Beat 1719

FEVER RAY

The otherworldly artist prepares to serve a feast for the senses at RISING.

PRINT EDITOR

Kaya Martin

EDITOR

Lucas Radbourne

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Riley McDonald

GIG GUIDE

Jacob Colliver

CONTRIBUTORS

Bryget Chrisfield, Juliette Salom, Jess Magtalas, Joshua Jennings, Tyler Jenke, Sarah Duggan, Andrew Handley, Cait Emma Burke, Brandon Bentley, Nicole Smith, Simone Anders, Dhika Maheswara, Kalani Giddey and Ashlynn Hannah

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Furst Media Pty Ltd

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Rob Furst

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EDITORIAL NOTE

June nights are the longest of the year and we’re planning on taking full advantage. From flame-licked festivals to mind-bending performances, after-dark thrills can be found in all corners of the calendar.

Æ There’s nothing that captures the eccentric energy of this month quite like RISING. The incomparable Fever Ray graces our cover this month, sharing secrets of boundless creativity from their home in Sweden. Fellow RISING stars Blonde Redhead dream about writing the perfect song, OneFour defy the odds to headline their debut festival show and Dirty Three discuss the making of their first album in 12 years.

Elsewhere, Urthboy reminisces on the end of Elefant Traks, Oddisee breaks bread with Melbourne streetwear brand LOWF and Underscores discusses worldbuilding, road trip movies and Madonna.

If all that hasn’t got you heated up, we’ve also got a guide for beating those winter blues. As temperatures dive, our resolve to soak in the good times only gets stronger, because let’s be honest – the cold separates the casual music enjoyers from the real heads. Time to rug up and tough it out!

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

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

Our June cover star is Fever Ray, photographed by Nina Andersson.

ST KILDA FILM FESTIVAL DROPS BIGGEST LINEUP OF ALL TIME

Showcasing short films and Australian filmmaking, the annual event is celebrating its 40th anniversary by offering its most sprawling and diverse lineup yet. It’ll run in St Kilda and South Melbourne from June 6 to 16.

ROSS WILSON, FLOODLIGHTS, KAIIT LEAD RECLINK COMMUNITY CUP LINEUP

The annual Reclink Cup returns to Victoria Park on Sunday, June 16. See the mighty Megahertz (Triple R 102.7FM & PBS 106.7FM) take on Melbourne band royalty, the rugged Rockdogs (musicians).

LEAPS AND BOUNDS FESTIVAL DROPS KILLER LINEUP

Taking place from July 25 to 28, the inner north music festival will showcase Southeast Asian artists, female and gender-diverse hiphop acts, impressive tribute bands and so much more.

MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE OFFERS AN ECLECTIC JUNE LINEUP

From Elefant Traks’ 25th anniversary show to an intimate evening with Marlon Williams, Melbourne Recital Centre is cracking this month.

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN ANNOUNCE AUGUST SHOWS WITH BADLY DRAWN BOY

With their twelfth studio album Late Developers adding to an already beloved catalogue, Scottish indie-rock icons Belle and Sebastian will be heading to the Palais Theatre on August 23.

BIGSOUND REVEALS FIRST ROUND OF SPEAKERS

The Fortitude Valley’s massive music industry event, taking place from September 3 to 6, will feature talks by Amy Taylor, Elijah, Korda Marshall and more.

MACBETH (AN UNDOING) REIMAGINES SHAKESPEARE AT MALTHOUSE THIS JULY

Following successful seasons in Edinburgh, London and New York, Zinnie Harris’ acclaimed play Macbeth (An Undoing) will make its Australian premiere at Malthouse Theatre on Friday, July 5.

ILLUMINATE ADELAIDE LINEUP LED BY JOEP BEVING, MAX COOPER AND MORE

Illuminate Adelaide, Adelaide’s premiere festival celebrating the intersection between art, light music and technology across three weekends from July 4 to 21, has dropped an eccentric lineup featuring almost 150 artists.

HARDWARE GROUP IS HOSTING A KING’S BIRTHDAY EVE RAVE

They’re bringing Bart Skils, Victor Ruiz, Bec and Market Memories to The Third Day in North Melbourne on June 9.

NGV FRIDAY NIGHTS ANNOUNCES A DIVERSE LINEUP OF LIVE MUSIC

The seasonal series returns for a 17-week series with eclectic live performances, snacks and drinks. This year, it draws inspiration from the gallery’s blockbuster exhibition Pharaoh.

THE MSO WILL BRING ABC’S CLASSIC 100 COUNTDOWN TO LIFE

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will celebrate Australia’s biggest classical music event with a special live concert, performing the feel-good hits at Hamer Hall.

ENGLISH R&B STAR GRIFF COMES TO MELBOURNE FOR THE FIRST TIME

Rising pop sensation Griff is set to bring her electrifying energy to the Northcote Theatre on August 17 as part of her highly anticipated World Vertigo Tour.

THE

WORLD’S BEST CONTORTIONISTS AND ACROBATS COME TO MELBOURNE

Hot on the heels of its sell-out run in Brisbane, Cirque Bon Bon’s all-star cast of contortionists, acrobats and dancers will transform the Athenaeum Theatre stage into a cauldron of excitement, drama and hilarity.

A NEW NIGHTCLUB WITH A FUNKTION-ONE SOUND SYSTEM HAS OPENED IN THE CBD

Gravity Club is Melbourne’s new tech-house focused nightclub on Little Collins Street, from the legends behind Sub Club.

THERE’S A NEW 35-HECTARE PARK BEING CREATED IN MELBOURNE’S EAST

Parks Victoria has announced they’re creating a 35-hectare new park out of freeway reserve in Melbourne’s east, called ngarrak nakorang wilam park which means ‘Mountain Meeting Place’.

WORLD-FIRST UNDERGROUND LIGHT SHOW AND A FIRE FESTIVAL COMES TO MELBOURNE

A never-before-seen labyrinth of light and sound will ignite the Docklands precinct this winter at an extended Firelight Festival experience, kicking off on Friday, June 28.

ALT-POP STAR GIRL IN RED COMES TO MELBOURNE THIS JULY

Norwegian artist and songwriter girl in red will soon play her biggest Australian shows, including Margaret Court Arena on July 17.

10 LARGE-SCALE STREET ART MURALS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED IN MORDIALLOC

Mordi Village is now a street art destination hot spot thanks to the Wall to Wall Festival and the talented local and international street artists who made their mark on the walls of this innovative street art precinct.

CRADLE OF FILTH ANNOUNCE MELBOURNE SHOW

WITH INFECTED RAIN

It’s been many years since Cradle of Filth last darkened our horizon, and we can now hail their return this September to commemorate the release of their Best Of Live album, Trouble & Their Double.

NEW DOCKLANDS PARK ‘WILL TRANSFORM MELBOURNE’S RIVERFRONT’

Construction is officially underway on Melbourne’s newest riverside park – creating 3,500 square metres of new public green open space and forming a key link in the city-shaping Greenline Project.

A 35-METRE HIGH FERRIS WHEEL IS OPENING IN SOUTH WHARF

Skyline Attractions, behind the ferris wheels in St Kilda and Glenelg, has announced the construction of a new ferris wheel on the lawns of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

CELTIC SINGERS THE IRISH TENORS COME TO MELBOURNE THIS SEPTEMBER

The iconic singing group will be performing at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on September 29, bringing their golden voices and versatile talents for a night of song.

MUSIC

GANGRENE DREAM ‘RATLICKER’ SINGLE LAUNCH - WITH CRIMSON CARAVAN + DEAD BEAT + EARLY MORNING SYNDROME BERGY BATTLE OF THE BANDS - HEAT #2 WITH GUSTO GUSTO + LEFT AT THE AVENUE + SELECT ALL + OLYMPIC WHITE + CHERRY FACTORY

WINDWAKER - WITH HEARTLINE + VERMONT

CHEY JORDAN ‘THE MELVISTA AVENUE’ TOUR - WITH DELV Y + NICK KEOGH

RELIQA ‘ SECRETS OF THE FUTURE’ TOUR - WITH RINRIN

ARVO - MALIBU SPACEY ‘GOOD IN SMALL DOSES’ ALBUM LAUNCH - WITH KEL SEY JEAN AND THE BAD HEALTH + CURLY AND THE FRINGE

NONNA’S HOUSE PARTY - BY XIRITA WITH WA X THIEF + FEDRIZI

PRINCES HILL MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSIC NIGHT HILL MIDDLE LIVE AT THE BERGY BANDROOM

JORDIE TOMAS ‘BAD TASTE’ SINGLE LAUNCH - WITH ALEX MULCAHY +PARIS SIMS + DISGRACEFUL + CHARLOT TE DIRCK ZE + MORE! THE ELLIOTTS ‘DINOSAUR’ SINGLE LAUNCH -

THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN COME TO THE FORUM THIS AUGUST

The Reid brothers will be bringing their 40th-anniversary tour down under with a stopover in Melbourne on August 4.

CASSIE RAPTOR AND CARAVEL ARE HEADLINING A PUBLIC HOLIDAY RAVE

Smalltown are hosting an all-day party with genres spanning house, progressive, trance, UKG and dark industrious techno at PICA on Friday, September 27.

BEYONCÉ’S RENAISSANCE IS BEING PERFORMED IN A DRAG EXPERIENCE

Eight of Naarm’s premier drag performers are coming together to perform Beyoncé’s entire Renaissance album in a drag concert experience at Pride of our Footscray on Sunday, June 9.

THIS FORMER LANDFILL IS SET TO BE TURNED INTO A SIX-HECTARE PARK

Bayside City Council has drafted a master plan for Sandringham’s 20 Wangara Road precinct, based on community aspirations and site constraints. Now, they’re after community consultation.

DYEN AND CALLUSH ARE HEADLINING A DAY PARTY IN PORT MELBOURNE

The big-name international techno DJs will be joined by local legends like Papa Smurf at the 5,000-capacity PICA warehouse on Saturday, June 22.

METALCORE GIANTS THE AMITY AFFLICTION ARE COMING TO MELBOURNE

To celebrate the release of Let the Ocean Take Me, the band will be performing the album in its entirety each night along with fan favourites. They’ll be playing at John Cain Arena on November 14.

JOHN BISHOP IS RETURNING TO MELBOURNE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SIX

YEARS

UK comedy superstar John Bishop will be performing his new show Back At It at The Palms At Crown on November 26.

COMEDIAN JIM JEFFERIES COMES TO MELBOURNE THIS AUGUST

Rock star comedian, TV show host, podcaster and writer Jim Jefferies, will be bringing his Give ‘Em What They Want stadium tour to Australia with a stop at Margaret Court Arena on August 9.

POP JUGGERNAUT BILLIE

EILISH WILL PLAY FOUR SHOWS IN MELBOURNE

Following the news of her highly-anticipated third studio album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, Billie Eilish is heading to Australia in 2025, performing at Rod Laver Arena on March 4, 5, 7 and 8.

JOANNA LUMLEY BRINGS NEW SHOW ME & MY TRAVELS TO MELBOURNE

The legendary and hilarious Joanna Lumley will soon embark on her first-ever Australian show with a stop at Hamer Hall on October 11.

THERE’S A $5 MILLION PENGUIN PARADE BEING BUILT

The Phillip Island upgrade project will feature a boardwalk, seats and stands, and is expected to encourage more tourism in the area.

MOLESWORTH BLUEGRASS & COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL UNVEILS LINEUP

From November 1 to 3, the Molesworth stage will come alive with the enchanting melodies of The Black Sorrows, Davidson Brothers, Vixens of Fall, Darlinghurst, Lance Friend, Stars, Kirsty Lee Akers and many more.

MARLO’S TRANCE FESTIVAL, ALTITUDE, IS RETURNING TO MELBOURNE

The Dutch-Australian DJ’s beloved annual electronic festival will take place at Flemington Racecourse on Saturday, September 14.

GLAM ROCK LEGENDS SWEET HEAD TO MELBOURNE ON FAREWELL TOUR

On November 8, the iconic 70s band Sweet will be saying goodbye with one massive show at The Palms at Crown.

NINE NEW PARKS SET TO BE CREATED AROUND THE CBD

The City of Melbourne will convert concrete areas into new parks and public squares for its growing population under new budget plans.

RENOVATIONS BEGIN ON ST KILDA’S ICONIC THEATRE WORKS

Theatre Works has been bringing the creative arts to Melbourne since 1980. Now, the longstanding venue is getting a muchneeded makeover.

OLIVIA RODRIGO BRINGS HER GUTS WORLD TOUR TO MELBOURNE

The three-time Grammy Award winner is coming to Australia and Asia for the first time and will kick off her national run at Rod Laver Arena on October 9 and 10.

BART WILLOUGHBY HONOURED AT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC VAULT

No Fixed Address frontman and Indigenous pioneer Bart Willoughby will be celebrated with a brand new exhibition paying tribute to his impressive musical talent, activism work and enduring legacy.

THE WORLD’S FIRST GENERATIVE DOCUMENTARY IS COMING TO ACMI

Join director Gary Hustwit live in the cinema for the world-first generative documentary on Brian Eno as he builds a unique viewing experience every time it’s screened.

SHOEGAZE TRAILBLAZERS RIDE ARE COMING TO MELBOURNE

Ride, the British band that helped kick off the shoegaze movement in the 80s and 90s, are coming to Australia with American indie psych-rock icons Mercury Rev.

THE WORLD’S TOP PSYCHIC MEDIUM JOHN EDWARD COMES TO MELBOURNE

The medium, author and lecturer made famous by his television series Crossing Over will show off his skills at Hamer Hall on November 7.

THE SECOND METRO TUNNEL STATION IS OFFICIALLY COMPLETE

The construction of Parkville Station is finished. The new station comes equipped with a 54-metre-long glass and steel canopy and will be open for trains in 2025 along with Anzac Station and the three others still being built.

SCENTED CINEMA ARRIVES IN CARLTON

From July 5 to 7, Cinema Nova will be screening films including Only Lovers Left Alive, WIlly Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, Nosferatu and more accompanied by fragrances made by Scented Storytelling.

GRINSPOON BRINGS NEW ALBUM UNKNOWN PRETENDERS TO MELBOURNE

The legendary Australian rockers are embarking on a massive 45-date national tour to celebrate their new album with a stop at 170 Russell St on November 5.

Arts Centre Melbourne in association with David M Hawkins presents

FEVER RAY

Every now and again, the stars align and galaxies converge, and Melburnians get the first chance in forever to see intergalactic artists play their own home city.

Æ As part of RISING, the spaceship will be touching down in June and unleashing the other-worldly phenomenon that is Fever Ray to the streets of Melbourne. Playing at Hamer Hall on June 9 and 10 (an extra show added because of astronomical demand), Fever Ray will be bringing their alien experience of electronic music and performance to Australian audiences for the very first time.

“We’ve been talking about going to play Australia with The Knife and Fever Ray for many years,” Karin Dreijer, AKA Fever Ray, says over a video call from their home in Stockholm, Sweden, “but now it’s happening.” Now, indeed, fans of Dreijer’s current expedition as Fever Ray can catch them in Australia for their debut down under, as well as long-time loyalists to Dreijer’s work in experimental electronic band The Knife, which Dreijer played in alongside their brother Olof Dreijer until their disbandment in 2014.

“I’m super grateful,” Dreijer says about being able to bring Fever Ray to the other side of the world. “This show that we are doing now and that we’ve been touring with the last year, I think it’s very beautiful.”

Beautiful is an understatement for the Fever Ray live experience. Filled with light, color, dancing, performance and, of course, music, the show exists not just as a way to experience Fever Ray’s catalogue in an atmospheric expanse, but also as a means of transporting you out of this world. Describing the show as “theatrical”, Dreijer says planning for the tour has involved light composition and choreography and changing things until they’re perfect. “When it feels right, we continue.”

