Festival Review

Celebrating their fourth year, alt festival Good Things made its spectacular return to Flemington Racecourse for a stacked lineup of international and local heavy hitters. Ticking boxes for metal, punk, emo and rock fans, Good Things delivered on all fronts for an incredible day of live music and even better vibes. Dealing with typical Melbourne weather of extreme sun and some rain, the day ran smoothly as we saw all members of the alt scene come together to celebrate some old favourites and amazing up-and-coming talents. 

Kicking off the Good Things festival in Melbourne was US band PVRIS, who delivered an incredible set despite the fact that lead singer Lynn Gunn was battling a cold. Opening with the intense I DON'T WANNA DO THIS ANYMORE, PVRIS set a high-octane tone for the rest of their set. Songs like ANIMAL and HYPE ZOMBIES showcased their unique blend of alt-rock and electronic pop, which kept the crowd on their toes. Their raw emotion in Dead Weight resonated, while the anthemic My House from first album White Noise had fans singing along at the top of their lungs. The set concluded with the powerful GODDESS; a fitting end to a performance that was both vulnerable and commanding - proving that PVRIS is a force to be reckoned with, even under challenging circumstances.

British electronicore pioneers Enter Shikari were also tasked with warming up the crowds, which is exactly what they did. Delivering a supercharged performance borrowing from their catalogue of seven albums, the St Albans four-piece wasted no time launching into { The Dreamer's Hotel } and Juggernauts, which had the crowd itching to pile into the first huge mosh of the festival. At this point, vocalist Rou Reynolds is thoroughly ready to go - his dancing now erratic, before he claims 'this one's a banger', and the band performs Bloodshot. Jumping into the audience and running through the crowds, Reynolds is singing into the faces of audience members, hopping onto the sound desk, and putting on a show for the camera. satellites was dedicated to the queer community, while the climate change-inspired Arguing With Thermometers still hits hard to this day - despite being written 12 years ago. Enter Shikari enter into a quick-fire round of older hits, which include Havoc B, Bull,The Last Garrison and Sorry, You're Not a Winner - which has been given new life as a '2023 version'. Before we know it, the band's energetic set comes to a close with Live Outside, complete with the audience singing along to every word. While this was not Enter Shikari's first time at Good Things, we're sure it won't be their last.

Following Enter Shikari, Eskimo Joe took the main stage at the Good Things; infusing a sense of nostalgia and continuing on the vibrant energy seen throughout the day. Their entrance, set to the iconic Imperial March from Star Wars, immediately captured the audience's attention. The band opened with Sarah, a classic hit that set the mood, followed by New York and Setting Sun - the latter prefaced by lead singer Kav Temperley expressing his fondness for the summer festival and its embrace of the colour black. Their performance of Foreign Land was not only a crowd-pleaser, but also a fitting tribute to Icehouse - highlighting Eskimo Joe's ability to blend contemporary sounds with classic influences. The band's set continued to impress with Love Is a Drug and the ever-popular Black Fingernails, Red Wine, eliciting a chorus from the audience. A special moment came with Sweater, their first-ever written song, which offered a glimpse into the band's journey and growth. Before concluding with From the Sea, Eskimo Joe reminisced about the Big Day Out festival, connecting with long-time fans and creating a shared sense of history and appreciation for the evolution of the Australian music scene. 

Once again, the festival's diverse range of sub-genres and intense performances were on full display with bands such as Make Them Suffer, Hanabie, and Slowly Slowly each bringing their unique flair. Perth-based Make Them Suffer, known for their heavy sound, shook the grounds with tracks like Ether, Contraband, and Doomswitch; blending ferocious energy with intricate melodies. Following them was Hanabie from Japan; who captivated the audience with their dynamic setlist, which included Hyperdimension Galaxy and Osaki ni Shitsurei Shimasu and featured their eclectic mix of heavy metal and playful theatrics. Slowly Slowly brought a change of pace with their heartfelt and introspective songs. Their set ranged from the poignant Longshot to the energetically melancholic Race Car Blues. A set highlight was Safety Switch, where they invited Bonnie from Stand Atlantic to the stage for a memorable duet. Slowly Slowly's cover of Blink-182's I Miss You was a crowd favourite, and their commentary about feeling like 'little plankton' watching 'the big boys on the big stage' added a personal, relatable touch to their performance. 

Corey Taylor's set at the Good Things festival in Melbourne was nothing short of spectacular; encapsulating his versatility and charisma as a performer. Opening with Post Traumatic Blues, he instantly grabbed the audience's attention. His transition to Stone Sour's Tumult and Song #3 reminded everyone of his range as an artist, which was only further supported by his interaction with the audience. With a 'Melbourne, are you fucking ready? Make some noise!' screamed to the crowd, and a confession to his love for Australia, Corey had everyone eating out of his hand from the moment the set began. The performance took an even more exciting turn with Slipknot hits such as Before I Forget and Duality, with Taylor urging the crowd to sing along. The energy peaked when he performed an unexpected cover of the SpongeBob SquarePants theme, showing his playful side, while Corey's rendition of Snuff was hauntingly beautiful, creating a poignant moment amidst the high-energy set. The announcement of a song from his recent album, CMF2, added to the excitement, with a stunning guitar solo that felt like an additional headliner in the middle of the day. The performance concluded on a high note with a homage to INXS, one of his favourite Australian bands, through a cover of Don't Change. This gesture, coupled with his promise of a special surprise for their next visit, left the Melbourne crowd eagerly anticipating his return. 

Continuing with a diverse array of performances, were artists Bullet for My Valentine, who played an intense show, and a captivating set by Royal & The Serpent. Bullet for My Valentine started off strong; delivering a hard-hitting performance with songs such as Knives and Over It. Their classic 4 Words (to Choke Upon) was a highlight, chock-full of the band's signature heavy riffs and emotive vocals, while Piece of Me continued to energise the crowd before we moved to catch Royal & The Serpent on Stage 5. Royal & The Serpent faced a challenging start with technical difficulties and delays, but regardless, turned it into an opportunity to display their resilience. As the project of New Jersey native Ryan Santiago, the set opened with their hit Overwhelmed, which set the tone despite the setbacks. The performance was a rollercoaster of emotions, with tracks like i can't get high and FUCKBOI REJECTS showing off Santiago's range and depth. While apologising for the 'hot mess' that was their set, single Happier in Hell and closing track Lover Abuser (Save Me) more than made up for it. Needless to say, we're excited to see Royal & The Serpent back in Australia sometime soon.

Emo legends Taking Back Sunday played to a packed out stage, opening with older singles What's It Feel Like to Be a Ghost? and A Decade Under the Influence, which had the audience screaming along. Newer tracks Tidal Wave and You Can't Look Back showed how far the Long Islanders have come over the last few decades, and were a worthy addition to the setlist. You're So Last Summer and Cute Without the 'E' (Cut From the Team) saw frontman Adam Lazzara's mic-swinging skills in action, amongst the audience's singing along to every word - all while thinking back to their earlier years. With everyone feeling nostalgic at this point, set closer MakeDamnSure brought the audience back down to earth for their 2006 hit, which hit home for a lot of people. We caught the second half of Michigan artist I Prevail whose energy exceeded all other bands in the day. From performing their big hit Hurricane, an amazing cover of Chop Suey, Deep End, Judgement Day, and closing on Choke and Gasoline, I Prevail had the biggest circle pits of the festival and kept telling the crowd, 'here's some more heavy songs'. It was what the crowd wanted and the band absolutely delivered. 

New wave 70's band Devo stole the show for a full hour as the American legends took to Good Things with all their signature moves and costumes to wow the crowd. From opener Don't Shoot (I'm a Man), tracks including Peek-A-Boo! and Going Under and dropping crowd favourite Whip It mid-way through their set while throwing out trade-mark hats, the performance was absolutely faultless. Videos that told stories about our glorious milky way accompanied reverse evolution jackets and yellow tearable hazmat suits for the second half of the set - performing  Planet Earth, Uncontrollable Urge and Mongoloid. Pre-encore tracks of Jocko Homo, Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA and Gates of Steel had the crowd wild for more Devo, while closing tracks Freedom of Choice and Gut Feeling (Slap Your Mammy) sent the band off with some new fans in an endless sea of people on the main stage. 

Back on the main stage, the Florida-born and bred Limp Bizkit were due to bring nu-metal back to the masses. With a sea of red caps in the audience, the band came on stage to open with Break Stuff - which vocalist Fred Durst claimed was the 'real reason [we] came here today'. Classics My Generation, Rollin (Air Raid Vehicle) and a cover of George Michael's Faith were set essentials, and had the audience screaming along to every word. Just when we wondered what would close out the set, the band revisited another round of Break Stuff, much to the crowd's delight. Prior to the main headline set, we head over to check out what was on across the rest of the Racecourse and caught some of the boys of Short Stack spending time with Shaun, Andy and Bradie. Partying along to everything from We Dance to a Different Disco, Honey to their new song IDGAF as well as crowd favourite Princess, the boys had a great time joking around on stage - telling the crowd to be prepared for 'the heaviest shit you'll hear all day'. We then headed over to spend some time with the Emo Never Sleeps DJ's at Stage 666 and bopped along to some Linkin Park, BMTH, and of course, Electric Callboy. 

With everyone full of energy for the night's headliner, the anticipation was palpable for Fall Out Boy - one of this generation's biggest-ever bands. The Chicago four-piece, consisting of vocalist/guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist/lyricist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman and drummer Andy Hurley, have had a busy year since releasing their latest album So Much (for) Stardust. Lead single Love From the Other Side opened the set, after their rendition of We Didn't Start the Fire brought the band out to the screaming audience. Playing a huge setlist borrowing from their eight albums, standout tracks included The Phoenix, which included plenty of pyro effects as well as a flamethrower on Pete's bass, Grand Theft Autumn from their debut album, the rarely played Bang the Doldrums and Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes. Sitting behind a piano, Patrick treated the crowd to partial covers of Midnight Oil's Beds Are Burning and Journey's Don't Stop Believin' , before another cover of Crazy Train is played, which leads into the iconic Dance, Dance. Tonight's magic 8 ball-picked song is The (After) Life of the Party, which is a slow burn at first, until its build-up - which makes My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark all the much better. Just when we thought we hadn't sung enough, set closers Thnks fr th Mmrs, Centuries and Saturday had us screaming along at the top of our lungs - our nights well and truly fulfilled.

There's a lot to love about Good Things Festival - the bands, the people and the atmosphere. It's a great day out spent listening to some great international and local talents, enjoying amazing food and exploring all that is on offer at the racecourse. We haven't missed a Good Things yet, and we don't plan to. We eagerly await hearing who will play the fifth edition, and can't wait to attend again next year. 

Stay up to date year-round by heading over to the Good Things Festival website here. 

Queenscliff Music Festival once again delivered on yet another great year of showcasing the best local and international acts the industry has to offer, as it celebrated its 25th iteration. Making our annual pilgrimage down to the Bellarine Peninsula, we took our time to check out the festival and the beautiful town that hosts it. From the main festival site, to the participating venues scattered about the town, the festival was full of chill vibes, amazing food, and incredible talent. QMF has long been known as an extremely laid back, family-friendly festival, so the change of pace was well needed after a few hectics weeks back in Melbourne! 

This year's headliners included iconic trio Something For Kate, electronic powerhouse Alice Ivy, the charismatic Aloe Blacc, and indie legends Boy & Bear and Dan Sultan. With an eclectic lineup ranging from country, rock n' roll, soul, folk, hip hop and blues, there truly was something for everyone at the festival - especially those hoping to discover a fantastic new artist. With a range of activities also scheduled for kids, including dance parties, circus performers, and a Bananas in Pyjamas meet up, QMF covered all bases for those with little ones who may have been attending their first festival.

We checked out Saturday's stacked lineup, for a day of feel-good music that was spread out around the town. Starting our day off at the main stage was Jem Cassar-Daley, who wowed the audiences with her soulful set, which included singles Standing Still, Changes and King of Disappointment. We were thankful to finally catch Jem's set, and can't wait to see more of her in the future. Wandering back into town, we caught folk musician Daisy Kilbourne at the Hub, who entranced her audience with her delicate melodies, as well as a Radiohead cover. QMF-regular Tom Richardson played to a packed audience at the Town Hall; with his entertaining looping set ups and creations of soundscapes for each of his songs - for what he said was only his fifth show since the pandemic.

Local country quartet Tin Stars played to an audience a the Uniting Church, with the venue's acoustics making the set extra special. With frontwoman Susan Russell's providing backstories for each song, we were taken on a journey, with colonial myth song Ghost Stallion, revenge track Crying Shameless and the romantic notion of Lucky Cowgirl. Award-winner folk singer-songwriting Emily Barker played to a full room at the Vue Grand, where she shared her rich storytelling with the audience. Songs Dear River, about the Blacktown River, and A Dark Mumuration of Words, written about the climate crisis, were standout moments, as well as Nostalgia - which ended up as the theme of BBC series Wallender. It was hard to believe it was Emily's first time at QMF - but we're sure we'll see her back soon.

Irish musician Foy Vance drew in massive crowds to the main stage; with his guitar skills and distinct voice. Tracks Only The Artist and Guiding Light were backed up by covers of Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror as well as Sinéad O'Connor's Nothing Compares 2 U, which lead the audience into a mass singalong. Tassie band Raccoon Dog had us dancing along at the Hippos Stage for a change of pace, as their Mumford-esque sound got everyone into a good mood, while the dreamy sounds of Leah Senior at the Vue Grand chilled us out, with tracks such as Time Traveller and The Fig. Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 and Melbourne-based artist Tim Shiel blew us away with their blend of the traditional and modern; Mindy on her 21-string traditional guzheng, and Tim supporting on a series of loops and programming that helped build their layers of sound. Their track Hidden Qi 隐.气, which reached one million streams on Spotify, was a showcase of the duo's incredible collaborative process.

