership with RISING.
THE EVELYN HOTEL
LIVE MUSIC: spills out from the barebones bandroom most nights of the week, carrying onto the sticky pub floor. It’s loud, unapologetic and exactly where you want to be if you like your gigs sweaty, rowdy and close enough to the stage to get beer spilled on your shoes.
FAMOUS FOR: dirt-cheap slushie Happy Hours seven days a week, a no-frills vibe that never tries too hard and that glorious streetside patio where Fitzroy locals go to smoke, banter and stare into the void of a Sunday hangover. Is it the most widely-adored pub in Fitzy? Quite possibly.
INFAMOUS FOR: a smell in the bandroom you will certainly notice (and possibly grow to love?). Take a whiff – that’s history, baby.
Æ The Evelyn is the kind of place that doesn’t care what you’re wearing, what you’re drinking, or whether you know the band. It just wants you to have a good time. Nestled in the heart of Fitzroy, it’s a mainstay of the northside music scene – equal parts charming dive bar, local hang and loud-as-hell gig venue.
In the public bar, the vibe is mish-mash chic. As a classic northside watering hole for more than 50 years, it’s the kind of place where you can feel the history as soon as you walk through the door.
When the music kicks off, the Evelyn transforms. The bandroom is intimate, chaotic and absolutely the right kind of grimy. You’ll catch everything from indie bands and punk outfits to experimental noise sets, often with a beer in one hand and a new mate shouting in your ear. That room has seen some of the city’s finest offerings, from Dirty Three to Alex Lahey, so go pay your respects if you haven’t already.
For drinks to go, they’ve also got a bottle shop dishing out a carefully curated selection of some of Australia’s finest beers and wines.
For a night out that doesn’t try to be anything it’s not – just cold drinks, good tunes and that unbeatable pub grit – the Evelyn delivers, every damn time. WHERE:
ONAIR
WORDS BY SOFIA PERICA
LIVE MUSIC: Expect a steady stream of tunes with live DJ sets soundtracking the space during all opening hours – no stage, no pressure, just music flowing. It perfectly blends the high energy of a club with the intimacy of your local neighbourhood cafe. You can feel the music thumping, but you still have room to sip that cappuccino.
FAMOUS FOR: Espresso Sessions: Saturday afternoons dedicated to showcasing Melbourne’s rising electronic talent. Think chilled beats, warm lighting and the low hum of espresso machines.
INFAMOUS FOR: the OnAir YouTube Channel, where DJ sets are streamed like Boiler Room meets your local café – intimate and just the right kind of lowkey. They’re perfect for the study crowd who vibes with lo-fi beats while grinding.
Æ Forget the old club scene. No more $30 door fees, endless lines or strobe-induced headaches. This is clubbing for the introverted, the overstimulated and the romantics, raving from a comfy seat, matcha in hand, surrounded by people who feel the music like you do. Swap that overpriced vodka shot for a $4 espresso. It hits better anyway.
Bridging the gap between sweaty nightclubs and sterile stages, OnAir is bringing electronic music into everyday spaces. In a city like Melbourne where we live and breathe techno, OnAir is giving emerging artists the space they deserve, right where you’d least expect it.
In true Melburnian fashion, they’re not just jumping on the sustainability bandwagon. The venue is built entirely from upcycled and recycled materials, with Tasmanian oak flooring and Australian hardwood seating creating an airy, light-filled space with serious soul.
And because no coffee spot is complete without a good deal, from 8am to 11am, grab any coffee and pastry combo for just $8, the perfect morning pick-me-up for your commute (or your comedown). In true form, the space goes above and beyond with specialty brews, house music vibes and a carefully curated rotation of DJs and radio selectors soundtracking your latte. It’s where your morning coffee run could easily become your favourite new listening session.
WHERE: 25 STEPHENSON ST, CREMORNE
MON–FRI 7AM–3PM / SUN 10AM–2PM
ANGEL MUSIC BAR
LIVE MUSIC: takes place through the front bar, out the back patio, up the treacherous concrete staircase and in the dimly-lit, sweaty and perfectly vibey bandroom.