Martin Falck, creative director and, as described by Dreijer, “one of my best friends”, works with Dreijer to create the visual elements of the album and the show. “We’ve been working together to find out what kind of show we wanted to make, what we feel is fun and what we can live with for now.”

As for the inspiration for this interstellar visual feast, Dreijer says it comes from everything and anything, in whatever form it so chooses to appear. “Martin and I, we’re always collecting clips and films and sending each other images, and I’m always saving images of things that I find interesting. We talk a lot about stuff that we want to explore and dig into and see what comes out of it,” Dreijer says. “Before going on tour, we’ve had months and months of preparation and trying out things. I mean, we try out a lot of things that do not [make] the final package.”

Also part of the team that brings the final package to life is light designer Sarah Landau, who Dreijer has been working with for over a decade and says is the one who makes it all “look magical”. With visionaries in all departments, Fever Ray’s performances become multi-media constellations of creativity.

“It’s something I’ve always been interested in,” Dreijer says about building up a world of visual exploration. While the music always comes first for Dreijer – they tend to finish albums before they even start on the visual accompaniments – they describe being able to play around with aesthetic experimentation in tandem with their music as “a blessing.” “I think [making the music] is the hard part and the visuals are sort of the dessert that comes afterwards,” Dreijer laughs. Especially so when it comes to the Fever Ray character, Dreijer presses – it’s important for them to build up the persona and the accompanying visuals once the music is fully completed. The cherry on top, if you will. “If I set the character to the music while making the music, it’s not as free. It can be set in traits [or] feelings and I know what kind of feelings this character has when I make the music, but I don’t want to nail it down to certain aesthetics.”

Fever Ray’s latest album, Radical Romantics, was made under circumstances that allowed for time, space mand exploration of sonic universes to exist without the pressure of near-future performances. Created in lockdown, in a “sort of vacuum situation,” Dreijer says the restrictions of the pandemic gave them “a lot of time to think about things and do research.” “I mean, it was a strange time because you didn’t know – when will this end or will it end? Do I have a deadline for this work?” Dreijer says. “It was a practice of a lot of uncertainty.”

“If I set the character to the music while making the music, it's not as free.”

Something that combatted this uncertainty for Dreijer and, in its place, opened up an opportunity for familiarity was working alongside their brother and ex-bandmate, Olof. Quite literally, working alongside –both Dreijer and Olof built their own studios in Stockholm next to each other just as the pandemic was closing down cities and countries. It was a happenstance of place and time – and pandemic – that brought the sibling duo back into making music together, with Olof appearing on four of Radical Romantics’ tracks, including the opening What They Call Us. “I just asked if we wanted to try out a few things [together], and he said, ‘yeah, sure,’” Dreijer says. Because, simply, they add, “It was easy and it was fun” – exactly what a Fever Ray show is all about. Ticket holders to Fever Ray’s shows at RISING better be prepared to be swept up into Dreijer’s orbit because what they have planned is truly out of this world. An exciting show that is made even more so by its first galactical journey to Australian atmospheres, the spaceship will soon take off. Make sure you’re on it.

FEVER RAY

WHERE: RISING – HAMER HALL, ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE

WHEN: 9 & 10 JUNE

Æ

ELEFANT TRAKS

WORDS BY TYLER JENKE

Urthboy looks back at Elefant Traks’ extraordinary legacy, before the label bids farewell at Melbourne Recital Centre this June.

After 26 years, how do you say farewell to one of Australia’s most successful independent labels?

That’s exactly the problem faced by the Elefant Traks team when they announced the impending closure of the pioneering hiphop label back in May.

First formed by Kenny Sabir, aka Traksewt, in Sydney in 1998, the label soon grew, recruiting the likes of Tim Levinson, aka Urthboy, and growing exponentially from there on. Across its quarter-century run, the label has released 1300 songs, 66 albums, and 40 EPs, and fostered groups like Hermitude, The Last Kinection, Horrorshow, Joelistics, and The Herd, of which Sabir and Levinson are members.

“Kenny and the Elefant Traks were just DIY-ing their way into creating a record label, because there really wasn’t an ecosystem of independent record labels in the late ‘90s; it just didn’t exist,” Levinson remembers. “It was really a fun and inspiring time.”

At the time, mainstream acceptance of Australian hip-hop was almost non-existent, with even the musically-liberal triple j rarely playing the genre. As such, Elefant Traks provided a way for its artists to find a home, to feel supported, and embrace a sense of community. Needless to say, without wider approval of the genre, its longevity was never guaranteed, so the goal became for everyone to surround themselves with like-minded artists to craft this close-knit family of creatives.

“What I’ve learned over the years is that community is not a destination that you aspire to create and then settle on – it is continually evolving and restless,” he adds. “It’s a place for a whole bunch of really disparate people to share a vision.”

While 2024 brings with it the imminent closure of the Elefant Traks, there are mixed feelings among those involved. On one hand, there’s the sadness of finality, but on the other, there are the exciting new prospects opened up by the label’s roster who will continue to create.

Still, the changing landscape of music, the rise of streaming, and the oversaturation of the market now mean that the work done by Elefant Traks – and the world in which they operate – is totally different to when it started. What remains is an impactful legacy, one that has fostered greater representation in and focus on hip-hop, and one that has provided its artists a platform to speak out publicly, and without fear.

“The thing that I hope that we are remembered for is that we stood up for what we believed in and we worked with artists that we backed and were ahead of their time in a lot of ways,” Levinson says. “Our label was founded by a Sri Lankan Australian; we were very multicultural from day one, we watched in the ‘00s as nationalism and racism became big parts of the Australian identity under John Howard, and we fought tooth and nail against that, and stood up for what we believed in.

“I hope that our legacy is that our independence allowed us to speak freely, and our independence allowed us to be the voice that artists should have in a society.”

Now, with the label coming to a close, Elefant Traks are saying farewell with a run of shows around the country. Celebratory in their focus rather than morose, Melbourne will receive two gala-style shows at the Recital Centre on June 15 as names like The Herd, Hermitude, Horrorshow, Nardean, Joelistics, The Last Kinection, Ozi Batla, and Jimblah perform with a live band to wrap a bow on the label’s legacy. “We wanted to actually zoom out and look at this incredible achievement,” Levinson says. “I mean, we weren’t supposed to last 26 years – we were probably supposed to last two.

“The venue in Melbourne is such a beautiful room and we chose it because it feels so special,” he adds.

With so many artists, so many songs, and so many moments, Levinson admits it’s impossible to shine a light on everyone who made the Elefant Traks story a successful one, but it’s a chance to zoom out, to bask in the special moments they were a part of, and the role they played in so many lives.

“These performances are really just a snapshot of the label, and it’s capturing everybody together in a – literally – neverto-be-repeated gig,” Levinson concludes. “I think all you can do is just have a party.”

ELEFANT TRAKS

WHERE: MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE

WHEN: 15 JUNE, 3PM AND 7:30PM

DIRTY THREE

WORDS BY ANDREW HANDLEY

Speaking to Warren Ellis is a bit like listening to a Dirty Three album –you’re not always sure where it’s going and it can take a while to get there, but it’s a beautiful, thrilling ride.

Æ Sitting cross-legged on his bed in his Paris home, the 59-year-old’s iconic grey hair and beard fill the Zoom window.

Before joining Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds or helping form Grinderman, it was in the Dirty Three where Ellis made the violin a bona fide rock ‘n’ roll instrument. The instrumental trio, with Mick Turner on guitar and Jim White on drums, will release their ninth record in June. The release of Love Changes Everything will coincide with a national tour including three headline performances at RISING.

Recorded in 2022, it is the first Dirty Three record in 12 years, with the wait made longer over deliberations of its title. “I had a name for it, and Jim liked it, and Mick didn’t,” says Ellis. “No matter how hard I tried to bribe Mick and offered to send him flowers every day for the next five years he wouldn’t budge, that’s why it took a year to come out,” he jokes.

Ellis wanted Help Us To Be, but Turner thought it was too religious. “I respect that Mick has an issue with organised religion and I agree, but I was thinking cosmically… you know, spiritually, because I have no truck with that,” he says. “I need that sort of thing in my life for it to make sense.” In the end, Ellis admits Love Changes Everything is “probably a better title”.

“Even though we’re a band that doesn’t sing a word, you put a title on something and it does influence people what the song may or may not be about … it can give people a ticket to enter,” says Ellis. “A title is important… maybe even more important with us because there’s no lyrical context.”

The simple track listing of Parts I to VI represents an album of cohesion born from recording the album within five days. “It was all written in those couple of days and it was all improvised, which is how I really like to work,” reveals Ellis. “I do that with everything, even film scores, it’s just about being in the moment.”

“It’s been like that since day one… I don’t really have a structure in mind, I might have a couple of chords or an idea, but it’s about the moment where the ideas take flight,” says Ellis. “To work with people in that way requires a lot of trust.”

It’s a trust built over 32 years as a band, which appears like telepathy during the band’s legendary live performances. “That’s the space that I really like to work in because it means that you’re constantly having to listen, you’re constantly feeling and you constantly have doubt,” Ellis says of the recording process. “You’re making hours and hours of absolute shit and then suddenly something appears and you’re like, ‘Wow, what’s that!’”

The sessions for Love Changes Everything were more improvisational than usual. “Other times we’d sit in the room for a week and try and get [the songs] into some sort of shape and then go into a studio and record them, but with this, we went in with nothing and just started playing,” recalls Ellis. “There was a piano there, so I jumped onto that and the engineer was hanging on for dear life because I’d suddenly start smashing something out.”

The band members live across the world, with White in New York City, Turner in Melbourne and Ellis in Paris. “With the music we were making, we needed to get out and find audiences,” says Ellis. “We’d seen other people do that, The Birthday Party, The Triffids, AC/DC, they all looked outside.”

“We knew that we weren’t making music that was going to get us in the top 10,” admits Ellis. “Not that we didn’t try – I thought Everything’s Fucked [from their debut album] was destined to be a single. I was taking a lot of drugs, but we all thought that and no one else was, it wasn’t just a delusional state.”

Though the top 10 eluded them, Ellis met his now-wife while on tour with the band. Already living in London, he moved to Paris to be with her in 1996 and they continue to live there with their two sons. “Australia is my home because I was born there,” he says assuredly. “I walked past a flower shop yesterday and there was a bottle brush, and I was so moved, it was this poor little bottle brush trying to grow in a pot, and I was going to buy it.”

“I’ve tried once before and it’s just pitiful because there’s not enough sun, but it was the most emotional moment of the day for me,” says Ellis. “I went and smelled it, but I didn’t want to go through the heartbreak of losing it, but just to say, I’m still incredibly moved by things that are fundamental to me.”

Ellis’ compassion is palpable and further demonstrated by the foundation of Ellis Park in 2021. He and his family purchased and donated land next to a wildlife centre in South Sumatra to home animals unable to return to the wild. “Even if I end up in Sumatra feeding monkeys and they just roll me into a hole and put a coconut tree on me, if I die with a banana in my hand, I’ll still be that guy from Ballarat.”

DIRTY THREE

WHERE: RISING – HAMER HALL, ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE

WHEN: 14 &15 JUNE

BLONDE REDHEAD

WORDS BY ANDREW HANDLEY

For three decades Blonde Redhead have evolved their sound while remaining at the forefront of indie rock.

Æ Compared to the early days, the band’s output has lost its sharp edges to become dreamier without losing its emotional punch. This is true for the band’s triumphant 10th record Sit Down for Dinner, released late last year, which they’ll showcase at their upcoming RISING performance and Australian tour.

As to why the band has lasted 31 years, guitarist and singer Amedeo Pace says, “That’s a hard question to know the answer to,” with an Italian accent softened from living abroad for many years. “I think we all still feel really excited about making music with each other,” he contemplates from his Brooklyn home. The others he speaks of are his twin brother Simone on drums and lead singer and guitarist Kazu Makino.

The pursuit of writing a perfect song also propels Pace, which he says is yet to happen. “Maybe I'm being too critical of myself, but it always feels like that,” he admits. “You want to write things that are timeless… and I feel like we're still searching, at least I am, [for] how to do that.”

Blonde Redhead’s long and praised career is also one of resilience. Originally a four-piece, their bassist left the band after their second record and the band has continued as a trio since. Then in 2002, Makino’s face was trampled in a devastating horse-riding accident which required extensive reconstruction and rehabilitation. Their following record, 2004’s Misery Is a Butterfly beautifully reflects on the trauma of the accident and remains one of their best.

Makino and Pace were also in a relationship during the former years of the band, which mercifully didn’t end when their relationship did. “We used to bring work home, as they say, and have arguments about it,” recalls Pace. “Spending so much time writing together and being together was really intense and I felt that both her and I were getting exhausted from the whole thing.”

Though the band’s sound is archetypal of New York City, none of the members are from there. Amedeo and Simone grew up in Italy and Makino in Japan. “We never really fit in any kind of scene,” recalls Pace. “We were really experimenting and seeing what kind of music we wanted to play, but also trying to fit into a system in New York.”

Despite their musical differences, Pace says they orbited towards heavier bands like Fugazi and Unwound in their early years. “We felt really good with them and would spend a lot of time with them, but even then, it was like we were trying to be a part of something,” he explains. “I think when you do it long enough, the good thing is that you become something yourself.”

Pace says it wasn’t until their fifth or sixth record that the band truly discovered their sound. “Slowly, we just started to figure out what we really wanted to do, starting with Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons into Misery Is a Butterfly,” he says. Speaking of their earlier work, “We started figuring out things didn't feel right anymore… almost like when you're wearing a shirt that you used to wear as a teenager and it doesn't fit you anymore.”

Despite this Pace says he loves some of their earlier songs. “I wish we could play more of them, we really should, but we forget music so easily and also lose the feeling,” he explains. “We are who we are now trying to play the songs that were written so long ago… seeing if we can keep some of that feeling.”

The band doesn’t go into the recording process with a direction in mind says Pace. “We never know what we’re doing,” he admits. “We sometimes say, ‘It would be nice to try and have a song that sounds like this,’ and then we never end up getting to that because other forces of life come into play.”

“It's more about the three of us and how each of us is different and how that comes together in an album,” continues Pace. “We never have an idea of what we're going to do until it's finished because so much can happen during the recording.”

With nine years passing between their ninth and 10th record, there was no guarantee Sit Down for Dinner would be made. On a break from the band, Makino released her solo album Adult Baby in 2019. “She really wanted to perform on her own and be on her own and it made her really happy,” says Pace. “We've been doing it for so long, so it gets really complicated and hard at times, so I think it was good for her to try and experience something new…. lighter and fun.”

After “falling into making another album together,” Pace is unsure what the future holds for Blonde Redhead. “I don’t want to think of it as the end, but it would be nice to end on a good note if we did,” he reflects. “Now that we’ve made one more album and it feels good, maybe we could stop.” Thankfully he adds, “Maybe not, maybe we’ll keep going.”

BLONDE REDHEAD

WHERE: RISING - FORUM

WHEN: 14 JUNE

UNDERSCORES

In the leadup to my interview with April Harper Grey, the New York-based producer and singer-songwriter known to many as Underscores, I found myself perusing multiple ‘fake’ websites.

WORDS BY CAIT EMMA BURKE

Æ Each had been created for the fictional American town of Wallsocket, Michigan, a town that sits at the centre of her ambitious concept album of the same name released in September last year.

The scope of April’s worldbuilding is enough to make the mind boggle – there’s a fake mum’s board, Moms of Wallsocket, a government website for the town, an online newspaper, Waterworks Weekly, and even an alternate reality game. For someone who loves easter eggs and lore, the world she’s built scratches a particular itch. Speaking to her over Zoom, I tell her The Sims came to mind when exploring the Wallsocket world and the characters that inhabit it. While she’s never played the game herself, “Some of the music was actually inspired by the soundtrack,” she says.

