Beat 1721

DJ PGZ

The underground icon brings hypnotic techno, mind-melting visuals and yidaki vibrations to Now or Never.

ANTHONY NAPLES • BEN FROST (LIVE AV)

CLARK • CORIN (LIVE AV)

COUCOU CHLOE • DJ AYA • DJ PGZ

DONATO DOZZY • EARTHEATER

ERIKA DE CASIER

ESTELLA BOERSMA • FRANÇOIS X

GABBER MODUS OPERANDI (LIVE AV)

NARETHA WILLIAMS

SANDWELL DISTRICT (HYBRID AV)

SLEEP D • VERONICA VASICKA + MORE

ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING

22———31 AUGUST

PRINT EDITOR

Kaya Martin

EDITOR

Lucas Radbourne

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Riley McDonald

GIG GUIDE

Jacob Colliver

CONTRIBUTORS

Bryget Chrisfield, Sarah Duggan, Tyler Jenke, Juliette Salom, Chris Hockey, Wil Clifford, Brandon Bentley, Andrew Handley, Oliver Winn, Jamie Colic

FOR ADVERTISING OR SPONSORED CONTENT ENQUIRIES advertise@furstmedia.com.au

ACCOUNTS accounts@furstmedia.com.au

DISTRIBUTION distribution@furstmedia.com.au

PUBLISHER

Furst Media Pty Ltd

FOUNDER

Rob Furst

SOCIALS

BeatMag BeatMagazine beatmagazine BeatTV beat.com.au beatmagazine

EDITORIAL NOTE

August has become one of the most exciting months of the year thanks to Now or Never, Melbourne’s major new winter arts festival that’s celebrating its second year in 2024.

Æ Our August cover star is DJ PGZ, one of the most important artists in Melbourne’s electronic music scene, who will transform the Royal Exhibition Building alongside the likes of Donato Dozzy, Estella Boersma and François X on August 24.

Our August edition also features an exceptional array of artists performing across the city over the next few weeks, including fellow Now or Never artists Marco Fusinato and CORIN.

We chat to local post-punk radicals 00_ before they rock the Bergy Bandroom and Arron Mawson before Split System and Stiff Richards play the Brunswick Ballroom. We talk to Scottish indie legends Belle & Sebastian before they light up the Palais, The Cat Empire before their seminal collaboration with the MSO, breakout RnB star Griff before she takes over Northcote Theatre, and Augie March before they play a massive free show at Civic Hall.

Our festival and stage guides are packed to the rafters and we review the latest banging releases from Empire of the Sun, Alice Ivy, Watermelon Boy, The Finch Cycle and Grinspoon. Plus, we have a very special venue guide this month with news that the iconic Punters Club is reopening and The Bendigo Hotel has been saved. It’s everything you need to know this month in one place, enjoy.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TRADITIONAL OWNERS

Our magazine is published on the lands of the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation, and we wish to acknowledge them as Traditional Owners. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging.

DISTRIBUTION

Beat Mag will be distributed free every month to hundreds of locations around metro Melbourne, to enquire about having it at your venue email distribution@furstmedia.com.au

COVER

Our August cover star is DJ PGZ. Photo by Georgia Farry.

PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL DROPS 2025 LINEUP

Skerryvore, The East Pointers, Missy Higgins, Dean Owens & The Sinners, Niamh Bury, The Brother Brothers, Hannah Aldridge, Kristin Hersh, Chikchika, Kutcha Edwards, Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission and so many more are coming to Port Fairy from March 7 - 10, 2025.

Ç YIRRAMBOI ANNOUNCES 2025 COMMISSIONS

Continuing to provide a vital platform for Victorian-based First Nations artists, YIRRAMBOI has revealed six thought-provoking and genre-pushing concepts – across all art forms, including theatre, drag, live music, installation, visual art, film, cabaret, and performance. YIRRAMBOI will return to Melbourne from May 1 - 11.

Ç JET AND THE MSO TEAM UP FOR ONE-OFF SHOW

ARIA Hall-Of-Famers Jet and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra are going to rock the Sidney Myer Music Bowl for one night only this November 8.

Ç THE BENDIGO HOTEL HAS BEEN SAVED

The Mill Brewery has announced it will take over the Bendigo Hotel and reopen the beloved Johnston Street venue. It comes after the Bendigo Hotel announced its closure earlier this year in March, prompting heartbreak among the live music scene in Melbourne.

PETE HELLIAR TO STAR IN PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

The beloved Australian comedian and television personality will take centre stage in the highly anticipated production of fivetime Tony Award-winning show, Peter and the Starcatcher. It’s coming to Arts Centre Melbourne from November 8.

Ç HERBIE HANCOCK LEADS MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL LINEUP

Living legend Herbie Hancock is set to light up the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on October 19, with an electrifying evening of music to kick off the 2024 Melbourne International Jazz Festival.

AUGIE MARCH HEADLINES BE HEAR NOW

They’ll be playing with Coda Chroma and Dayfever in a very special show at the Ballarat Civic Hall on August 10, as part of the exceptional Be Hear Now festival program.

Ç STRAWBERRY FIELDS REVEALS LINEUP, SELLS OUT

The Strawberry Fields lineup is here for its November 2024 festival, with an impressive and diverse international heavy program featuring DJ EZ, KiNK, Theo Parrish, TSHA, Massive Attack’s Daddy G, Seun Kuti, Soichi Terada, Township Rebellion, Sébastien Léger, Soul Clap and many more.

Ç OUT ON THE WEEKEND EXPANDS REGIONALLY

Out On The Weekend will be held across the weekend of 11 – 13 October, starting at Itinerant Spirits at The Goods Shed in Ballarat on Friday 11 October, heading to flagship location of Seaworks Williamstown on Saturday 12 October, and finishing up at Coal Creek Community Park and Museum, Korumburra on Sunday 13 October.

RAISING FUNDS FOR GIVIT - WITH MY S AFE WORD IS MURDER + ERIN WILL BE M AD + CAT CRAWL BAT TLE OF THE BANDS HEAT #4 - WITH THE VALIANTS + SEB SZ ABO + PRET T Y MOI + WALIENS + BABY SHOWER

SAN - WITH THE VOIDDECK S + NAUSICA A BAD/LOVE ‘MONO NO AWARE’ TOUR - WITH OUTLOVED + FALLWEATHER + COLOURBURN ECHO BRAVO FESTIVAL - WITH GARAGE S ALE + LOCAL AUTHORIT Y (QLD) + PEACE RITUAL (NSW) + PROPAINE + MORE!!! NONNIE (SA) ‘I DON’T LIVE HERE’ SINGLE L AUNCH -

Wesley Anne y Anne

Trivia with Sparx every Wednesday 7:30pm

BAND ROOM

Tuesday 6 August

Moulin Beige

Friday 9 August

Sam Buckingham

Sunday 11 August

Sally Ford & the Idiomatics

Saturday 17 August

This New Light

Tuesday 20 August

Holly Lee Jones

Friday 23 August

The Memphis Three

Saturday 24 August

Annaleise Rose

Friday 30 August

Charlie Owen

FRONT BAR

Saturday 3 August

Anderson-Vague Trio

Thursday 8 August

PhonX

Friday 9 August

Temple of Groove

Thursday 15 August

Daimon Brunton Trio

Sunday 18 August

Girl Friday

Saturday 24 August

Wave jazz Trio

Sunday 25 August

Steph Brett

Friday 30 August

Puttin’ on the Spritz

COUNTRY STAR

KANE BROWN IS COMING TO MELBOURNE

With a genre-defying catalogue that fuses country, pop, hip-hop and more, Kane Brown is coming to Rod Laver Arena on November 22 with support from Kameron Marlowe and Kaylee Bell.

Ç NGV ACQUIRES ICONIC SALVADOR DALI WORK

Resembling two scarlet-red lips, Salvador Dalí’s iconic Surrealist design Mae West Lips Sofa, manufactured in 1937–38, is now on display at NGV International.

THE ABILITY FEST LINEUP IS HERE

Ability Fest has announced its 2024 lineup, featuring Ocean Alley, ONEFOUR, Cub Sport, King Stingray, Bag Raiders, Middle Kids, Brenn!, jamesjamesjames, Kita Alexander, Asha Jefferies and more on October 19 at Alexandra Gardens.

BIGSOUND EXPANDS LINEUP

Industry figureheads Lutz Leichsenring and Lyndsey Havens are among those speaking at the conference, while Miiesha, Alayna, and Dear Sunday lead the second wave of BIGSOUND 2024 showcasing artists.

CHAINSMOKERS LEAD PALM TREE MUSIC FESTIVAL

Chainsmokers, Alesso, Gryffin, Austin Millz, Daya and more are coming to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on December 8 for the one-day EDM festival.

NAT BARTSCH LAUNCHES NEURODIVERGENT ARTIST MEET-UPS

Melbourne pianist/composer Nat Bartsch is hosting several informal music industry gatherings for neurodivergent artists and industry workers. The next is happening on Sunday 28 August, from 2-4pm at Mamma Chen’s in Footscray.