Aussie rock royalty Ian Moss brought in masses to the main stage, as the icon played through some prime Cold Chisel hits, as well as his solo material. Tracks Out of the Fire and Nullarbor Plain from Ian's solo endeavour went down a treat, but it was Chisel tracks Never Before and Choirgirl that had everyone up and singing their hearts out. Anyone who stopped by Byron Bay-based indie artist Felipe Baldomir's set couldn't help but dance, due to the Uruguayan-born artist's infectious sound and smile. Tracks Astronaut, Chasing the Sun  and set closer Colours were all crowd-pleasers, and had us walking away with big smiles. Frank Turner is a man who likes to count - with his QMF set being show number 2,832. Alongside his band the Sleeping Souls, Frank's energetic performance was one of our festival highlights - with set opener Punches setting the tone for his set. Anti-fascist song 1993 and ass-shaker Recovery saw the band in full force, while a stripped back The Way I Tend to Be and Be More Kind slowed it down, before punk-rock hoe down song Photosynthesis brought the mood back up. Final track Four Simple Words led the audience into a mass pirouette - bringing us back to Frank's earlier words on music being about 'a room full of strangers becoming a room full of friends'. Amen to that.

Funk duo Burger Joint gave us the most fun set of the day - with live looping, jokes and plenty of cheese rolled up into songs that are truly relatable. From singing about chicken parmigiana, to your mate not getting you a drink at the pub, G and T-Bone shared their unique brand of music with an all too eager crowd who were up for a good time. Their onstage banter and fake encore were some of the funniest moments we'd seen all day, and we can't wait to see them back at it again. The Merindas delivered a jaw-dropping set, with the pop duo consisting of Ballardong Whadjuk and Nyoongar woman Kristel Kickett (from Tammin, WA) and Candice Lorrae of Jawoyn and Thursday Island heritage (born in Darwin, NT). Having performed together for 11 years, Kristel and Candice's incredible vocal and songwriting skills are undeniable - with standout tracks Deja Vu, Splinter (about evolving as people) and a stripped-back Do You See Me, which was written about the stolen generations. With their undeniable stage presence and endless talent, the Merindas are a force to be reckoned with.

Grammy Award nominee and Saturday's headliner Aloe Blacc was every bit as suave as we thought he'd be. Opening with Lift Your Spirit, Aloe started off strong with the mood-lifter, before treating the audience to a few bars of the Jackson 5's I Want You Back. Telling the audience 'I didn't come here to give you a concert. I came here to party', the American artist lived up to his word with an extended version of Love is the Answer - pulling the audience into a huge singalong with him. Plenty of stage theatrics ensued, with solos from his band - including his keyboardist ripping off his suit to reveal another underneath. Massive hit I Need a Dollar absolutely went off; causing the audience to dance along to a super extended version, with reggae and mini-covers of Hall & Oates' Maneater, the Police's Walking on the Moon and Farnham's You're the Voice thrown in for good measure. Aloe tells us he wants to create 'soundtrack[s] to the best life', and given his song My Way was up next, that's exactly what he's been doing.

Queenscliff Music Festival 2023 once again proved itself as a musical haven; weaving together established performers and rising stars against the stunning backdrop of the coastal town. The festival's ability to foster a sense of community, coupled with its commitment to showcasing diverse musical genres, creates an unparalleled experience that we look forward to every year. As we made our long way back to Melbourne, it was evident that Queenscliff Music Festival is more than just an annual event; it's a harmonious celebration that leaves lasting memories in the hearts of all who attend. Until next year - we'll be eagerly counting down the days.

Fridayz Live returned to Melbourne for its sixth sensational year; transforming Rod Laver Arena into the ultimate party destination. The festival - a fusion of dance party vibes and concert energy - celebrated the golden jubilee of hip-hop with a stellar lineup of nine local and international R&B and hip-hop icons. From the get-go, the performances ignited the stage, creating an electrifying atmosphere that only bolstered Fridayz Live's reputation as an essential fixture in Melbourne's jam-packed festival scene.

The class of 2023 brought their A-game, with Travie McCoy - best known as the frontman of Gym Class Heroes - setting the bar high with an invigorating opening act. He unleashed a torrent of his biggest hits like Stereo Hearts and Billionaire, and paid homage to a 70-year old lady he met in Melbourne with a touching rendition of Cupid's Chokehold. JoJo (AKA Joanna Levesque), made her Australian debut, and transported us back in time with a stroll down memory lane. We bopped along and sang our hearts out to opener Baby It's You, her self-confessed favourite Say Love and throwbacks Leave (Get Out) and closing track Too Little Too Late. 

The entertainment throughout the festival was second to none. The arena roared with laughter during a comedic Name that TV Tune game, led by the boisterous Fatman Scoop and dynamic duo Luke and Sassy Scott, who reminisced on popular TV show jingles. From the sick tunes of Yo! Mafia and the banter from Fatman Scoop, the fun times kept rolling as we enjoyed all of the talented acts on display. 

112, the proclaimed Kings of RnB, made a grand entrance; dazzling in sparkly jackets, and delivering hits like Dance With Me and Peaches and Cream, which left fans ecstatic. Kelly Rowland's high-octane set was a tribute to RnB lovers, as she belted out solo and Destiny's Child classics - engaging the crowd with her infectious energy and heartfelt interaction. The crowd went especially wild during Soldier, Bootylicious, Like This and When Love Takes Over. The impressive catalogue and on-stage energy from Kelly and her troupe of talented dancers absolutely delivered to all of the adoring fans. 

Naughty By Nature's Kay Gee and Vin Rock curated an unforgettable 50 years of Hip Hop Countdown, with performances spanning from Rihanna to Eminem, Ginuwine to Missy Elliott, and Salt-N-Pepa to Dr Dre & Snoop Doggy Dog - to name a few. Ensuring the festival vibe never skipped a beat, the Illtown Sluggaz rocked the house and kept the good times rolling. 

R&B group Boyz II Men returned to Australian shores for their emotional ballads and acapella harmonies. The Philadelphia legends from the early 90s brought their smooth, soulful sound for one night only. From Motownphilly to debut 1991 album track It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday, Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanyá Morris were supported by a full band. Performing some of their greatest hits including End of the Road, I'll Make Love to You and One Sweet Day, the band threw roses to the crowd, relished in the nostalgia and thanked the audience for hanging out with them the past 32 years. 

It was a night of non-stop partying as Flo Rida delivered a performance that exemplified the essence of Fridayz Live. The headline worthy performance was a perfect blend of dance party and concert; performing chart-topping hits and club anthems to a wild audience. From throwing fake money into the crowd for Right Around, stadium-wide chants of Shotz, getting the ladies on stage for Low and the fellas for Going Down For Real, everything about the show instilled a party atmosphere. From jumping into the crowd for Wild Ones, spraying the crowd with champagne for It's My House and ripping off his shirt for closing track Good Feeling, Flo Rida was the party in Melbourne that night. 

Local hometown hero and Australian DJ Havana Brown commanded the stage, engaging with fans and delivering a memorable show. From I Gotta Feeling, Starships, and If I Lose Myself , Havana Brown had the crowd hooked before unleashing with a special 'hometown special' as Conrad Sewell jumped up to perform Firestone. Closing with a live performance of We Run The Night and snippets of Titanium, One More Time, Where Have You Been and Show Me Love, the show ended with Havana shouting, 'Let's party all night and sleep all day!'  

As Jason Derulo took to the stage, Melbourne's excitement reached fever pitch. Derulo's elaborate opening sequence and the accompanying dance troupe set an unmatchable precedent. Whatcha Say and Tip Toe  kick-started the frenzy, which only intensified as Derulo rolled through his magnetic dance numbers with personal anecdotes, making the crowd feel every bit a part of his musical journey. Addressing the crowd, Derulo proclaimed, 'I heard the biggest party in the world is here in Melbourne, so of course, I have one question. Y'all ready to party?' as he launched into Take You Dancing and Acapulco. 

His performances, from the nostalgic Riding Solo (confirmed to be written in his mum's basement) through to the latest Tik-Tok famous Savage Love were a testament to his enduring appeal and showbiz flair. The costume changes, audience participation and palpable connection with fans elevated the show to a spectacle - pulling out more hits including Hands On Me, IT Girl and All I Need Is Your Love to name a few. As the night drew to a close, the set ended with Talk Dirty and Want You To Want Me - a perfect closer that left the crowd wanting more. 

For those looking to experience the ultimate music festival, Fridayz Live is en route to Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, and Auckland - don't miss your chance to join the party. Secure your tickets here!

A Grape Time For All 

Grapevine, aptly labeled as Australia's Wine & Music Pairing, transported attendees to a world where the harmonious blending of two cherished pleasures, music and wine, took centre stage. Nestled in the picturesque Rochford Wines within the heart of the Yarra Valley, this exceptional event unfolded on a perfect, warm Spring day; setting the stage for an unforgettable experience. As guests reveled in the tranquil ambiance, they had the opportunity to savour an exquisite selection of wines, while enjoying the captivating lineup of international and Australian musical talent, whose performances elevated Grapevine into a celebration of culture, artistry, and the finer things in life.  

Bella Amor, whose stage name translates to Beautiful Love, kicked off the day with an energy that set the tone for the entire day. Having released some truly incredible pop music lately, her performance was nothing short of captivating. Among the highlights of her set was play the part, all my friends are high, and an unreleased song with whimsical lyrics about finding crystals in all of her pockets. Adding to the magic of her performance, Bella Amor treated the crowd to two stunning covers, with Arctic Monkey's Do I Wanna Know? and a take on Goo Goo Doll's Iris which only further demonstrated her vocal prowess and versatility. Closing tracks sentimental and can't get laid were crowd favourites, and left us eagerly awaiting seeing what's next for this rising star. 

After the Welcome to Country, Teenage Joans took to the stage. Opening track Terrible had the crowd immediately singing along to every word - having become a staple in the Australian festival scene. Their aptly named hit Wine received a roaring reception - encouraging the crowds to 'put your wines in the air' for the duration of the song. Joking that they wrote it years ago, envisioning this very moment, the band next launched into new single Superglue. With a new album set to release the following Friday, Teenage Joans continued to treat the audience to a taste of what's to come, with new tracks Candy Apple and a live debut of 5 Things I Can Taste offering a glimpse into their musical evolution. A standout moment of the set was when the band encouraged the audience to say thank you to the sun for the beautiful weather, calling the audience proud fathers, as they closed out the set on a high with Something About Being Sixteen. The promise of their upcoming debut album The Rot That Grows Inside My Chest left the audience eagerly awaiting its release next week. 

The Rions were up next with a mesmerising intro of Chris Isaak's Wicked Game, seamlessly transitioning into their own song Talking To Walls. Telling the crowd about how close they were to missing their set, after getting bogged-down on arrival after having embarked on a two-hour journey in the wrong direction, the crowd gave it their all for Head Still Hurts. With an invitation to dance and amp up the excitement, lead singer Noah Blockley playfully quipped, 'It's a little spooky; I hope I don't scare you' before performing Scary Movies. While Disassociation gave us Kings of Leon vibes, we were treated to some unplayed tracks from their last EP before launching into Anakin with a playful nod to Star Wars fans. As the set drew to a close, we enjoyed the crowd singalong to Minivan and the striking last track Night Light. Their performance was undoubtedly one for the books, leaving the audience eager for more. 

Next on the main stage were Cannons, the American indie-pop sensation hailing from Los Angeles. With lead singer Michelle Joy commanding the stage, their performance was an absolute standout of the day for us, delivering a flawless set that left a lasting impression. Opening with Shadows, Come Alive and Bad Dream, the band dominated their first ever show in Australia with the biggest crowd of the day so far. Expressing their gratitude for supporting them as a band so far from home, the band shifted to some of their newer releases including Desire and Loving You, as well as favourites Ruthless and Purple Sun. For fans of artists including Lastlings and Jack River, their final track (and our favourite) Fire For You went absolutely off. We hope that Cannons and their indie-pop excellence come back to Melbourne soon. 

Lucy and Nikki, the dynamic podcasters of the Happy Hour Podcast, assumed the roles of hosts and MCs for the event with unwavering enthusiasm. They expertly navigated the fine balance between taking their duties seriously and infusing a sense of lightheartedness, making each introduction a memorable experience for the audience. The standout moment of the day was when they orchestrated a joyous crowd singalong of Absolutely Everybody, a prelude to the appearance of Vanessa Amorosi on stage. 

Vanessa Amorosi's performance at Grapevine was nothing short of legendary; reminding us all of the sheer magic of live music. As she graced the stage, the crowd couldn't contain their excitement. Opening with the powerful This Is Who I Am, her remarkable voice, still as potent as ever, solidified her status as a vocal powerhouse. The energy soared as she launched into Have A Look and continued through Mr Mysterious, further enhanced by the incredible live energy from her band. Connecting with her audience, Vanessa expressed her love for returning to Australia and the incredible feeling it brought, before leading into Perfect. 

The set had everything you could hope for and more, including a soulful gospel-infused new track Wolf while her anthemic song Shine contained a transition into the heartwarming Chasing Waterfalls. Closing out her sensational set, Vanessa expressed her gratitude, proclaiming, 'Life is good, thank you so much for supporting me.' And with that, she launched into cult-favourite Absolutely Everybody which transformed the festival grounds into the biggest dance party and karaoke night imaginable. It was an unforgettable culmination of her extraordinary performance, reminding us of the joy that music can bring. 

After Vanessa Amorosi hyped up the crowd, her set was followed up our favourite Yolŋu surf rockers King Stingray. Heading to the stage all the way from Northeast Arnhem Land in the NT, the band's fusion of English and Yolŋu Matha lyrics create a captivating and culturally rich musical experience. They kicked off their set with the song Looking Out, as the crowd continued to dance to Raypirri, a song about being sensible. Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu addressed the crowd, expressing gratitude to the event organisers for the opportunity to perform in such a fantastic setting. We spent the set howling to the wolf for Camp Dog, dancing to Hey Wanhaka and being mesmorised by new song Time which will be released next month. King Stingray wrapped up with a laugh about how The Wombats were coming on after the stingrays; closing out with Milkumana by introducing the band and leaving a lasting impression. 

Australia's favourite UK band The Wombats were back in Australia, as tends to be the case this time of year. The lads Matthew Murphy, Tord Øverland Knudsen and Dan Haggis were back down under for the first of their Australian exclusive dates with Grapevine. As honourary Australians, walking out to Gang of Youths was as fitting as it gets, as Murphy yelled, 'Do you want to hear something?' before launching straight into Moving to New York. Playing songs about going on a massive bender in East London with Techno Fan and a song about lemons with Lemon to a Knife Fight, Australian audiences are all too familiar with the band; reciting every lyric while experience a range of positive and overwhelming emotions. 