But when you’re engaging in worldbuilding at this level, how do you keep track of everything? “I had a tonne of flowcharts and a Notion board. I had a physical whiteboard that I would write on stuff. It was all very, like, mad scientist,” she says. “Eventually I had a couple of consultation calls with someone who’s done a lot of this kind of stuff before and he helped me make sure there was an incentive for people to go through all these different websites and that there was a kind of a path you could, you know, play almost. Originally, I just wanted it to be pure world-building, but I realised that not everyone was going to just dive into all this stuff so I had to provide a little bit of a game.”

April grew up in San Francisco and spent her free time holed up in her bedroom making music on GarageBand. Heavily inspired by Skrillex, she started releasing music as Underscores in middle school and sharing it to Soundcloud where she cultivated a particularly dedicated fan base. Her initial releases evolved from DIY dubstep into hyperpop, a genre she told NME last year is “officially dead”. Wallsocket is her first release on the independent New Yorkbased label Mom + Pop and the project has been lauded by critics – The Atlantic, Fader, The Rolling Stone and The Guardian, to name a few – who have declared it an innovative post-hyperpop masterpiece. Genre-wise, it runs the gamut from garage rock and Midwest emo to industrial pop and pop punk, with the occasional dash of hyperpop still making itself known, albeit in an unexpected, subverted manner.

When I ask her what she was consuming content-wise while creating the album, without hesitation she brings up Madonna’s iconic Music album, describing it as “kind of the thesis statement” of the project. “I think it was the first album that I remember being like ‘Okay, I really like this album’. The song Don’t Tell Me – essentially every song on Wallsocket can be routed back to that a little bit.”

The country music her parents played in the car when she was younger and “a lot of alternative country and a lot of bro-country” also heavily influenced the album. Film-wise, Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All, which came out while she was writing the album, “changed everything and became my favourite movie”. In fact, road trip movies as a genre proved influential, in particular the 2017 thriller Thoroughbreds and Thelma & Louise, arguably one of the greatest road trip films of all time.

This cinematic quality seeps into the world of Wallsocket on tracks like Cops and Robbers, the opener and one of the first songs she wrote for the album, telling the story of a bank teller who flees town after it’s revealed that he’s been embezzling money. Another standout track with a similarly high-energy feel is Locals (Girls Like Us), featuring experimental American musician Gabby Start and an infectious, anthemic chorus that brings to mind Bikini Kill and Olivia Rodrigo. It’s one of April’s favourites to play live and was “engineered so that there would be a moment for people to open a moshpit”.

At its core, Wallsocket is a concept album, with each track being told from the perspective of three girls – Sonny, Mara and Old Money Bitch – who reside in the town and are navigating young adulthood. With artists like Ethel Cain and Taylor Swift releasing recent concept albums, I ask April why she thinks listeners are so drawn to these types of releases. “I think it’s like a mix of two major things. I think the first one is if you look at Gen Alpha right now, or even just like, younger Gen Zers, they’re kind of brought up on all this YouTube content like Five Nights at Freddy’s and all of this ridiculous kind of stuff. It’s this ridiculous, completely unnecessary world-building. There are so many layers to all the lore so I think that’s why it’s resonating with a lot of younger people right now,” she says.

“It’s this ridiculous, completely unnecessary world-building. There are so many layers to all the lore so I think that’s why it’s resonating with a lot of younger people right now.”

But she also puts it down to the increasing number of tasks an artist has to do to make music these days. “Being a musician now is kind of doing like 20 different jobs. You have to promote your stuff, you probably have to edit videos and think about the rollout, you have to make TikToks and read up on how the algorithm works and you have to look into your audience. But I think something that I really wanted to do with this rollout, and especially with signing to a label, is take all of these different things that you have to do to get your music out there and package them all into this like one really cohesive world, you know?”

In June, she’ll be touring Australia for the first time and is set to play shows in Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne, as well as featuring on the lineup for Vivid Sydney. Her live shows have earned a reputation for being an invigorating, immersive experience, so I ask her what fans can expect from her Australian tour. “I’m definitely incorporating some new songs. The visuals are a very important part of the show. There are a lot of interludes to just have people look at the screen and stuff. For the original tour, I commissioned a bunch of like-minded people online to do visuals for different songs, so it’s a really fun show to watch.” Now, seven months after the release of Wallsocket, April says the intricacies of the fictional world feel long behind her. “At this point, I can’t believe it was a thing we went and did. It was always a bucket list thing I wanted to do so I’m very grateful I had the people and resources to do something like that.” But with that said, she’s not quite ready to say goodbye just yet, hinting at new music on the way soon and letting us know she’s not “fully done with Wallsocket”.

UNDERSCORES

WHERE: CORNER HOTEL

WHEN: 4 JUNE

ATH-TWX7 EARBUDS

WORDS BY DHIKA MAHESWARA

Audio-Technica maintains its status as a top-drawer manufacturer with brand-new Bluetooth-enabled earbuds.

Æ If you are a musician, audio engineer or just an enthusiast, chances are you’ve at least heard of the Audio-Technica brand and rightfully so. Known for its state-of-the-art features and impeccable high-fidelity sound, the company’s ambitious, groundbreaking contributions have helped it garner a reputation for being one of the best in the industry. As of today, that dedication is more determined than ever.

Just like a lot of great brands, Audio-Technica started from modest beginnings, when founder Hideo Matsushita had to build up its name by selling phonograph cartridges and tonearms during the 1960s. Today, the Japanese brand is celebrating over 50 years of designing and manufacturing audio equipment.

During this time, a plethora of top-notch products marked with their iconic double triangles have been sold worldwide. This includes the award-winning QuietPoint noise-cancelling headphones and the ubiquitous ATH-M50x monitor headphones, which have been used by top producers such as Kevin Parker, FINNEAS and Porter Robinson.

The ATH-TWX7 is the brand’s latest addition to their lineup of hi-fi wireless earbuds. Staying true to their reputation for sound authenticity, the designers build upon the 5.8mm high-resolution drivers featured in the exemplary ATH-TWX9 model to create a faithful high-quality listening experience. Couple that with extra support for 24-bit/96 kHz audio files, these compact little guys will let you hear all the ins and outs of your favourite songs in flawless fashion.

The noise-cancelling here is superb as well. Its value comes from a digital hybrid technology driven by beamforming MEMS microphones in each earbud. This means that when you’re on a call with someone, that person will hear your words plain as day, even in loud surroundings. And the best part? Every aspect of this feature is easily customisable with a simple touch of the sensor, allowing you to choose between Natural Mode (for quiet or indoor settings) and Noise-Reduction Mode (for noisy outdoor settings)

Any audio that enters your ears will sound crystal clear with these, whether you’re taking a stroll, working out or travelling on public transportation. Plus, they’re nicely equipped with a built-in soundscape feature that plays audio designed for stress relief, such as tranquil nature sounds to aid in relaxation or ambient music for enhanced focus.

As if all of that isn’t enough, the ATH-TWX7 earbuds can also be synchronised with the Audio-Technica CONNECT app which gives users access to many additional functions of the earphones including low latency mode, high-performance codecs, ambience control, EQ (including five presets), touch sensor settings and more.

When it comes to the design, it’s obvious that these lovely earbuds were tailor-made with the user’s ease and comfort in mind. They’re small and dense, coming with eight different ear-tips (four extra-soft, four silicone), free to put on and off as you see fit. The sleek charging case slips effortlessly into any purse or back pocket, making these earbuds perfect for high-quality audio on the go.

Next to that, the battery life can last up to six and a half hours and up to 20 with the non-slip portable charging case. They are also supplied with IPX4 water-resistant protection, which allows them to power through rain, accidental splashes and sweat. Don’t worry about aging or durability – these earbuds are in it for the long haul.

Seriously though, what more could you want in such small devices? They’re portable, tough and have everything you need for the perfect listening experience. Time and time again Audio-Technica has proven that it does not miss, and the ATH-TWX7 earbuds are yet another impressive showcase of their expertise.

You can get these earbuds now on the Audio-Technica website for RRP $369 in Ash Black (BK) and Stone Gray (GY), with JB Hi-Fi and other retailers also currently stocking the product on their shelves.

This article was made in partnership with Audio-Technica Australia.

REDISCOVERING VINTAGE

THE TIMELESS APPEAL AND MODERN INNOVATIONS

WORDS BY GEOFF HAYNES

Vintage Hi-Fi represents the birth of our music-listening age, tracing back to the dawn of modern music.

Æ Over time, these systems have evolved with trends, yet they maintain an enduring charm and superior sound quality that captivates enthusiasts. Numerous wondrous speakers and amplifiers from this era can be acquired very cheaply through secondhand shops and eBay. Any of these in working order will sound far superior to your phone and a Bluetooth speaker.

There’s a growing trend in Hi-Fi that seeks to capture the golden age of sound. This was when music sounded realistic and speakers featured larger cones to produce richer, more authentic bass. If you’re looking to set up a system on a budget, a vintage system is often a better investment than a cheap Bluetooth speaker. The sound quality and craftsmanship of vintage equipment provide a more satisfying listening experience.

These ‘Modern Vintage’ systems retain the classic aesthetics of vintage designs while incorporating today’s technology and features. You can find products with Spotify connectivity and HDMI inputs, allowing you to enjoy YouTube and Netflix with clear, coherent sound.

A couple of brands from this time are JBL and KLH; the Tivoli Audio Model 1 Radio makers both contribute to the Hi-Fi products that exist today.

Established in 1946, JBL quickly became synonymous with high-quality audio. Their speakers, renowned for their robust build and exceptional clarity, became favourites among audiophiles and professionals. Iconic models like the JBL L100, with its distinctive Quadrex foam grille, continue to evoke nostalgia and admiration. Today, JBL offers new vintage-inspired products that capture the essence of their classic designs while integrating modern technology and additional components, like their Classic Series of ‘new vintage’ amplifiers, CD players and turntables.

Originally known for their innovative acoustic suspension speakers, KLH has been a significant player in the Hi-Fi world since the 1950s. Their modern offerings stay true to their vintage roots, delivering high-quality sound with the added benefits of current audio technology. KLH’s new vintage products provide the same great performance while offering the convenience of modern connectivity options. KLH Speakers were originally built by Henry Kloss, the maker of the Tivoli Audio Model 1 Radio that you may have had growing up.

The resurgence of interest in vintage Hi-Fi systems highlights a broader cultural appreciation for quality, design and authenticity. The new vintage-inspired products offer a seamless blend of old and new. These systems provide the classic aesthetic and superior sound quality of vintage designs, combined with the convenience and performance of modern technology.

With all the world’s music at our fingertips, investing in a quality Hi-Fi system can significantly enhance your listening experience. Whether you’re drawn to the storied history of brands like JBL and KLH or excited by the possibilities of modern advancements, the journey into Hi-Fi promises rich and rewarding sonic adventures.

If you need guidance on setting up your home Hi-Fi system, don’t hesitate to contact me through my website, HeyNow Hi-Fi, where you can email, phone, or text me any of your questions. I’m always happy to help you on your Hi-Fi journey.

Beat readers can also enter MUSIC10 at checkout for 10% off.*

This article was made in partnership with HeyNow Hi-Fi. *10% off all non sale items. Offer ends 30/06/24.

byGeoffHaynes

DEAN LUKE

WORDS BY JOSHUA JENNINGS

“A 30-something with 20-something problems…” This lyric from Melbourne singer-songwriter Dean Luke’s debut single, What Do I Know?, sounds like the lament of somebody in the wilds of one of those decades. And it is.

Æ But that’s all history now. What Do I Know? has time-stamped a heavy patch that Luke has now outlived.

“Being a 30-something with ‘20-something problems’ just means you’re now at a point in your life where you’re expected to have your shit together, but you’re still struggling…. You still feel like you’re in the learning phase, or you still feel like there is all this stuff you don’t have under control.

But you should have it under control by now.”

What Do I Know?, an earworm of daydreamy jangle pop, is notable for angsty lyrics that distinctly contrast the bright chord progressions and ebullient vocal melodies. Luke says the existential despair he was navigating during its origins surfaced for a lot of reasons.

“I’d recently moved to a new suburb and wasn’t feeling comfortable yet; I was feeling disillusioned with my job and not particularly fulfilled by the people I was hanging around with.

I was also recovering from a breakup.

“Generally, I was just feeling lost and confused within myself and the world, for many different reasons.”

What Do I Know? was recorded over several weeks, alongside other tracks, at OneBe Studios in Coburg North. Luke says he isn’t ordinarily inclined to bring songs to life out of difficult experiences, but What Do I Know? was a silver lining in that respect.

“Most people think that people need to experience some sort of suffering to get inspiration,” Luke says. “It’s a commonly shared opinion of artists — that they need to be suffering in order to produce anything of value. That might be the case for some people – it’s not for me.

“I know for a fact that I am much, much better, much more productive and much more creative if I am in a good place in my life.”

Luke, who is also a guitar teacher, grew up on Phillip Island and lives in Coburg today. He received his first guitar aged 14, as a gift from his mum. He gravitated to the instrument and records, at least in part, as a means of respite from what he describes as a turbulent adolescence.

His formative years on guitar were spent idolising Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, and he spent years playing lead guitar in rock bands around Melbourne.

At the same time, as he matured into a young adult, his interests in music expanded beyond Zeppelin. He says his mum introduced him to artists such as Jeff Buckley, Thom Yorke and Lucinda Williams. Today, the songs he writes are inspired by bands and artists such as Wilco, Father John Misty, Phoebe Bridgers, Paul Dempsey, Yo La Tengo, Kurt Vile and Pavement. What Do I Know? also shares some emotional sensibilities with Elliott Smith and Bright Eyes. Luke says he wrote the lyrics to What Do I Know? in the Notes app on his phone during a commute, but then COVID railroaded his debut single release by years.

“It feels like a lot had to happen,” says Luke. “The fact that it was born out of a hard time in my life, and then… all these other things. It just feels really strange.”

What Do I Know? is a two-and-a-half-minute pop song that takes cues from 90s jangle luminaries such as The Sundays, along with the poppier veins of The Cure and Pavement. The other songs that Luke recorded at OneBe studios — slated for future release — follow a similar musical path to What Do I Know? but also explore the territory of alt-country and indie-folk.

You’ll hear rootsy swells of guitar and percussive shuffles reminiscent of early Dawes. Luke’s voice is full of warmth but bruised just enough around the edges to complement the introspective nature of his lyrics.

“There will be personal things in there but they’re mixed with made-up things and things from other people’s lives,” Luke says. “I don’t know, maybe one day that will change. Maybe one day I will write a bunch of songs chronicling my life in great detail…(laughs) but I don’t really write songs that way.

“But I do feel like just about everything in my life has shaped me into the person that I am and ultimately the songwriter that I am.”

“I know for a fact that I am much, much better, much more productive and much more creative if I am in a good place in my life.”

DEAN LUKE

LABEL: INDEPENDENT

RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

This article was made in partnership with Dean Luke.

Credit: Marcus

Coblyn

LOWF

WORDS BY JESS MAGTALAS

“I think all of us, just as people, our backgrounds shape us – it’s the sum of what we are and I’m no exception to that.”

Æ In the heart of Brooklyn, New York, where hip-hop continues to pulse, Oddisee remains a figure of authenticity and purpose. His creative pursuit is rooted in honouring his diverse heritage and forging meaningful ties within his community. Visiting Australia and New Zealand as part of his sprawling world tour, the artist linked up with Melbourne’s own premium streetwear brand to discuss their shared values of authenticity and creating with purpose.

What evolved from a hobby into an obsession saw the rapper and producer embarking into a career intertwined within the elements of hip-hop, jazz, funk and go-go, following the footsteps of musicians like A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Talib Kweli and Mos Def. His outlook on the human condition and political approach on life is partnered closely with his sound to create thought-provoking pieces for all ears to listen to.