THE PUNTERS CLUB IS REOPENING

The new owners of 376 Brunswick St, Fitzroy (formerly Kewpie and Bimbo) are reopening the iconic Melbourne live music venue this month as the legendary Punters Club, replete with original decor.

Ç JPEGMAFIA IS COMING TO MELBOURNE

Multi-talented experimental rapper, producer, and performer JPEGMAFIA is coming to Melbourne’s The Timber Yard on March 7.

PUBLIC ENEMY ARE TOURING IN OCTOBER

Hall of Fame inductees, hip-hop revolutionaries and social rights activists Public Enemy have announced a much-anticipated return to Australia to commence their On The Grid 35th Anniversary Tour this coming October, with a Melbourne show kicking off in the John Cain Arena on October 5. Fighting the power with them across the country will be none other than Australian hip-hop duo, A.B. Original.

Ç BUSTED ANNOUNCE OCTOBER TOUR

Busted, one of the UK’s most loved poppunk acts, is coming to Melbourne for their East Coast tour, kicking it off on October 30 at the Forum.

Ç THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST IS BEING REVIVED

A scandalous revival of Oscar Wilde’s comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest, will be performed by Bloomshed from 1 – 11 August at Fortyfivedownstairs.

Ç THE CULT ANNOUNCE 40TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

The Cult, one of the most influential bands of all time, have announced their 8424 tour celebrating the band’s 40th anniversary. They’re coming to the Forum on November 23.

Ç BUSTA RHYMES IS COMING TO MELBOURNE

For the first time in Australia in over 10 years, Busta Rhymes is set to perform in Melbourne. With his unique flow, marked by complexity, humour and inventiveness, Busta Rhymes has become one of the most recognisable voices in hip-hop. He’s coming to Festival Hall on October 8.

MINISTRY OF SOUND CLASSICAL IS BACK

Kicking off summer in the southern hemisphere, Ministry of Sound is heading back to Melbourne this November. After celebrating a slew of sold-out shows over consecutive years, this year’s lineup will feature Tall Paul (UK), John Course, Sunshine & the Disco Faith Choir, Piero and more.

Ç BIRDS OF TOKYO LEAD OCEAN SOUNDS’ 2025 LINEUP

Returning for its eighth year, Ocean Sounds Festival is set to take over Phillip Island with the trifecta of Australian headline talent. Sharing between them 30 ARIA Award nominations, 36 triple j Hottest 100 entries and over 700 million streams, the family-friendly festival welcomes headliners Birds of Tokyo, Boy & Bear and The Cat Empire as the triple threat to the region.

Ç THE PRESETS LEAD ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS GIG

Following on from the Xavier Rudd and Matt Corby show announcements, The Presets will hit the Royal Botanic Gardens stage on Friday 15 November with Midnight Juggernauts and Haiku Hands.

A3 IS VICTORIA’S MAJOR NEW TECHNO FESTIVAL

A3 Festival is Victoria’s major new techno festival, with Amelie Lens, Adam Beyer, X CLUB., Patrick Topping, Bad Boombox, HE.SHE.THEY, Team Rolfes and more coming to the West Gippsland region from November 29 – December 2.

Ç HANABIE RETURN TO MELBOURNE

Following their incredible appearances in Australia late last year as part of Good Things Festival, Hanabie will return this year wielding their Harajuku-core prowess at 170 Russell on November 12.

CANADIAN REGGAE BAND MAGIC! ARE TOURING IN JANUARY

MAGIC!’s meteoric rise came shortly after the release of their debut single, Rude in 2013. They’ve sinced toured with Maroon 5 and now they’re coming to 170 Russell on January 29.

Ç APRA AMCOS ANNOUNCE INAUGURAL SONGMAKERS PROGRAM

16 talented young songwriters from across the state will have the opportunity to write, produce and record three original songs at professional recording studios in Melbourne/ Naarm’s inner north, including Rolling Rock Studio and Carriage Studio, in early October.

Ç ASIA TOPA RADAR RETURNS TO FED SQUARE

Asia TOPA Radar returns to The Edge in Fed Square on August 14 with a bumper lineup of artists from across the Asia-Pacific. It’s the final event before the much-anticipated return of the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts Festival in early 2025.

Ç FUSE FESTIVAL RETURNS THIS SEPTEMBER

On Saturday 14 September, FUSE Festival’s annual inclusive celebration Ganbu Gulin welcomes all Darebin citizens, existing and new, to Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung Country with a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony. The festival will run until September 22.

Ç THE CAT EMPIRE TO PERFORM LIVE WITH MSO

The Cat Empire is basking in the glow of a new dawn, colouring outside genre lines and collaborating with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on August 22, 23 and 24.

Ç JON STEVENS AND KATE CEBERANO ARE TOURING

Two of the most powerful voices in Australian music are ready to light up the stage together in a new tour coming to the Palais Theatre on October 31.

HOTTER THAN HELL ANNOUNCES 2024 LINEUP

This year’s edition of the festival will be headlined by Regurgitator, Little Birdy and Less Than Jake.The touring event will be heading to York on Lilydale in Mt Evelyn on 19 October.

Ç BUDJERAH ANNOUNCES BIGGEST HEADLINE SHOW

Riding high on an unstoppable trajectory, 2x ARIA award-winner and multi-platinum selling artist Budjerah is coming to 170 Russell on September 20.

Ç MODELS AND BOOM CRASH OPERA JOIN FORCES

Models and Boom Crash Opera are joining forces for their Double A Side Tour, playing a special doubleheader at the Corner Hotel on November 3.

THE MEREDITH BALLOT IS NOW OPEN

You’ll need to enter the Meredith Music Festival ballot before 10:32pm on August 12, with Meredith set to return to the Sup from December 6-9.

Ç FRANKENSTEIN ANNOUNCES AWARDWINNING CAST

Following their critically acclaimed performances, Darcy Brown (The Play That Goes Wrong) will return as Doctor Victor Frankenstein and Jeremiah Wray (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) as the Creature. Frankenstein is opening at the Princess Theatre on August 23.

FED SQUARE TO SCREEN 2024 PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES

Fed Square will become the ultimate hub for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with daily highlights and replays on display from 12 pm to 4 pm followed by Nine’s live broadcast from 4 pm to 10 pm.

TESKEY BROTHERS, MARLON WILLIAMS, A. SAVAGE LEAD TOWN FOLK FESTIVAL

Castlemaine Town Folk Festival, Victoria’s beloved single-day event, announces its expansion in 2024, bringing a lineup of local and international talent to Djaara / Castlemaine on 16 November.

SAN CISCO COMES TO MELBOURNE WITH HAIKU HANDS AND TOUCH SENSITIVE

The band have announced a six date national tour in support of their latest album, Under The Light, which will be stopping at the Forum on 26 October.

NATIONAL INDIGENOUS MUSIC AWARDS REVEAL FINALISTS

Barkaa and The Kid Laroi lead the nominations of the National Indigenous Music Awards 20th anniversary event, set to be held at the Darwin Amphitheatre, Larrakia country, on 10 August.

MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA HEADS HOME ON 21ST BIRTHDAY TOUR

The Outlaws and Offbeats Tour will see the band perform across Australia in August and October, showcasing their unique fusion of genres in a major birthday celebration. They’ll be hitting 170 Russell on 4 October.

CASTLE

AUG

FRI 2ND | SAT 3RD DJ BRICOLAGE (Punk/Post Punk/New Wave) w/guests

SUN 4TH HAMISH COWAN (CORDRAZINE) 1pm - 4pm

WED 7TH ANATREPTIX AUGUST RESIDENCY (Greek Rebetiko)

FRI 9TH LUKE THOMAS (Central Rain /Pictures/Ronson Hangup) + KYLE BREW

WED 14TH ANATREPTIX AUGUST RESIDENCY (Greek Rebetiko)

SAT 17TH PETER FARNAN & THE HOME BODIES

SUN 18TH ELVIS CELEBRATION

WED 21ST ANATREPTIX AUGUST RESIDENCY (Greek Rebetiko)

FRI 23RD LA DISCOTHEQUE (featuring DJ Randy Lipz XXX & DJ Bricolage)

SAT 24TH CLUB COUNTRY (featuring DJs Monk De Wally & Honk)

WED 28TH ANATREPTIX AUGUST RESIDENCY (Greek Rebetiko)

THU 29TH VINYL TAP Podcast Recording

FRI 30TH PRIVATE STASH with support FOLLOW THE ROBIN

SAT 31ST MORRIGAN & WILDING For full gig list & event details visit odeonrichmond.com.au

DJ PGZ

Electronic music represents both an ongoing and burgeoning cultural zeitgeist.

WORDS BY GEORGE TANA

Æ It boasts a rich history and legacy to draw from, yet the internal perception of it as an underground movement remains strong.

As Melbourne’s electronic scene has evolved from a microcosm to an established subculture, few artists exemplify its nature quite like DJ PGZ, the moniker of Gunai/ Kurnai and Yorta Yorta multidisciplinary artist Paul Gorrie.

With an upcoming performance as part of the highly-anticipated Now or Never festival - alongside a roster of international techno heavyweights at the Royal Exhibition Building on August 24 - DJ PGZ is slated to captivate audiences with his genre-bending sound and unique artistic vision.