We're taken back to Liverpool in 2006 with the tales of Girls, Boys and Marsupials Intro for Kill the Director, before performing a song from their fifth studio album with Ready for the High. The band rolls into another song about lemons with Pink Lemonade, before playing everyone's favourite Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves). Motoring through the songs to fit more into their festival time slot, we hear the catchy riffs of If You Ever Leave, I'm Coming With You and Greek Tragedy up next. The band close out with Let's Dance to Joy Division and popular single Turn - with costumed wombats dancing around on stage (as is accustomed at a Wombats show). As always, they absolutely deliver in one of the highlights of the day and the festival. 

It would not be an Australian festival lineup without Spacey Jane making an appearance, as we've all come to know and love Spacey Jane over the last few years with the Fremantle band's rising popularity across the Australian music scene. Playing songs from their 2020 album Sunlight and 2022 album Here Comes Everybody, the band came on strong with opener Skin and Lunchtime to get the crowd going. Addressing the crowd, Caleb tells us that it's good to be back to Melbourne - their spiritual musical home as a band. Acknowledging that they were coming to the final stretch of their Here Come's Everybody tour, the band excitedly told the audience that they are planning to make a new record soon. 

Appreciating that this is likely to be the last time seeing the band's setlist in it's current format, we made the most of dancing the night away to Sitting Up, Straightfaced, Sawteeth and Feeding the Family. Spacey Jane have become the band that everyone wants to see succeed; their set a well-oiled machine after continuous touring over the last few years. Slowing things down for It's Been a Long day, the band picked us right back up for Head Cold, Lots of Nothing and well-known song Good for You. We closed out the Spacey Jane slot with arguably the audience's favourites with Hardlight and of course, Booster Seat.  

Grapevine was a big day, and an even bigger night with the headliner and another Australian exclusive - DJ, songwriter and producer Hayden James. Emerging from the shadows surrounded by smoke, we see the man, the myth, the legend on the decks, with a large amount of the previous acts partying on stage alongside him. The beats build and build, just waiting for that drop as we hear the opening beats of his fresh new single We Could Be Love. The crowd goes absolutely mental across all of Rochford, and the energy continued until the very end of the set. The DJ performance had everything you could want from a headliner - from some banging tunes, great samples (i.e. Lazer Beams from Green Velvet and Harvard Bass), a healthy dose of flames and pyro, and a special guest appearance from GRAACE for their collab Numb. 

As the night came to a close, ending the party that started many hours before, we looked back fondly on all of the shared memories, amazing performances, and great wine. 

Until next time, Grapevine. 

After a two-year hiatus, Laneway Festival made its grand return in 2023, much to the delight of Melbourne punters. Boasting a new venue in Flemington, along with some massive international headliners, and the most perfect 30-degree weather, Laneway couldn’t have been a better day. Dedicating this year’s lineup to the legendary Michael Gudinski, the festival delivered an incredible lineup consisting of the best of the best local talent and international artists who rule the airwaves. 

Opening the main stage was triple j Unearthed winner PRICIE, whose hip hop tracks were the perfect start to the day. Amping up the early arrivers for a big day ahead, the young artist tore up the stage with singles such as Surrender and set closer U, U and Only U, which had us dancing. We sense promising things for PRICIE, and are sure we haven’t seen the last of her. Over at the Dean Turner stage was Adam Newling, a NSW indie rocker with a country twist. Pulling out all stops with his raw storytelling and harmonica playing, Newling had the audience stomping and singing along with his tracks, which included Barmy and his biggest release, Sweetness. A few months after releasing their third album Expert in a Dying Field, Auckland's finest The Beths made their return to Melbourne for a massive set on the Dean Turner stage. Starting off their killer set with Future Me Hates Me and Knees Deep, The Beths drew in a huge crowd, which only grew bigger and bigger as the set went on. Telling the audience 'It's a pleasure to be in the Education state', the four-piece kept up the laughs in between songs. I Told You That I Was Afraid and I'm Not Getting Excited left the crowd, well...excited, and amped up for more. Ending on a high with Head in the Clouds and the title track from their new album, The Beths left the stage after the cheers and screams from the crowd bid them farewell. Easy to say, 2023 is looking to be a big year for the The Beths - with a busy tour schedule ahead, and crowds of fans eagerly waiting to see them.

Being a Melbourne-based music business, we’ve grown accustomed to catching all of the up-and-coming talents that Australia has to offer, and can safely say that Laneway Festival lineup has offered the best Australian talent around with Julia Jacklin, Sycco and Mallrat covering the afternoon slots. Performing tracks from her three albums Don’t Let the Kids Win, Crushing and Pre Pleasure, indie-folk singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin drew in the crowd with opening songs to Perth, before the border closes and Pool Party as well as our favourite Lydia Wears a Cross and Pressure to Party, among other hits. Her performance was a welcomed change of pace for a festival, and we found ourselves taking a moment to lose ourselves in Julia’s emotional performance. Heading over to the main stage, Sycco proved why she has become a festival staple over the last 12 months, after performing at almost every Aussie festival on offer. This set was particularly special - not only featuring tracks like Time’s Up and My Way, but with special guests including Tasman Keith for Dribble and The Jungle Giants' Sam for Ripple. Sycco’s positive attitude and beaming smile stuck with us throughout the day, after telling the audience ‘hope you have the best day, the best day ever!’ Swiftly following up Sycco's set, we saw Mallrat take to the stage with a full band. There isn’t a festival in Australia that we haven’t seen Mallrat bring her indie-pop tunes to, and she remains one of our favourite Australian acts to catch live. Her setlist continues to feature singles from her debut album Butterfly Blue, with opening tracks Wish on an Eyelash, Surprise me, To You and Your Love. With the second half of her performance drawing on both her album and previous releases, crowd favourites Better, Groceries, Charlie and Rockstar continue to establish Mallrat as an artist you can expect big things from in the future. 

One of the questions that's been running through our heads since Laneway is where have Yard Act been all our lives? Playing hands down our favourite set of the day, the lads from Leeds, led by vocalist James Smith, put on a wild show. From the moment they walked on stage, stating ‘And the crowd goes wild for Yard Act’, they launched into their biggest hit The Overload to get the crowd flowing. Taking on an early slot in the afternoon, Smith asked the audience ‘I have one question - are you ready to have as much fun as you can watching a band in the afternoon on the third stage, that you may or may not have heard of?’. 

Their set contained mostly songs from their album The Overload - including Witness (Can I Get A?), Dead Horse, Land of the Blind, Rich, Payday and 100% Endurance - a track dedicated to Julia Jacklin. With older tracks Dark Days, Fixer Upper and their closing song The Trapper’s Pelts, as well as a cover of Eddy Current Suppression Ring’s Which Way To Go, we can only imagine how magical their sideshow at The Night cat must have been. With everything from shout-outs to Fontaines D.C and Slowthai, to doing a shoey with Smith exclaiming ‘Melbourne, I just drank beer out a shoe to be liked by you’, it’s safe to say that it worked (and it’s not like, it’s love). We can’t wait to see the boys from Leeds again soon, and hope they will make their return to our city soon. 

American singer-songwriter and producer FINNEAS made his return to Aussie shores for an energetic performance that had the audience in party mode. Blurring the lines between genres, FINNEAS' setlist was chock full of all sorts of tracks; pop, rock, soul, easy-listening, and alt all being thrown in the mix. Regardless of genre, he's all charm, as he sweeps across the stage, greeting the masses of people who have come to see him. Singles Medieval, Around My Neck and The 90s all go hard with their catchy hooks, which the audience wastes no time yelling along to. Before we knew it, FINNEAS' performance was coming to an end with heavy-hitter tracks Till Forever Falls Apart, his collaboration with fellow musician Ashe, and Let’s Fall in Love for the Night, which brought his set to a strong close.

Norwegian singer-songwriter girl in red AKA Marie Ulven Ringheim was next up on the Never Let It Rest stage, and we were eagerly awaiting her performance, with a large crowd pushing towards the front for the set. Performing from her albums Chapter 1, Chapter 2 and latest if i could make it go quiet, the set started with high-energy tracks You Stupid Bitch, Body and Mind and girls. Girl in red was part pop machine, part comedian; discussing everything from festival toilets, to songs that require a lot of hand work (not that kind). With a strong middle set with we fell in love in october, I’ll Call You Mine and everyone’s favourite Serotonin, things stepped up a notch when girl in red performed bad idea! after exclaiming, ‘Do you think it’s safe to mosh pit?’ Finishing strong, her performance ended with everyone jumping to the chorus in dead girl in the pool. and closing with I wanna be your girlfriend. 

After catching their set at Primavera Barcelona 2022, we knew we couldn't miss Fontaines D.C.'s Laneway set. After selling out all their Laneway sideshows, with Melbourne's being at Corner Hotel and the Forum, we still couldn't believe the massive crowd the Irish post-punk band drew in. With three albums under their belt, and 2022's Skinty Fia being met with critical acclaim, the Dubliners have found international success with their own take on the genre. A Lucid Dream and Sha Sha Sha start things off, and set the pace for the rest of the set, but it isn't until Roman Holiday and Televised Mind that the audience goes crazy and the mosh starts to kick off. The title track from their latest album Skinty Fia and I Don't Belong keep the vibes going, while closing tracks Jackie Down the Line, Boys in the Better Land and the moody I Love You wrapped up an incredible set, which left us blown away, and keen to catch Fontaines D.C. again.

Party vibes and attendance were mandatory for Brit producer Fred again.., who is quite possibly the biggest international producer at this point in time. With all other stages closed off during his set, Laneway's punters all flocked to the main stage to catch the man in action. Thanking us all for supporting him from the very start, Fred again had a sea of people dancing along to his impressive catalogue of work; notably his latest release Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022). Playing his tracks with lightning speed via his sampler, the camera was never too far away to show off the producer's rhythm and talent. Setting Fred again apart from others in his genre, it sure was impressive to see him play his tracks in real-time. Tracks Marea (We've Lost Dancing), Turn On The Lights again.. and Billie (Loving Arms) were standouts and saw wave after wave of punters jumping in time with each beat. 

For years, Phoebe Bridgers has been the only favourite musician that we haven't had a chance to see. While all of that changed in mid-2022 when we caught her set at Glastonbury, it can’t be downplayed how much of our lives have been spent listening to Phoebe’s indie-folk tunes and contemplating our lives. To say that we were excited for her shows in Melbourne, both at Laneway Festival and at MCA, would be the understatement of the century. Opening each of her gigs to Disturbed’s Down with the Sickness, the show started strong with Motion Sickness, DVD Menu and Garden Song. Bridgers' album Punisher is an indie masterpiece, with her set revolving around the album - which is fortunate given it was one our most listened to albums during Melbourne’s various lockdowns. 

Fan fave Kyoto was up next, which Bridgers subconsciously wrote about and dedicated to her dad, who tragically passed away in January. Lost in thought, it wasn't long before she launched into Scott Street and ran into the crowd for fans to sing along directly into the microphone. Before her next track, Chinese Satellite, Phoebe alluded to the reports in the news about her comments regarding Margaret Court, doubling down and leading the audience into chants of ‘Fuck you Margaret Court’. This was followed by Moon Song and ICU, before performing a song from her side project boygenius called Emily I’m Sorry. The set was closed out with Graceland Too, and one of our all-time favourite songs live - I Know The End - which went absolutely off at the climax. Telling the crowd ‘love you all and hope to see you soon’, we were sad to see Bridgers leaving Australia, but can count on her returning to our shores soon enough. 

Before the headliner was due to perform, JOJI AKA George Kusunoki Miller brought his alt-R&B vibes to Melbourne. Known both as a performer and for his former antics as a golden age YouTuber (Pink Guy and Filthy Frank), it was hard to know what to expect from the act - but we knew things could and would get weird. Working through his Smithereens Tour, JOJI’s set had everything from fun sound effects, multiple encores and a mid-show pee break that was timed and discussed in great detail. While the performance potentially fell flat compared to others in the evening, highlights included opening track Sanctuary, I Don’t Wanna Waste My Time, SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK and encore #2 - Glimpse of Us. 

Headlining the festival’s return after three years was sibling trio HAIM, with their long-awaited return to Melbourne - a decent time since their first and last appearance in Melbourne in 2014. Dealing with notably the biggest clash of the day with grammy-nominated hardcore punk band Turnstile, HAIM still drew a massive crowd to the main stage for their headline performance. A lot has happened between 2014 and now, with HAIM becoming a household name in indie-pop around the world. The three sisters Este, Danielle and Alana returned to Melbourne for a lap of honour to celebrate their success in being asked to perform in the headline slot with a setlist spanning across their debut, sophomore and third album Women in Music, Pt. III. The new album-centric setlist had everything a true fan could ask for - a variety of tunes from their latest release, throwbacks to their debut hits, and a range of synchronised dancing routines and jokes - all in all, ready for a fun night out. 

Opening with their new track Now I’m In It, the sisters asked the crowd, ‘are you in it Melbourne?’ to get the crowd amped up and ready to dance. With their own dance routine at the end of I Know Alone, it wasn’t long before the throwback tunes of Este’s My Song 5 and our personal favourite Want You Back - dedicated to all the valentines in the audience. The band’s audience banter was top-notch, speaking to the crowd about Australia’s reputation - firstly, for being one of the craziest crowds, and secondly for being the sexiest people on the planet. Discussing finding the love of their lives in Australia, or at least finding valentines, the band spoke to the crowd about finding out where to go after the show before a profound segue to track 3am. 

HAIM understood the brief of the headline slot with crowd participation at an all-time high. With competitions on determining who everyone’s favourite sibling is during I’ve Been Down, to Danielle’s favourite track Gasoline and bonus track Summer Girl featuring an awesome saxophone solo - the crowd did not miss a beat bopping along and screaming every word. The moment was not lost on the siblings, telling the crowd ‘It’s been a hot minute. I fucking missed you!’. Closing out the set with debut hit Forever - supported by Triple J before they were even signed, crowd-favourite The Wire and newer track The Steps, the performance was the perfect end to a perfect day and HAIM proved themselves worthy of the headline slot. All that we can ask is that they return to Australia soon. 

Easily our favourite thing about Laneway Festival is that there is always something for everyone. The day was filled with a mix of genres, our favourite Aussie acts and both upcoming and established international performers. We can’t wait to count down the days to find out when Laneway Festival will be returning to Melbourne in the year ahead. 