“I would spend a lot of time in my cousin’s bedroom when we’d go visit, just listening to records, and I fell in love with the genre at a very young age. Then I started to collect music myself and as most school kids do, you take a crack at it. And I remember freestyling with my friends at lunch tables,” he tells the team at LOWF.

Born Amir Mohamed el Khalifa in Washington D.C. to a Sudanese father and AfricanAmerican mother, his enriched culture shaped who he is today. “Having that duality at home was definitely a fundamental part of who I am – speaking two languages, having two different sets of comfort foods and two different religions in my household… I reaped the benefits of both sides musically, culturally, exposure, everything,” he says.

Community has always been at the forefront of his endeavours, which aligned deeply with the LOWF philosophy, making for the perfect symbiotic partnership. The brand is dedicated to bringing like-minded people together and creating connections that are made to last, just like their garments, crafted primarily from organic and sustainable materials. LOWF prides itself on creating apparel that is good for the planet

and for the customer – from the manufacturer to the buyer, LOWF sees its people as one big family.

‘Breaking Bread’, a metaphor held closely to the ethos of LOWF’s philosophy, stands as a pillar to build ties to relationships. When the team asks what that means to Oddisee, he extends the relevance of it to his Sudanese ancestry, tying it up in one word ‘twanas’, which is simply to sit and chat amongst the people.

“Breaking bread means camaraderie. It means that you’re ready to take that next step in a relationship, regardless of what type that is. It says; I trust you and that I want to break bread with you. I want to share with you, I want to share resources with you – something that’s precious to me and my survival. I want to experience it with you,” he tells LOWF, noting that as an introvert and a creature of solitude, he appreciates his people. Oddisee has never indulged in the late-night New York lifestyle, like the rooftop parties, gigs and shows, we tend to hear about. Instead he enjoys the moments between office hours to create and meet people.

So when COVID-19 struck, the D.C. rapper found himself confined to home, spending more hours there than ever before. During this period, he grappled with self-doubt for the first time, an experience that ultimately inspired his album, To What End. “[This album] was really about my reasoning for doing what I do. To What End is a different way of saying ‘Why’,” he explains. This project serves as a reflection of his unwavering determination to create music that remains true to himself.

But what does authenticity look like to someone whose conviction is to be intentional? His commitment extends beyond his music to encompass both his artistic approach and personal style. Drawing inspiration from the look and feel of the D.C. area, his fashion choices pay homage to his neighbourhood, adding another layer of depth to his identity. For Oddisee, authenticity remains ever-changing, steered by different points in his life and guided by his moral compass. It means, “minding my business. It doesn’t just mean staying out of other people’s affairs. Minding my business is – if this is my lane, don’t jump into somebody else’s and try to be something that I’m not. Just continue to do you,” he says.

“Breaking bread means camaraderie. It means that you're ready to take that next step in a relationship, regardless of what type that is.

Oddisee wears pieces from LOWF’s latest collection, available online and in select boutiques.

WINTER WARMERS

WORDS BY BRANDON BENTLEY

In need of a mid-winter pick-me-up?

Take a peek at our list of exciting events, amazing activities and delicious food and drink hot spots firing up Melbourne this frosty season.

TOASTY TREATS

SIP SOME DELICIOUS MULLED WINE IN COLLINGWOOD

Mulled wine is a must during the chilly season, so look no further than Glou in Collingwood for a steaming hot mug. Sophisticated yet subtle, this sustainable wine bar and shop will make all your winter wine dreams come true. Just make sure to book in early to bag a good spot!

GLOU COLLINGWOOD

DINE AMONG VIKINGS IN THE CBD

With world-class Australian craft beer and the most scrumptious canapes this side of Valhalla, Mjølner is the perfect location for a homely mid-winter feel. Located in the heart of the Melbourne CBD, this Norse-inspired restaurant will have you feasting like a true Viking warrior.

MJØLNER MELBOURNE CBD

ROCK YOUR TASTEBUDS SOCKS OFF IN SOUTH YARRA

Want some good ol’ rock and roll energy mixed with comfy fireplace vibes? Leonard’s House of Love is your one-stop shop. This dive-bar-meets-burger-joint comes equipt with great tunes and an incredible range of cocktails that’ll make your trek down to Chapel Street worth it.

LEONARD’S HOUSE OF LOVE SOUTH YARRA

Æ Winter is right around the corner. There’s a chill in the air, the hot coffee is brewing and the wool blankets are cozying up couches. While most people head into hibernation for the season, Melburnians aren’t ones to be antisocial. But that begs the question: What do you do to spice up your Melbourne winter?

With a range of chic bars for some midnight cocktails by the fire, snuggly cafes with endless comfort food options and enticing events and activities to fill your calendar, there isn’t a single reason to spend your nights nesting indoors this winter.

Ç PUT YOUR TRIVIA EXPERTISE TO THE TEST IN FITZROY

Did someone say trivia? Hit up the Fitzroy Pinnacle for their delightful Trivia Tuesdays! This outrageously fun game night is complemented by an array of cheap drink specials and a cheeky taco night discount. You’ll want to reserve a table as soon as possible; this tends to fill up quickly!

THE FITZROY PINNACLE FITZROY

GRAB A LATE-NIGHT HOT CHOCCIE IN NORTH MELBOURNE

In the mood for a piping hot chocolate to warm up your evening? Head to Palette At Night in North Melbourne for an intimate slice of candlelit heaven. Prepare yourself for a cozy evening as you enjoy their range of creamy hot drinks, crunchy waffles and decadent desserts.

PALETTE. AT NIGHT NORTH MELBOURNE

BREAK THE ICE FOR SOME CHILLY COCKTAILS IN FED SQUARE

Grab your ski jacket and sled down to IceBar in Federation Square for some sweet icecold cocktails. Featuring a variety of unreal ice sculptures plus a free cocktail and shot with every booking, you won’t need to hit the slopes to feel the frosty vibes this winter. ICEBAR MELBOURNE FEDERATION SQUARE

EMBRACE COMFORT FOOD GALORE AT MILK THE COW

There’s nothing quite as cozy as a bubbling cauldron of cheesy goodness. This fromagerie offers fondue, raclette, tasting boards and more for the ultimate late-night bite. Plus, they’ve got a liquor license – what good is a creamy camembert without a glass of red beside it?

MILK THE COW ST KILDA & CARLTON

RED-HOT EXPERIENCES

Ç LIGHT UP THE NIGHT SKY IN THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS

Looking for an immersive night out in the CBD? Take a walk through the illuminated flora and fauna of Lightscape. Back for another year in the Royal Botanic Gardens, this re-imagined light installation, complete with mouth-watering snack stands, is a feast for all senses.

LIGHTSCAPE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS

FEEL THE FIERY-HOT FLAMES AT DOCKLANDS

Swing by Dockland’s Firelight festival for some toasty temperatures to melt your frosty nights out. With a range of flavourful food and drink pop-ups, incredible light shows and intricate fire-based sculptures, you’ll be left feeling red-hot in no time.

FIRELIGHT DOCKLANDS

Ç EXPERIENCE YOUR FIRST WINTER CHRISTMAS IN THE CBD

Pop on your Christmas sweater and head to The Butterfly Club for a mid-winter holiday treat! Over four sparkly nights, you can listen to A Very Popera Christmas in July turn your favourite Chrissy classics into opera sensations. Be sure to book your tickets early to nab this pre-Christmas gift!

A VERY POPERA CHRISTMAS IN JULY THE BUTTERFLY CLUB

LOSE YOURSELF IN A JOURNEY THROUGH FILM IN ST. KILDA

A celebration of emerging creatives, the St Kilda Film Festival is a movie extravaganza you don’t want to miss. Laugh your socks off in the Australian Comedy Showcase or support local Victorian filmmakers in the Made in VIC sessions. Whatever you’re looking for, this year’s expansive program has you covered. ST. KILDA FILM FESTIVAL ST. KILDA

TEST OUT YOUR SPANISH LANGUAGE SKILLS AT THE SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL

When the temperatures take a dive, it’s all too easy to find yourself daydreaming about the sun-soaked Mediterranian coast. The Spanish Film Festival lets you indulge your holiday fantasies from home with some of the world’s best Spanish language cinema at your fingertips.

SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Ç REINVIGORATE YOUR STYLE AT THE ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING

Feel like a little mid-season refresh? The Finders Keepers Design Market is the place for you. Over three crafty days in July, this market will house unique clothing from independent designers as well as tasty appetisers and lively tunes from local DJs. Let your creativity run wild!

THE FINDERS KEEPERS DESIGN MARKET ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING

FIERY-FUN ACTIVITIES

SHOW OFF YOUR SKATING SKILLS IN DOCKLANDS

Break out your skates at the O’Brien Icehouse! Hit the ice for a public skate with your friends, watch local teams face off in a gripping game of ice hockey, or expand your skills with a private figure skating lesson. There’s ice-bound fun in store for everyone.

O’BRIEN ICEHOUSE DOCKLANDS

SWELL YOUR WHISKY TASTEBUDS IN ALBERT PARK

If you’re a fan of whisky, head south of the Yarra for a winter delight. Hosted by The Pullman Hotel, The Melbourne Whisky Show features over 100+ whiskies from around the world all in one place. Tempt yourself with a delicious whisky-tasting adventure and secure your ticket now.

THE WHISKY SHOW MELBOURNE THE PULLMAN HOTEL

REVAMP YOUR WINTER WARDROBE ON

SYNDEY ROAD

It’s layering season! There are countless amazing local boutiques and op-shops in Melbourne and Sydney Road may or may not be the centre of the action. Whether you’re hunting for a hoodie, a beanie or a coat, stop by Concrete Jungle which carries Melbourne streetwear brand LOWF.

Ç RELAX WITHIN WARM SERENE WATERS IN COLLINGWOOD

Nothing warms icy bones quite like a spa day. With a world-class mineral bath, a fiery Finnish sauna and several sensational steam rooms, Sense of Self in Collingwood has everything you need to feel rejuvenated and ready to face the winter chill.

SENSE OF SELF COLLINGWOOD

GRAB A DRINK AND PAINT A MASTERPIECE IN THE CBD

Need to unleash your creativity? Look no further than Pinot & Picasso in the Melbourne CBD. Perfect for groups or couples looking to get out of the house, you can crack open a bottle of wine as you whip up a one-of-akind painting that’ll rival Michelangelo himself. PINOT & PICASSO MELBOURNE CBD

EXPLORE THE ILLUMINATED MAZE IN PORT MELBOURNE

Lose yourself in the lights of the Starry Sky Exhibition at Met Art World. Featuring a kaleidoscope-inspired maze, a bright and colourful enchanted forest, a sparkly indoor star-gazing experience and an immersive visual treat within the 360° tunnel, this is one dazzling sight you won’t forget.

STARRY SKY EXHIBITION MET ART WORLD

FACE OFF WITH FRIENDS IN A GO-KARTING FRENZY IN FOOTSCRAY

On your marks, get set, go! Race your friends to the finish line at Battle Kart in Footscray. With a variety of game options from soccer and pool-inspired team challenges to one-onone battles atop a disco-inspired dancefloor, this indoor go-kart experience is a unique video game-style adventure.

BATTLE KART FOOTSCRAY

SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL

WORDS BY KAYA MARTIN

Æ Whether you’re a film buff, a Spanish expat or just wish you were off to Europe this year, the HSBC Spanish Film Festival presented by Palace awaits.

The sprawling annual festival has a lineup that’s bigger and better than ever, showcasing the best of the Spanish language cinema from Madrid to Medellín.

On opening night, catch The Movie Teller (La contadora de películas) directed by the iconic Lone Scherfig. A tribute to cinema and the power of storytelling, the film follows a young woman in a Chilean mining town.

This year’s festival Centrepiece is The Teacher Who Promised The Sea (El maestro que prometió el mar), the Gaudí award-winning drama detailing the true story of Antoni Benaiges, a teacher who brought progressive teaching methods to a small Spanish village in the 1930s.

The 2024 Special Presentation collection focuses on films that encapsulate sexual liberation and empowerment, including Un Amor, a drama about neighbours in rural Spain who become tangled in a web of passion, and Vera And The Pleasure of Others (Vera y el placer de los otros), the hilariously erotic story of 17-year-old Vera who has a secret fixation on listening to lovemaking.

The New Spanish Cinema category features Jokes and Cigarettes (Saben aquell) starring David Verdaguer as Eugenio, the famous 1970s Catalan comedian best known for his dry delivery and all-black outfits. A special screening of this film will take place a week ahead of the festival.

Elsewhere on the diverse program, find Latin American gems, including the coming-of-age drama A Ravaging Wind (El viento que arrasa) directed by Argentinian heavyweight Paula Hernandez and a revenge story set in 1990s Mexico, Upon Open Sky (A cielo abierto), created by Mexican scriptwriter Guillermo Arriaga.

Presented by Palace, the festival will also be taking place in other cities across Australia. In Melbourne, the event will take at a selection of the city’s favourite cinemas, such as The Astor Theatre, The Kino and various Palace locations.

From emotional moments to big laughs, Spanish film has so much to offer, so brush up on your language skills, grab a glass of tempranillo and settle in for a big night at the movies.

SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL

WHERE: VARIOUS LOCATIONS

WHEN: 14 JUNE–10 JULY

INTEL CORE ULTRA AI STUDIO

WORDS BY ASHLYNN HANNAH

Æ Join creative director Ta-Ku, beatmaker Ninajirachi and photographer Demas Rusli in their masterclass workshops, showcasing the power of AI collaboration with the new Intel Core Ultra Processor.

Intel is launching the Intel Core Ultra AI Studio, an event designed to connect aspiring innovators with notable artists in the creative industry. In a world where AI seems to be encroaching on every corner, Intel Core Ultra AI Studio aims to give you the essential tools to harness the power of AI to enhance your work, not overtake it.

Intel is promising an industry showcase event with three established talents who will openly share their insider knowledge and teach you everything you need to know.

Australian musician, producer, photographer and creative director Ta-Ku will be teaching a workshop exploring AI as an Aide for The Next Wave of Creative Directors. His inventive and emotion-rich music has attracted a cult following, leading to performances for triple j’s Like A Version and NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert as well as sold-out headline shows across the world. If you haven’t listened to his most recent release Songs To Come Home To, what are you waiting for?

The unmatched Ninajirachi will be talking about all things AI-powered plugins and how she uses them to produce her music in her workshop Making One-of-a-Kind Music Better with AI. With a plethora of experience hosting workshops with APRA SongMakers and MusicNSW sessions, Ninajirachi knows how to captivate a crowd with her beats. Listen to Girl EDM and tell me you don’t want to learn how to make music like that.

One of Australia’s most-loved photographers on social media, Demas Rusli will be hosting a workshop called Lights, Camera, AI: Street Photography Elevated with AI. He will speak about how he uses AI to enhance the editing process of his photography and how it has also aided his creative process. If you want to be the next sought-after photographer, look no further.

Workshop numbers are limited so get in quick!

INTEL CORE ULTRA AI STUDIO

WHERE: MELBOURNE CENTRAL

WHEN: 23 MAY

DANIELLE WHALEBONE

WORDS BY NICOLE SMITH

Æ Songwriter and poet Danielle Whalebone, known for her critically acclaimed albums Milk Teeth and Tonic Clonic, reveals her latest musical venture, Whispers of Shadows.

Her latest creation lays a series of spoken word poems over noise guitar. This release is a symbol of Whalebone’s artistic evolution, from writing simple riffs to using a bow on an electric guitar.

Whalebone describes the spoken word album as “art for art’s sake” that “reflects on one’s child self, reveals a desire for connection and the sense of isolation that arose from lockdown”. The work was born out of an improvised session at Birdland Studios with guitarist Francesco Manuse. “When the structured studio session finished, we turned all the lights down. The engineer kept recording and we just improvised, it felt like we left the physical realm. We had a transportive moment”.