Initially an attendee of various techno parties and doofs, DJ PGZ has evolved into a key figure in Australian underground culture, cementing his self-described “first major opportunity” with Naarm-based music collective Fluxx’s first compilation in 2020.

For those uninitiated in the lore of DJ PGZ, his musical style is heavily influenced by “leftfield queer club culture, deep club, trippy progressive techno, all with an undeniable underlying hip-hop element.” His creative ethos weaves together a self-described “hypnotic, trancy” approach that emits strong cultural influences, evoking a feeling he likens to being “lost in the yidaki vibration.”

Music is not his only calling, also dabbling in filmmaking, radio presenting, and drumming for First Nations artists DRMNGNOW and Kee’ahn. This commitment to his many creative endeavours also informs his community initiatives.

DJ PGZ’s most recent brainchild is a club series hosted and curated by himself entitled Ecstatic Mob, “conceived as a space to build and foster a new community of club culture.” Ecstatic Mob was launched to unite individuals within the club space, fostering a sense of community and belonging, and creating their own “mob” in the First Peoples’ sense of family and togetherness.

This project, as well as his work as a whole, is heavily influenced by the work being made by Black and Brown producers, noting that “their shared experiences really resonate with me, especially those from lower socio-economic areas.” His overarching focus with Ecstatic Mob is still squarely on inclusivity at a larger scale, claiming “I want anybody to come; it’s a place where everyone should feel welcome.”

With a clear initiative and direction in both creative aesthetics and community outreach, DJ PGZ became the perfect candidate to host his Good Static radio show airing each Friday midnight on Triple R.

“It first started when Triple R did a pop-up radio show, initially as a graveyard shift during the week. When the Good Static show picked up, it evolved into a showcase for local acts, allowing me to stay up to date with what’s released.”

Regarding the future of Good Static, he shares, “The direction of the show is to interview more people in the hope of sharing experiences across multiple genres… and people who are innovators within their respective styles.”

Despite thriving in intimate, local spaces, DJ PGZ has his sights set on larger stages. “Intimate spaces are more about reading the room and responding to the crowd,” he explains. He believes that larger venues allow for a plethora of audiovisual ideas, which is why he is currently workshopping visual art pieces specifically curated for his upcoming performance at the Royal Exhibition Building for Now or Never.

With this wealth of experience, his advice for other multi-faceted creatives is straightforward: “Figure out what you want to do, and do it. Gain experience, hone your craft and build genuine relationships. Using people as stepping stones will really devalue your work.”

DJ PGZ is proving that electronic music is more than sound; it’s a powerful platform for connection, inclusivity and cultural dialogue.

Besides his highly anticipated Now or Never performance, DJ PGZ has several upcoming projects on the horizon. He is working on behind-the-scenes collaborations with various artists (to be announced) and plans to release a full-length album next year, showcasing different aspects and styles of his music. He is also set to perform at Subsonic, Mode and Strawberry Fields, with an Ecstatic Mob takeover to be announced.

NOW OR NEVER LINEUP

“Leftfield queer club culture, deep club, trippy progressive techno, all with an undeniable underlying hip-hop element.”

DJ

PGZ AT NOW OR NEVER

DJ AYA • DJ PGZ • Donato Dozzy Estella Boersma • François X

All images credit: Georgia Farry

STAGE GUIDE

WORDS BY SARAH DUGGAN

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

This record-breaking adaptation of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is taking Melbourne by storm! Experience your favourite fairy tale come to life with an enchanting performance by a stellar cast, and find out what everyone’s raving about!

HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE THROUGHOUT AUG

T(ISSUE)

Emma starts menstruating at ten, sparking mixed reactions. As she battles endometriosis, her struggles with health and trauma unfold in “(t)issue”.

LA MAMA HQ 2–4 AUG

SUNNI SUNDAY

Sunni and Sunday, bonded since discovering adolescence’s complexities, face their 30th year recounting a lifelong friendship. Amid tragedy, they question their shared reality and the limits of platonic love.

LA MAMA HQ 9–11 AUG

THREE MAGPIES PERCHED IN HIS HAND

An Aboriginal man from the stolen generation witnesses young people navigating the justice system repeatedly slipping through cracks. This play, inspired by frontline experiences, explores systemic challenges faced by Aboriginal youth, questioning one man’s impact on their futures.

LA MAMA HQ 14–15 AUG

ELVIS: A MUSICAL REVOLUTION

Elvis: A Musical Revolution chronicles the life of cultural icon Elvis Presley, featuring over 40 hit songs. From his Mississippi roots to the ‘68 Comeback Special and his reign as ‘The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’, this energetic production captures pivotal moments in his career through those who knew him best.

ATHENAEUM THEATRE UNTIL 11 AUG

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST

Bloomshed’s scandalous revival of Oscar Wilde’s trivial comedy skewers high society with frills, finery and irreverent satire. This self-aware adaptation transforms Wilde’s classic into a plush punk spectacle, complete with cucumber sandwiches in unexpected places.

FORTYFIVEDOWNSTAIRS 1–11 AUG

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

Nikki Shiels embodies Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams’s classic A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by Anne-Louise Sarks. Set in 1940s New Orleans, this reimagined masterpiece explores aggression, desire and deception with contemporary resonance.

ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE, PLAYHOUSE UNTIL 17 AUG

FLICK

Flick is a darkly comedic play exploring mortality and unlikely connections. Flick, a nurse, forms a bond with Mark, a terminal cancer patient, leading to blurred boundaries and unexpected intersections in their lives.

LA MAMA HQ 16–18 AUG

SNEAKY LITTLE BUGGER

Sneaky Little Bugger illuminates shame through a dynamic mix of physical and verbatim theatre, blending live and recorded audio. Drawing on real-life stories and everyday experiences, it boldly confronts this pervasive emotion that thrives in silence.

LA MAMA COURTHOUSE 28–31 AUG

DEVELOPERS MAKE SH*T NEIGHBOURS

On a quiet street, Oxley and Cooky contend with the disruptive construction of a high rise across from their home. Everywhere they turn, construction workers encroach.

LA MAMA HQ 27–29 AUG

LYSTER OPERA: ROSSINI’S L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI

L’italiana in Algeri is a comic opera by Gioachino Rossini, composed when he was only 21. It tells the story of Isabella, a spirited Italian woman shipwrecked in Algiers, who cleverly outwits the ruler Mustafà, rescues her lover Lindoro, Mustafà’s slave, and showcases female empowerment and charm.

LEVEL 5, 45 WILLIAM ST 24 AUG

ENGLISH

Adult learners in her group each have their unique reasons for learning the new language—be it opportunities abroad or bonding with grandchildren. As they prepare for their final exam, tensions rise, connections form and truths emerge, capturing the imperfect yet humorous journey of language learning in English.

SOUTHBANK THEATRE 1–24 AUG

KINGDOM OF DRAGONS

Embark on a spellbinding journey through a kingdom of mythical creatures and epic adventures. Join talented improvisers for eight nights of humor, suspense and magic as heroes and villains clash in daring quests.

IMPRO MELBOURNE 3 AUG

KING LEAR

In King Lear, Shakespeare explores succession, family betrayal and the unraveling of a kingdom under Lear’s volatile decisions. Witness this epic in the intimate settings of The Neilson Nutshell and Fairfax Studio.

ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE 1–11 AUG

FRANKENSTEIN

Frankenstein brings Mary Shelley’s classic tale of creation and consequence to life in a spectacular theatrical event, playing a strictly limited season in Melbourne. Victor Frankenstein’s ambitious scientific experiment results in a monstrous being that challenges morality and threatens all he holds dear.

THE PRINCESS THEATRE 23–31 AUG

FESTIVAL GUIDE

WORDS BY SARAH DUGGAN

NOW OR NEVER

Now or Never returns this year with the theme ‘Look Through The Image’. It will consist of everything from immersive installations to talks and performances, taking place at various venues across Melbourne/Naarm.

MELBOURNE, VARIOUS 22–28 AUG

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Featuring more than 250 films from 62 countries, this years’ Melbourne International Film Festival will have the biggest titles from the worldwide festival circuit, as well as new Aussie films and films showing for the first time in Victoria.

MELBOURNE, VARIOUS 8–14 AUG

LIMINAL FESTIVAL

Liminal Festival is making its debut this year as they move beyond print and screen and bring us an exciting three day event in the heart of the city, with some of Australia’s most talented writers, thinkers and artists.

THE WHEELER CENTRE 2–4 AUG

FESTIVAL @ BOYD

Experience Southbank’s vibrant Festival at Boyd with community connections, multicultural activities, music, dance, crafts and sustainable practices.

BOYD PARK, SOUTHBANK 18 AUG

DEFROST IMPROV COMEDY FESTIVAL

With eight featured comedy variety shows, a Next Generation showcase of up and coming talent and evening social events, the Defrost Improv Comedy Festival is the perfect winter warmer!