FAMOUS FOR: banging speakers, a good looking group of regulars and cheap cans of Peroni Red. What more could you ask for?
INFAMOUS FOR: hosting gigs that sell out way too fast, leaving many night out plans crushed and hearts broken (though you’re welcome to commiserate by drinking yourself silly in the main bar if this happens to you).
Æ There’s a sense of cool that oozes out of Angel Music Bar. Located around the Paris End of the CBD, the venue welcomes guests with a glowing neon sign and some ruthless security guards, more than ready to kick out any riff raff (this journalist can attest).
Inside, you’ll have to weave your way through a crowd of patrons in the long, skinny room to find a DJ at the back, spinning vinyl all night long. The music will be bumping, so if you’re trying to have a chat, you’re going to have to lean in close – which makes it an ideal date spot. For some quiet, you could grab a rare seat in the courtyard, if you’re fine with being enveloped in a haze of cigarette smoke.
The cocktails are nice, expertly stirred, shaken, strained and garnished for your pleasure, and the bartenders are usually down for a chat as long as they’re not in the weeds.
Upstairs, the bandroom is ideal for loud, intimate and sweaty gigs, with a powerful Funktion-One sound system and a dimly-lit red glow that makes all your shyness about dancing disappear in seconds. Typically, the space hosts rappers, electronic artists and experimentalists.
If you’re looking for a place to kick it late-night, grab after-dinner drinks or throw a real party, it’s Angel all the way.
TENDER
LIVE MUSIC: may be a rarity at Tender, but good things come to those who wait. The multi-use space, which has been open for just over six months, has hosted sporadic live events, as well as exhibitions, workshops, film screenings and deep listening sessions.
FAMOUS FOR: minimal fuss, maximal feeling. Tender is a lowkey studio-slash-community-space tucked behind a Sydney Road shopfront, but don’t let the discreet façade fool you. It’s a “third place” for those seeking connection beyond pub noise and club chaos.
INFAMOUS FOR: not being easy to find (access is via the rear). And for making you question what a “night out” even means anymore. Here, silence can be a headliner.
Æ Tender is not a bar, not quite a venue, and definitely not a club. It’s somewhere in-between: a shape-shifting room that hosts yoga by day, deep listening sessions by night and the occasional after-hours epic with international experimentalists on the decks.
Everything at Tender is well considered, including the serious Pitt & Giblin sound system, which not only is at the forefront of the weekly Deep Listening sessions but also provides the sonic accompaniment to the yoga classes.
The listening sessions, which take place most Thursday evenings, offer guests an opportunity to soak in the sound in a relaxed and laidback environment. The rules? No booze and no shoes – take ‘em off and find a seat on a cushion or a yoga mat. The team recommends engaging in a chilled-out activity while listening, like sipping tea, reading, playing chess, drawing or stretching.
The one-off gigs are extra special, featuring DJs, vocalists, and who knows what else? The Tender team has proven themselves to be trustworthy curators, so if they’re booking it, you know it’s going to be interesting. It’s also one of the few venues in town offering free entry for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander attendees.
For a night (or day) where the music matters, the lights stay low, and you can actually hear yourself think – Tender delivers. Quietly, beautifully, and on its own terms.
“Stop looking at her, look at me” – Eora/Sydney-based vocalist, DJ, producer and songwriter Djanaba proudly exhibits every aspect of her bad self with this astonishingly impressive debut LP. F-bombs abound and Djanaba’s therapist scores a “shoutout” in the presser – Did I Stutter? just makes right now feel better.
The opening Times Like SIS is the type of tune that seeps into your bones even when played quietly in the background. The reverberating, hollow-sounding hook, witty, localised lyrics (“I heard you sold your soul for a pack of Winnie Blues…”) – okay, midway through track one we’re already officially besotted.
Then fuckitup (“...when a big boy does what a big boy’s gotta”) sashays in like a cheeky conga line, abducting our hips and lifting lip corners. “She likes to move too much…” – no such thing once that piano-house hook sneaks in!