Listening to the recording of the impromptu session, different emotions were revealed, creating a soundscape of sorts. Whalebone was inspired to transform her cupboard into a recording booth during lockdown. “I wanted to recreate the pressure of the studio completing the recordings in as few takes as possible”.

Each track is a window into Whalebone’s introspective world, where her poetic verses become a mirror reflecting our collective experiences. “The piece weaves together themes of reflecting on self, the past, home, freedom and space.”

The journey came full circle with the album’s completion back at Birdland Studios. Producer Lindsay Gravina contributes a rich layer of complexity and aural sophistication to the album. Whispers of Shadows features the use of a technique called klangfarbenmelodie (translating to sound-colour melody) which involves splitting a melody between instruments;

Whispers of Shadows marks a pivotal evolution in Whalebone’s musical career. “I feel like a painter with a new palette. Using samples, percussion, and rhythms, I have started thinking about what another project would sound like, if it was refined and structured from the beginning. I’m excited for the growth, development, and vulnerability to come.” For Whalebone, Whispers of Sounds symbolises the beginning of something new and a world of possibility.

KINO MOTEL

WORDS

BY SIMONE ANDERS

Æ Picture an abandoned water park in the Balkans, or a cold winter afternoon on a beach; a dilapidated pier haunted by the mist of the sea breeze.

This is an introduction to Berlin/Melbourne-based Kino Motel, a band channelling the melancholy of the open road. Their debut album Visions, released earlier this year, explores the mystery of traversals.

“It deals with some dark things and about the journeys that you don’t always get to choose. It’s not necessarily a fun holiday,” says Rosa Mercedes, who performs alongside fellow band member Ed Fraser.

“Some of the songs are about the death of loved ones or situations we’ve been in that we have to process. It’s a journey and it’s not rosy. It’s encouraging you to go through this journey with a sense of open-mindedness.”

The music video for their single Blame Me For Free is especially reminiscent of this, featuring a collection of images and abstracted life forms.

“That song is a bittersweet song and I wanted to capture the changeable nature of life. That one is about some heavy topics, but it’s also about seeing the beauty in it, that life is transient.”

Drawing visual and sonic inspiration from the unique qualities of the places they’ve travelled, Kino Motel mish-mashes styles to create something wholly original.

“I think it’s sort of wistful because you are always missing something, you are always longing for the other place when you are based in two places. You can hear the spaciousness in a lot of the songs. Songs like Sleeper are very evocative of wide open country Australia. Then there is an after-hours club feel – the synths are very reminiscent of Berlin in that respect.”

Repeater, an early single from the album, fuses post-punk energy with scuzzy shoegaze – designed to be played loud and live. Headless is the perfect counterpart, a moody jaunt propelled forward by a percussion pulse.

I ask Rosa if there’s one place they would stay in given the chance. “We are a little bit obsessed with Albania. It’s very beachgoth, a lot of abandoned structures on beaches. It’s got this really special feeling.”

DANIELLE WHALEBONE

LABEL: INDEPENDENT

RELEASE: OUT NOW

KINO HOTEL

LABEL: HEART OF THE RAT RECORDS

RELEASE: OUT NOW

STAGE GUIDE

SUNSET BOULEVARD

Experience an extraordinary new rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical Sunset Boulevard, starring Sarah Brightman and a stellar cast of Australia’s theatrical elite.

PRINCESS THEATRE THROUGHOUT JUNE

THE SWALLOWS

Empowered by her connection with nature during daily walks, Aunty prepares to break free from the pressures of her urban environment and childhood scars. But the landscape, marked by her ancestors, demands attention. Written and directed by Sandra Fiona Long, The Swallows is a poetic, genre-defying performance.

LA MAMA HQ 6–16 JUNE

THE BIG HOO-HAA!

Prepare for a fast-paced, hilarious night with The Big HOO-HAA!, Melbourne’s favourite and longest-running weekly improvisational comedy show. Featuring a stellar lineup of comedians, this ensemble delivers high-octane improv, killer punchlines, and a mix of sizzling and sometimes fizzling one-liners every Friday night.

BUTTERFLY CLUB THROUGHOUT JUNE

PASTABATE

Join HER on a comedic journey through heartbreak and pasta cravings in Pastabate. As she navigates life after a breakup, HER finds solace in pasta, despite her gluten allergy. From reenacting soap operas to hallucinating dancing spaghetti, Pastabate blends theatrical realism with campy spectacle.

LA MAMA COURTHOUSE 4–9 JUNE

THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Experience the thrill of Susan Hill’s chilling ghost story, The Woman in Black, in Stephen Mallatratt’s brilliant stage adaptation. Join a lawyer obsessed with a curse he believes haunts his family, brought to life by John Waters and Daniel MacPherson. Robin Herford’s gripping production is a masterclass in atmosphere, illusion and controlled horror.

ATHENAEUM THEATRE 13–30 JUNE

MULTIPLE BAD THINGS

Enter the dystopian world of three employees grappling with inclusion, identity and escalating tensions in the workplace. Back to Back Theatre challenges assumptions and delves into the personal, political and cosmic in this gripping production.

MALTHOUSE THEATRE 1–9 JUNE

REBECCA YARROS IN CONVERSATION

Join bestselling author Rebecca Yarros for an evening of riders, romantasy and revelations as she delves into the world of Basgiath War College and the enigmatic Fourth Wing and Iron Flame.

MELBOURNE TOWN HALL 25 JUNE

HUNKS 4 U

Get ready for Melbourne’s hottest improv team to dazzle you with a monthly variety show filled with improv, stand-up, sketch, storytelling and maybe even a clowning act or serenade.

THE IMPROV CONSPIRACY 1 & 29 JUNE

GARAGE GIRLS

Meet Alice Anderson, the trailblazing mechanic in 1920s Melbourne, in a lively exploration of her adventurous life and achievements in Garage Girls.

LA MAMA COURTHOUSE 3 JUNE

MURDER AT THE MANOR

Immerse yourself in a murder mystery set in the Roaring Twenties and 1930s, where you become a detective unravelling clues amid a cast of intriguing characters.

STAMFORD PLAZA 14 JUNE

MONSTER HIGH

Embark on an interactive journey through a supernatural high school, discovering your own supernatural powers alongside Teen Queens, Werewolves, Vampires and more.

THE CHANNEL 1 & 22 JUNE

SAMUEL BECKETT AND THE RAINBOW GIRL

Explore the dynamics between Samuel Beckett and Lucia Joyce, daughter of James Joyce, in a poignant tale set in late 1920s Paris.

IRENE MITCHELL STUDIOS 13–23 JUNE

JULIA

Discover the journey of Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female prime minister, in a rich portrait exploring her life, challenges and achievements.

SOUTHBANK THEATRE THROUGHOUT JUNE

THE LAST TRAIN TO MADELINE

Experience a nostalgic journey through adolescence, first love and suburban dreams in Callum Mackay’s poignant play.

MEAT MARKET’S STABLES 18–29 JUNE

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Be enchanted by Disney’s classic tale brought to life in a spectacular production featuring beloved songs and dazzling performances.

HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE THROUGHOUT JUNE

SATURDAY, JUNE 15

FESTIVAL GUIDE

TASTE SORRENTO

Embark on a month-long journey at Taste Sorrento, where the essence of the Mornington Peninsula’s comes alive through culinary experiences, cultural immersion and natural beauty, inviting exploration and enjoyment.

SORRENTO THROUGHOUT JUNE

GOOD FOOD AND WINE SHOW

Head to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre for three delightful days celebrating good food, exquisite wine and great company.

MELBOURNE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE 1 & 2 JUNE

RISING

Offering eclectic performances and experimental art, RISING is an annual festival that spills out into the city’s streets, car parks, churches, town square and beloved venues.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS 1–16 JUNE

TRIBETEK

FTC x Pulsar presents TRIBETEK – an evening honouring the 90s rave scene with curated DJs and live acts focusing on trance, techno and psychedelic sounds within a new warehouse venue.

124 LANGFORD ST 8 JUNE

OZ COMIC CON

Oz Comic-Con invites fans of all ages and interests to immerse themselves in an exciting experience over two dynamic days. Whether you’re a devotee of various pop cultures or simply enjoy a fun outing, there’s something for everyone – from wizards to sci-fi enthusiasts and beyond.

MELBOURNE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE 8 & 9 JUNE

CASTLEMAINE JAZZ FESTIVAL

The 2024 return of the Castlemaine Jazz Festival is upon us, unveiling an impressive selection of jazz aficionados set to swing into town. Taking place at six iconic venues in the town centre, it’s the perfect way to spend the long weekend!

CASTLEMAINE 7–9 JUNE

WOODEND WINTER ARTS FESTIVAL

Experience four days of music, words and ideas at the 19th annual Woodend Winter Arts Festival, set in the picturesque Macedon Ranges during the King’s Birthday long weekend.

MACEDON RANGES 7–10 JUNE

MORNINGTON WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Mornington Winter Music Festival brings the streets of Mornington to life over the Queen’s Birthday weekend with a vibrant celebration of music, arts and heritage, offering a diverse range of entertainment for all tastes.

MORNINGTON MAIN ST 7–10 JUNE

ST KILDA FILM FESTIVAL

Presented by the City of Port Phillip, the St Kilda Film Festival showcases exceptional Australian films, supporting emerging talent alongside industry professionals. This festival is a gateway to recognition in the Short Film Awards and Documentary Short sections of the Oscars.

ST KILDA 6–16 JUNE

LIGHTSCAPE

Lightscape returns to the Royal Botanic Gardens after dark showcasing a reimagined trail and new installations. Explore interactive exhibits like Submergence along with beloved attractions like the Winter Cathedral and Laser Forest at Fern Gully.

ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS FROM 14 JUNE

SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL

This national film festival features the best Spanish language cinema from heartwrenching dramas to hilarious comedies. The program is rich and diverse, filled with both Spanish and Latin American offerings.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS 14 JUNE –10 JULY

DANGEROUS GOODS XXL NO. 3

Prepare for an immersive journey into a techno revolution at Dangerous Goods XXL 3.0 – a 360-degree experience unlike any other! Featuring an impressive lineup of six international artists, this event promises an electrifying fusion of sound, light and motion.

PICA 22 JUNE

EAST GIPPSLAND WINTER FESTIVAL

Returning for a fourth year, the festival will celebrate ‘How We Winter’ in the region through a dedicated program of art, performance, music and gastronomy.

GIPPSLAND FROM 21 JUNE

MOULD - A CHEESE FESTIVAL

Experience the ultimate cheese celebration at Mould Cheese Festival, showcasing a variety of homegrown cheeses from across Australia in a milky extravaganza!

ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING 28 & 29 JUNE

FIRELIGHT FESTIVAL

Over three vibrant nights, Melbourne’s captivating winter festival, Firelight, takes over Docklands featuring fire displays, live music, delightful culinary experiences and more. Admission is free!

HARBOUR ESPLANADE 28–30 JUNE

ONEFOUR

WORDS BY KAYA MARTIN

In the upper echelons of Aussie hip-hop, no act has caught more flack than OneFour.

“You can imagine our career’s been pretty crazy, so this is nothing new.”

ONEFOUR

WHERE: RISING – FESTIVAL HALL

WHEN: 8 JUNE

Æ It may also be true that no act has caused quite as much of a stir on the scene as OneFour. In 2014, the Mount Druitt group introduced Australia to drill, a genre of hip-hop born in the south side of Chicago and raised in the UK, best known for its association with gang violence. Their music, filled with bullet sprays and bars threatening the opps, piqued the interest of some listeners and struck terror into others. Since the start, police have done everything in their power to make the group go away. They raided their family homes, blocked them from performing and even tried (unsuccessfully) to get their music pulled from streaming services, all of which was covered in great detail in the 2023 Netflix documentary ONEFOUR: Against All Odds. But despite the best efforts of the authorities – and perhaps because of them – OneFour continued to rise.

Now, OneFour is set to headline in Melbourne for the first time as part of RISING. Members J Emz, Spenny and Lekks will take to the Festival Hall stage on June 8 supported by Miss Kannina, RFA17 and LF70. It’s a big moment, but J Emz, dressed in a white Nike hat and blue zip-up, shows no signs of nerves.

“I’m not scared at all, to be honest. If I was worried about something, it’d be the show not going ahead, but I don’t see that happening with RISING,” he says. “We’ve only been able to dip and dive into a couple club shows and stuff like that, so we haven’t been able to put on an actual live show, a proper hour set, so when we announced that everyone was excited.”

A decade since the start of their career, the upcoming show may be evidence that OneFour are finally too big to be silenced. They’re fresh off the back of their first international show held at The Lawn in Bali, where they sprayed the screaming crowd with Bintang. Earlier this month, the group took the APRA Award for Most Performed Hip-Hop/ Rap Work for their track Comma’s, which has racked up more than 10 million Spotify streams since its release last February.

“It was definitely weird being there, to be honest,” J Emz laughs. “It was a good experience to receive the award and that, but it was not our type of thing. We were grateful to receive the award but we got out of there right away.”

These days, the only thing standing in OneFour’s way might be internal dynamics. Despite reaching new career heights, original members Celly and YP have left in recent months – Celly being charged with threatening a man with a knife and YP stepping away to join the priesthood. But it seems nothing can shake J Emz.

“I feel like over time we’ve gotten used to it, you know? You can imagine our career’s been pretty crazy, so this is nothing new. There’s no worries at all. We’re just going to keep going, keep grinding.”

He says despite the changes and new recognition, the group’s end product has remained the same. “When we started doing this music thing, the goal was to better our lives and take care of the people that we love, our friends and families, and obviously the guys. And it’s been the same goal and objective from the start.”

“We definitely stick to our roots because that’s what makes us us. I don’t think it’s impacted the way we write at all, no,” he tells me.

Their new single, Natural Habitat, is evidence – in signature OneFour form, the boys wax poetic about backshots and caskets lightened with a few jokes (“The bars they be spitting, it sounds like they got that shit from ALDI”) over a beat produced by rising star Chandler Jewels. Although the music hasn’t changed, the culture around it has. J Emz says the bigger the group gets, the more it gives hope to other aspiring artists from the same scene.

“I feel like there’s been a more positive aspect around our music, for sure. It’s definitely something I enjoy, especially for the young people coming up, the younger generation trying to make music. I can tell, aside from all the bullshit we’d had to go through and stuff like that, there’s a positive aspect within our music and it shows through our achievements.”

But just as Australia is finally ready to fully embrace OneFour, the group has got their sights set abroad. “We’re not really focused too much on Australia at the moment because not much happens here,” J Emz says. “If we can break barriers overseas, that’d be the main goal and objective for sure.”

MILL PLACE MERCHANTS

WORDS BY ASHLYNN HANNAH

LIVE MUSIC : at Mill Place Merchants promises to swoon you, with live jazz, blues, big band music and soul crooners scheduled from the early evening until after midnight.

FAMOUS FOR: being hard to find. Don’t be fooled by the dressing room mirror, it is merely an obstacle to pass before being transported to Melbourne’s newest speakeasy.

INFAMOUS FOR: its classic cocktail list. It’s only a few weeks old but the people have already spoken.

Æ Melbourne is known for its nightlife and its endless choice of places to frequent when the sun goes down. It’s a city full of hidden bars and hard-to-find alleyways, which means Mill Place Merchants is right at home. Situated in the heart of the CBD, just off Flinders Lane in a heritage-listed building dating back to the 1840s, Mill Place is the perfect spot for a drink before a show at one of the city’s many theatres or live music venues. Maybe even better after the show, perched up on one of the many cushioned armchairs to keep you cosy late into the night.