THE IMPROV CONSPIRACY 1–10 AUG

INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL OF MELBOURNE

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne is an annual celebration of Indian cinema, showcasing diverse films from regional to Bollywood. Established in 2010, it features screenings, panel discussions and interactive sessions, fostering cultural exchange and recognising cinematic excellence. It’s a vibrant hub for filmmakers, artists and cinephiles worldwide.

FEDERATION SQUARE 15–25 AUG

BOTANICA FOOD & SPIRITS FESTIVAL

Experience Botanica, an immersive festival of gin, food, crafts and native botanicals, at Melbourne’s Timber Yard.

THE TIMBER YARD 17&18 AUG

MELBOURNE ELVIS FESTIVAL

The 2024 Melbourne Elvis Festival will feature five international tribute artists including Jay Dupuis and Bruno Nesci. The National Theatre in St Kilda will transform into an Elvis wonderland, celebrating the magic of Elvis Presley over one spectacular weekend.

THE NATIONAL THEATRE 2–4 AUG

R&B FEST

R&B Fest is hitting up Brown Alley! Get ready to groove as the DJs spin your favourite R&B tunes, complete with confetti, dancers and inflatable microphones.

BROWN ALLEY 2 AUG

OZ AFRO WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL

Prepare to warm up your winter with the captivating rhythms of Afrobeat! Expect a vibrant blend of rhythm, soul and cultural brilliance in an event that is set to be the most exciting of the season.

REVEL NIGHTCLUB 9 AUG

RATFEST

RATFEST 2024 will feature a handpicked lineup of alternative, punk, rock and metal acts from Melbourne, including Frankenbok, Dreamkillers, Seedy Jeezus, Full Tone Generator and Quaid.

HABA RYE 24 AUG

SPRINGVALE FIRE FEST

Enjoy breathtaking fire performers, live music, amusement rides, jumping castles, delicious treats and shopping at this fun-filled family event.

BURDEN PARK, SPRINGVALE 3 AUG

PHILLIP ISLAND FESTIVAL OF STORIES

The Phillip Island Festival of Stories offers a unique cultural experience with notable presenters and authors sharing their creative journeys. Set in a picturesque location near Melbourne, this event blends history, local insights and natural beauty to inspire and spark important conversations.

BERNINNEIT COWES

CULTURAL CENTRE 3&4 AUG

MELBOURNE CHEESE, WINE & SPIRITS FESTIVAL

Experience a celebration of regional wines, cheeses and spirits, highlighting top local producers. Explore Victoria’s diverse artisanal products and savour the finest selections in a scenic indoor waterfront venue.

NELSON PLACE, WILLIAMSTOWN 3 AUG

ANIME MUSIC FESTIVAL

Join Melbourne’s top anime music cover bands, Animelodies and Hoka no Tea Time, as they collide at the inaugural Anime Music Festival this August. Experience classic and new anime hits from Dragonball Z to Chainsaw Man, featuring local anison DJ 35Low.

CHAPEL ST, PRAHAN 3 AUG

Æ

MODELS & BOOM CRASH OPERA

Models and Boom Crash Opera have joined forces to tour Australia in a doubleheader for the ages.

It’s not often that the stars align to bring two of Melbourne’s most iconic bands back into the touring circuit simultaneously. Even rarer is the chance to see them perform together.

Models and Boom Crash Opera are joining forces for their Double A Side Tour starting this November. Originally planned as a special one-off double header at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne on Sunday, November 3, the overwhelming response from ticket sales has turned this single event into a national Australian tour.

From November through May 2025, Models and Boom Crash Opera will perform across the country, hitting cities including Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Thirroul, Adelaide, and, of course, Melbourne.

The announcement of their show at the Corner Hotel drew immense enthusiasm, highlighting the iconic status of both bands. Despite forming six years apart, Models and Boom Crash Opera are emblematic of Melbourne’s homegrown music scene where they established their roots.

Over the last four or five decades, much has changed in Melbourne’s music landscape, but these two bands are entrenched in the Hall of Fame of locally made, internationally loved music. Their reunion speaks to the enduring appetite audiences have for their classic sound.

Along with their contemporaries The Birthday Party, Models changed the landscape of Australian music dishing out innovative singles in the alternative rock scene and epitomising Melbourne’s new wave obsession. They challenged the status quo from the outset (refusing to even release a single off their debut album) and found great success in both Australia and the US during the 1980s, as exemplified by their arguable magnum opus, Out of Mind, Out of Sight, storming up the Billboard charts in 1985.

WORDS BY JULIETTE SALOM

Melbourne remains as interested as ever, with the recent RISING festival garnering crowds at The Capitol to watch their seminal performance as part of the Australian Made tour back in 1987. They are and always have been a force majeure live.

Meanwhile, Boom Crash Opera remain a symbol of Australian longevity, still touring strong after a whopping 40 years in the business. With Peter Farnan and Dale Ryder still at the helm, the undeniable pop hooks of songs like Onion Skin and Dancing in the Storm – in addition to their strong continued recording output - ensure that every Boom Crash Opera performance is an occasion to be savoured.

Seasoned readers will fondly remember them as frequent guests on Molly Meldrum’s famed music show, Countdown, performing their timeless Aussie hits such as Hands Up In The Air, Her Charity, City Flat and Great Wall. They’ve continued to notch milestones nearly every year, with their performance at last year’s AFL Grand Final delighting millions around the country.

Despite tempted band break-ups and hiatuses, both groups have remained remarkably consistent. Boom Crash Opera’s current members include Farnan, Peter Maslen, John Favaro and Ryder, most of whom were there at the band’s formation in 1984. Models consist of Sean Kelly, Mark Ferrie, Andrew Duffield and Ash Davies, nearly all original members from 1979.

With over four decades of music to draw from, fans can expect a mix of old and new. Even the classics will sound fresh, with reviewers consistently acknowledging that both bands are adept at keeping their sounds sharp.

Prepare for a tour filled with beloved hits, forgotten gems and newfound favourites. This tour offers the rare chance to see two legendary bands on the same stage, on the same day, for the price of one. The music gods are truly looking over us.

If you’ve ever wanted to experience the late 20th-century music scene in all its punkrock, pub rock, and pop-rock glory, now is your chance. Melbourne’s music scene wouldn’t be what it is today without these two iconic bands. Grab a ticket, join the tour, and witness the history that Models and Boom Crash Opera have made—and are making still.

MODELS AND BOOM CRASH OPERA

WHERE: CORNER HOTEL

WHEN: 3 NOV

NOW OR NEVER GUIDE

Now or Never’s music and performing arts programs will take you out of this world and into a new, undiscovered one. Here are some highlights.

WORDS BY JULIETTE SALOM

BEN FROST / CORIN / EARTHEATER / GABBER / MODUS OPERANDI

Kicking off the opening night of Now or Never is a takeover of the Royal Exhibition Building, like it’s never seen before. With a program of experimental pop, scorched electronics and unhinged techno, this Thursday night will see the likes of Ben Frost, CORIN and Gabber Modus Operandi fill the halls, with a very special performance from acclaimed American multi-instrumentalist Eartheater.

WHERE: ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING

WHEN: THU 22 AUG, 6–11PM

CLARK / NARETHA WILLIAMS / SANDWELL DISTRICT (HYBRID AV) / VERONICA VASICKA

Friday night at the Royal Exhibition Building will see musical performances from all over the world, elevating you to the stratosphere. Birmingham-based Sandwell District will be doing nothing short of reinventing techno, while British artist Clark will be putting on a sonic and cinematic experience of massive proportions. New Yorker Veronica Vasicka is sure to bring the heat to the dance floors, just in time for Naarm local Naretha Williams to blow the whole thing up.

WHERE: ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING

WHEN: FRI 23 AUG, 6–11PM

MOUNTAIN

UK electronic music producer Clark will be collaborating with the artistic force that is choreographer Melanie Lane in this contemporary dance performance at Melbourne Recital Centre. Exploring the tensions between mythic and man-made worlds, this performance will be all about reaching further into spaces beyond our comprehension.

WHERE: MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE, ELISABETH MURDOCH HALL

WHEN: SAT 24 AUG, 7:30–8:30PM

DJ AYA / DJ PGZ / DONATO DOZZY / ESTELLA BOERSMA / FRANÇOIS X

Returning to the Royal Exhibition Building for another stint at Now or Never, Untitled Group will be presenting a roster of some of the best players in the current techno game (anyone who saw Donato Dozzy’s closing set at Inner Varnika will know we’re in for a treat). With DJ AYA, DJ PGZ, Donato Dozzy, Estella Boersma and François X all billed to fire up the live music cathedral this Saturday night, you never will never party so hard.

WHERE: ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING

WHEN: SAT 24 AUG, 4–11PM

ANTHONY NAPLES / COUCOU CHLOE / ERIKA DE CASIER / SLEEP D (LIVE)

Now or Never’s reign of the Royal Exhibition Building will come to a close with a bang on Sunday 25 August with a lineup that is all killer, no filler. Experimental digital art and transcendental party music will collide when Anthony Naples, COUCOU CHLOE, Erika De Casier and much-loved Naarm duo Sleep D take the stage.