Stutter (feat. Aotearoa-born, Eora-based artist Somber Hills) serves yet another delicious flavour of party jam. It’s giving self-assured, ‘what other people think of me is none of my business’ energy – like rolling into da club with your badass squad, hair-tossing ‘cause you already know you look fire.
“Joke’s on you I’m fine/ You lost your mind…” – F.U.’s clapback will be repeated to the next timewaster that slides into our DMs. And we can just imagine collective rude fingers raised skyward, punctuating each, “FUCK. YOU!” during choruses at future Djanaba gigs.
Doin To Me scales production right back to correctly emphasise Djanaba’s effortless, soaring vocal runs. “I need you to hold my hand while you hold my hair…” – there’s slightly-quivering vulnerability here, yet every texture and vocal nuance is meticulously executed.
“Your friends know I’m a guy you’re sleeping with/ They also know that there’s a couple more/ I lie to you that you’re the only one/ I know that I’m worse and that’s for sure” – CHISEKO’s memorable rap verse during FWU pushes the narrative as we follow the plight of two non-exclusive fuck buddies catching feelings they hesitate to communicate (“Why did it take me this long/ To realise I kinda fuck with you?”).
I’m Ready is dirty, danceable garage with a hedonistic message: “Take off get laid!” Big Titties (“...keep it litty/ Real men aren’t shitty…”) – Djanaba’s breakout collaboration with PNAU conjures a tropical paradise. This track’s banging house breakdown calls Crystal Waters’ Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless) to mind. Every reputable DJ needs this tune.
Resisting those Don’t Really Care hi hats is futile and we must hear the closing Asikee’s insistent, skittish beat through club-quality speakers pronto!
“I’ll write your goddamn anthem/ Then you can be my fandom…” – too right! We’ll be pulling up to Djanaba’s show at the next available opportunity.
Play it loud and allow Djanaba to guide your dancefloor bliss. Should be huge in Ibiza.
LABEL: ETC. ETC.
RELEASE: 17 JUN
NPCEDE
Npcede
Æ Abrasive, industrial, fiercely original, terrifying in a The Prodigy kinda way (see: key track Swallow), Npcede (pronounced N P Seed) are Chapter Records’ last-ever new artist signing.
Absolutely everything about Npcede –sonically as well as aesthetically – intrigues; we can definitely see why Chapter selected this debut five-track EP (by a brand new outfit, no less) as one of their final new releases.
Comprising brothers Victor (vocals) and Roy Moore (bass) plus their childhood friend Zac Hellyer (electronics), Npcede formed in late 2022, and they’re already all that and then some. The last time we remember feeling this pumped about a musical discovery was following one of Tame Impala’s very early gigs at The Tote back in 2008.
Mesmeric, with an uncharacteristically tender vocal delivery, the opening Hear Them gives us Shivers (the Rowland S Howardpenned Boys Next Door song) until the two-minute mark, when what sounds like a swarm of agitated bees ushers in a whirring, clicking, crashing beat.
Spleen follows, resplendent with finger snaps and heavy breathing. Roy told Beat during a recent interview that this track’s phenomenal, 3D-animated music video – created by Victor without AI assistance – is about “growing up with porn and seeing the world through this twisted erotic environment”.
Featuring bleeps and ominous creaking-door sounds, Tabula Rasa brings Mica Levi’s genius Under The Skin soundtrack to mind. This standout cut’s tempo accelerates throughout, building suspense like a demon hunter in hot pursuit.
Set Dressing’s unholy yowling could surely summon Hellhounds before closing out the band’s thrilling self-titled EP with a single word: “STOP.”
Like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Amyl And The Sniffers before them, this exceptional Naarm/Melbourne trio deserve international acclaim.
LABEL: CHAPTER RECORDS
RELEASE: OUT NOW
DJANABA
PHOEBE RINGS
Aseurai
Æ “Around you in the atmosphere, hard to reach, fading away” is how Crystal Choi, Phoebe Rings’ founder, defines the Korean word she chose as this album’s title.