It has an atmosphere akin to 1920s Paris – think sipping gin rickeys with F. Scott Fitzgerald and other artsy bohemians. The minute you walk through the maroon door, you’ll spot watercolour sketches of iconic buildings on Flinders Lane (including the very building you are in) courtesy of local artist Ross McFarlane.

With cocktail names like Opera, Monte Carlo and Rabo de Galo, the drink list is dressed to impress. It’s also well-suited to accompany the many delectable snacks featured on the food menu, including everything from charcuterie and deviled eggs to vanilla rum canelés.

It’s easy to get lost in the old-worldly charm of Melbourne’s newest speakeasy. The atmosphere radiates ‘date night’ but could also be fitting for planning world domination with your best friends. Just make sure you follow the house rules and “Do not bring anyone unless you would leave that person alone in your home.”

Credit:

WHERE: GROUND FLOOR/2 MILL PLACE, MELBOURNE

OPEN: TUE–WED 5PM–12AM THU–FRI 4PM–1AM SAT 5PM–1AM

REVOLVER UPSTAIRS

LIVE MUSIC: on a weekend in Melbourne is almost impossible to imagine without Revs.

FAMOUS FOR: being synonymous with the city’s late-night vibe ever since it first opened its recognisable doors back in 1997.

INFAMOUS FOR: just the very mention of its moniker.

Æ Ask anyone who’s spent a night out in Melbourne and they’ll likely have a story about Revs.

The venue is proud to wear a lot of hats, with a 24-hour nightclub, bandroom, Thai restaurant and arts space falling under the Revolver Upstairs umbrella. From its prominent poster wall showcasing monthly artist works to the quarterly artworks adorning its Seasons Of Change events and smokers paradise, Revs has hosted plenty of variety within those storied walls.

Between a Q&A and exhibition with photographer Martha Cooper and local skate crew video screenings, you can also find weekly trivia, Tuesday night bandroom hula-hooping sessions and 3181 Locals Night on Thursdays. That’s – of course – without looking at the annual skate ramp event 31 Sk8 1, the yearly COILS Tattoo Art Expo and Exhibition and the Revolver Upstairs Records label, which has been releasing music for five years now.

Revolver loves to work with the local community to bring all genres together and has a close relationship with Union Heights, which has led to a recent dive back into the hip-hop and arts scene.

Of course, the iconic 320-capacity bandroom can’t be overlooked either, welcoming acts onto the renowned caged stage. Alongside an appearance from local hip-hop icons POSSESHOT, high-profile events like secret shows from hardcore outfits Alpha Wolf and Extortion (presented by Brick and Mortar) have also sold out, proving Revolver Upstairs isn’t just a place for electronic music.

Take a look at the upcoming roster of events and you’ll find the six-piece outfit Soulutations and the “four peace groove train” Wobbygong alongside the blistering punk/metal/hardcore of DREGG and the EMO AF celebration.

Meanwhile, there’s the Techno&co skate screening and music lineup, the dark psychedelia of SCARES and the launch of iconic producer Jase Beathedz’s highly-anticipated album, BEATHEDZ VOL2.

WHERE: LEVEL 2/229 CHAPEL ST, PRAHRAN

OPEN: SEVEN DAYS A WEEK

SUGAR GLIDER

WORDS BY KALANI GIDDEY

LIVE MUSIC: A smattering of some of the best DJs in Melbourne inhabit the technicolour fantasy that is Sugar Glider, spinning wax of all sorts with reckless abandon until the wee hours of the night.

FAMOUS FOR: community. Cramming half the population of Fitzroy into the tiny space seems like a gargantuan effort, but these folks make it a breeze. Walking in feels like a warm hug, and with eye-wateringly cheap pints a plenty, you’ll never want to go home.

INFAMOUS FOR: a standout comedy night every Wednesday and probably one of the best burritos in the city.

Æ Sugar Glider feels like a little piece of New York, an intimate and classy number that would be right at home in Greenwich Village. Stepping into the office though, this glitzy and glamorous affair is but a wolf-in-sheeps-clothing: a dive bar as divey as the best of them, complete with Happy Hour specials that’ll make your brain fall out of your ears.

When you’re ready, make your way down its vibrant halls into the bandroom, adorned with a disco ball and cushy leather booths straight out of the 70s.

The space is chameleon, morphing from a comedy club to an open mic to a trivia stage (complete with prizes!) to a no-holds-barred dancefloor after 11pm, when some of Melbourne’s finest disk jockeys take hold, pumping tunes from all walks of life until three in the morning on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Feeling a little peckish? The wizards in the kitchen at Sugar Glider are no strangers to a late-night affair. After drinking yourself silly at the bar, sample a range of Tex-Mex delights that are sure to leave tummy and wallet equally as happy, with vegetarian and vegan options to boot. And if that wasn’t appealing enough, feel free to scour some of the finest late-night cuisine options in Fitzroy, with tantalising libations lying in wait to be enjoyed with your culinary treasures back at the bar.

Overall, Sugar Glider is funky, fresh and a little classy – a bar where one drink turns into five and 10pm becomes but a distant memory.

WHERE: 56 JOHNSTON ST, FITZROY

WHEN: TUE–SAT 6PM–3AM SUN 6PM–1AM

VIVA

WORDS BY DHIKA MAHESWARA

LIVE MUSIC: Opulent dance shows run every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. With a blend of charming performers and an alluring drama, the place is perfect for those looking to sneak a mischievous night out with friends.

FAMOUS FOR: its luxurious array of food and drinks. From delicious dishes to specialty cocktails, these treats are specifically made to complement the evening’s entertainment. The chicken waffles, in particular, are to die for!

INFAMOUS FOR: its provocative late-night entertainment. With shows that are not only sophisticated but heavily intimate, it doesn’t take a second glance to understand that Viva is not your ordinary bar.

Æ Located in North Melbourne, Viva is another unique addition to the city’s vibrant and busy nightlife. With its 1920s-style setting and contemporary cabaret shows, this brand-new venue takes you on a transformative journey bringing together the past and present. The magic of this venue comes from its two extravagant acrobatic shows, Elegant and Exotic. The former is a fantastic fusion of comedy, Las Vegas charm and commercial choreography, while the latter is a sensational spectacle, both passionate and arousing. To top it all off, there’s a charming French host with some joyous humour! Don’t get overzealous just yet though – we haven’t even got to the menu. As you feast in the spectacularity of the stage, gift your taste buds with a divine selection of food and drinks including Japaneseinspired dishes and signature cocktails crafted by expert mixologists and presented by a friendly staff that will look after you well. Let yourself into its bright red interior and be captivated by the opulent ambience. Head on to the bar and get yourself a smokey whiskey blend. Sit around the centre stage and wait until the curtains drop for whatever show is up next. It’s an epicenter of razzle-dazzle, full of mystique and extravaganza!

WHERE: 64/90 SUTTON ST, NORTH MELBOURNE

OPEN: TUE 6:30PM–LATE FRI–SAT 5PM–LATE

TROY CASSAR-DALEY

Between The Fires

Æ “I’m lost out at sea/ Sinking like a goddamn stone/ My lighthouse is gone/ How am I gonna find my way home?” – Between The Fires’ opening title track finds Troy Cassar-Daley drowning in grief following the death of his mother.

The scar tree in this album’s cover photo is located behind Cassar-Daley’s childhood home in Halfway Creek on Gumbaynggirr country (northern New South Wales). Cassar-Daley’s “lighthouse” passed away in her sleep at this location in 2022, while he toured the country alongside his mate Ian Moss.

Returning to country and spending time by the fire helped him mourn. So Cassar-Daley decided to record there – where he used to jam as a kid – recently acknowledging, “I let her spirit do the talking on this record”.

Cassar-Daley hadn’t heard or spotted a curlew around his mum’s place until one turned up shortly following her death. While introducing Dreams, during which Cassar-Daley’s timbre evokes Willie Nelson, a smartphone-recorded curlew call mirrors his sorrow.

Fun fact: In the mid-90s, Cassar-Daley toured with The Highwaymen – Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings and Nelson.

Elsewhere, phone recordings of a wailing flock of black cockatoos and thunder (Ready For The Rain) contribute to this record’s distinct sense of place.

Only about a third of Between The Fires navigates sorry business, however. This multiple ARIA Award-winning Gumbaynggirr/Bundjalung man also veers down some side roads, including marital strife – Thankful and Congratulations (“you finally pushed me away”) – and Indigenous history during his latest set. Having belatedly discovered Windradyne through a cousin’s tattoo, Cassar-Daley immortalises this Wiradjuri warrior and resistance leader from the 1800s through (banjo-led) song.

Melodically, Let’s Ride – a road-trippin’, Kasey Chambers-feating track – brings I Won’t Back Down by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers to mind. The gently rolling We Still Have A Chance (“We should love one another/ No matter what side”) encourages listeners to hold onto hope, post-Voice referendum.

“Some days are better than others/ Some days I miss my mother…” – right when we thought it was safe to push the Kleenex aside, Some Days reopens the floodgates.

All slinky double bass and shimmering guitar, Till I Get Over You slaps harder than it has any goddamn right to; it’s giving Bad Things (aka True Blood’s theme song). Cold Chisel was front of mind while penning this standout stomper, so Cassar-Daley called Don Walker in for some lyrical guidance: “When I get out, I wanna drive my car/ Through that fucker’s house…”

Throughout the stripped-back closing track, recorded in Cassar-Daley’s mum’s kitchen, we’re transported right there beside him: “There’s a hole in my heart the size of the Clarence River/ It runs deep and wide, it’s impossible to fill/ Probably never will/ Moving on...”

CROWDED HOUSE

Gravity Stairs

Æ “I began to sense my own weight/ Walking up the gravity stairs…” – at the top of opener Magic Piano, Neil Finn references “an unnaturally heavy stone staircase” near where he vacays while plodding piano cleverly echoes his toil. Keys flutter in and out – at first illustrating “shadows on the stairs”– then Elroy Finn’s deft, cymbal-heavy drumming pulls focus to close.

Given this is a family band, All That I Can Ever Own’s lyrics are extra adorbs: “I hold this child in my arms/ Heaven knows, I’m hopeful…”

Crowded House’s current line-up comprises bassist Nick Seymour, keyboardist Mitchell Froom and three Finns: Neil plus his singing, multi-instrumentalist sons Elroy (mainly drums) and Liam (mainly guitar).

Satisfying sprinklings of absurd humour abound throughout Gravity Stairs – see: I Can’t Keep Up With You (“Forever be the lady in waiting…”) and Thirsty (“How come some people never get thirsty?” – sung in winking falsetto). During closer Night Song, a swinging waltz, politeness goes a long way: “May I have the pleasure of your good company?”

Elsewhere, Oh Hi sounds like a hypercolour smiley-face T-shirt, flamenco guitar with mucho tremolo adds European-beachholiday romance to Some Greater Plan (For Claire) and Black Water, White Circle’s opening instrumentation evokes a pantomime villain sneaking about. Damon Albarn’s solo material springs to mind here. OMG! Can Finn please do a Gorillaz feature stat?

Finn DNA carries a considerable weight of expectation: songwriting genius that embraces oddball choices, both musical and lyrical. And triple-Finn harmonies are better than The Beach Boys. There, we said it!

As ever, Crowded House’s unconventional melodies skew towards aching melancholy on their moreish latest set.

LABEL:

LABEL: SONY

DIRTY THREE

Loves Changes Everything

Æ According to Warren Ellis, Loves Changes Everything – the power trio’s first album since 2012’s Toward The Low Sun –was “recorded in five days. Mixed in a year”. It’s tricky not to sing this album title to the tune of Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s song of the same name (from the musical Aspects of Love), but we’re getting there...

Dirty Three’s ninth LP contains six tracks, titled Loves Changes Everything I through Loves Changes Everything VI.

The opening lead single kicks off with distortion followed by a tuning-up of sorts: Ellis’s distinctive, urgent violin playing saws through Mick Turner’s meandering, metallic guitar noodling and Jim White’s dynamic, escalating drumming. Then haunted wails chime in from a distant, painful place (...II) before Ellis somehow replicates the sound of swarming insects to underscore …III’s elegant piano musings and freeform drumming. During …IV, Ellis’s violin playing lands gently, like a mournful caress.

Although Dirty Three is an instrumental outfit, these outstanding musicians are in continuous dialogue, surrendering wholeheartedly to the creative process and never getting in each other’s way.

Those fortunate enough to have been in attendance still light up while describing Dirty Three’s legendary Saturday night set at Meredith 2004, which coincided with a vicious storm front descending on Supernatural Amphitheatre. Dirty Three backed by an electric storm!? Sounds biblical.

So much more than just a band, Dirty Three are a force of nature. As wild and untamed as Wazza’s straggly beard, this trio’s ability to veer wildly from whirling instrumental dervish to symphonic sweet spot is exhilarating beyond belief. We can’t wait to be swept away by this new material at one of their upcoming live shows!

JORDAN RAKEI

The Loop

Æ This New Zealand-born, Brisbane-bred multi-talent relocated to the UK in his early twenties. Earlier this year, Jordan Rakei was announced as Abbey Road’s inaugural artist in residence.

Rakei started writing The Loop when his son was just four months old. He immortalises the gift of parenthood in the autobiographical closer, A Little Life: “And so it came our greatest gift/ He shows me how life truly is/ The darkness fell right off the cliff/ What kind of garden of love is this?”

During Friend Or Foe, Rakei tries to make peace with friendship breakups, reminding listeners that even those mates who are only in our lives for a reason – or a season – shape our identity. You know those endless, awe-inspiring key changes in Beyoncé’s Love On Top? Rakei’s vocal performance continuously ups the ante to similar effect throughout Hopes And Dreams. Complex, but somehow never alienating, the effervescent, Radiohead-leaning Everything Everything positively shimmers. In Miracle, the backing choir’s “oo-oo” underswell brings a gentle soul realignment.

His approach for album number five was boundless: what the song wants, the song shall have. Inspired by the old-school Motown style, The Loop was recorded live with a fuller-than-full band: 17 musicians and five additional singers are credited in the liner notes alongside his fine self. Rakei also took on the role of musical director during recording sessions and you can actually hear the backing choir smiling while belting out the gospel-infused Freedom.

Channelling his diverse influences – from Jeff Buckley to Radiohead, Stevie Wonder to Daniel Merriweather – The Loop is, unquestionably, Rakei’s most ambitious and instrumentally expansive work to date. Play it on loop.

Reasonable Woman

Æ “It’s a hard life/ But I’m still here/ After all these years/ I am/ Stronger/ Than I thought I was/ Fearless…” – Go On acknowledges Sia’s hard-fought longevity; this Adelaideborn artist is one of only a handful of women over 40 to have topped the Billboard charts. During opener Little Wing, Sia’s stretchy singing floats atop occasional, sporadic bass rumble, which hits suddenly like driving over a bumpy grate.

We can’t think of a more fitting title for a song feat. Chaka Khan than Immortal Queen, but aside from a coupla lightning-fast vocal leaps the diva is sadly under-utilised on this trap beat-driven track. Our Kylie’s vocals snatch centre stage throughout sadbanger Dance Alone, however. Later, for Fame Won’t Love You (“…like a mother, like a brother should”), Paris Hilton surely drew inspo from Kylie’s whisper-sung Slow.

I Had A Heart – a stately, theatrical vehicle for Sia’s elastic vocal range – features vibratory bass plus a quirky breakdown that evokes French court life. Gimme Love is the closest thing we’ve heard to Halo in ages (side note: Sia wrote Beyoncé’s Pretty Hurts). As if unshackled, Sia unleashes full vocal power onto the standout piano ballad I Forgive You; her sustained notes really are untouchable.

Sia then concludes her first solo album in eight years on a hesitantly optimistic note: “Somehow I see myself getting well … you are the rock to my balloon.”

She remains Queen of resilience and (self-described) “victim to victory” anthems.