WHERE: ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING

WHEN: SUN 25 AUG, 5–10PM

ACTRESS X HTRK

The best of London and Naarm share the stage in this unmissable collaboration of Actress and HTRK at Melbourne Recital Centre. This world-exclusive special event commissioned by Now or Never is one to go down in the history books, with the ethereal HTRK bringing the poetry to electronic composer Actress’s experimental sonic universe.

WHERE: MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE, ELISABETH MURDOCH HALL

WHEN: THU 29 AUG, 8–9PM

WUIGADA – GAGADA

At this very special event at the Capitol Theatre, Now or Never will be celebrating First Nations songman and proud Mutti Mutti, Yorta Yorta and Nari Nari man Kutcha Edwards, in collaboration with the Australian Art Orchestra. His celebrated discography will be brought to life through Edward’s prolific vocals and the improvisation of the AAO in a treasured night of celebration, music and storytelling.

WHERE: THE CAPITOL THEATRE

WHEN: FRI 30 AUG, 7–8PM

BROTHABOY DARDY VIBEZ

Naarm’s favourite container bar Section 8 is throwing a free party for the final night of Now or Never in collaboration with renowned streetwear label Brothaboy. This hotly anticipated explosion of an event - you wouldn’t expect anything less at Section 8 - will be showcasing a roster of First Nations artists, highlighted by the extraordinary Kaylah Truth.

WHERE: SECTION 8

WHEN: SAT 31 AUG, 5–10PM

CONSTELLATIONS

A very special takeover of the Yarra River/ Birrrarung, Constellations promises the spectacular. Free to attend, this celestial formation by Studio Lemercier is an audiovisual installation that will see the surface of the river come alive after dark as it envisages the ever-expanding supernatural scope of the universe, right here in Naarm.

WHERE: SOUTHBANK PROMENADE

WHEN: THU 22–SAT 24 AUG, 6–11PM SUN 25 AUG, 6–10PM THU 29–SAT 31 AUG, 6–11PM

DESASTRES

After premiering at the 2022 Venice Biennale, DESASTRES is making its hotly anticipated Australian debut as part of Now or Never’s Melbourne program. A visceral noise-guitar work of experimentation, Marco Fusinato’s performance will consist of an improvised electronic guitar piece that brings alive imagery spanning across the world’s biggest LED volume screen.

WHERE: NANTSTUDIOS, DOCKLANDS

WHEN: FRI 30–SAT 31 AUG, 4–10PM

KAJOO YANNAGA

kajoo yannaga, or come on let’s walk together, by Wiradjuri-Scottish artist April Phillips, is a visceral reimagination of a virtual walk on Country, led by the Companion Sky Spirit. A technological feat that combines First Nations knowledges with real-time motion tracking that maps body movement, this free immersive two-channel projection is an innovative and thoughtful digital exploration of our place on Country.

WHERE: ACMI, SWINBURNE STUDIO

WHEN: THU 22–SUN 25 AUG, 10AM–9PM MON 26–SAT 31 AUG, 10AM–5PM

PLAGIARY

AI is the director and you are its willing audience in this innovative experimental dance performance by dance technologist and choreographer Alisdair Macindoe. Choregraphed by artificial intelligence, Plagiary is an algorithmically directed dance piece that explores questions surrounding AI’s role in artistic creation.

WHERE: ARTS CENTRE

MELBOURNE, FAIRFAX STUDIO

WHEN: WED 28–FRI 30 AUG, 7:30–8:30PM SAT 31 AUG, 2–3PM, 7:30–8:30PM

PRESENT SHOCK II

Created by United Visual Artists in collaboration with Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja, Present Shock II is the kind of art piece that once you see it, you’ll want to visit it again, and again and again. Consisting of a wall of statistical clocks and live news feeds in a glass box outside the Town Hall, this installation is both free and open all day, every day over the course of the festival.

WHERE: MELBOURNE TOWN HALL, FORECOURT

WHEN: THU 22 AUG–SUN 1 SEP

SILENT SYMPHONY

A sonic exploration of the universe and its musical capabilities, Silent Symphony is a free art installation by United Visual Artists that experiments with the idea of musica universalis – that the universe produces an inaudible type of music. The eight sculptural pieces rotate in formations that never repeat, meaning that your experience of the work will be different every time.

WHERE: MELBOURNE TOWN HALL, MAIN HALL

WHEN: THU 22 AUG, 7–10PM FRI 23–SAT 24 AUG, 12–10PM SUN 25 AUG, 12–8PM

SLOW WALKER

A collision of art, performance, music and AI, Slow Walker is the experimental brainchild of writer and director Peder Bjurman. Accompanied by a soundtrack designed by Abdul Mogard and with AI-generated narration underscoring the imagery, Slow Walker reimagines the microscopic organisms tardigrades, as colossal beasts that float over our city.

WHERE: MELBOURNE MUSEUM, PLAZA

WHEN: THU 22–SAT 31 AUG

SOFT CENTRE / SUPERMODEL

Eora-based art collective SOFT CENTRE is bringing the heat to Naarm with a three-day debut at Now or Never that covers everything from late night music to workshops to deepdive discourses. For a very special night at the State Library, they’ll be taking over the reading rooms and bookshelves for a late night extravaganza of performances and live art pieces.

WHERE: STATE LIBRARY VICTORIA

WHEN: SAT 31 AUG, 10PM–LATE

NOW OR NEVER

WHERE: VARIOUS

WHEN: 22–31 AUG

Beat is an official media partner of Now or Never.

DESASTRES

After premiering at the 2022 Venice Biennale, Marco Fusinato brings his mercurial noise project to NantStudios Docklands from 30 to 31 August, as part of Now or Never.

WORDS BY JAKE FITZPATRICK

Æ

It’s somewhat ironic that contemporary artist and noise musician Marco Fusinato’s newest project is titled after the Spanish word for disaster, given it’s been a tremendous success.

DESASTRES debuted in April 2022 at the Venice Biennale to sweeping fascination from audiences. Located in the Australian pavilion and performed over 200 days, the project was created to be a unique experience for its audience.

“The intent was always to create some sort of hallucination so that the audience can find elation in disorientation and exhaustion from confusion,” he says. “But ultimately, I want everyone who attends to leave with something unique. At times it can be ecstatic and then at other times a complete fucking disaster.”

DESASTRES, which was created by Fusinato in Melbourne during lockdown, exists as a sort of fusion of all his interests.

The project is a visceral performance where Fusinato improvises slabs of noise that trigger a flood of imagery onto floorto-ceiling LED screens. For the Melbourne performances at NantStudios Docklands, the imagery will be projected onto the largest LED volume screen in the world, measuring 12 metres high and 88 metres wide.

Fascinated by noise and conceptual art from a tender age, with DESASTRES, Fusinato has forged a bridge between the two worlds. After being “locked in a room” for two years, he began to collate the images and piece together the work. Influenced

by Japanese doom band Corrupted and renowned Spanish painter Francisco Goya, DESASTRES eventually began to take shape.

“It started with me sourcing images from online platforms. Then I got frustrated because it took a while. So, I just used my phone camera to take pictures on the screen. I pulled a lot of images from all over the place. Selecting images that are contradictory and confounding so that you can read it one way, and the person standing next to you can read it completely differently.”

When it came to practically putting the piece together, Fusinato reflected on space within live performance. “When a band usually forms, they play rehearsal rooms. If the musician becomes more successful the stages get bigger, but the space they occupy remains small. So, I thought, wouldn’t it be interesting to form a project where it begins at stadium scale. The idea that I could plug into Taylor Swift’s rig and perform at that scale. Let’s begin with the spectacle.”

While the piece was featured in the Australian pavilion at the Biennale, as Fusinato puts it, “It is removed from any reading of Australia. My work is about exploring themes that could resonate with anyone anywhere.” For Fusinato, the opportunity to showcase his work in Venice was particularly special given his family is from there.

“Going back to the place they migrated from to represent the country they migrated to was really profound. Now bringing it back to Australia, to the place where I live, feels like a full circle moment.”

The Now or Never performance of DESASTRES will be different as the project will be increasingly alive. “It keeps mutating and changing. I keep adding images. The sound is improvised, and the images are too. No matter when you walk in on the piece, it will be different to what it was minutes earlier. Each time it’s presented, it’s very different.”

Unlike many visual artists, who create a work of art and let it exhibit untouched, for Fusinato, DESASTRES is a full working day. “It’s ultimately a performance installation. I play for eight hours, sometimes six, and in that period I try and find something and sit on it for 15 minutes. Then I try and take it somewhere else so it’s always shifting and moving.”

While Fusinato admits, this is a “very long day”, he remains in the zone for every performance. Aided by turning his back to the audience, Fusinato describes the performances as being “physical and demanding, but also very satisfying. The sound takes me to unimagined places.”

Fusinato is also kept on his toes by the erratic changing of images on the large screens before him. Never knowing what’s coming next, tens of thousands of images are shown in each performance. To control them, Fusinato uses a custom-designed foot pedal to influence duration, speed and panning.

While Fusinato hopes that everyone leaves DESASTRES having enjoyed their time, he reconciles that it is “polarising, visceral, loud and very ugly.” As he puts it, “You’re either in there for a long time and with it. Or you can’t even last a few seconds.”