Sung in Choi’s mother tongue, the funky opening title track features cheeky synth, wahwah guitar (we can tell they’re Nile Rodgers fans), wood block accents and soaring strings. Just when we thought it’d be impossible love this one any more, we read that Choi penned it in her native Korean as a means of drawing her late grandmother – who she was separated from for a large period of her life – closer: (English translation) “May the falling light of faraway stars/ Reach your fingertips and let you breathe.”
Mandarin Tree, with its güiro accents and “bup-doo-wah-dah” vocal percussion, is a commentary on the housing crisis: “By the mandarin tree we can live out the fantasy/ Buy a house up the street and spend our days in peace.”
During the discofied Get Up, bassist Benjamin Locke takes lead vocals, reflecting on extended periods of poor mental health during which he tried to will himself out of it in the manner of that famous scene from The Matrix: “Just get up!”
The heavenly, penultimate track Blue Butterfly finds a grief-stricken Choi addressing her dearly departed grandmother: “49th day since you left us/ It’s sunny and still…”. Goodnight (“a loving ode to our cats and the comfort they bring us”) bestows a closing caress.
“It makes me dream/ It’s so serene it makes me smile” – while singing these lyrics, Choi summarises Aseurai’s overall tone. This Aotearoa/NZ dream-pop quartet’s debut LP is unassuming, steeped in longing and quietly beautiful.
MERES
Worried Sick
Æ Rebellious spirit infuses Worried Sick, the Anna Laverty-produced debut LP by Meres (pronounced like cares). Thanks to spiky, metallic riffs, unabating drums, fervent vocals and grunge-like dynamic interplay, this Lutruwita (Northern Tasmania) quartet brings The Breeders to mind.
Frontperson Mary Shannon (also of Dvrkworld) was “raised by a librarian”, which tracks; her vocab is bountiful and lyrics read like powerful poetry. “This mild indifference/ Masquerading as confidence” – such accomplished wordsmithery!
“I can’t seem to give a fuck” – courageously unbothered opener Ocean View careens along like a bobsleigh race, with thrilling twists – including surprise lush harmonies – offsetting frenetic guitar work. This one’s about climate dread and the need to give a fuck about life beyond your own.
Shannon opens Building Humans in lamentation mode: “This trail runs hollow/ Coming in as second best/ Calm down and take it steady, convinced it was counterfeit…”
“Don’t get jaded…” – of Quiet Australians, Shannon has said, “It’s about caring too much and not enough at the same time – and overthinking both”; you’ll be humming those propulsive, insistent riffs after just one listen.
Queens escalates rapidly from gently-strummed guitar intro into the first chorus: “Wear me out till I’m sore/ Have you had enough yet?”
Unapologetic, the penultimate She bursts in like a combative takeover. Then the closing Weak Knees starts off vulnerable, with sparse drums and hushed vocals: “And through it all I will stay/ A willing captive.” Descending guitar squall invades before paring right back to pensive strums – allowing some light to pass through and softly leaving us to collect ourselves.
A snarling beast of an album, Worried Sick doubles as existential therapy for overthinkers.
CIVIC
Chrome Dipped
Æ Frontman Jim McCullough has revealed CIVIC’s intention for Chrome Dipped: “Break the mold, melt the steel.” As such, the band eschewed their usual DIY approach by booking Frying Pan Studios – a recording space set up at Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) – and tapping Kirin J. Callinan to produce.
The Fool opens CIVIC’s third album with full-pelt riffs and punchy drumming, but there’s control within the chaos – like punks naturally becoming more proficient on their instruments.
“A fucked-up wife gets a facelift” – the title track searches for humanity in a world that’s increasingly reliant on technology. If you fell into The Hogg, it’d feel like a tub of oily sludge. Paranoid BVs (“Do you believe?”) echo lead vocals – a protective inner voice making certain, perhaps?
Starting All The Dogs stretches McCullough’s delivery. Vocal melodies are more conversational here, as he toys with how words sound like a slam poet. This standout track eventually descends into shrieking cacophony – more of this direction, please!
McCullough lost his mother during the songwriting process, pouring his grief into art – see: Amissus (a Latin term for loss), resplendent with curly riff, multi-layered vocals, extreme tempo shifts and a chain-rattling breakdown towards song’s close.