Bringing in the New Year with the confidence of Alex Turner and the Arctic F***ing Monkeys 

Falls Festival is easily one of the most well-known Australian music festivals of the year, and 2022 made no exceptions. Synonymous to festival-goers as having the biggest international and Australian acts together in one line-up, the 25th edition, which featured dates across Melbourne, Byron Bay and Fremantle, absolutely delivered in its first run back since 2019. 

The Melbourne leg, aptly rebranded as Falls Downtown, involved a site move to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, which offered a great space to enjoy three full days of entertainment, as well as an incredible location to catch the Melbourne New Year’s Eve fireworks display. With two stages, El Capitan and Sugarloaf, punters enjoyed warm weather conditions suitable for the Aussie summertime, as we partied with headliners including Arctic Monkeys, Lil Nas X, Jamie xx and CHVRCHES.

Here’s our roundup of the 2022/23 festival’s highlights.

• Falls Downtown was choc-full of international headliners galore; with heavy hitters Lil Nas X, CHVRCHES and Jamie xx, to name a few. 

Headlining the Thursday night was the Grammy award-winning Lil Nas X, who put on a massive show that wowed the crowds with its production value. Hot on the heels of his Long Live Montero tour, the American artist’s set was packed full of hits from his debut album Montero, including SUN GOES DOWN, THAT’S WHAT I WANT, MONTERO and INDUSTRY BABY. Older tracks Panini and Old Town Road had the audience screaming along to every word, while set-closer STAR WALKIN’ saw the artist finishing off the night with a mass singalong. Complete with at least four costume changes, eight backup dancers, numerous props, and some audience members brought onstage for some twerking, Lil Nas X put on an absolutely wild set that kept everyone guessing throughout. With the promise of new music being released soon, we’re excited to see what’s next for the young artist. 

Glaswegian electro-pop trio CHVRCHES returned to our shores for a shared headlining slot for the Friday night; which allowed audiences to finally see the band play hit tracks off their 2021 release Screen Violence. Opening track He Said She Said kicked the audience into gear, and started off a strong set of old and new singles from the band’s albums over the years. Oldies but goodies Bury It and Recover had the crowds jumping along in a frenzy, while the moody How Not to Drown switched up the pace for the second half of the set. Vocalist Lauren Mayberry was in full swing, embracing her Final Girl persona as the set started to wind down; coming back onstage covered in fake blood for Asking for a Friend, before finishing on mega-hits The Mother We Share and Clearest Blue. The latter track’s breakdown had us all bouncing around until the very end - hoping that we’ll get to see the band again soon. Swiftly following up on the main stage, and closing off the Friday night was English DJ/producer Jamie xx, who easily drew in the biggest crowd of the day. The producer’s lighting and production was completely out of this world - with the swirling and flashing lights only intensifying the tracks that were being laid down. Running through his own tracks, as well as multiple remixes (Missy Elliott and Skrillex, just to name a few), Jamie xx put on an incredible performance, which had the audience dancing non-stop, and jumping along in what looked like an endless sea of people, well into the night.

• Local festival faves DMA’s, Genesis Owusu, G Flip, Spacey Jane, Amyl and the Sniffers and Ocean Alley showed us all why Aussie artists are making it big at international festivals. 

Sydneysiders DMA’s have had nothing but success over the years, so their return to Falls was one that was met with a crazy amount of fans. Amongst their set list that drew from their three albums, new single I Don’t Need to Hide was met with screams from the crowd, who wasted no time bouncing along to every word. Classics Silver and Delete (dedicated to their friend Sam) had us all singing, before the band ended on a high with their massive track Lay Down. 

The enigmatic Genesis Owusu put on a massive show, complete with quite possibly the most dramatic onstage entrance - carried out by his backup dancers/vocalists. The ARIA award winner’s debut album Smiling With no Teeth has garnered the artist an international following, with track The Other Black Dog opening the set. Oozing charisma, Genesis easily commanded the audience, and put on an entertaining show with his backup in tow. Gold Chains and newer single GTFO were set highlights, while dance hit Good Times ended his show on a high. This wasn’t the first time we’d seen Genesis live, and it certainly won’t be the last. 

As energetic as ever, indie pop artist G Flip played a huge set, filled with drum solos and their catchy as anything hit singles. Their rock-heavy Get Me Outta Here kicked things off, and had the crowds jumping along in a frenzy. Thanking Falls for coming along, About You starts, and G Flip tells us all that this song ‘started it all off for [them]’, which is closely followed up by Lover - their favourite song they’ve ever written. We’re treated to a cover of the Zutons’ Valerie, before the set comes to a powerful finish with the anthemic Gay 4 Me. 

Fremantle band Spacey Jane have had a big couple of years; releasing two studio albums and playing sold-out headline shows, as well as the festival circuit. The four-piece have been absolutely killing it, and their Falls performance was no different. Singles Skin and Hardlight had punters screaming along with every word, while the band were clearly happy to be there. Last playing Melbourne a year ago (for Beyond the City), the band expressed their gratitude, as well as their hopes of not catching covid again. Good for You, Lots of Nothing and Booster Seat were the set closers, and left the audience with good vibes all round. 

Melbourne pub-rockers Amyl and the Sniffers tore up the main stage on New Years Eve, kicking off an animated performance from vocalist Amy Taylor and the band. Single Guided by Angels started the set out strong, with a sea of punters mirroring Taylor’s high energy and yelling along to each word. Capital and Balaclava Lover Boogie drove the crowd mad, while Got You pushed everyone just that bit further. The catchy Security and Hertz brought the set to a strong close, and the crowds were well and truly pumped up for the day. As Taylor tells the audience earlier - ‘we’re getting the fuck out of 2022 - we’ve got places to be’ - which summed up the year quite well.

Despite their equipment not arriving in time for their set, psych rockers Ocean Alley made it work and put on a strong set for their NYE performance. The Northern Beaches band brought their laid-back tracks and easy-listening vibes to the audience, slowing down the pace for an easy transition into the new year. Singles Way Down and Knees resulted in a mass singalong, with punters rushing to line up to enter the bowl. Their 2018 Hottest 100 single Confidence and their Like a Version of Player’s Baby Come Back had the crowd screaming along, before they finished strong with Touch Back Down.

• Some of our favourites in the festival; MAY-A, Telenova and Peach PRC. 

Sydney artist Maya Cumming AKA MAY-A has had a big couple of years. From the success of her 2021 album Don’t Kiss Ur Friends to her collaboration with Flume, MAY-A has become a force to reckon with - dominating the airwaves and becoming a regular one to watch. Her performance at Falls Festival was outstanding, with her performance including many of the tracks featured on her debut album; Time I Love to Waste, Swing of Things, Apricots and our top-voted song of 2021 - Central Station. Closing out on her track Say Nothing (Flume collab), MAY-A continues to be one of our favourite artists of the last few years. 

Three-piece supergroup Telenova continued to lead the way as they feature on yet another Australian festival lineup. The hard-working trio performed a set with hits from their 2021 EP Tranquilize, featuring the title track in addition to crowd-favourites Blue Valentine and Bones. In addition to their EP, the band have released a series of singles throughout 2022 including Why Do I Keep You?, Haunted, Scarlet and Stained Glass Love, which were all featured in their Falls set. Having the crowd dance along to the enchanting vocals, thumping beats and a cover of Madonna’s Hung Up, we are certain that 2023 will be an even bigger year than their success to date. 

Performing one of the best sets of the day (hell, maybe even the festival) was Peach PRC. The pop singer and social media superstar is kind of a big deal with over 1.9 million TikTok followers and 50 million artist streams before she has even released a debut album. Despite only being around for a short time, the crowd knew every word to every song with Blondes, Symptomatic and Colourblind starting off the performance. Peach shared a few unreleased songs, including Dear Inner Child, Favourite Person and even a song that ‘Paris Hilton loves’, while backing these up with massive hits God Is A Freak, Forever Drunk and her biggest hit Josh. Featuring a special surprise guest with G Flip supporting on drums for a cover of Teenage Dirtbag, this feel-good set had everything you could ever ask for. We cannot wait for more releases from Peach in 2023. 

• The OG Wiggles performed a headline-worthy set. 

Performing undeniably to the biggest crowd of the festival, the OG Wiggles took to the stage as the ultimate nostalgia act.

Having what can only be described as a meteoric rise since their Like A Version performance took out the number one spot on Triple J’s Hottest 100 Countdown in 2022, the full band of the OG Wiggles donned their coloured skivvies for a lap of honour and the performance of a lifetime. 

Anthony Field, Murray Cook, Greg Page and Jeff Fa were joined onstage by some of the key members of the new generation of Wiggles, as well as everyone’s childhood favourites; Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain Feathersword, Wags the Dog and Henry the Octopus. The crowd went off for the full 40-minute adults-only set with original tracks Fruit Salad, Can You (Point Your Fingers and Do the Twist?), Rock-a-Bye Your Bear, Wake Up Jeff!, D.O.R.O.T.H.Y (My Favourite Dinosaur) and of course, Hot Potato. A dancing tree, shredding guitar solos, dance-offs with the new Wiggles members and everybody clapping, everybody singing, it was all feel-good vibes at the Wiggles camp. 

Anticipating the cover of Tame Impala’s Elephant would go off (and it did), we couldn’t have imagined what followed next with the band taking on three more covers with The Chats’ Pub Feed, The Rattlin’ Bog and a cover of Falls headliner Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road. Closing out their mammoth performance with Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga, Big Red Car, we can only hope that this performance was not a ‘one-time’ thing as we’d love to see the band, their positive energy and childhood nostalgia back at festivals again soon. 

• Bringing in the New Year with Arctic Monkeys. 

Having seen Arctic Monkeys many times live over the past 11 years, we couldn’t have been happier for one of our favourite bands to bring in the New Year. Coming in hot from their latest release The Car, Alex Turner and co took to the El Capitan stage tasked with performing the last and arguably biggest live set of 2022. The powerhouse band from Sheffield UK brought their typical high-energy performance and significant back catalogue of indie bops to the packed out crowd at the Bowl. 

There’s a lot to love about the latest setlist at their shows, including new songs There’d Better Be A Mirrorball which opened the performance, as well as the stripped-back cut of Sculptures Of Anything Goes and closing track Body Paint - which were well-received and a welcome addition to their set. An AM heavy setlist had punters out of their chairs and singing along to every word without missing a beat with Snap Out Of It, Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High, Arabella, Do I Wanna Know? and R U Mine? bringing a new level of energy not yet seen on New Year’s Eve. 

Throughout the performance, Alex Turner expressed his gratitude to the crowd and exclaimed ‘Thank you Melbourne, I am truly enjoying myself.’ Throwing in the perfect blend of old hits for the old-school Monkeys fans, we danced along to our favourite tracks from Humbug, including Crying Lightening, Potion Approaching and Pretty Visitors, and Favourite Worst Nightmare tracks Brianstorm and 505. Leading into the New Year, we partied to I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor before the band departed the stage for the New Year’s Eve fireworks display. Returning in 2023, their encore consisted of R U Mine?, 505 and Body Paint. We laughed. We cried. We sang. We danced (a lot). It was the perfect start to a new year. 

As Yacht Club DJs played out the El Capitan stage and Camelphat closed Sugarloaf, our year had come to a close, and so too had Falls Festival 2022. As we welcomed in the new year, we couldn’t help but reminisce on all the fun times we had throughout our time at the festival. 

For information on all things Falls Festival for the year ahead, please head to their website and subscribe: https://fallsfestival.com/

To relieve the memories again, head over to the official Falls Festival Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1PXCc5Z3HvxTGUBkISkQqE

Photo Credit: Ian Laidlaw

Making its triumphant return after the pandemic, Good Things Festival delivered a mammoth lineup for its third time around. Starting off the festival’s circuit in Melbourne, punters from all over the state (and even interstate) headed to Flemington Racecourse for the sold-out festival. With the weather gods working in Melbourne’s favour for once, the day was full of good vibes all round, and an awesome lineup to match. 

Kicking off the day on the main stage was Adelaide duo Teenage Joans, who as a last-minute addition to the lineup, absolutely killed it in their opening slot. Their hit singles Ice Cream and Terrible draw in all early arrivers, while new unreleased track Superglue was a sign of exciting things to come from the duo. Guitarist/vocalist Cahli Blakers and drummer/vocalist Tahlia Borg have been working the festival circuits for a while now, making their Good Things debut a piece of cake. Their Hottest 100 entry Wine absolutely went off, while the title track Hospital Bed from their upcoming album made its live debut. Wrapping their set up with a supercharged Charli XCX cover of Vroom Vroom, Three Leaf Clover and Something About Being Sixteen, we’re sure we’ll see the duo welcome back again at GTF. 

Coming out of their retirement for Good Things was local pop-rockers Kisschasy, who treated the audiences to their debut album United Paper People played in full. Pulling in some massive crowds, the boys had everyone drawn in for the nostalgia of their hit album - which had us all singing along to every word. Playing tracks such as This Bed, Hearing Voices Tonight, The Shake, and of course, Do-Do’s & Whoa-Oh’s and Face Without a Name, the Melbourne four-piece were in fine form. It was as if they never went on a break. 

Prog-rock powerhouse Thornhill was up next, with set-openers Raw and Leather Wings, which had the audience raging from the get-go. Thornhill have become local legends in the scene; selling out shows and touring the festival circuits to massive crowds, so it’s no surprise that the band was booked for Good Things. With the four-piece as energetic onstage as ever, vocalist Jacob Charlton had the audience eating out of his hand as the set raged on. Before we knew it, the closing track Where We Go When We Die wrapped up the set, bringing an end to yet another amazing Thornhill show. 

Playing easily one of our favourite sets of the day was Electric Callboy. Coming onstage in matching tracksuits and mullets, what ensued was a set full of party anthems, costume changes and raving. Coming all the way from Germany, the electronicore group wasted no time starting the party with Pump It and Arrow of Love, which had everyone dancing along with their trademark synth hooks. The band were vocal about how excited they were to be in the country, and playing their first summer festival in Australia - which was met with ecstatic screams from the crowds. Tekkno Train and Mindreader off their most recent album Tekkno went completely off, with a sea of fists raised in the air, and a steady mosh heaving. Briefly leaving the stage for a final costume change involving bowl cut wigs and white vests, the band ended on a high with their next-level banger We Got the Moves, leading the crowd into a mass singalong and choreographed moves. 

