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Hot Milk at The Gasometer Hotel
In an action-packed week with concerts across Melbourne, we packed into the Gasometer in Collingwood to catch one of our absolute favourite upcomers, Manchester’s emo-pop band Hot Milk. Fresh off their supporting duties earlier this week for the Foo Fighters at AAMI Park, the sold-out headline show had a large turnout for an eventful and magical evening.
Support band Belle Haven from the North-Eastern suburbs of Melbourne were up first; bringing their high-energy emo hits to the stage. These heavy hitters fronted by David De La Hoz opened with their latest single Hard Stare, Soft Touch before leading into Times Changes Nothing EP track Nobody Likes A Hospital and 2023 single I Can’t Find The Words. The set was flawless as the crowd packed in and came early to catch these Melbourne legends. Closing the support duties with songs including Grimace, Take Your Pill and finishing on their biggest hit to date Forget Me, Belle Haven were the perfect support to get the crowd warmed up and ready to mosh.
The tickets for Hot Milk’s headline show sold out immediately and seem to have been one of the rarest items on the planet to obtain, so we knew those who had managed to get one had come to party. Disco balls at the ready, we found our favourite spot in the venue and marvelled at the open rooftop looking at the stars, as well as all of the home made costumes fans had made to support the band – a group of milk cartons with flames and a 1800-Got-Hot-Milk number rolling around the pit. We knew tonight was going to be special. Opening track WELCOME TO THE … had the band enter the stage to a thunderous applause, before wasting no time throwing down HORROR SHOW with a simple ‘open it the fuck up’ from co-lead singer Hannah Mee. Jumping off platforms and diving around the crowd for BLOODSTREAM, Hot Milk’s other lead vocalist Jim Shaw tells us, ‘Right now we’re gonna lose some brain cells, are you ready?’ as the band lead into ALICE COOPER’S POOL HOUSE.
Asking for more and more energy from the pit, we see the Gaso go ‘wall to wall’ for Teenage Runaways while taking time to celebrate one another and connect for I Think I Hate Myself. Jokes about circle pits running the opposite way from the UK in Australia during Bad Influence lead into debut album track ZONED OUT which is declared a no phone zone, with threats of turning up on your doorstep and calling you a dickhead. We get our wish of wanting to see a group of ‘hot milks’ crowd surf in the pit for OVER YOUR DEAD BODY, while the band calm things down a bit for their mega-hit BREATHING UNDERWATER – after acknowledging their recent success. With their second ever headline shows being sold out immediately and having an amazing time in Australia, the band describe their journey to date as ‘a joy and absolute honour to do this’.
The wildest times were yet to come as we’re told by Han that Australians are supposed to be known as ‘rowdy little bastards’ – baiting the crowd into some bigger mosh pits and inviting a member of the crowd on stage to sing vocals for Candy Coated Lie$. Showing off his Hot Milk tattoo around his ankles, he absolutely nails the lyrics and gets proper into the vibe of the night jumping around the stage. Next up, Han jumps onto another fan’s shoulders and heads into the pit for PARTY ON MY DEATHBED while the room is split in two (conveniently) for Split Personality. The band close out the set describing Hot Milk as an emotion – ‘no one ever feels one thing at a time’ and thanking the audience for their love and energy throughout the night. Closing with Glass Spiders, the concert comes to a close as we head to the car and start pumping Hot Milk tracks all the way home.
We know Hot Milk are going to be a big deal and we hope they’ll remember to come back as soon as they can.