DESASTRES AT NOW OR NEVER

The Australian premiere of Marco Fusinato’s acclaimed audio-visual work

WHERE: NANTSTUDIOS, 62 PEARL RIVER RD, DOCKLANDS WHEN: 30–31 AUG

Beat is an official media partner of Now or Never.

CORIN

Filipina-Australian electronic producer CORIN talks about her unique sound, influences and upcoming show for Now or Never at the Royal Exhibition Building.

WORDS BY TYLER JENKE

Æ For nearly a decade now, Corin Ileto has been releasing some of the most unique electronic music you’ll find in Australia. Pairing hyper-digital sounds with baroqueladen ambience, and backing it up with an immersive sense of chaos, she’s an artist you certainly need to know.

However, with a background that involved studying piano at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, CORIN’s exposure to electronic music didn’t come until much later. This background in classical music informed her unique approach, with the DIY process of learning platforms such as Ableton soon resulting in a full-blown immersion into the Australian electronic scene.

“I was really inspired by just some other artists that were around in Sydney and kind of listening to how they were doing things,” she explains.

“I just began to be exposed to more online music communities.

“The first album I ever listened to that was electronic music, was a collaboration between German producer Alva Noto and Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto,” she adds. “Even when I listened to that, I was still kind of in the early days of figuring out everything.”

However, it was this confluence of words that saw the luscious elements of Sakamoto and the glitchy talents of Noto, which helped to inform the future that awaited CORIN. Soon, her music began to find itself out into the world, presented as a gorgeous blend of glitchy, pop-oriented electronic music, with piano and ambience thrown into the mix.

Her history of working in sound design would also inform the evolution of her sound. “I’ve always wanted a cinematic immersive quality to the music, and that’s probably partly derived from my interest in film music and making music for theatre spaces,” she says. “I’ve always been really influenced by film composition.”

Now, fresh from the release of last year’s album Lux Aeterna, CORIN will be visiting Melbourne on August 22 for a performance at the Royal Exhibition Building as part of Now or Never. Featured on a lineup that also boasts Ben Frost, US producer Eartheater and Indonesian duo Gabber Modus Operandi, her performance is set to be an impressive one. In addition to her regular production being paired with live keyboard melodies and vocals, the show will feature the otherworldly visuals of Chinese-Malaysian Australian artist Tristan Jalleh as she presents her Lux Aeterna audio/visual experience.

“I always like to create a sort of narrative in my performances and the way the show flows from beginning to end in terms of the visual and presenting the music. I like to have this balance between lightness and darkness,” she explains.

“That theme is also reflective of themes within the album,” she adds. “The name of the album means ‘eternal light’ in Latin, so I wanted to represent that in performance mode, and this show is really an expression of that.”

In addition to the visuals and the music, the scope of the show covers all facets of CORIN’s artistry and invites audiences to enter the many worlds she creates through her work.

“My music has always included this contemporary club music dimension to it,” she explains. “It feels like it might appeal to a classical music audience because it’s got these baroque melodies and I’m performing on the piano.

“Because of my interest in film and how I like to create this sort of cinematic quality to the visuals and the performance, I think what I’m really trying to do is create a show that is like a kind of collage of all these different worlds that are interesting and meaningful to me.”

For CORIN, an opportunity to play at the Royal Exhibition Building with such an impressive lineup is a meaningful full-circle moment. “I don’t live in Melbourne anymore, but I was based [there] for a couple of years. I’ve been exposed to a lot of local communities there and performed at a lot of smaller clubs,” she remembers.

“So it’s exciting to come back to Melbourne, but to be presented on an international lineup amongst other artists that I really admire, I think that’s really special.”

CORIN AT NOW OR NEVER

WHERE: ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING

WHEN: THU 22 AUG

Beat is an official media partner of Now or Never.

THE CAT EMPIRE

Embracing fresh faces and fusions of sound, The Cat Empire is basking in the glow of a new dawn, colouring outside genre lines and collaborating with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

WORDS BY GABRIELLE DUYKERS

Æ

Amidst The Cat Empire’s transformative period, the musical cohort continues to radiate the same infectious joyful energy that has enchanted fans for decades.

It’s a trait co-founder and frontman Felix Riebl describes as the Empire’s “DNA” – something the band are eagerly preparing to bring to Hamer Hall in their upcoming collaboration with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Featuring world-class flamenco artists Richard Tedesco, Johnny Tedesco and Chantelle Cano, the sold-out concert series will unite a cornucopia of talent for three transformative performances at the Arts Centre Melbourne across August 22, 23 and 24.

Riebl describes the opportunity to work with such a host of musicians as a “rare treat”.

“Part of the new chapter of The Cat Empire is really to explore some of these places that we haven’t been before,” he says. “The chance to orchestrate and to reinvent new and existing music with the band – I mean it’s a musician’s dream really.”

In addition to some known favourites, attendees will be privy to unheard material from the band’s forthcoming album, set for release later this year.

“There’s going to be some new music that will absolutely take off in an orchestral space like this,” Riebl says. “It’s very true to our roots as live musicians, but with a level of freedom and sophistication to it that’s just been so much fun to make.”

The Cat Empire’s classics have also been reworked for the performance. Likening his connection with music to a long-term romance, Riebl says he is always searching for ways to view the art form differently and spark intrigue.

“It’s a way of staying in music and for music to keep on unfolding and getting better,” he says. “Reinventing an old song with an orchestra is a wonderful opportunity for that. It lets you hear something that allows you to glean new meaning from it.

The pairing of popular artists with esteemed orchestras has become a growing trend in recent years, with familiar names like The Avalanches playing their debut album with The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in 2022 and Hiatus Kaiyote’s collaboration with Melbourne’s Dreamboat Orchestra earlier this year. But Riebl promises an authentic twist for the upcoming concert series.

“It’s not going to feel like an orchestra tacked on to a band,” he assures. “We have the skill within our team to actually write really well for an orchestra and to celebrate that. We want to really make something unique, and that’s not just going to be The Cat Empire as you know it but something which is going to come alive with the orchestra and let the awe and power of an orchestra inhabit us.”

The setlist has been carefully curated with songs that will allow ample space for the orchestra to breathe and shine during the performance.

“To find yourself with that sound acoustically right next to you is incredibly moving. So we’re going to try and do that justice for our own kicks as much as anything,” he said.

While Riebl previously collaborated with the MSO on the Spinifex Gum Concerts back in 2022, this will be The Cat Empire’s first collaboration with a live orchestra.

Working to harmoniously blend such an eclectic mix of sounds for the stage, he described the task as a “welcome challenge”.

“All of those things require a sort of respect and an intuition around playing to each of the musician’s strengths,” Riebl says. “But it more or less sort of writes itself in terms of how it will flow and interact when you’re working with a really good creative team.”

The Cat Empire are renowned for their invigorating stage presence and live spontaneity. Melding this trademark style with the traditionally formal structures of an orchestra is sure to make for an interesting atmosphere.

“I think one of the big challenges for us is how to maintain that percussive fire and energy that we’ve got, and find that beautiful meeting space between the time of an orchestra and the time of a rhythm section like ours,” Riebl says. “We want to make those two really dance together.”

“It’s a new feeling that’s not possible otherwise.”

In 2022, four of The Cat Empire’s original members retired from the group after more than 20 years together. Since then, the band has welcomed Seychelles vocalist/bassist Grace Barbe, drummer Daniel Farrugia, percussionist Neda Rahmani and Cuban-born trumpeter/ vocalist Lazaro Numa to the group. The new additions join Riebl’s co-founder Ollie McGill, alongside the ”Empire Horns” Kieran Conrau and Roscoe James Irwin.

Following the band’s reshuffling, Riebl recalls his relief upon realising The Cat Empire’s DNA was still well intact.

“I didn’t want to create a new band,” he says. “I wanted the spirit of The Cat Empire – in terms of what it can do to the atmosphere in a room and that sense of musical adventure and diversity that this band has always tried to carry – to still be very present and alive. It is a band that at its heart celebrates live music and celebrates people coming together.”

The next chapter for the group is focused on pushing a “new frontier” and allowing themselves to dabble in uncharted sonic territories.

“All of the new members have brought a huge wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm so we’ve really been learning a lot and exploring a lot musically,” Riebl says.

The latest iteration of the band released their first album Where The Angels Fall in August 2023. With 75 musicians and 49 instruments featured across the record, it references a breadth of global sounds. Afro-Cuban, flamenco, Brazilian, West African, reggae, dub, jazz, soul, rock, ’90s house and classical notes are just a few of the genres woven throughout.

As The Cat Empire work away on their new album, its first single – La Gracia – will be released on June 28.

“There seems to be something happening that’s very natural and very dynamic and alive in this combination of musicians that is unique to us at the moment – with respect to all of the cultures that we’ve interacted with musically,” Riebl says.

“We’re really leaning into not trying to be anything other than we are.”

After 20 years of being asked to describe The Cat Empire’s sound, Riebl concedes it is still something he struggles to do. This indefinable quality however, is one he cherishes.