Poison, which contains a jaw-dropping Lewis Hodgson guitar solo, takes aim at “people talking shit”.
Elsewhere, Trick Pony closes with measured beats and haunting riffs that howl like a ghost; Fragrant Rice sees McCullough trying on robotic vocals for size; and Hodgson takes lead vocals on the innovative Kingdom Come, which he’s described as “a sort of ballad for a functional drug addict”.
Chrome Dipped captures CIVIC en route to self-actualisation.
LABEL: CARPARK RECORDS RELEASE: 6 JUN
LABEL: INDEPENDENT
RELEASE: OUT NOW
LABEL: ATO RECORDS RELEASE: 30 MAY
AUDIOENGINE
A5+ WIRELESS SPEAKERS
WORDS BY FRANKIE ANDERSON-BYRNE
In an era where Bluetooth convenience often comes at the cost of sound quality, finding a set of wireless speakers that actually deliver on both fronts feels like discovering a glitch in the system.
Æ Enter the Audioengine A5+ Wireless — a pair of powered bookshelf speakers that have quietly carved out a space where fidelity and functionality actually get along.
When you first lay eyes on them, the A5+ Wireless doesn’t scream for attention. They’re confident but understated, all clean lines and solid craftsmanship. Available in matte black, white, or an especially handsome bamboo finish, the design leans more toward timeless than trendy. There’s an elegance to their minimalism, a kind of quiet assurance that says, “don’t worry, we’ve got this.”
And they do. Once powered on and paired – a process so seamless it barely registers – these speakers show what they’re really about. There’s an immediacy to the sound, a presence that makes you pause and actually listen. This is where the A5+ separates itself from the glut of “good enough” Bluetooth speakers flooding the market. Audioengine, an American audio company with a reputation for building gear that punches above its price point, clearly wasn’t content to just chase convenience. Instead, they built something that meets the demands of modern listeners while still tipping a hat to hi-fi tradition.
Inside each speaker is a 5-inch Kevlar woofer and a ¾-inch silk dome tweeter, powered by a 150-watt Class A/B analog amplifier. That might sound like spec-sheet jargon, but in practice, it means music is delivered with surprising richness and clarity. There’s a warmth and spaciousness here that honestly catches you off guard – especially considering there’s no separate receiver or amp involved. Low-end frequencies are tight and full-bodied without ever muddying the mids, while the highs shimmer without tipping into harshness. Whether it’s vinyl rips of old jazz records, sprawling post-rock epics, or the compressed chaos of modern pop, the A5+ seems to handle each genre with the same poised finesse.
Perhaps even more impressive than the speakers’ performance is the restraint they show. There’s no DSP (digital signal processing) fiddling with the sound, no over-engineered EQ curves flattening everything into radio-ready sameness. What you get is a faithful reproduction of the audio you feed it, thanks in part to the built-in AKM AK4396 DAC — a chip known for its clean, detailed conversion, and the same one found in Audioengine’s well-regarded B1 Bluetooth Receiver. Still, none of this would mean much if the user experience felt like a throwback to the wired hi-fi systems of decades past. Thankfully, the A5+ strikes a careful balance between classic sound and modern convenience. The Bluetooth pairing is rock solid, supporting aptX-HD for high-res wireless streaming. You also get traditional RCA and 3.5mm inputs, and even a variable output if you want to connect a subwoofer — which you might, though you certainly won’t need to.
Controls are kept simple. A volume knob on the front of the left speaker gives it a bit of old-school tactility, and a compact remote lets you control the volume or switch inputs from across the room. There’s also a USB port around back for charging your phone or other device, a thoughtful little bonus that subtly underscores how these speakers are meant to slot into real lives, not just showroom setups.
What’s perhaps most refreshing about the A5+ Wireless is how unfussy it all feels. There’s no app to install, no proprietary streaming ecosystem to learn, no aggressive branding to remind you what you’re listening on. Instead, you’re left with something that just works – and works really well.