It wouldn’t be an alt festival without metalcore legends The Amity Affliction, who have become a mainstay in the scene’s festival circuits throughout the years. Pulling in the masses to the main stages, Amity ran through hit after hit, with Pittsburgh and All My Friends Are Dead being among some of our set highlights. In true Amity fashion, pyro effects just turned everything up to 11, especially when classic hits Chasing Ghosts and Soak Me in Bleach rolled around. 

Reviving the nu-metal genre at Good Things was Ocean Grove, whose nostalgia-fuelled tracks have earned a massive following over the last few years. Rap-heavy singles Superstar and Ask For The Anthem had the whole audience bouncing along to each word as vocalist Dale Tanner jumped around on stage like a maniac, while the band put their all in to please the heaving crowd. With the good weather beating down on us, Ocean Grove finished up on the summer anthem Sunny, which set the vibe for the rest of the day. 

Playing their first-ever Australian festival, Brit rock duo Nova Twins absolutely destroyed their first set for Good Things, with boss bitch anthems Fire & Ice and Cleopatra starting the set off strong. The duo, consisting of vocalist/guitarist Amy Love and bassist Georgia South, have built a major international following through their fusion of genres and grumbling bass lines, topped off with quick-firequick fire, cleverly written lyrics. Puzzles saw the duo encouraging a mosh pit with twerking in the middle (something we didn’t thinkthing we’d see at the festival), while earlier single Taxi had the audience up and jumping along. Performing with seemingly unending energy, the duo performed a massive set from the two albums they have put out, with personal favourite tracks Antagonist and Choose Your Fighter closing out the show strong. 

After not performing live in almost 18 years, Melbourne-based band TISM reunited for a series of shows at Good Things. With a career spanning the last 30 or so years, the seven-piece ‘anonymous’ band took to the stage in their trademark balaclavas. Playing a show that could only be seen to believed, the group wore massive silver balloons attached to their heads and led the audience through a set packed full of their hits, with plenty of shenanigans thrown in. Classic tracks Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me and Greg! The Stop Sign!! went absolutely off with the massive crowds - all yelling along with every word. Death, Death, Death, Amway, Amway, Amway and (He’ll Never Be An) Ol’ Man River began to draw the set to a close, and had all jumping in unison. Love them or hate them, TISM sure know how to put on a show. 

Punk rock legends NOFX were up next on the main stage, treating the audience to their fifth studio album Punk in Drublic being played in full. With plenty of banter back and forth between the band and vocalist Fat Mike, the four-piece delivered all of their best hits to an energetic crowd. Returning since their last Melbourne dates back in 2018, we were happy to see the veteran punk rock act before they call it quits in 2023. 

We quickly made our way to another stage to see Cali pop punk band The Story So Far, whose hard hitting lyrics and catchy hooks have earned them their name in the scene. Frontman Parker Cannon is a machine onstage; spitting lines with a collected calm, despite the heartbreak behind them. Hits such as Roam and High Regard were met with screams from the audience, while fast paced tracks such as The Glass and Bad Luck saw a sea of crowd surfers throughout the set. 

As the day started to near a close, alt-metal icons Deftones took to the stage to play to a packed out crowd. The band’s distinct style and experimental tendencies have cemented them as heavy hitters within the scene - and the band’s nine studio albums are a testament to that. Starting their set off with Genesis and Diamond Eyes, Deftones reminded everyone why they were still around, with a jaw dropping kick off. With the crowd in a trance-like sway along, hits such as Digital Bath, Sextape and Rocket Skates went off without a hitch, and were also personal set highlights. Before we knew it, the set was coming to a close with Change (In the House of Flies) and Back to School (Mini Maggit); with the grumbling basslines reverberating throughout the crowd. 

Up next, immediately on the main stage, was the band a lot of the audience had been camping out for; Bring Me The Horizon. As one of the first countries they’d headlined a festival in, the band’s excitement and enthusiasm was palpable - so fair to say, the band put on a massive show. With some of the coolest graphics we’ve seen in a show, their ‘AI’ welcomed us to the show, before announcing their opening track, Can You Feel My Heart, which was met by a sea of people as far as the eye could see. Showering the audience in a flurry of pink confetti, Happy Song, Teardrops, MANTRA and Dear Diary had the crowd going wild, before the build up to Parasite Eve drove everyone over the edge. Newer track sTraNgeRs and lead single Shadow Moses from their hit 2013 album Sempiternal went absolutely off, before the set was kicked up a notch. ‘This next one is a big fucking tune’, vocalist Oli Sykes told us before the band tore into their Babymetal featured track, Kingslayer, which absolutely killed it. Another newer track DiE4u went down an absolute treat, before things were slowed down a bit with an acoustic version of Follow You, which was met with a sea of dazzling phone lights swaying in the audience. Jumping into the pit, Oli Sykes ran along the crowd for what appeared to be their final song of the night, Drown, before BMTH disappeared offstage. With their AI announcing their return, the band were back onstage for an encore of Obey and their anthemic hit, Throne, which had the audience raging. Shooting red streamers out into the crowd, it was clear to see that Bring Me The Horizon had done nothing but work hard to get where they are now - and it’s only further up from here. 

Needless to say, Good Thing Melbourne came to yet another very successful close - filled with an incredible lineup, great weather, and good times all around. As one of Australia’s newer festivals, Good Things has impressed year after year - and we can’t wait to see what they have in store next time around. 

Queenscliff Music Festival is a wonderful time of year that draws in thousands of locals and people from out of town to experience the magic of Queenscliff and all that the town has to offer.

 
Celebrating its 24th year, Queenscliff Music Festival was back after a two year break, with an incredibly diverse lineup filled with variety and talent. Over the course of a jam-packed weekend, our team managed to catch over 30 acts across the city's 12 stages and venues. With a large array of well-known acts the audiences love and many hidden gems to be discovered, here are our highlights from our annual trek to the Queenscliff Music Festival. 

FRIDAY

Our Friday night was spent having some quality time at the Lighthouse stage, dancing and singing in the Piano Bar, wandering down to the Hippos Stage to see an Aussie legend, and spending time with up-and-coming talent at the Couta Quarter. 

• Sydney-based former lead vocalist for The Preatures, Isabella Manfredi, blew our socks off with her solo performance which included our favourite track Jealousy, un-recorded song This Is Love and a classic Preatures tune with Is This How You Feel? 
• Alt-indie rock trio Middle Kids performed their last show of the year with a setlist heavily featuring from their 2021 album Today We're The Greatest, as well as crowd-favourites Never Start and ending on Edge of Town.
• Hunters and Collectors' Mark Seymour with his band The Undertow told stories and performed a collection of hits spanning across his incredible career - as well as the loudest sing-a-long of the night to Throw Your Arms Around Me. 
• The man, the legend, John Butler pulling out all the stops for Better Than, Betterman, and Zebra to name a few. 
• Promising regional Victoria indie-pop musician Maz Green,whose set was live-streamed onto TikTok and included stories of how she lost her phone earlier that day, an incredible cover of Roxanne and originals we have on loop with Somewhere Else and Wrong Impression. We loved her set so much we went back for more on the Saturday! 

SATURDAY 

Saturday was an early start as we headed into town with the promise of more live music. With lots of music to discover and locations to visit, the town opened up its official QMF venues and we ventured out for a 13-hour day of exploring everything available. From checking out local acts on a fully solar-powered stage at Nelly's at the Pier, to having a squiz at the pop-up stage at The Hub, and spending time wandering around the festival site, Saturday was extremely eventful in all the right ways. 

• Seb Szabo opened the day at his first ever festival, and drew a large crowd who gathered around to hear some originals and a cover of Ben Lee's Catch My Disease. 
• When she's not performing in a psychedelic disco-pop space-themed band, Zoë Fox is performing as a solo artist bringing a 60's folk vibe and writing theme songs for Spoonville. It was great to see Zoë in her element, performing multiple songs about the moon (in her non-space-themed project) as well as feel-good tracks about when your friends rise to the occasion. 
• Had a laugh with Andrew Hansen from The Chaser's War on Everything fame, who had a lot to say on annoying appliances that beep, auditioning to join the Wiggles, and being a cool musician who uses a loop pedal. Personal highlights were his ode to bogan baby names, a safety song for children, and his disdain for Bluey's dad.
• Supergroup Seeker Lover Keeper,consisting of the beloved Sarah Blasko, Holly Throsby and Sally Seltmann are always a privilege to see live. With songs dedicated to both those under 10 years old, as well as everyone over 10, the performance had something for everyone from the first track Superstar,through to Even Though I'm a Woman and closing track Wild Seeds. 
• Felix Riebl, co-founder and lead vocalist of The Cat Empire, has released his first full-length solo album Everyday Amen,and it was an honour to hear the internationally acclaimed artist performing his latest releases to a packed out crowd. Favourites included Yeah Yeah Yeah, Barcelona Beers, and title track Everyday Amen. 
• Boasting easily the biggest crowd of the day, Baker Boy kicked things into overdrive with his hit singles Meditjin, Mr La Di Da Di and Cool As Hell, before launching into a cover of Blur's hit Song 2.
• RVG provided a sense of catharsis to a packed out tent at the Glaneuse stage, bringing their brutally honest lyrics to life in tracks such as Alexandra and Christian Neurosurgeon. The Melbourne post-rockers were easily one of our highlights of the festival, and we're already planning to catch their next gig.  
• Sometimes she's Steph Sings, sometimes she's Steph Spins (on the decks), but for QMF, multi-instrumentalist Steph Strings wowed the audience in the Couta Quarter with her effortless guitar and percussion technique. Set highlights included track Antigone and Wildfire, taken from her EP of the same name.

SUNDAY 

Typically on the third day of a festival, particularly on a Sunday, people are a bit dustier than when the festival started. Fortunately, this family-friendly event had us attending the Uniting Church, the Town Hall and of course, the local pub The Brewhouse. 

• Tuck Shop Ladies spoke of Cheese and Trackies,so naturally, we couldn't get enough! 
• Folk Bitch Trio played their first rainy gig, which felt cosy as they played originals including Lost, Teach and Friendly Neighbour. 
• Little Quirks were straight-up fun to watch as a folk-pop trio with lots of dancy tracks such as Crumbled, All My Friends Are Birds, and a high-energy cover of SOS by ABBA - a nod to their SingStar days. 
• WA artist Banjo Lucia is one to watch as a prominent singer-songwriter whose songs reflect observations from her life to date, reflected in her 2022 debut EP Peccadilloes. The set had the audience in awe as they listened to The Last Song, Plastic Seats and Hold On Tight to name a few. Highlights included our favourite track That's Not Loving and an incredible cover of Chris Isaak's Wicked Game. 
• We had an out-of-body experience seeing Jess Ribeiro perform her poetic and evocative songs about the world. Drawing on tracks from My Little River, Kill It Yourself and 2019 release LOVE HATE, we could not get enough of Jess' performance and the humour throughout her show. 
• Blues rockers The Teskey Brothers absolutely packed out the Lighthouse stage, with hits such as I Get Up, Rain and Carry You. Brothers Josh and Sam were accompanied by a huge band, complete with soulful back up singers and brass. 

Queenscliff Music Festival continues to be an amazing experience for everyone and a great place for families. With different genres for any musical taste, accompanied by a variety of food vans and well-priced drinks, it continues to be the place to be in November. 

To find out more about the festival and keep up to date for future announcements, head to the QMF website here. 

On a late Saturday in April, Groovin the Moo returned once again to the Prince of Wales Showgrounds in Bendigo, Dja Dja Wurrang Country. After taking a couple years off thanks to the pandemic, GTM22 made its triumphant return with a solid lineup of local acts, who were joined by some choice international artists.

Kicking off the day on the main stage was Melbourne hip-hop artist Mulalo, who put on a hell of set with unrivalled confidence and finesse. Supported by local Bendigo muso Tawana, Mulalo's track M31 (Racing Down the Hume) went off, with her quick-fire lyrics and stage presence which are a sign of big things to come. Up next was one of our latest fave bands Telenova, who have been raking in the festival spots and collecting masses of fans along the way. Tranquilize and Lost Highway opened the set, along with their latest release Why Do I Keep You?  The local three-piece have gone from strength to strength over last few months, so when they wrapped up with Bones and their haunting track Blue Valentine, punters were left wanting more.

Triple J Unearthed artist Jem Pryse was up next with his soul-inspired sounds; complete with full band and saxophone. Jem's chill beats made for a relaxing set - as the sun came out for a bit and warmed up the crowd. SingleTurning Reality Into Dreams went down a treat with the swaying audience, and was the perfect soundtrack for the day ahead. Also bringing smooth vibes (and mouth trumpet) to the festival was grentperez in the Moolin Rouge tent. The Sydneysider had a steady crowd bopping along to every beat, so when his cover of Justin Bieber's Stay rolled around, more and more punters rushed to check out the talented muso.

Brisbaner Hope D brought her indie-rock hits to the main stage, drawing in some massive crowds, and quickly making herself one of our festival highlights. Through her raw and relatable lyrics, the artist has become a huge hit on the airwaves, as well as earning herself a QMusic Emerging Artist Award, and placing a song in the Hottest 100. Singles such as Addict, Swim and Second were flawless live, as well as Hope's cover of Britney Spears' Toxic - which drove the audience absolutely nuts. Alt-rockers RedHook turned it up for their crazy set - with vocalist Emmy Mack giving an energetic performance as usual. Starting off with their heavy hitters Only Bones, Cure 4 Psycho and Fake, the trio changed up the pace with their poppy track I Don't Keep Up which had everyone up and dancing along. Kamikaze, Dead Walk and the anthemic Bad Decisions are the closers for the set - and made us excited to see the band again in the future.

London born Thomas Headon raked in the crowds under the Moolin Rouge tent, with the young muso earning himself a huge following online with his saccharine tracks. With an endless energy onstage, Thomas launched into two of his latest tracks How Do I Know? and Strawberry Kisses from his latest EP Victoria to begin with, which had the audience erupting into screams. The artist had the audience hanging on every line, with a reach into the crowd driving everyone mad, before leading into Nobody Has To Know, and bringing the set to a reluctant end with UrbanAngel1999. Back on the main stage, festival mainstay Middle Kids brought their all to yet another amazing set. Starting things off with Never Start and Your Love, the trio were in fine form, with vocalist Hannah announcing that this was a special set - with it being her two year old's first Middle Kids show. Stacking Chairs and Questions were our faves from the set, with R U 4 Me? and Mistake stirring up quite the singalong with the audience. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end; so as the band lead into Don't Be Hiding (the song about 'being okay with having a muffin top') and the hit that started it all, Edge of Town, the audience was jumping along to every word. 