“The older I get now, I don’t want to spend my life in categories,” he says. “There’s so few freedoms allowed to us. I want to try and find a space where I can be as free as I can, and that’s a space where things aren’t so easily explained. Music doesn’t want to be too categorised. In its essential nature, it wants to find ways for combinations of people and their chemistry to let it create things that are new.”

Ahead of their stint at Hamer Hall, Riebl is excited to bring audiences a night of music and dance that is “moving, uplifting, and celebratory”.

“I think there’s going to be a whole range of emotions,” he says. “It’s going to be bumping, it’s going to be vast and epic. We’re gonna try and make every moment just really explosive, sophisticated and beautiful.”

THE CAT EMPIRE X MSO

WHERE: HAMER HALL, ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE

WHEN: 22, 23 AND 24 AUG

This article was made in partnership with the MSO.

The spiral is a symbol that can represent many things. For Griff, it’s a journey through life’s turbulent nature, whether that be the instability of emotions or the uneasiness of living in today’s world.

WORDS BY BRANDON BENTLEY

Æ On the release of her debut album Vertigo, Griff uses this symbol as a means for exploring herself deeply. “The reason the idea of vertigo stuck and why I named the album this was because emotional vertigo is a constant feeling for me,” Griff muses. “The physical condition is like losing balance. The world’s spinning and there’s this feeling of dizziness. I really resonate with that.”

After signing with Warner Records in 2019, Griff released her debut EP The Mirror Talk followed by her first mixtape, One Foot in Front of the Other. After gaining traction online by connecting with fans through her most intimate music, she took a leap of faith by first releasing her debut album Vertigo in two parts. “I didn’t like the two singles then the album thing. That terrifies me.” Vertigo Vol. 1 released late last year followed by Vertigo Vol. 2 this past April. “I’d rather go from this really insular, recoiled feeling to something that’s super expansive and euphoric. Drip feed that feeling.”

Now releasing it as a complete collection, Griff looks back fondly on the tough process of crafting her debut. “It kind of felt like starting at the most honest place wasn’t very natural to me.” While developing the album, Griff found that her music emerged as somewhat of a lifeline. “A lot of these songs are old, and a lot of these songs were a bit of therapy for me,” Griff explains.

Over the years, Griff has dealt with imposter syndrome, the recurring feeling that her validity in the musical space was being questioned. Add in the pressure of writing, producing and performing, and there’s another layer of stress to handle. However, Griff doesn’t let that hold her back. “It’s the only thing I know how to do. I know how to be in my corner,

When it comes to the heart of the album, there was one clear choice. “Vertigo was the moment where I was like, I know what I’m writing now. I know what the album is now. One big spiral. And I’m constantly spiralling.”

As the song builds upon some intense feelings, the bridge spirals into a climax that creates a sort of unsteadiness for listeners. It’s as though you’re right there with Griff teetering on the edge and trying to remain upright.

“Whatever you hear in the album is very honest and autobiographical.”

write songs, produce songs, and hopefully the world will see it, right?”

Her music has always been a saving grace, a way for her to honestly examine her mental headspace and her relationships. She often uses her songwriting to dig deeply into the recesses of her life experience and see how it connects with people. “What I love about songwriting is that I can write it from one perspective and someone else can hear it from another,” she explains.

With raw lyrics in songs such as Into the Walls expressing her desire to hide away, Griff refuses to pull back. Her dedication to seeing her music through from songwriting to production infuses a part of herself into every piece, one that she can play around with. Cycles, a song that ignites a pop-dance energy, can still be stripped back for her to play on a piano. “It’s about making sure the song’s great and then having fun with the production to reflect what the song’s about.”

Riding through Griff’s “journey of sonic” you’re met with rhythmic synths underscoring her emotional and cathartic lyrics. It’s almost like she’s daring you to cry and dance at the same time. “Maybe it’s me being greedy with all the emotions. I just want to feel the extreme of both emotions all the time,” she laughs.

Now on the eve of the Australian and New Zealand leg of her tour, Griff hopes that fans enjoy a special connection with her on stage. “There’s a lot of fun and a lot of tears to be had. I think it’s going to be like a whole explosion of both, you know.” Experiencing every song in an intimate space, Griff desires for everyone to express themselves unlike they have before, whether that be through crying to Astronaut or screaming “that’s Mexico” as loudly as possible.

“I want people to feel all of those feelings in a really tangible sense,” Griff continues. “I want people to listen to the album a few times. Give it a chance. Let it live, let it go, let it breathe.”

GRIFF

WHERE: NORTHCOTE THEATRE

WHEN: 17 AUG

SPLIT SYSTEM

With the birth of his first child, Arron Mawson’s tireless efforts to the Melbourne punk scene will be tested.

WORDS BY ANDREW HANDLEY

Æ Arron Mawson embodies the Melbourne punk scene. He divides his time playing in bands Stiff Richards, Split System, Polute and Doe St. On top of this, with a genuine DIY spirit, he releases his and other’s music through Legless Records. He juggles all this while maintaining a day job.

However, his time management skills will truly be tested now his partner has given birth to their first child.

With their newborn resting nearby, Mawson describes his father’s impact on him. “My dad was in rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll bands all my life, so I grew up around music,” he says video-calling from his Rye home. “I was going to gigs with my mum from a young age and watching him.”

His father’s casual teaching style also had an effect. “Dad would sometimes come into my room and teach me the odd song on guitar,” he recalls. “I never learnt music theory or anything like that… it was always by sound and feel. I don’t feel like I’m a very technical, or the best, musician, but I feel like this naturally bred creativity.”

Mawson jammed with mates in Frankston where he grew up, before forming his first “proper” band Stiff Richards in 2016. “For me, it’s just five mates playing in a shed,” he says capturing the band’s garage punk sound. “There were a few years where [the band] felt like outsiders. We had to prove ourselves a bit.”

Stiff Richards helped forge a path for Split System to follow. “The community had already been built through playing gigs with Stiff Richards, C.O.F.F.I.N and everybody else,” explains Mawson. “Being [made up of] members from different bands in the same community, I feel like we didn’t have to climb the ladder, as such. Radio and record stores responded to us really quickly.”

Split System released their second album Vol. 2 earlier this year, showcasing sharper songwriting without losing the raucous energy of their debut. “We had about a year and a half under our belt of actually playing, touring and learning each other’s styles a bit, so it felt more solid,” he says. “We also don’t try to think about things too much.”

Mawson says the band keep the writing process as simple as possible. “Everyone brings an idea to the table, and if something sticks and feels good, we work with it. If it doesn’t, we throw it away and just keep moving on,” he details. “It’s more following energy rather than having too much intention.”

The founding of Legless Records originated with little intention too. Originally Legless Events, Arron Mawson put on one show before COVID lockdowns began. Having self-released Stiff Richards material, his friends came to him for help. “I was like ‘Ah well, I can’t put gigs on now, so I’ll help somebody put out a record,’” he recalls. As the lockdowns kept rolling on, so did the releases. “Two years later, when [Melbourne] opened up, it was a record label.”

Supporting independent artists is at the heart of Legless Records. “The music industry is a hard one for me – there are good and bad things about it, but there’s a lot of people that can suck the life out of bands,” he continues. “I just felt like I could do it myself and didn’t need someone else to do it.”

Legless Records has provided an outlet for all of Mawson’s bands, plus C.O.F.F.I.N, Drunk Mums, Smooch, Cutters and more. “I’m here now and have put out some of my favourite bands, so it has worked,” he says. I feel like [having] a community, collaborating with friends, and doing things for the right reasons will always go somewhere.”

Though his contributions are undeniable, Mawson says Australia has always had a great music scene. “I feel like we’ve got a magnifying glass on Melbourne, especially at the moment, so we’re lucky,” he says. “There are so many good music scenes, you just have to dig for them.”

“Any scene is fragile though – The Tote getting saved is a good example of not letting gentrification kill that,” he continues. “You look at a lot of music scenes around the world and they’ve had their time and then they fizzle out, but I feel the Melbourne music scene seems to sustain itself.”

It’s sustained by the time and energy put in by people like Mawson. His extraordinary work ethic circles back to his father. “I lost my dad pretty young, at 21, and I’d never lost anyone in my life,” he reflects. “After that moment I realised that life can be taken away from you pretty quickly.

“I probably take on too much, but at the same time I see how precious things are, and I want to enjoy so much good stuff going on around us,” he continues. “There’s so much evil shit going on in the world as well, I want to try and generate as much positivity and fun as I possibly can.”

This ethos will be exemplified in the triple headline show at Brunswick Ballroom at the end of August. Arron Mawson will take on double guitar duties when Stiff Richards and Split System play with power pop band The Prize. “They are one of our favourite bands, so it’s going to be a killer night,” he says.

“There are so many good music scenes, you just have to dig for them.”

STIFF RICHARDS, THE PRIZE AND SPLIT SYSTEM

WHERE: BRUNSWICK BALLROOM

WHEN: 30 AUG

AUGIE MARCH

WORDS BY JULIETTE SALOM

Indie rock local legends

Augie March are no strangers to a regional city gig.