You can set them up in a living room and they’ll comfortably fill the space without distortion. You can park them on a desk and they’ll elevate your workday soundscape far beyond what any USB-powered plastic cubes could ever manage. And unlike many Bluetooth speakers that rely on proximity to your device, the A5+ is happy to let you wander the house without dropping the signal.
These speakers are for people who care about how their music sounds, even if they don’t want to dive headfirst into the esoteric world of separate components, DACs and hi-fi forums.
With the A5+ Wireless, you can hear the intention: to build gear that bridges the gap between high-fidelity sound and everyday ease of use.
They haven’t reinvented the speaker, but they’ve refined what it means to have great sound in the streaming age. No gimmicks, no compromises – just good music, made easy.
After all, your music deserves more than just good enough; it deserves the A5+ Wireless.
Beat readers can score 15% off at checkout with the code HF5IV1U until 31 August, 2025.
SANNY VELOO. CAMMI KOL, MAN VS SYNTH, DANGER DEN Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $16.85.
MIC CONWAY & ROBBIE LONG. SARAH CARROLL
Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $28.60.
GOLDSOCKS. HARMINIA, STEPDAD ADVICE
Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $17.48.
GOLDMINDS + MARILYN MARIA
Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 8pm.
ROSE TATTOO Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $45.
CLOUD CONTROL
Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm.
ROMANCE: A FONTAINES D.C. APPRECIATION NIGHT
Stay Gold. Brunswick. 11pm. $13.80–22.
FLEETWOOD MAX Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $40.
IAN MOSS + TRIO Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $93.10.
SACRED COWBOYS. LOOSE CONTENT
The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8.30pm. $16.35.
SPOONFUL
Post Office Hotel. Coburg. 9pm.
MADONNA: IMMACULATE COLLECTION 35 YEAR CELEBRATION Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $26.05. THE LITTLE BOURKE BIG BAND PRESENTS: THE MUSIC OF VULFPECK
Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9pm. $45.
KOFI STONE
The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $64.90.
CUMBIA MASSIVE FT: La Descarga, Cumbia Cosmonauts, Bandides, DJ Saca La Mois Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $28.15–33.76.
THE ART OF TANGO Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $69.
GRAND WAZOO: SOUL WITH A CAPITAL S. JEFF DUFF
Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $59–79.
MICHAELA JAYDE
The Jazzlab. Brunswick. 8pm. $35 - 40.
GRIEG’S PIANO CONCERTO Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 2pm. $75–142.
BINGO LOCO PRESENTS DAY SHIFT
170 Russell. Melbourne. 6pm. $47.94–50.49.
FORWARD EVER #21
The Croxton. Thornbury. 6pm. $25–35.
THU 5 JUN
ÁINE TYRRELL
Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $38.80.
MAGGIE ALLEY
The Tote Hotel. Collingwood.
7.30pm. $23.50. THE OWLS Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 8pm.
JAAL. LANGAI, ERICHINO
Wax Music Lounge. Melbourne. 9pm. $13.15–21.95.
UNCOMFORTABLE
SCIENCE X SWOOPING
Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. Free.
GLOBAL MUSIC
THURSDAYS:
AJAK KWAI
Kew Court House. Kew. 7.30pm. $20.
MOUNT KIMBIE
Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 8pm. $89.
JIMMY SMYTH & BAND. MUDBATH, MINIMUM WAGE, PEPPER LA FLOYD
Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $12.25–15.68.
BLIND GIRLS. ISUA, CRAWLING, ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU
Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7pm. $19.90. THE BRAT PACK
Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $40.
BKTHERULA.
PICKLED LAST, $OOKY LALA DJ Corner Hotel. Richmond. 7.30pm. $56.80.
EZRA LEE & HENRI HERBERT (JIM JONES REVUE) PIANO BOOGIE MAYHEM TOUR Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $14.41.
TOFF LIVE PRESENTS:
OJ KUSH
The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 8pm. Free.
BRUNNHAILDE: A WAGNERIAN CONCERT
Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $55.
MARLON WILLIAMS
Melbourne Town Hall. Melbourne. 8pm. $89–109.