As Middle Kids' first GTM, we're sure we'll be seeing them back on the lineup in later years.

Changing up the pace a little was garage rockers Hockey Dad - whose back catalogue and most recent album Brain Candy made them the perfect addition to the festival. Playing back to back hits, the boys busted out tracks Germaphobe, Good Eye and fan fave Sweet Release, to name a few. With the crowd going absolutely wild throughout the set, it was only fair for the band to wrap everything up with classics Seaweed and Join the Club. Climbing a speaker stack, performing choreographed moves, and giving us plenty of emotion were just some of the things superstar Montaigne brought to her set. The ARIA award-winning, Eurovision-competing musician has been busy over the years refining her art into the powerful movement we see today - and this passion was visible in her GTM performance. The hard-hitting What You Mean To Me and Greater Than Me were the openers, and set the pace for an action-packed set. Clip My Wings and her Eurovision track Technicolour were highlights for all, by the looks of it, and had the audience up and dancing along, while closers Till It Kills Me and Ready saw the artist throwing her all into what was an incredible performance.

As the wildcard of the day, metalcore heavy-hitters Polaris brought the thunder to the showgrounds; stirring up massive circle pits and getting punters muddy in the process. Despite vocalist Jamie Hails having a throat infection, the Sydney five-piece still put on a hell of a show - with Vagabond starting it off. The group's Like a Version of Eskimo Joe's Black Fingernails, Red Wine pulled everyone close by into the pit for a mass singalong, which was something to behold. Before we had a chance ourselves to run into the last circle pit, Polaris' closing song Lucid came to an end; its last notes reverberating through its audience. The legendary Spiderbait were up next - bringing three decades of alt rock to the masses at the main stage. Before kicking off their mammoth set, Kram took a moment to warm up the huge numbers that had turned up to see the band, before the trio kicked into gear with Straight Through the Sun from their 2013 self titled album. Playing back to back hits, which of course included Calypso and their cover of Black Betty, Spiderbait drew in such a diverse crowd, which saw multiple generations jumping along to every song. 

Visiting from across the pond was New Zealand sibling duo Broods, who are fresh off the release of their fourth album, Space Island. With a brand new sound and look, the duo have remade themselves yet again; further cementing their rightful place in international festival lineups, as well as boasting millions of streams. New tracks Piece of My Mind and Heartbreak opened the set, and saw vocalist Georgia Nott showing off her dancing skills and finessed stage presence, while brother Caleb built up the music tracks behind her. Classic Bridges went absolutely off, while the fast-paced Hospitalised and Everything Goes (Wow) kept the dance party going, before the set was brought to a close with the duo's bop Peach. The always chill Lime Cordiale took to the stage next, drawing in a mammoth crowd. With four songs under 40 in last year's Hottest 100 countdown, as well as a #1 album in the ARIA charts, the duo consisting of Oli and Louis Leimbach have become one of Australia's most loveable bands over the past couple years. Playing a set list chock-full of singles from their critically acclaimed album 14 Steps to a Better You, tracks such as Money, Ticks Me Off, and the catchy as anything Robbery were met with screams from the audience. Also treating GTM to their cover of The Divinyl's I Touch Myself, their powerful set came to a head with closing track Inappropriate Behaviour. 

London band Wolf Alice were welcomed back to Victoria with open arms, as the Mercury Prize winners put on a killer set. Set openers Smile, You're a Germ and Formidable Cool amped the crowd up for a solid setlist to come, while tracks Delicious Things and Safe From Heartbreak mellowed out the audience, before the band ripped into their thumping track Play the Greatest Hits. Classics Giant Peach and Moaning Lisa Smile were a sure fire way to get us all jumping along with vocalist Ellie Rowsell, who spared no time letting loose on stage. Before we knew it, the set was coming to a close with the dreamy Don't Delete the Kisses, which saw the crowd in a mass singalong. This wasn't our first time seeing Wolf Alice live, and it definitely won't be our last - it was great to see the band back on our shores. As Aussie hip-hop royalty as you can get, Hilltop Hoods returned once again to GTM for yet another ace show. Rappers Suffa and Pressure were in top shape, riling up the crowd with hit Leave Me Lonely and their classic The Nosebleed Section, before inviting fellow Adelaide musician Nyassa onstage for tracks such as 1955 and I Love It. Absolute banger Clark Griswold went down flawlessly, with Suffa and Pressure encouraging a singalong from the audience in the process. A surprise visit from Illy onstage lead to Hilltop's catchy Exit Sign being played, much to the crowd's joy - but it wasn't until the set's closing track, Cosby Sweater, that everyone lost their minds. 

Closing off the day was the one and only Peking Duk, who as usual, pulled out all the stops for a memorable festival finisher. A cover of Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams brought touring vocalist Micci onstage, leading into the duo's hit Fire - complete with pyro effects, of course. Smashing out dance anthem after anthem, the audience couldn't get enough of hits such as Say My Name, Fake Magic and Nothing to Love About Love. Throwing in plenty of pyro, sparklers, confetti guns and CO2 cannons, the crowd was wowed at every minute, especially when latest singles Chemicals and Honest drive everyone into a frenzy, which was pushed even further by their hit track High. With the pair headlining more and more festivals, it's only up from here.

After taking a year off and dealing with yet another reschedule, UNIFY Gathering made a triumphant return with UNIFY Forever; a celebration of heavy music and home-grown talent. Set in Tarwin Lower in South Gippsland, we made the 2.5 hour drive from Melbourne to join the thousands of punters who had been waiting since 2020 for the next lineup. As a camping festival held from 10-13 March, UNIFY drew in massive numbers; all who were keen to make up for lost time, and have an incredible weekend.

THURSDAY

Sydney four-piece Grenade Jumper were the first band to open up the AM/PM Pre-Party. The band have already made waves through Unearthed and a slew of media outlets for their punk rock, and have supported an impressive number of legendary local bands. Alt-rockers Rumours were up next with their genre-bending take on the scene, which has earned them attention from Alt Press and Music Feeds, making them one to watch. Metalcore powerhouse Drown This City made their return to the UNIFY stage, after releasing their staggering EP Colours We Won't Know last year. The band's blend of brutally honest lyrics and chugging instrumentals has made them a popular act in heavy lineups, and one to keep an eye on.

Local band DREGG went off, with their nu-metal inspired tracks, and their ability to embrace the weird. The band's seamless fusion of rap and hardcore was the perfect way to keep the party going well into the night. Relatively new band alt. followed up, who have racked up a decent following on streaming since their inception. With a musical style that is reminiscent of early 2000s alternative, the band have drawn in a decent following - so it's only up from here. Rounding out the evening's sets and closing off the night were AM/PM DJs spinning classic metal, emo and rock tracks - leading to plenty of singalongs, screams and nostalgia.

FRIDAY

Brisbaners Wildheart opened up the main stage on the Friday, bringing their politically charged melodic hardcore songs to life. Tracks Backburner and False Hope, Fake Happiness off their second album Global Crisis (released last year), were hard-hitting, and had the crowd riled up from the get-go. Making their UNIFY debut was local act To Octavia, who pulled in a massive crowd. We hadn't personally seen this band live before, but were blown away by frontman Merry Kirk-Holmes' range - who switched easily between clean vocals and guttural growls. Singles Sleep, the unreleased Pluto, and closing track The Sound of Rain were set highlights, and needless to say, we can't wait to see this band live again.

Banks Arcade delivered an action-packed set, amping up the crowd with opener Don't Start. The New Zealand natives put on a hell of a show, playing older songs Drown and Sick, and also treating the crowd to newer singles such as Freaks. Latest release Smile closed off the set, which the crowds happily reacted to with a wall of death. Dreams became reality for Bloom, who played what they described as their 'biggest show'. The band kicked off with In Passing, while Phantom Pain from their debut EP and heavy track Daylight had punters in a frenzy. Closing off their mammoth set was Cold - which had the 'dumb fucks from Thornhill' onstage, throwing Bloom t-shirts out into the crowd to celebrate their show.

Metalcore legends Dream On, Dreamer played to a packed out audience, starting off with the relentless Stay. Ambitions saw a massive circle pit opening up in the crowd, while the moving Don't Lose Your Heart and Let It In changed up the vibe and closed off the set. Despite announcing their break up two years ago, Dream On Dreamer haven't yet been able to do a farewell tour until later this year - so here's to the boys getting the send off tour they deserve. The drawcard of the day was Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers (also winners of Best Band Name, in our opinion), a pop-punk band from Canberra. Kicking off with Miss Your Birthday, and later surprising us with a cover of Avril Lavigne's Girlfriend, the four-piece had everyone up and dancing in no time. The catchy as anything AHHHH! closed off what was an awesome set, with the icing on the cake being a guy dressed as Jesus in the front row.

Prog-rock musician Plini switched things up a bit next, with his powerful instrumental tracks, and masterful technique. After telling everyone a few songs in that he's not going to waste time with talking, the self-taught guitarist took festival-goers on a journey with his sweeping soundscapes and intricate finger work. Track Electric Sunrise wowed the audience, who were impressed by the change of pace in their day. Despite starting their set off with a handful of technical difficulties, Gravemind made a full recovery - delivering an insane set. The roaring Hollow led to a huge wall of death within the crowd, who were more than happy to embrace the chaos, while the band's newest track Deathtouch went absolutely off. With this being new vocalist Bailey Schembri's first live performance with the band, it was as if he'd been with them for years.

In what was one of our favourite acts of the festival, WAAX dominated the stage, with the Brissie band tearing up their set. Vocalist Maz DeVita was a ball of energy, giving her 150% onstage, with classics Wild & Weak and Same Same pushing punters up onto shoulders, and crowd surfing over the barricade. A cover of MCR's Teenagers was met with a mass-singalong, while closing singles Most Hated Girl and Labrador were delivered with such energy, it's hard to believe this was the same band we'd seen years ago. Kicking into party-mode was Ocean Grove, whose rap heavy Superstar knocked the audience up a gear. Frontman Dale Tanner commanded the audience, who flocked from all corners of the venue to jump along to hits such as Cali Sun, Ask For The Anthem, and Silver Lining, which had everyone's phone lights lit up. Summer hit Sunny brought the set to an end; complete with pyro and smoke effects.

To celebrate the fifth anniversary of their sophomore album Chemical Miracle, fan faves Trophy Eyes treated UNIFY to their hit album played in full. Counting Sheep started the set off, which kicked off a huge mosh pit and waves of crowd surfers. The band were full of energy, putting on one of the most intense shows we've seen; complete with vocalist John Floreani hitting his head with the microphone. The moody Heaven Sent and Breath You In had the crowd in a steady sway, however it wasn't until John tells everyone to 'wake the fuck up' that everyone stepped it up a level. As always, closing track Chlorine went absolutely off, with punters practically clawing their way up onto mates' shoulders for a final singalong.

Hardcore heavy-hitters The Amity Affliction had the honour of closing off the Friday night; tearing into hit after hit. Opener All My Friends Are Dead led into the anthemic Shine On and Open Letter, which had us all singing along to its moving hook, while D.I.E. amassed to a chanting crowd. Hits Chasing Ghosts and All Fucked Up were amped by some incredible production value - with mirrors surrounding the band, and sparklers going off throughout the set. Giving the masses an incredible mix of old and new tracks, Amity finished up strong with Ivy and Soak Me in Bleach, the latter from their incredible seventh album Everyone Loves You... Once You Leave Them. The band have become somewhat of a staple in the hardcore scene, so it was great to see them close off an amazing day.

SATURDAY

Future Static had the first slot on the next day, and drew in some of the biggest crowds we've ever seen for an opening band. The five-piece wasted no time getting the audience going, with a circle pit starting up at a quarter to 11 in the morning, and tracks The Fatalist and closing song Waves allowing vocalist Amariah Cook to effortlessly flex her impressive vocal skills. With the crowd constantly jumping and dancing along, this set put Future Static on our watchlist, and we're excited to see what they do next. Fellow Melburnians The Last Martyr launched into their genre-warping Afterglow, which is chock-full of chugging guitars paired with Monica Strut's voice that goes from strength to strength. Like a Ghost saw the band throwing in some brutal screams alongside one of the catchiest melodies we've heard in a while; Hindsight, on the other hand was a bouncy, nu-metal inspired hit with the audience.

UNIFY was officially the first festival Starve played, which was celebrated by a mosh pit (complete with hardcore dancing) instantly opening up at the start of their set. Easily to say, some fans went a little too hard too fast, as we watched security pulling a punter from the pit with what appeared to be a broken nose. No One Cares and their hit single Shiver lead to yet another massive circle pit, with the crowds well and truly warmed up at this point. Pridelands' rager of a track, Heavy Tongue, launched their powerful set and kept the hardcore dancing going for the next half hour. Blurring the lines between alt, hardcore and metal, the five-piece played a diverse range of songs which kept the never-ending number of crowd surfers coming.

Over the years, RedHook have never failed to impress us with their live show, and this time round was no different. Playing their first gig back after the pandemic, RedHook opened with bangers Only Bones and Cure 4 Psycho, which saw the band throwing out a super-energetic performance. I Don't Keep Up off their latest EP Bad Decisions led to a saxophone circle pit (because why not), while Kamikaze, featuring guest vocals from Mason Bunt of Pridelands, and Dead Walk (a 'song about secrets that come back to bite you in the rectum') drove the audience absolutely crazy. Finishing up on Bad Decisions, vocalist Emmy Mack invited her fellow female musicians up on stage to celebrate how we can all inspire each other. It was a proud moment for all us girls out in the crowd, and one that will stick in our heads for a while. Brisbane's own Stepson gave their all for an incredible set, which saw a huge circle pit opening up for their first song, Come With Me, while the slow-building This Is How It Feels paid off with the audience, who screamed out until the very end. The hardcore outfit have supported some incredible acts in the past, such as Polaris, In Hearts Wake, and While She Sleeps, on top of headlining their own tours, so seeing them find their place at UNIFY was something to see.