SIA

SONIA SERIN

WORDS BY JULIETTE SALOM

Melbourne-based musician Sonia Serin is about to release her new song Dust Settles , a triumphant

exploration of the impacts of sexual assault.

Æ

“I'd always wanted to write a song about this subject matter [but] for a long time, I didn't have the courage to,” Sonia Serin says about her new track Dust Settles, to be released on June 6 in collaboration with producer and friend Robi Palorin.

A hauntingly beautiful exploration of the traumas of sexual violence, Sonia initially wrote the song two years ago in the middle of Melbourne lockdowns, when a particular event in the news media caught much of the nation’s attention. “There was a massive news story that was looking at someone who had gone through sexual assault,” she says. “I really felt for the victim-survivor as there was a real lack in courtesy and respect for her privacy by the media. It’s very sad [that] what remains in our community is a lack of maturity and awareness of an appropriate response. And a discomfort in people arises as they are reluctant to have honest conversations about it which further perpetuates the issue in our society and delays the healing process.”

It's disturbingly fitting that the media story that served as the catalyst of the song has only recently wrapped up its cycle in the news after particular court events, but, of course, the cycle of events will never be so neatly wrapped up within that person’s life. It’s this aftermath, this collateral of emotional pain and healing, that Dust Settles ventures to explore.

In a song that is as personal as it is universal in its grappling with the taboo around sexual assault and victim-survivors, Sonia has taken her observations of how these dialogues operate to bring these conversations out of the shadows and into the light.

“Are we mature enough yet to have a dialogue about [sexual assault] without it being too uncomfortable for people?” Sonia reflects. The answer may lay somewhere in her own exploration through music. For the drummer, guitarist, pianist and singer-songwriter, making Dust Settles was a way to dig deep through artistic expression among the dust and rubble of the aftermath of sexual violence. “It's a monologue for reclaiming the voice,” she says.

It's this dichotomy of light and dark, hope and struggle, that is most prevalent throughout the track. While the subject matter is one borne of pain, there’s no denying the strong vein of courage running through the heart of the song. “The music arrangement is rageful at moments,” she emphasises, “as well as having rawness and vulnerability.”

You can hear it in Sonia’s voice, straining with emotion, and you can hear it in the propulsive drumbeat that intertwines with the vocals. “I hope the music can adequately reflect the emotions of someone going through this difficult journey,” she says.

“It's a monologue for reclaiming the voice.”

“It's really more about looking at the complexity or the layers of the emotional trajectory of what one experiences having gone through sexual assault and also looking closely at how [it’s] responded to by the wider community,” It’s a nuanced issue that requires nuanced discussion and consideration, both of which rise to the surface on Dust Settles.

Sonia worked closely on this track in collaboration with her dear friend and producer Robi Palorin. “There was a lot of me handing it over and trusting the process as I find so hard to do as I’m a massive perfectionist in the areas of creativity, as is Robi, and we went through a whole range of emotions,” she says. “But we never abandoned each other or the song which makes our friendship and this project all the more precious to me.”

The song is set to be released on June 6 with a show to celebrate the track on June 9 at Bar 303. “I feel empowered,” Sonia says about the upcoming release, “and very petrified.” While discussions around sexual assault and victim-survivors in our culture seem to be growing in numbers and complexity, Sonia understands that it’s still a topic that some would prefer to keep in the shadows. But for her, it’s a topic too significant to ignore. “I’ve done the absolute best that I can with it and it’s an important story to tell,” she says. “Whether you have told your story or [are] in a position that you cannot, you matter and are seen and heard.”

SONIA SERIN

WHERE: BAR 303

WHEN: 9 JUNE

This article was made in partnership with Sonia Serin.

GIG GUIDE

JUNE 2024

THU 30 MAY

UNCOMFORTABLE SCIENCE. DR CONDIMENTS

Bodriggy Brewing Company. Abbotsford. 6pm. Free.

EUGENE HAMILTON & THE MONEY

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $38.86.

JAM BIG BAND

The Curtin. Carlton. 7.30pm. $22.85.

EVAN CARYDAKIS: THE PARADISE BEACH TOUR 2024

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7pm. $35.

KATIE NOONAN X MSO: LOVE – AN ACT OF BRAVERY Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7.30pm. $59 - 99.

GENEVIEVE LACEY & MARSHALL MCGUIRE

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 8pm. $60.

MUNTED CHUNTS. SCARNON, HAIL MARY JANE, HETEROPHOBES

The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 7.30pm. $15.

Battle of the Bands: Heat 5

FT: S/P/I/D/E/R, Voidout, All Monsters Are Human, Smile, Groove Vultures, Haladene

Bad Decisions Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $11.36.

HUME BLUES CLUB

FT: Safari Motel, Shake Shack Jammers Thornbury Bowls Club. Thornbury. 6pm. Free. 13TH ANNIVERSARY

‘KICKIN’ THE B AT 303’ HAMMOND SESSIONS

Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. $30.

KARNIVOOL

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm.

INDI&NOONS

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

MIGUEL BROOKING. KENNY, MORE

Workers Club. Fitzroy. 7pm. $23.50.

DENTAL PLAN. ECHO SOCIAL CLUB, UNSCORED, FUTURE TONGUES Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. Free.

CLOSURE IN MOSCOW.

HARTS, TOEHIDER

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $72.45.

SMALL TOWN ROMANCE PRESENTS

Walk a Country Mile: The Songs of Slim Dusty & Joy McKean

FT: Anne Kirkpatrick, Charlotte Le Lievre, The Ironbark Brothers Merri Creek Tavern. Northcote. 8pm. $20.

DUXIE FRANKLIN

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm.

FLY! + 6V6S Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. Free.

BANSHEES

FT: Keaper. GRXCE, Eileen Grace

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $15.

PINK ROCK SALT. FUR BLOSSOM, CHLOE BOOTH Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8pm. $20.

OLYMPIA The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $38.76.

FRI 31 MAY

BIRDSNAKE. ALEX ALBRECHT, PERS COMM, SHIO, COOPER DODGE, LOU RITCHIE Evelyn Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm. $15.

YA TSEEN

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $65.

HEADROOM, OHMEGA & SHADOWHEART

RECORDINGS PRESENT: GEST.

AARON STATIC, STRAFE, ZERO1, BACTERIAL BLEND, LATENCY ERR_R, THE BASS GYPSY, DAYELLE

Rubix Warehouse. Brunswick. 9pm. $30.

CONTENT.NET.AU PRESENTS: SCINTII. RYAN FENNIS & VOIDHOOD, BLOOD LOTUS, JEX WANG

QQQ ST PARK. Collingwood. 8pm. $25.

BOO SEEKA

Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $40.40.

ASRC FUNDRAISER

FT: Grups, Oceans, Winternationale, Tam Vantage Mamma Chen’s. Footscray. 7.45pm. $20.

PAINT THE TOWN RED

FT: Georgia Ray, Duxie Franklin, Cari Scharl Creatures of Habit Bar & Bandroom. Fitzroy. 8pm. Free.

CLUB VEGAS

Athenaeum Theatre. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $79 - 199.

8 FOOT FELIX. FIRETAIL, BEAUTIFUL BEDLAM Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $16.85.

LONDON BY NIGHT: THE SONGS OF JULIE LONDON WITH NIKKI NOUVEAU

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 5.30pm. $45.

KAREN LEE ANDREWS. GABBY STEEL

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $49.06.

NOASISNO. 1 OASIS EXPERIENCE. SOTV

Hotel Esplanade (The Espy). St Kilda. 7pm. $33.15.

MUTUAL COLOUR + CCTV Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

Battle of the Agile Bands ‘24

FT: Continuously Grooving, Fully SEEK, HELLvetica, Hot Property, Mantel Piece, more The Curtin. Carlton. 7.30pm. $33.45.

SOOKS. NERVOUS, BRIGHT SUN, LOTHARIO Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 8pm. $11.22.

DEAR THIEVES. GREVILLEA, ALEX ELBERY, KELSIE RIMMER Bad Decisions Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $14.84.

ROBBIE BELCHAMBER BAND. NOLESS, IMOGEN CYGLER Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. $12 - 45. BASEMENT SPACEMAN. KATANKIN Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $15.

Les Twentyman Foundation

Charity Gig

FT: Frankenbok, Scarnon, Man Crave, Souls of Ambience Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8pm. $23.50.

OFF//AXIS. SHEPPARTON AIRPLANE, JOEL SILBERSHER Shotkickers. Thornbury. 8pm. $23.45.

PEPPER LA FLOYD. THE OPALS, MUTUAL FRIENDS OF FORMER LOVERS

Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $10 - 20.

NINAJIRACHI. DOSS, CHERRY CHOLA, 1NN3R53LF

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 8pm.

12 GOLD BARS: A CELEBRATION OF STATUS QUO Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 8pm. $45.90 - 60. ANGIE MCMAHON. ANNIE-ROSE MALONEY Forum Theatre. Melbourne. 7.30pm.

PORTIA TANG & ALEXANDER NETTELBECK

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm. BINGO

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm.

HOT MACHINE

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. Free.

ASTROFUZZ. MY SAFE WORD IS MURDER, ALARMS

The Beast. Brunswick. 9pm. Free.

ALTERNATIVE KARAOKE

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. Free. Fundraiser For Benaiah Fiu

FT: Chrome Cell Torture, CIVIC, Antenna, Black Deity, Phil & The Tiles

The Tote. Collingwood. 8pm. $28.60.

THE SWEET SOULS Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6pm. Free.

FLAVOUR AT THE TOFF

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $17.34.

SAT 1 JUN

THE ASCENDED. ABREACT, WEREWOLF, ESCARION

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $22.95.

THE RSAS. AARON GOCS, FUZZSUCKER

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

OLD BAR UNICORNS FUNDRAISER

KARAOKE EXTRAVAGANZA

Old Bar. Fitzroy. 6pm. $11.25.

The Rockdogs

Annual Pie Night Fundraiser

FT: The Rockdogs Supergroup with Kylie Auldist & Ash Naylor, Destrends, Persecution Blues, DJ Mermaid

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7pm. $20.

CIRITH UNGOL + NIGHT DEMON. NIGHT DEMON, TAROT, AARDVARK Corner Hotel. Richmond. 7pm. $63.90.

KISSIT + POIZON’US

Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $27.70.

BIG CAT. SWAMP, CHARLOTTE BRIDIE

The Penny Black. Brunswick. 9pm. Free.

PARTNERS IN JAZZ: A NIGHT OF DEX & SLIDE WITH BLACKMAN / ROZAKEAS

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9pm. $45.

REGGAE COMMUNITY

BASHMENT VOL. 3

The Bergy Seltzer. Brunswick. 6pm. Free.

AXION ESTI

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 8pm. $80.

SOCIAL DISCO. SCRUB MUMMY, FEE B SQUARED, LAPORGRETTA

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 10pm. $18.87.

Matsumura Blues Festival

FT: 19-Twenty, Okinawa Americana, Minnie Marks, Dalicados, Doggerel, George Kamikawa & Noriko Tadano, Eisa Champroo, Phil Para Band

Prince Bandroom. St Kilda. 1pm. $50 - 70.

Flying Arts Studio 8th Birthday

FT: Smilez, Teejae, Fuzilla, JAAL, Srirachi, P.Dazey, x8nder.M, PDHT, Mikee

Section 8. Melbourne. 6pm. Free.

THE JAWA PITU BAND. SANGGAR LESTARI, THE ELECTRODUB EXPERIMENT

Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. $20.

MONTELL FISH

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm.

LILY JONES TRIO

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

INFERIORITY COMPLEX. 51ST AVENUE, 50FIFTY, JUPITER

THE GIANT Workers Club. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $28.60.

WINTEN

Shotkickers. Thornbury. 8pm. $28.80.

FLOWER EXTRACT. THE WHITE FLOWER SOCIETY, SAM DARCY Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $9 - 15.

SHANNON

MICHAEL CANE: SOMEONE GREAT - A CELEBRATION

FT: Alexis Taylor, Gerard Frank Long, Andee Frost, JNETT, Stereogamous, Paul Mac & Johnny Seymour

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 6pm. $29.60.

PAINTERS & DOCKERS. PELVIS Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 8pm. $55 - 70.

REBECCA

BARNARD & DAMON SMITH

Merri Creek Tavern. Northcote. 8.30pm. THE BONE FOLDERS

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

THE DUSTY DIMES

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm.

HOUSE OF CHEESE BALLS

FT: DJ Purls Gurls, DJ Sissy, DJ Dole Cheque & Kabana

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. Free.

WORKER & PARASITE. SCUD, MORE

The Beast. Brunswick. 9pm. Free.

GRAVES.

STARVE, SEDATIVE

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $44.90.

ASSTEROID. HOT DOG, THE NATION TWO

The Tote. Collingwood. 8pm. $11.25.

RVG

The Croxton. Thornbury. 7pm. $44.90.

BARR-NUN. MELLOWTONIC, SOCIAL AFTER PARTY

Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $17.35.

TEYMORI

FT: Horatio Luna

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 10pm. $23.46 - 28.56.

THU 6 JUN

Real Songwriters of Melbourne

Mid Year LIVE Showcase

FT: Mareya, Gary Hubber, Evelyn Fong, Magdalia

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $28.05.

HUME BLUES CLUB

FT: Sonorous, Maskell Love Band, Shake Shack Jammers

Thornbury Bowls Club. Thornbury. 7pm. Free.

PEPPER LA FLOYD

The Penny Black. Brunswick. 8pm.

QUALITY USED CARS. FOCUS GROUP, TALK SHOW Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $20.

Battle of the Bands: Heat 6

FT: Naked Mannequin, Operation Karma, Gypsy King Jones, Fossil Beach, Lokust, SubSolar

Bad Decisions Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $11.36.

UNA SERATA

ITALIANA WITH ANGELA LIBRANDI

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7pm. $45.

JOSHUA MOSHE

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $37.

YES RAVE PRESENTS: KEITH! PARTY. EMERALD WOODS, SIMO SOO, SHITZULOVER07

The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 7pm. $15.

SHUGA “BUT YOU” SINGLE RELEASE PARTY. EVA, NOAH, COCO & AYRES, MATT MANLY, HUGH TAYLOR

Section 8. Melbourne. 6pm. Free.

COOKIN’ ON 3 BURNERS

Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. $20.

LOVE ME NOT. GREVILLEA HEDGE, RAE CHARLEA

Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

SNOH AALEGRA. KAIIT

Forum Theatre. Melbourne. 7.30pm.

ANDY WHITE

Merri Creek Tavern. Northcote. 8pm. $17.19.

TONY J KING

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm. 6V6S

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 10pm. Free.

SAM CURTIS. GROMMY, BELLA BONIELLO

Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8pm. $17.35.

FRI 7 JUN

ISU TAKI PRESENTS: Inti Raymi / We TripAntü 2024 FT: Chancha Via Circuito, Barrio Lindo, Monica Santos, Murga Madre, Julia Towers, Cuerpo Negro, Otorongo, more Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $39.

STILL HOUSE PLANTS. 00_, BODIES OF DIVINE INFINITE AND ETERNAL SPIRIT

The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $22.85.

DISNEY 2000’S PARTY

Hotel Esplanade (The Espy). St Kilda. 9pm. $11.75 - 22.95.

RICKY ALBECK & THE BELAIR LINE BAND

Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $11.25.

PARSNIP. ALIEN NOSEJOB, ALEX MACFARLANE

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $28.15.

JIMMY EAT WORLD CELEBRATEDCLARITY: 25 YEARS Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $26.05.

DIRT ROAD WAVE Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. Free.

THE NOT-SO-BIG BAND: ALL THINGS NINTENDO

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 5.30pm. $45.

THE CALABRIANS Bar 303. Northcote. 5pm. Free.

THE HIGH STREET DRIFTERS

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $25.

HEAVENSGATE. DIESECT, DARKMATTER

Workers Club. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $29.

REB FOUNTAIN Shotkickers. Thornbury. 8pm. $39.