BOTIS SEVA:
BLKDOG
Arts Centre Melbourne. Melbourne. 8pm. $44–69.
ALEXANDER
STEWART
Prince Bandroom. St Kilda. 7.30pm. $69.90.
FRI 6 JUN
SNAILGUN. LOW MONROE & THE FUGITIVES, WAXMAN
Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $10.
THE EARTHQUAKES + THE AGENTS OF REVERB
The Lomond Hotel. Brunswick East. 8.30pm. $15.
PHOENIX STREET
Esplanade Hotel (aka The Espy). St Kilda. 8pm. $10.75.
STAY GOTH: WELCOME
THE WINTER
Stay Gold. Brunswick. 11pm. $10–25.
MATRIXXMAN
Howler. Brunswick. 7pm. $12.24–23.46.
SZARA FOX + AWOL MONKS
Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm.
FLYNN GURRY
Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $23.50.
KAYLA BRUNO
Morris House. Melbourne. 10pm. LADI6
Wax Music Lounge. Melbourne. 8pm. $38.40.
TROY WILSON
Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm.
AMALIA. AMBRAYA, LOTTIE SMITH
Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $22.95.
CHEEKY B. HEADSPIN, JESSIE JANE
Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 8pm.
COOL CHANGE
Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 6pm. $38.
NMIXX Festival Hall. West Melbourne. 7.30pm. $181.36.
JACK BOTTS. TODD KEM, OFTHEWILD Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $49.90.
UNION HEIGHTS X G&H
Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 8.30pm.
TROPICAL FUCK STORM
Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 8pm. $69.
COOL BRITANNIA
Prince Bandroom. St Kilda. 7.30pm. $35–42.
FEM BELLING & THE JOE RUBERTO TRIO
The Jazzlab. Brunswick. 8pm. $35 - 40.
JOYS NJAMBI PRESENTS: “QUEENS OF SOUL”
Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $45. KEW COURT HOUSE
LIVE: REMCO KEIJZER QUARTET
Kew Court House. Kew. 7.30pm. $20.
THREE PIANOS, SIX HANDS, THIRTY FINGERS: A BOOGIE WOOGIE SUPER SHOW!
Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $35 - 50.
JESSICA PRATT
Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $69 - 79.
MEERTA: RISE UP! THE BALLAD OF JAMES ARDEN
The Memo. Healesville. 7.30pm. $42.
AN EVENING WITH SUKI WATERHOUSE
Athenaeum Theatre. Melbourne. 8pm. $129 - 169.
BOTIS SEVA: BLKDOG
Arts Centre Melbourne. Melbourne. 8pm. $44 - 69.
SAT 7 JUN
FREYA JOSEPHINE HOLLICK. JULES SHELDON Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 2pm. Free. CHECKERBOARD LOUNGE WITH BOB SEDERGREEN
The Jazzlab. Brunswick. 8pm. $35 - 40.
EARTH ROT. IN MALICE’S WAKE, MAMMON’S THRONE, CULT OF THE NIGHT Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8.30pm. $22.95. THE ENGAGEMENT. TERRA ROUGE, KAIYAH MERCEDES, DOGS BREAKFAST, VALENCE
FT: Karani, Garcons, Negassa, Bonnettbaby, Faraja, Tendai, Mukisa Wax Music Lounge. Melbourne. 9pm. $20. TOTALLY UNICORN. THE WORLD AT A GLANCE, TERRIFICUS, GUN LAWS
The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $23.50.
GURLEEN LIVE WITH GURLEEN PANNU
Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $53.14.
RELAX WITH MAX Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 6pm. $40. RICH WHY Morris House. Melbourne. 7pm. ROCKDOGS SUPERGROUP (PIE NIGHT)
FT: Willie J’s 6V6s, Mature Themes, The Peptides, DJ Mermaid Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $29.10.
THE NOISE. DEPORSAL, DOG DOOR
The Curtin. Carlton. 7.30pm. $15. LANDDOWNUNDER: WHEN AUSTRALIAN MUSIC TOOK ON THE WORLD
THE MAGGIE PILLS. SCREENSAVER, ZOMBEACHES, DING DING DING
The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $22.85.