Gippsland natives Mirrors showed us all how it was done when they returned to the UNIFY stage with their own brands of melodic hardcore. The band's intricate guitar work paired with a solid range of clean and screamed vocals was exactly what everyone needed - especially when it came to their single Leave Them Behind. The band have worked hard, supporting the likes of Alpha Wolf, Thornhill and The Devil Wears Prada, and their latest album The Ego's Weight is proof of that. Nostalgia act of the day Short Stack were up next, and having not played a live show in seven years, put on a hell of a set. Opening with one of their newer songs, Burn You Down, the track's breakdown resulted in a huge circle pit opening up in the massive crowd. We Dance to a Different Disco, Honey saw the band throwing two massive beach balls into the crowd, which were kept up in the air for the rest of the set, thanks to the efforts of the fans. The trio were in full banter mode, which made for a fun set, so by the time the set closed off with classics Planets and Sway Sway Baby!, punters left the stage with massive smiles.

Brisbane trio Bugs kept the pop-punk train going with their catchy bops, kicking off with Glue, which had everyone jumping along. The relatable Instant Coffee and slow-building Decisions, Commitments & Plans were set highlights, but it wasn't until their massive hit Seriously, that everyone was losing their collective mind. The surf-rock sounding Esky Lid brought Bug's time onstage to an end, but not before we'd all had a good dance along. 'Hello, we're your favourite metal band, Teenage Joans', said vocalist/guitarist Cahli Blakers partway through their set. The Adelaide indie rock duo consisting of Blakers and vocalist/drummer Tahlia Borg have taken the scene by storm after winning Triple J's Unearthed High back in 2020, and delivered a killer set on the UNIFY stage. Opening up with the honest Girls Don't Cry and catchy Ice Cream, the duo put on an incredible show, which had the audience singing along to every word. Before we knew it, the set was wrapping up with Three Leaf Clover and Something About Being Sixteen - tracks we're excited to see live again when Teenage Joans support Foo Fighters on their Australian tour later this year.

Despite their hiatus a few years back, post-hardcore band Stories are back and playing some of their first shows in over five years. Right off the bat, fans in the audience started hardcore dancing in line with vocalist Morgan's deep growls; round-house kicks and punches filling the air. Under Haze from Stories' debut album The Youth to Become was the finisher for their set - it was pure chaos, but the crowd went absolutely wild for the return of the band. Pop-punk is not dead, thanks to bands like Yours Truly, who have made a name for themselves in the alt scene. The heavy-hitting opening track Walk Over My Grave saw the band busting on stage full of energy, which was closely followed up with Composure and Circles. Siamese Souls, their song about 'challenging fate' changed up the pace, and had the audience held in a joint singalong, before the set was turned on its head yet again for the catchy High Hopes. With the sky filled with heart-shaped confetti from set-closer Heartsleeve,  we're all treated to a surprise music video premiere of the band's new song Lights On - which has us excited for the new music Yours Truly has coming up.

Thornhill were easily our surprise favourites of the festival - having not seen them live before. Views From The Sun and Reptile started the band off, and with plenty of soaring guitars and dark, goth-infused soundscapes, it didn't take long for massive crowds to jump along. Casanova, written as a 'dance track', was accompanied by pyro effects and a wall of death in the crowd, and had vocalist Jacob Charlton giving the audience all his energy and charisma. Newest singles Arkangel and Hollywood were well received, in all their Deftones-esque glory, and seem to be sending the band in an exciting direction. By the time the end of the set rolled around, closer Where We Go When We Die sent everyone just that bit further over the edge, and no one could get enough of the incredible set.

Making their UNIFY debut was Slowly Slowly, who absolutely dominated the stage with openers Blueprint and Creature of Habit Pt.2. Classic tracks Alchemy and Aliens had the crowds screaming along with every word, while Jellyfish seemed to the highlight for many; causing a mass of crowd surfers to spill over the barricade. We were most excited to see the live reaction to the band's latest release Nothing On - however it seemed the audience were all on the same page, and loved the new pop direction. Out of the countless times we'd seen the band live, this was easily the strongest live show we'd seen from them; especially with them now having an extensive catalogue and range of songs. Their final song for the night, Race Car Blues, saw vocalist Ben Stewart throwing himself into the crowd to sing out the last hook, along with punters in the crowd. Slowly Slowly will be touring in April and May 2022, but here's to hoping that they will make a return to UNIFY in the future.

Certified legends Violent Soho closed off the stage Saturday night, with a hit after hit filled set. Mammoth tracks How to Taste and In the Aisle got everyone up and going, and started off an endless sea of crowd surfers. The boys have been at it for a few years now, and their live shows have only gotten better with each album release. Viceroy, So Sentimental and Dope Calypso and oldie but goodie Jesus Stole My Girlfriend went off without a hitch, with the audience just a mass of flailing limbs at this point. Wrapping up the set was the unofficial Australian anthem Like Soda, and classic Covered in Chrome, which gave way to total mayhem in the pit. There was truly no other way to end a Soho set, other than with the aforementioned song - with 'hell fuck yeah's that were loud enough to be heard across the other side of the country.

SUNDAY

While some of us nursed bad hangovers, others found some R&R at the Maton Acoustic Sunday Sessions stage. Starting off the morning was Joshua O'Donnell from Banks Arcade, who played stripped back versions of Sick and Firework, as well as a cover of Marcy Playground's Sex and Candy and new song Spark, from their upcoming album. Alex Moses of Columbus started his set off with Summer Dress, and treated the audience to newest single Full Heart and a cover of Maroon 5's I Won't Go Home Without You - dedicating it to the unsung heroes of the festival, the designated drivers. Rounding off his set was classic Columbus track The Downsides of Being Honest, which finished up strong after Alex threw his all into it.

Connor Brooker from Bugs started off with a stripped back version of Best Friend, which was catchy as anything. Covers of RAThammock's June and Tal Bachman's She's So High were welcome additions to the set, while an acoustic rendition of Decisions, Commitments & Plans put a different spin on a song we'd heard just a day earlier. New track What Goes On In Your Head closes off Connor's set, and gives us a taster of what we're to expect off Bugs' upcoming album Cooties. Closing off the acoustic Sunday Sessions, and therefore UNIFY 2022, was Ben Stewart from Slowly Slowly. Tracks Sunburnt Shoulders and Comets & Zombies opened his set, and were joined by one of our faves Death Proof , and a You Am I cover (Heavy Heart). Before we knew it, the festival was coming to a close with the beautifully written Chamomile, which saw audience members swaying along with each word. We personally couldn't have asked for a better way to finish off the packed weekend, and were hesitant getting to our feet as it meant it was time to leave.

Despite us not having camped in a while (thanks to lockdowns), and our bodies and voices being strained, UNIFY Forever was, as expected, an amazing weekend; full of incredible music, people and memories. We can't wait to see what next year's has in store, and are counting down the days for yet another incredible heavy music gathering.

For The Love returned for another rager of a year, in what turned out to be a killer of a festival lineup. Held in St Kilda's scenic Catani Gardens, with the backdrop of our beautiful city across the bay, FTL22 absolutely kicked off; making us all forget about the past couple crazy years for the day. 

Opening up the stage for the day was absolute legend Ebony Boadu, DJ and beloved Triple J host, who showed off her remixes, mashups, and seamless mixing skills on the decks. Flicking between new and classic tracks with ease, Ebony got the crowds up and moving as soon as they entered the gates. 

Up-and-comers Telenova have made a massive dent in the scene in their last (and only) year, as the band have had a whirlwind of new fans and tours. In only a year, have the supergroup taken over the radiowaves and sold out shows - so it's great to see them join the festival circuit. Opening up with hit tracks Tranquilize and Lost Highway, the band's unique mix of enchanting vocals, intricate guitar and bass work, and thumping beats had the audience swaying and swinging along. Their cover of Madonna's Hung Up absolutely goes off, and new song Lost in the Rush is a welcome addition to the set list. It isn't until Telenova finish up their set with singles Bones and Blue Valentine, that we finding ourselves wanting to see them live again already. 

The stage certainly has a different vibe when George Maple's set rolls around. Slinking onto the stage is two interpretive dancers, whose mesmerising movements flank the artist throughout her performance. Haunting tracks Mine and Vacant Space are met with screams from the audience, while the back-up dancers and George Maple strut across the stage. The moody Fade has us all bopping along to its dance beats, and perfectly showcases the singer-songwriter's jaw dropping vocals, while finishing track that 'has saved (her) many different times' Hero, causes the audience to erupt into a sing-along. 

With their second album release date imminent, the next act up was Boo Seeka; the solo project of electropop singer-songwriter, Ben 'Boo' Gumbleton. Bringing their unique sound of electronic bass, percussive beats and smooth synths, the high energy act was perfect for a summer afternoon by the beach. Opening with Finish What You Started and Deception Bay, set highlights included Humans, Kingdom Leader and Don’t Waste Your Love, before closing out their set with Does This Last and Never Enough. Boo Seeka have become a staple of every great Australian music festival and have come a long way since their debut in early 2015. We can’t wait to see them again soon.  

Melbs-based rapper Allday is up next, and has everyone's attention as the ambient opening notes of First Light play, and the man of the hour runs out to a packed crowd. The crowd-pleaser is swiftly followed up by Cup of Tea in the Bath and Door from his indie album Drinking With My Smoking Friends, released last year. The audience is well and truly singing along to every word by the time Allday kicks off Protection and the rapid-fire OTT, which sees the rapper running up and down the stage; at one point high-fiving punters along the barrier. Before we know it, bop You Always Know the DJ helps close off the energy-packed set, and leaves us all with good vibes. 

As his first hometown show in just over a year, electronic singer-songwriter Running Touch launches into a guitar heavy rendition of opening track Juno, which sees artist Matthew Kopp ripping into some insane guitar solos front and centre. The solo artist has been hard at work over the years, and this set was only a masterclass on how to transform electronica into a crazy live show. Crooning tracks Come With Me and Make Your Move had all punters up and dancing along, all while Kopp kept shredding along on his guitar. The anthemic Better Together was instrumental in closing off the wild set, and was taken to a whole new level as the audiences jumped along together. 

Our favourite dream-pop producer, songwriter and collaborator Mallrat (Grace Shaw) was next to take to the main stage, supported on the decks by JamesJamesJames. Known for her EPs Uninvited, In The Sky, and Driving Music, Mallrat has become one of our favourite festival acts to catch over the summer. Receiving NME’s 'Best Australian Solo Act' award, Mallrat has an impressive catalogue of tracks to choose from opening with Nobody’s Home, older track Tokyo Drift and Make Time. A cameo from Allday for UFO, and high energy tracks Your Love and R U High? got the crowd ready to party and have a good time. Mallrat closed out her set with three of our absolute favourite tracks that have all polled high on the Hottest 100, including Groceries, Charlie and Rockstar. After yet another fab set, we could not be more psyched for Mallrat’s debut album Butterfly Blue due out on May 13.  

Perth trio Crooked Colours stepped it up a notch, bringing their signature indie-dance vibes to the festival, along with a plethora of special guests. With this being their first show in three years back in Victoria, the boys wasted no time getting reacquainted with the Melbourne crowds, playing an insane show. Woodes is the first guest to grace the stage, whose ethereal vocals offset Phil Slabber's perfectly. Ivan Ooze is next to join the trio, who launches into I Hope You Get It; a massive track with a drop that has everyone gagging for more. Before he heads out, Ivan is joined by Masked Wolf for Crooked Colours' latest single Light Year, which goes down well with the crowds. Keeping the party going is closing track Rather Be With You; their latest collab with Hayden James, which has become a massive hit over the last few months. Needless to say, it's this catchy feel-good track that is the perfect way to lead into a mammoth closing set. 

ARIA winning producer Dom Dolla took us all on a wild ride, as the closing set of the day. Crazy graphics, light and laser shows; check. Fireworks; check. You name it - this guy had it all worked out. With an impressive back-catalogue, with a few remixes thrown in here and there, Dom Dolla had the audience eating out of his hand, as his unique brand of house was the soundtrack to everyone's rager of a night. Hit San Frandisco is teased in the first half hour of the set, making the lead up to the siren-filled single all the better, as the audience collectively loses their minds when it finally drops. Naturally, his latest Pump The Breaks sees the audience moving in unison; a sea of people filling the St Kilda gardens. Thankfully it isn't until the very end of the set that Melbourne's clouds give way to the rain, and we're all drenched - but this only adds to the night, and has everyone screaming in joy for the good times ahead. 

After a number of rescheduled dates, it was finally time to attend Under The Southern Stars; a rock concert series with multiple international headliners. With previous concert dates in March at Hastings and Yarrawonga, we checked out the third Victorian show in Melbourne, at Margaret Court Arena. 

The UTSS lineup included international headliners and rock royalty Cheap Trick, fellow American rockers Stone Temple Pilots, and British rock band BUSH. Pulling out all the stops on their return to Australia, the incredible and talented lineup brought in punters young and old to enjoy some old fashion stadium rock. Joining these bands on their Melbourne date were Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and homegrown talent Rose Tattoo. 

First up was Rose Tattoo, fronted by the one and only Angry Anderson. Self-declared as Australia's finest Rock 'n' Roll Outlaws, the band's line up consisted of Angry on lead vocals, Paul DeMarco on drums, Bob Spencer on guitar, Mark Evans on bass and Mick Arnold on slide guitar. From their humble days releasing a debut album in late 1978, the bad boys of rock 'n' roll have set out destroying eardrums and venues across Australia ever since. As the crowd packed into the stadium, the band opened with Out Of This Place, followed closely by Rock 'n' Roll is King, and Who's Got The Cash. The set started to take off with Juice on the Loose, well-known hit We Can't Be Beaten, and Scarred For Life - which Angry told the audience was about growing up in Pascoe Vale in the 50's and 60's. The band closed out the set with more hits from their debut album, finishing up strong with Bad Boy For Love, Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw and Nice Boys. 

Garage-rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club followed up, kicking off with Red Eyes and Tears and fan fave track Beat the Devil's Tattoo. The San Fransisco trio consisting of Peter Hayes, Robert Levon Been and Leah Shapiro have been around for a while now, and have finessed their live show, along with their impressive back catalogue of hits. Single Berlin had everyone up and dancing along, while the moody In Like the Rose mellowed out the show, and showcased the perfectly paired vocals of the two vocalists. Drummer Leah Shapiro was in fine form, drumming up a storm throughout the band's hits. American X and the classic Spread Your Love drew BRMC's set to a close, and had us riled up for the next act.