ROYSTON VASIE. BABY BLUE, MORE Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $20.

6HR GRUMBLE BOOGIE

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 8pm. $23.50.

THE MELTDOWN. TRACEY MAMA MILLER + TRACEY’S CHILDREN

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $30 - 45.

TINARIWEN. CHIKCHIKA

Forum Theatre. Melbourne. 8pm. $87. ANDREW DE SILVA’S DEDICATION TO PRINCE Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 7.30pm. $70.

BASEMENT COMEDY CLUB Morris House. Melbourne. 8pm. $25.

BB SABINA + LAURENCE HEWSON

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

BINGO

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm.

LIAM WRIGHT + LIV CARTLEDGE

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. Free.

SUGARUSH:

CHARLI XCX BRAT RELEASE PARTY

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 11pm. $14 - 22.

LUV4HER. MARLOWE WILTON, MORE

The Tote. Collingwood. 8pm. $16.35. UNLEASH THE ARCHERS. FIRESTORM, TRIPLE KILL

The Croxton. Thornbury. 8pm. $65.75.

NOCTURNAL VOIDISM

FT: Spike Fuck, Cloud Ice 9, Full Fleshed, LSDeath, more Mamma Chen’s. Footscray. 6.30pm. $25.

FORMOSES. THE HEIGHTS, DONNY BALLINS

Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $17.35.

SAT 8 JUN

LINEN. BOGGLE, NO HOPER, SOUNDTRACKMUSIC

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $16.85. SUFFER’IN FITZROY

FT: Sufferance, Werewolf, Tongue Scum, Born Of A Bastardking Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $11.25.

Gaza Fundraiser: A Concert for Peace with White Rabbit Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $25.

MARK SEYMOUR & THE UNDERTOW Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $55.

CLAMM. VANESSA WORM, THE BLINDS

The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $24.90.

BIG ALCATRAZ. ROCKY & NANCYS, EDDY ST Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6pm. $15.

YVETTE SWINGS WITH BILLIE Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6pm. $45.

MAHA JATRA Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 6.30pm. $79.

VAULTBOY. RARIA

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7.30pm. $54.90.

Restless Clickbait Birthday Edition

FT: Anyo, Clickbait, Pooks, Hauswife, No Era, Archmellow, Joey Coco

Section 8. Melbourne. 6pm. Free.

RUDI SOUNDSYSTEM PRESENTS: BASSLINE

FT: Lego, Hawk-I, Sam Stacka Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. Free.

DAVE WRIGHT & THE MIDNIGHT

RAMBLERS + THE DISTANT SOUTH

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm.

ABLAZE. AUDIO REIGN, KING’S VENGEANCE

Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8pm. $23.50.

CARCINOID. BLUDGER, VVARP, SULPHUR GARDEN, GHOSTSMOKER

Shotkickers. Thornbury. 7.30pm. $23.45.

GOOD SNIFF. GOODBYE BUTTERFLY, HEY SPIRO

Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $10 - 20.

YACHT ROCK REVIVAL

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $30 - 55.

BLUE PARADE

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

WILSON & WHITE

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm.

THE JUNE JAMBOREE

FT: No Sleep Til Texas + Emma Bee & Honky Tonk HQ Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 12pm. Free.

KEVIN DEVINE. JIMMY KYLE

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $49.99.

DON’T THANK ME, SPANK ME!. CONG JOSIE & THE TRUE ROMANTIXX, SANDY DISH, RICHIE1250

The Tote. Collingwood. 8pm. $23.50.

DONNY BENET

The Croxton. Thornbury. 8pm. $60.70.

BAILE DO PIVETE

FT: EGS, Yuri, Lixxxtrado, Lorena Lee, Pivete loro, Walla C

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 9pm. $20.40 - 26.52.

THU 13 JUN

WINDWAKER. HEARTLINE, VERMONT

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7pm. $39.

OUTTA SPITE. USELESS SPACEMAN

The Penny Black. Brunswick. 8pm.

MUCHO MAMBO

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $43.96.

Battle of the Bands: Heat 7

FT: Monroe, Pepper La Floyd, Georgia Ray, Mancrave, Skiptons, Red Liquorice

Bad Decisions Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $11.36.

GIANNI MARINUCCI’S NONET WITH EMMA GILMARTIN

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7pm. $45.

HUME BLUES CLUB

FT: Big John Band, Shake Shack Jammers

Thornbury Bowls Club. Thornbury. 7pm. Free.

TIM WOODZ. SARAH HUMPHREYS

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. MINILUV. ALISYA RAE, KEYZ Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. Free.

COBY SEY + WILLIS ANNE, TEETHER, JANNAH QUILL

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 8pm. $23.50.

TIRZAH Forum Theatre. Melbourne. 8pm. $65.

BUD ROKESKY

Merri Creek Tavern. Northcote. 7pm. $18.40.

NIR TSFATY

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm.

SUNAMI + BIG BOY. AWOL, GRAVITATE Stay Gold. Brunswick. 6pm.

SKABHANGERS Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6pm. Free.

FRI 14 JUN

ROUND UP: A COUNTRY CLUB NIGHT

Hotel Esplanade (The Espy). St Kilda. 9pm. $11.75 - 22.95.

ANDY GOLLEDGE BAND

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $37.35.

PRESS CLUB

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $31.72.

CELEBRATING KURT COBAIN & NIRVANA: 30 YEARS ON Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $29.10.

Symphony of Shadows Tour

FT: Victoria K, ANA, Mezmik, Awaken The Hate The Curtin. Carlton. 7pm. $22.85.

FRANKIE DAVIS JUNIOR & THE CAT PACK

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 5.30pm. $45.

BHAIRAVI RAMAN & NANTHESH SIVARAJAH

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $37.

Q THE BEATS

FT: Miss Katalyna, Kez, Goddess Naavikaran, DJ Prince ZADE, b. Caszh Section 8. Melbourne. 6pm. Free.

R. D GRIFFITH & THE GRAVY TRAIN

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

AMONG THE RESTLESS. SELECT ALL, SWEET TEMPER

Shotkickers. Thornbury. 8pm. $18.35 - 23.45.

TONGUE DISSOLVER. IT THING, ASHBEL

Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $12.25.

LIPELIS + DITA. BAYU, POLI PEARL Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 8pm. $23.50.

BLONDE REDHEAD.

GEORGIA KNIGHT Forum Theatre. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $83. AN EVENING WITH VIKA & LINDA Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 8pm. $70.

SIMON HUDSON

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm. BINGO

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm.

BABY MULLET.

R.U.B, ERIS & THE DISCIPLES

The Tote. Collingwood. 8pm. $16.35.

THREE BASE HIT Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6pm. Free.

KRAKEN OPEN

A COLD ONE IV The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $28.56.

SAT 15 JUN

MALIBU SPACEY. KELSEY JEAN & THE BAD HEALTH, CURLY & THE FRINGE

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 1.30pm. $16.85.

THE GETAWAY PLAN

Howler. Brunswick. 8pm.

ÁINE TYRRELL

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 2pm. $33.76.

THE OCEAN. LLNN, LO!, SPOOK THE HORSES

Corner Hotel. Richmond. 7.30pm. $79.90.

GN’R: THE AUSTRALIAN GUNS N’ ROSES TRIBUTE SHOW + CELEBRATING BON JOVI. DJ CENTIPEDE & THE EARTHWORMS

Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm.

DREGG. OUTSIDER, MUNT, GRIMEFELD

Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 7pm. $11.22.

DONOVAN WOODS

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $50.10.

THE ARETHA FRANKLIN PROJECT WITH JOYS NJAMBI

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6pm. $45.

BONNY DOON. MOUSEATOUILLE

The Curtin. Carlton. 8.30pm. $40.75.

Elefant Traks

25th Anniversary: The Finale

FT: The Herd, Hermitude, Horrorshow, Urthboy, Nardean, more Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $89 - 99.

MAL WEBB & KYLIE MORRIGAN Bar 303. Northcote. 3pm.

THE GUMBO INCIDENT

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

THE SEVENTH CIRCLE. SHARP EDGES, SACK OF FLOUR

Workers Club. Fitzroy. 1pm. $12.75.

ANATREPTIX

Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. Free.

KIEFER + ONRA. ROK RILEY, SILENTJAY, RAY OTW, KHIARRA, CHEF CHENG

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 8pm. $23.50.

LIGHTNING & RHINESTONES AFTER DARK

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 6pm. $32 - 45.

JOE AVATI: WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE WORLD TOUR

Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 8pm. $59.90.

ROMAAN

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

TRIPLIKATZ

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm.

THIS WAY NORTH. EASTBOUND BUZZ, LIV CARTLEDGE, DJ JANE DOE

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 6.30pm. $29.60.

RISE OF THE DEAD & DEATHLY

FT: KÜNTSQUÄD, Parasitic Equilibrium, Scaphis, Anocht

The Tote. Collingwood. 8pm. $16.35.

MIDNIGHT CIRCUITRY / SYNAPTIC DREAMS

Bar Open. Fitzroy. 11pm. Free.

SKETCH002: DUSTY & CREW

FT: Dusty, Forward Stance, Habits, Misc, Sheboy, Urgency, Windu

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 9pm. $18.36 - 28.56.

THU 20 JUN

TERRA ROUGE. GOOD BROTHER

The Penny Black. Brunswick. 8pm. Free.

JEN CLOHER

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $43.96.

MARLON WILLIAMS

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $69.

HUME BLUES CLUB

FT: Miss Lou’s Blues, Shake Shack Jammers Thornbury Bowls Club. Thornbury. 7pm. Free.

K’CHIDGE

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

PALTO GUISE. THE SUN IS A DEADLY LASER, DOUBLE PUMPER Workers Club. Fitzroy. 7pm. $17.85.

CURLY & THE FRINGE

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm.

THE MASKELL LOVE BAND

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. Free.

CANCER BATS. POTION, FLY!

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $59.99.

FOR SWINGS SAKE

Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6pm. Free.

FRI 21 JUN

THE ELLIOTTS. THOSE TREMBLIN HANDS, TELESONICS, HOLLY MONKS, REMY SAYERS

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $22.95.

JEN CLOHER

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm.

KOLOR

Corner Hotel. Richmond. 7.30pm. $138.40.

TAPESTRY. BUKOWSKI, COLOUR BURN, SILK VILLAGE

The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $24.90.

JAPE SQUAD. BARNEY’S BISTRO, ANDY KENTLER BAND

Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $15.43.

EMMA HAMILTON: FROM PARIS TO NEW ORLEANS Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6pm. $45.

DYLAN J Howler. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $32.64.

MARLON WILLIAMS

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $69.

ROWAN PATTISON

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

NORWOOD. GRACE DE VOS, HETTIE ZYGIER

Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $10 - 15.

DRUNK MUMS. STREET SWEEPER, AARDVARK

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 8pm. $29.60.

MICHAEL WAUGH. KERRYN FIELDS

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $29 - 49.

THE PAPER KITES. HANNAH CAMERON Forum Theatre. Melbourne. 7pm. $74.90.

JUMPIN’ JACK JORDAN & FRIENDS

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

BINGO

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm.

HONK WITH MAXINE FINK

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. Free.

THE NIGHT TERRORS. QUELL, FULL FLESHED, VACUUM DJS

The Tote. Collingwood. 8pm. $28.60.

RADIO BIRDMAN. CIVIC

The Croxton. Thornbury. 8pm. $96.85.

THE FOUR SCOOPS

Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6pm. Free.

4H: Festival de Hip-Hop Habla Hispana

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 9pm. $80 - 150.

SAT 22 JUN

PETER BIBBY

Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $28.56.

DEZ DARE + GRYTT

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 4pm. Free.

THE KILL DEVIL HILLS

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $33.76.

ALAIN JOHANNES

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $55.20. WILLOWBANK GROVE

The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $22.85.

GEORGIA BROOKS SWINGTET

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6pm. $45.

PEAKS RADIO 50 FT: Bruni, Jara, Joseph Bona, Mik Mor, DJ Hussy, Ovi, ADR

Bad Decisions Bar. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. $20.

TA’SIA + MOZË

Bar 303. Northcote. 7pm. $15.

PIERCE BROTHERS.

FLYNN GURRY, ANYA ALCHEMY Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7pm. $51.10.

ROSS ANDERSON TRIO

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

SAPPHIRE STREET. DOPPLERHAUS, ECHO SOCIAL CLUB, FORRER BAND

Shotkickers. Thornbury. 7.30pm. $18.35.

BODY ELECTRIC DANCE STUDIOS: PRECIOUS Forum Theatre. Melbourne. 7pm. $62.

ELEVATION DANCE STUDIOS 2024 MID YEAR SHOWCASE Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 6pm. $40.

RICHARD ROSS

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

NARROW HEAD

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $67.35.

WEST THEBARTON

The Tote. Collingwood. 7pm. $28.60.

RADIO BIRDMAN. CIVIC

The Croxton. Thornbury. 8pm. $96.85.

BAR-NUN

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $17.34.

THU 27 JUN

LOVELY, LONELY, LANDFILL. SMOKING CATERPILLAR

The Penny Black. Brunswick. 8pm.

THE BOSS GUITAR OF WES MONTGOMERY WITH JOHNSTONE/ MASON/FISCHER

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $40.

HUME BLUES CLUB

FT: Joshua Batten, Shake Shack Jammers Thornbury Bowls Club. Thornbury. 7pm. Free.

THE ARTIE STYLES QUARTET

Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. $20.

EAST OF SUNSHINE

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

GOODWIN. THE NOISE, FLINEY Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. Free.

JAZZ NIGHT

Morris House. Melbourne. 7pm.

BENJAMIN ATTICHE TRIO

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm.

JEFF + 6V6S

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. Free.

EMPEROR MOTH. OBDURATE, SELECT ALL, MAGNECK

Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8pm. $17.35.

FRI 28 JUN

MARVELL

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $22.95.

DZ DEATHRAYS

Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $56.80.

JESS RIBEIRO

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $38.86.

EMO AF + DEAR MATILDA

Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 7pm. $15.

PEZ Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $44.37.

NANA’S PIE Hotel Esplanade (The Espy). St Kilda. 7pm. $19.20.

MISS GEORGE & THE BOYS FROM IPANEMA!

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6pm. $45.

UMLAUT. ANDY BURNS, PETITE

Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. $20.

POND. PARSNIP Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $59.90.

HALF LIGHT

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $23.50.

THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT RELEASE PARTY

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 8pm. $19.90 - 35.99.

THE HIGH KINGS Forum Theatre. Melbourne. 8pm. $79.90.

NICHOLAS ELLERBY DUO

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

FREYA J HOLLICK

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. Free.

RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE

The Tote. Collingwood. 7pm. $16.35.

OPEN KAMODO. OLYMPIC WHITE, THE BRADS

Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8.30pm. $20.

ELENA

GABRIELLE: OK!? The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $38.76.

SAT 29 JUN

NEIL YOUNG’S ‘ON THE BEACH’ 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $43.96. GOOD NEIGHBOURS Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $45.80.

GEORGIA BROOKS SWINGTET

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8.30pm. $45.

INDO

WAREHOUSE. KAHANI & KUNAL MERCHANT, MORE Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $64.90.

RETRATOS

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

TOPNOVIL + NO IDEA. STRAWBERRY FIST CAKE, RADIO REJECTS

Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $20.

ABSOLUTE BOWIE

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 8pm. $59.90.

THE DREGGS. GRAACE, THIS NEW LIGHT Forum Theatre. Melbourne. 7pm. $59.90.

THE 13-STOREY TREEHOUSE Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 3pm. $45.

DEAR BUFFALO

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

NO MONEY ENTERPRISE

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $39.79.

PSYCHOTIC TURNBUCKLES: 40 YEARS UNDEFEATED. STARCRAZY, THE VIBRAJETS

The Tote. Collingwood. 8pm. $34.20.

THE ANGELS. MI-SEX, DIAL

The Croxton. Thornbury. 7.30pm. $59.