CCTV + AMBROSE
Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 8pm.
FATHER DADDY’S FRIDAY THE 13TH Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 8pm. $20.26. INTERVAL
FT: DJ Planet Express, Nai, ++, Ariana, Ejeckt, Ham Glamorama. Fitzroy. 4pm. VELVET TRIP. KOOK JOEY, ROMANIE Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $28.05. NAM Morris House. Melbourne. 10pm.
SADDLE UP! COUNTRY MUSIC ROADSHOW
Prince Bandroom. St Kilda. 8pm. $25.
KEW COURT HOUSE LIVE: PAT JAFFE’S LUNSEN Kew Court House. Kew. 7.30pm. $20. NE OBLIVISCARIS. PSYCROPTIC 170 Russell. Melbourne. 7pm. $79.90.
KRISTIE GLAM
90’S SHOW Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. RIFF RAFF: 70S BON SCOTT ERA AC/ DC LIVE SHOW Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $25–40. GRAVES. BODY PRISON, CULTIST Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $44.27. COOL SOUNDS. GEOFFREY O’CONNOR, PIGTAILS
Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $24. THE SUPERJESUS Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $49.
ALGO. DEATH TAX, FACECUTTER, POST HUMAN The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 8pm. $23.50.
SOCCER MOMMY Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 8pm. $79.
HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH
Athenaeum Theatre. Melbourne. 8pm. $69–159.
AMPLIFIED: THE EXQUISITE ROCK & RAGE OF CHRISSY AMPHLETT
Union Theatre. Parkville. 7.30pm. $50–75. THE BUTTERFLY WHO FLEW INTO THE RAVE Buxton Contemporary. Melbourne. 8.30pm. $35–39.
SAT 14 JUN
MONONEON The Croxton. Thornbury. 8pm. $59.90.
STUDIO 54 Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $43.96.
KARATE BOOGALOO. BEST FOOT FORWARD, DJ MISS GOLDIE The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $34.20.
The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 8.30pm. $23.50. KISSCHASY. SLY WITHERS, SUZI Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 7pm.
TRIPLE CHARM
The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 2pm. $38.76.
THU 26 JUN
PARENTS BATTLE OF THE BANDS: NORTHSIDE 2
FT: The Nits, North Side Hustle, The 2nd ImPrestons, Lost Property, The Sick Baes, The Grateful Dad
The Croxton. Thornbury. 7pm. $36.75. SISYPHUS. MUDDY LEMONS, POSEIDONS KISS
The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $11.25.
KICKIN THE B AT 303 Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm.
KUTCHA, CASH & THE LAST DRINKS FT: Kutcha Edwards, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 8pm. MAKE THEM SUFFER. JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED, THE GLOOM IN THE CORNER, HATE COMPLEX
Commercial Hotel. South Morang. 6.30pm. $59.90.
BRASILIDADE: A MUSICAL JOURNEY WITH DANY MAIA Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $38. RARIA Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7pm. $22.95. BEN ABRAHAM Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $49.06.
KING IV: FUNERAL 170 Russell. Melbourne. 8pm. $67.32 - 77.52.
THE DAIMON BRUNTON QUINTET: EXPLORING THE IMPOSSIBLY GREAT... FREDDIE HUBBARD
Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $45. SARAH CATANIA.
SARI ABBOTT
The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7pm. $28.56.
BAROQUE
UNLEASHED
Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $30 - 196.
Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $30 - 196.
KILLING HEIDI: 25 YEARS OF REFLECTOR. SIOBHAN COTCHIN, HASSALL
Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7pm. $69.90. BLACK ACES. THE CHANS, DOSE
The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 7pm. $16.35. FREE PARKING. BAILEY JUDD, JONATHAN BUFALINO
The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7pm. $28.56. POSSESHOT
The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 2.30pm. $50.50.
KICK ON FESTIVAL
FT: Paraquay, Joan & The Giants, Waliens, Laura & The Hellcutz, Left At The Avenue, Chloe Booth, Fur Blossom, Pepper La Floyd, Phoenix Street Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 7pm. $28.85.