British band Bush took to the stage, in as fine form as ever. Tearing into classic hit Machinehead and the newer Blood River, the alt-rockers wasted no time putting on a rager of a set. With a discography spanning three decades, Bush found the perfect balance between the hits that made them, and their newer album The Kingdom, which made for a jam-packed setlist. Vocalist Gavin Rossdale addressed finding the perfect balance of new song and old songs, acknowledging,  "it's the balance of life". The grungy Everything Zen and Ghosts in the Machine go off without a hitch, and had the audience swaying along with every note. Rossdale was a flurry onstage; showing endless energy as he lead into hit after hit. Special mention to the amazing guitar work by Chris Traynor on Bullet Holes. The all time favourites Glycerine (played solo by Rossdale) and Comedown were the closers for the set, and led the audience into a mass-singalong; leaving us wanting more.

Stone Temple Pilots were up next, on their first Australian tour with new frontman Jeff Gütt. The American rock band from San Diego, consisting of original band members Eric Kretz and brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo took to the stage, alongside Gütt on lead vocals. Jeff's live stage presence elevated STP to new heights, bringing an incredible take to some old classics with the highest energy set of the night. The band performed tracks from their extensive catalogue, including many from their 1992 debut album Core, which was released to major commercial success. Performing tracks including Wicked Garden, Plush, Dead & Bloated, Sex Type Thing and Crackerman - in which they invited Daxx Nielsen from Cheap Trick out to perform live with the band. We were also fortunate enough to hear tracks from album Purple, including some of their biggest hits with Vasoline, Interstate Love Song and Big Empty. It was clear to see throughout the set that the bands chemistry remains strong and it became easy to see why so many people had come to see them perform. 

Headlining the concert series was rock legends Cheap Trick. With original band members Robin Zander on lead vocals, Rick Neilsen on lead guitar and Tom Petersson on bass the band were accompanied by touring musicians and children Daxx Nielsen on drums and Robin Taylor Zander on guitar. While Cheap Trick are no strangers to Australia, having first toured here in 1978, we had personally waited years to see them headline this concert series and knew that we would be in for a magical night when the band arrived to close out the night. 

The band opened with Hello There, You Got It Going On, Lookout, and Tonight It's You to get the crowd warmed up, looking around to a sea of patrons clinging onto every word of each of their famous tracks. Performing a cover of California Man by The Move, the band proceeded to launch into hits including If You Want My Love, Baby Loves To Rock, and Stop This Game. The band found a way to hit some absolute classics into the set, keeping the crowd entertained from start to finish. The conclusion of the set was as strong a setlist as any band could hope to have performing greatest hits such as The Flame, I Want You to Want Me, Dream Police and Surrender. Closing out the set with Goodnight, it was bittersweet that the evening had come to an end. 

Under The Southern Stars has been a welcomed return to international live music in Australia and to stadium shows with an unparalleled lineup of talented performers looking to bring back good old fashion rock 'n' roll with a series of greatest hits. 

All remaining dates for the UTSS series can be found directly on their website here. 

If you would like to read more, please click below to access our interview with Jeff Gütt, lead singer of the Stone Temple Pilots here. 

Melbourne's latest boutique music festival kicked off in Williamstown's historic Seaworks Maritime Precinct, heralded by some amazing weather, and the backdrop of our beautiful city across the water.

The multi-talented Dena Amy launched the festival off with her eclectic mix of original hits and remixes. The South African-born actress, dancer and DJ has been busy over the past few years, and has toured worldwide showcasing her musical talent. With a range of samba beats, synthy 90s vibes and ethereal tones, Dena Amy was the perfect start to the day, and had us swaying along with her mixes.

Adelaide singer-songwriter George Alice is up next, whose bubblegum-pop has been tearing up the radio waves since taking home the Unearthed High win back in 2019. Singles Stuck in a Bubble and Teenager see the young muso effortlessly flexing her vocal ability, and have the audience cheering along. Covers of Tove Lo's Habits and RÜFÜS DU SOL's Alive (also George's first Like a Version) are flawless and rouse up a singalong with all. And of course, rounding off her set is the song that started it all, Circles, which is still as catchy as ever. With debut EP Growing Pains due out soon, we're excited to see what the future has in store for her.

Indie pop muso E^ST has made a name for herself over the past few years, through her unique blend of genres and energetic live performances. Having supported big international acts such as Twenty One Pilots and Panic at the Disco on their tours, E^ST has easily been one of our favourite acts to see live. Starting off with moody track Talk Deep and the up-tempo Maybe It's Me, the party keeps on going as the audience is captivated throughout the entire set. We're wowed with hits such as the sassy I Don't Lack Imagination and the self proclaimed 'sad and emotionally complex song', Blowjob - which leads into her moving single, Friends. Closing off her powerful set is I Wanna Be Here and Life Goes On, which is backed up by the screaming crowd clamouring for more.

Another Adelaider takes to the stage; and Late Nite Tuff Guy starts tearing up the decks. DJ, producer, and all-round legend Carmelo Bianchetti has made a name for himself with his disco takes on songs, which have always gone down well with the crowds. Remixing older hits as well as newer tracks, Bianchetti throws down the classics such as Modjo's Lady and Earth, Wind & Fire's feel good Let's Groove - which every punter goes absolutely wild for. By the time the end of the set rolls around, Late Nite Tuff Guy has everyone up and dancing, especially when he rounds it off with his crazy remix of Sylvester's You Make Me Feel.

The mysterious Confidence Man bust onto their set next - decked out in matching stage clothes, and ready to get stuck into some choreography and stage antics. The electro pop outfit have truly become one of Australia's hottest acts, and their live shows are only a testament to that fact. Kicking off with Out The Window and Does It Make You Feel Good?, Janet Planet and Sugar Bones are a flurry of limbs as they bust out every move possibly, and get the crowds amped up for an amazing set. Of course it's not a Confidence Man set if there isn't a costume change involved, which the two run off stage for in the second half of their set. Spraying champagne at the crowd, the set leads into party anthems C.O.O.L Party and massive hit Holiday, which sees everyone yelling along in bliss. Classics Don't You Know I'm in a Band and Boyfriend wrap up the incredible set, and leave us all waiting for the next time we'll be seeing Confidence Man and their unbeatable stage presence.

Indie rockers Ball Park Music take the festival in a different direction over the next 50 minutes, bringing their positive vibes and funk to the masses. The Brisbane five-piece started things off withSpark Up! from their latest album, followed swiftly up by hits Everything Is Shit Except My Friendship With You and The Perfect Life Does Not Exist. As easily one of the best live acts (and we've said this many time before), Ball Park Music have become such a mainstay in the festival circuits, and have the fans to prove it. The swelling Cherub, and synth-heavy tracks Trippin' the Light Fantastic and She Only Loves Me When I'm There go off with a bang - and there's a pulsing crowd as far as the eye can see. With the crowds matching the energy of the band onstage, Head Like a Sieve closes off the set, and leaves everyone in the best of moods.

Local DJ Papa Smurf took to the decks next, mixing up his trademark electronic and trance hits, and introducing his legacy to a brand new generation of punters. As an emerging Melbourne DJ in the 1990s, Giovanni Polizzi was known as one of the pioneers of the city's underground scene - and paved the way for many more to come. With his return to live performances in the past couple years, Polizzi has been selling out shows left, right and centre, and his Now & Again set was a display of why this was the case. Commandeering the audience effortlessly, Papa Smurf wowed the audience with his old-school approach to DJing, and his style that had everyone reeling and ready for the night ahead.

Playing their first Melbourne show in two years, SAFIA opened their set up with a countdown, backed up with some incredible production value. Ivory Lullaby and Starlight are the set openers, which have the audience singing along to every word. The electronic-indie trio put on a hell of a show; with endless energy and an incredible setlist that kept the night going. The slower-paced Resolution leads into the monster tracks Make Them Wheels Roll and Counting Sheep, which sees a sea of bouncing fists in the air. New song Falling Down is welcomed by the crowd, and is a new and exciting direction for SAFIA - and hopefully means an upcoming album. Before we know it, the trio are wrapping up with their classic hit Embracing Me; which the crowds bop along to until the last note rings out.

Headlining the day is powerhouse DJ and producer Golden Features, also known as Tom Stell. By this point, the crowds are thoroughly warmed up and are settling in for a rager of a set - so it didn't take long for massive hits Always and Falling Out to send everyone into an absolute frenzy. Golden Features' intricately layered tracks are expertly backed up by an incredible set design, as well as a stellar display of lighting and lasers. With millions of online streams under his belt, as well as platinum and gold records to his name, Stell's own brand of house has blown out over the years - carrying his name across the world. His track Heart Attack created as part of collab project Bronson goes down a treat with the audiences, and has everyone in a rhythmic sway. His single Raka with the Presets sets the tone for the night - and if you weren't already yelling along to the music by now, then this track got you going. As the night draws closer to the end, Stell pulls out all the stops, and brings the festival to a close on a massive high.

Returning to the rolling hills of Rochford Winery in the Yarra Valley, was another dose of Grapevine. With the weather gods working in our favour, and the sun shining down on us, Grapevine once again put on a corker of a day, with a killer Aussie lineup. 

Kicking off the main stage was local singer/songwriting duo T.Y, consisting of childhood friends Elle and Sez. The two young musicians have been making music together since their younger years, with an EP under their belt, and a promising future ahead. Their dance vibes and K-Pop influence are evident, especially with singles Ego, IDK and That's How It Goes from EP Start Again. Complementing their pop-heavy set is covers of Little Mix's Sweet Melody and The Kid LAROI's Stay - expertly covered with their own twist. The act's set comes to an end with their EP’s titular track Start Again - an anthemic single that has us playing the song over in our heads days later. Genre-bending Melbournites Creature Fear are up next, launching into the foot tapping Barely Alive - straight from their EP17 Minutes of Creature Fear. Vocalists Jacqui Lumsden and Cameron Graham's contrasting vocals are effortless and perfectly matched, with Lumsden's soaring trill against with Graham's low grumble. The five piece are not tied down to any genre, ranging from the ballad-like Frankenstein, to the 60's rock-inspired Please Me. Finishing on guitar-heavy Cleanup Man, the band's set was easily a highlight for us on the day, and we're excited to see them at future festivals.

Playing their first festival was Rest For The Wicked - an alt-pop upcoming duo who are set to become the next big thing. Consisting of muso Ben Townsend, previously known as Ivan Ooze, and producer Tasker, the group have sold out shows based on the hype of a single song - so we knew that they couldn't be missed. Working their way through unreleased music, as well as their dreamy singles Bones and Feel the Same Way, the duo led the audience into a steady sway. Needless to say, we're super excited to see what's next for Rest For The Wicked. Legendary party-starter CC:DISCO! quickly followed up, spinning an endless dance track that the crowds jumped along to. DJ Courtney Clarke has worn many hats over the years, including radio host and label boss, but if there's one thing she knows - it's how to create the perfect soundtrack for a dance party. With an eclectic mix of remixes, re-imaginings and throw-back tracks, CC:DISCO!'s set had a little something for everyone, making her the perfect addition to a big day out.

Viral hit The Inspired Unemployed took over the changeover DJ sets for the rest of the day, decked out in suits and kicking off their hosting duties with a couple of shoeys. Bringing the nostalgia with old school hits from Mariah Carey, Madonna and Jamiroquai, the boys had the audience bopping along and laughing along with their antics. Mixing it up throughout the day, there's even a Bachelorette competition run with members of the audience, with no end to the laughs. Playing a DJ set and cranking the party up a notch was Bag Raiders, whose extensive back catalogue had all punters up and dancing like there was no tomorrow. The Sydney-siders brought the bops and the beats, and the audience brought the energy; especially when it came to revived hit Shooting Stars. With a solid mix of originals and remixes, there truly was no end to the producers' hits - much to the crowd's delight.

Drawcard of the day, The Veronicas came armed to the teeth with their mix of old and new tracks, complete with choreography and their trademark cool and collectedness. Twins Lisa and Jess have made a big dent on the festival scene the last few years, so seeing them again at Grapevine made it a day for the masses. Starting off the set with club bangers Take Me On the Floor and Hook Me Up, as well as the angst-riddled When It All Falls Apart and Everything I'm Not, the crowds flocked to the stage to sing along to hit after hit. When In My Blood rolls around, hands are up in the air for a singalong, and it doesn't take long for the crowds to turn manic when Jess and Lisa wrap up their flawless set with classics 4ever, and Australia's adopted national anthem, Untouched. The ethereal Vera Blue waltzes on stage, decked out in a lime green chiffon dress and oozing charisma. The electro-pop singer/songwriter has made a massive name for herself in the music scene, with her amazing range, hypnotic instrumentals, and unrivalled stage presence. Temper and hit track Hold open up her set, which makes the audience go crazy and chant along. Dance-heavy tracks Lady Powers and Regular Touch see Vera dancing around the stage wildly, with an incredible energy despite the scorching heat. A stripped-back version of her collab with Flume, Rushing Back, is the set-closer, and draws out into a crescendo which has the crowds screaming her name until the very end.

Festival faves The Jungle Giants as always, went down an absolute treat with the masses. The Brisbane musos have quickly become a mainstay in the festival circuits, with their indie pop-rock fusion and energy-filled sets bringing in fans worldwide. Opening up with hit Sending Me Ur Loving, the band had fans screaming along to every word, which was closely followed up with hits Bad Dream and Feel the Way I Do. Newer track Love Signs off the band's latest album has become a new fave for fans, and hearing this live was easily a set highlight. Wrapping up an energy-packed set with classic Used to Be in Love and new hit Heavy Hearted ends the set on a massive high, and has us pumped for the final act. Winding up the festival was electronic giants Peking Duk, who were joined on stage by touring vocalist Micci (Michaela Baranov), who belted out hit after hit. The duo kick it off with Fire, complete with pyro effects, and the crowd goes absolutely off; illuminated by the flames shooting high above the stage. Bangers Say My Name, Fake Magic and Let You Down are up next, and have the audience jumping along with every word. The boys' hit with The Wombats,Nothing to Love About Love, and their latest single Chemicals go off without a hitch and have us all reeling from the energy and the insane vibes all round. Adam and Reuben pull out all the stops during their set; streamers, sparklers, a towering flames, and even a confetti gun that is fired out towards the crowd. By the time the end of the set rolls around, closers Stranger and Highclose the day off on... well, a high, and all punters leave with smiles.