Æ “We’ve been going out to the Rat since the turn of this century,” drummer Dave Williams says, laughing in memory. “We’ve had some infamous gigs there.” Williams is referring to none other than the burgeoning arts city of Ballarat, and so it’s only fitting that Augie March are set to headline the city’s music series Be Hear Now this August.

Taking place over the weekend of August 9 to 11, Be Hear Now will showcase a roster of emerging talent at venues across the city, shining a much-deserved spotlight on some of the most exciting artists beginning to make soundwaves in Ballarat and beyond. Led by Creative Ballarat, the program aims to find, foster and develop local artists as they start out their music careers.

The artists featured at Be Hear Now will be supported through tailored mentoring, training, assets and resources, with the festival team providing hands-on guidance through networking and media coverage. The festival showcase program is a chance for artists to take the stage and present their work, as well as a chance for attendees to catch these rising stars at the beginning of their careers.

Hailing from Shepparton, Augie March understands the importance of supporting creative communities in the regions they come from. “I think about playing music as a part of my community and my culture,” Dave Williams says. “I always see it as just another facet of life.”

This focus on community, shared intimately with other regional cities around the country, has been integral to the band and its fans over the last 28 years of making music. “The band was afforded a wonderful opportunity with sustained exposure by triple j,” he says. “People got to hear us in the regional and rural areas as well as the capital cities. So, we’ve always had the opportunity to go out to those places. Indeed, the places that we sprang from.”

“I bloody love the Rat, I’m super excited.”

Joining the lineup for the festival as part of the Be Hear Now 2024 cohort are Zöj, Surfe and Aaliyah, as well as Coda Chroma and Dayfever, who will both be supporting Augie March at their gig on August 10 at Civic Hall.

Despite Augie March’s Ballarat shows holding a somewhat legendary status in the band’s history, Williams says that watching the other musicians supported by Be Hear Now is what he’s really looking forward to. “It’s just super exciting that the council has got around it and is tipping some coin in there. There’s a burgeoning music community that’s happening in that place and surrounding [areas].”

“Maybe 25, 30 years ago, there was one or two people who were big music lovers [in regional areas], but now there’s so many, [and] so much more diversity in the community,” Williams says. “What is great is venues have been popping up there and councils have invested in rooms and venues to attract music and creative arts to these places.”

It’s not just venues and gigs that the council is focusing on to help support creative communities, but also proactive tools and concrete skills to give local artists a leg up in their industries. A tentpole event of the Be Hear Now festival is the live music conference for music makers, taking place over August 10 and 11 in the city’s Civic Hall.

A free event that anyone can register to attend, this networking and showcasing conference is an opportunity for regional music communities to meet and learn from each other.

Representatives from APRA AMCOS, Music Victoria, Unified Artists Management and more will be in attendance at the conference, giving musicians the chance to pitch, network and learn from industry decision-makers.

As part of the conference, Spiderbait’s Janet English will share wisdom about what it takes to make it in the music world, and a range of workshops and bootcamps will take place throughout the event to help artists develop the tools they need to set up their careers.

It’ll be an epic weekend of music, workshops and networking, headlined by the beloved Aussie legends that are Augie March. Williams sums it up perfectly when asked about playing in Ballarat. “I boody love the Rat,” he laughs. “I’m super excited.”

AUGIE MARCH AT BE HEAR NOW

WHERE: CIVIC HALL, BALLARAT

WHEN: 10 AUG

This article was made in partnership with Be Hear Now.

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN

WORDS BY ANDREW HANDLEY

Scottish band Belle and Sebastian may be known for their twee indie pop, but they’ve never stopped changing.

Æ This can be heard in the grandiose sophisti-pop of their last two records A Bit of Previous and Late Developers – their 11th and 12th albums respectively. Releasing both within a year, the band shows no sign of slowing down almost three decades into their career.

Keyboardist and founding member Chris Geddes says the band has always wanted to keep going.

“We didn’t get together thinking ‘Okay, yeah, we’ll still be doing it in 30 years’ but it’s never felt like we’ve run out of steam,” he says from his Glasgow home.

“There’s been lineup changes over the years and the people who haven’t wanted to be doing it anymore have stepped aside, and whenever new people have come in it’s always given the band a fresh impetus and a new approach to doing things.”

Geddes says the band has never felt like they needed to repeat themselves. “The sound that people would think of, the classic sound of the band, would be the 60s folk rock-inspired stuff with a song that starts with Stuart [Murdoch] strumming on the acoustic guitar and maybe a trumpet solo,” he explains.

“Live, that’s still a massive part of what we do, and we still play a lot of the old songs in the set, and we play them quite close to how they are on the record, but we’ve evolved over the years.

“We’ve always just been led from song to song on how to play it, we’ve never really done a record where we had an overall stylistic thing of how to approach the record, so sometimes I think our albums feel like they’re a little bit all over the place,” admits Geddes. “I think every album, apart from If You’re Feeling Sinister… would have been better if we’d kept things a bit more cohesive.”

Despite this, Geddes says this approach has contributed to the band’s longevity. “We’ve worked in a way that keeps things interesting for us, and we’ve been fortunate that… enough people have kept with us when we’ve taken all these left turns that we’re still able to go and play to people.”

The band was due to fly to LA to record their 11th album when the pandemic struck, requiring them to turn their rehearsal space into a studio.

“We’ve had the space for years and just used it as a rehearsal room, and I think some of us in the band had always been keen to try and record there,” Geddes explains.

“Putting aside the pandemic, the experience of recording at home in Glasgow was really good… just to have the studio where we could go and do stuff every day because there wasn’t anything else to do.

“Initially, to miss out on going to LA and recording with [producer] Shawn Everett was a bit of a kick in the guts, but then we were aware that there was stuff going on that was much worse than that,” recalls Geddes.

“It was just a case of making the best of it and using the time that we had.” The band went on to record enough material for two records, surprising fans with Late Developers less than a year after A Bit of Previous.

While it has been a productive period for the band, Geddes says it may be coming to a close. Bandleader Stuart Murdoch plans to promote a new book he has written after their current tour.

“Then we have a bit of downtime to recharge and come back to it again, with fresh energy,” he says. “But now we’ve got the studio, anyone in the band who’s got a song and wants to get people together to record it can always do that.”

The band will return to Australia in August for the first time in six years.

“I’ve always loved coming over,” says Geddes. “Partly just on a personal level – we’ve got some old, close friends who live over there and these days the only time you ever get to see them face to face is when the band is over there.”

“On a wider level, I think the band has always clicked with people in Australia, and there are Australian bands like The Go-Betweens who’ve been really influential on us,” explains Geddes.

“I’d say there’s probably a lot of Australian bands who have connected with our sound and taken influence from us as well. It’s always a treat to come over and play there.”

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN

WHERE: THE PALAIS

AT-SP3X MONITORS

If you’re in the market for a compact pair of monitors that pack a punch, Audio Technica have got you covered with their brand new AT-SP3X powered bookshelf speakers.

BY CHRIS HOCKEY

WORDS

Æ Featuring a convenient minimalist design that suits any room of your home, the AT-SP3X delivers an elevated listening experience with both wired and wireless bluetooth connectivity. Specifically tuned to deliver rich, full-range audio while taking up minimal shelf space, the sound of these speakers given their compact size is truly impressive.

The AT-SP3X has a simplified design that does not require an external receiver or amplifier, perfect for modern home setups. An ideal audio solution for turntables, PCs, tablets, smartphones and TVs, Bluetooth connectivity makes these speakers highly adaptable and convenient for a myriad of uses. Featuring an incredibly crisp, detailed sound with plenty of body and articulation, this product is perfect for those who want a sonic upgrade from their run of the mill bluetooth speaker without taking up too much space or needing an elaborate hi-fi setup.

Featuring extremely simple controls, these speakers couldn’t be easier to use with a simple power switch, bluetooth pairing switch and volume dial. The AT-SP3X has analog audio input terminals for more traditional setups and is powered via a standard AC adapter. All in all it takes less than five minutes to set these little gems up straight out of the box. Basically, the AT-SP3X has all the convenience we’ve become accustomed to with portable bluetooth speakers but with closer to studio-quality sound.

While exhibiting an impressive amount of bottom end for their size, it’s in their incredibly crisp and detailed highs that the ATXSP3X’s really shine. With an airy, articulate top end that brings out every sonic detail, you’ll be hearing previously unnoticed nuances in all your favourite songs with these speakers. A rich and full midrange response makes them as perfectly suited for listening to vinyl as they are for catching every word of dialogue in a film without having to crank up to neighbour-scaring volumes. As at home sitting either side of your desktop as they are on your bedroom shelf or in your living room, the ATX-SP3X’s small size and unassuming all-black design helps them blend in in any room.

With a tight, punchy and full low end that never sounds flabby, the ATX-SP3’s really provide a joyful listening experience at any volume. Even at very modest levels, the bass response of these speakers comes through clearly, maintaining an honest and well balanced sound that is bound to please your ears. When cranked to the max, they maintain that balance and remain clean, clear and articulate with no distortion, perfectly capable of filling a large room with their rich, full sound.

A brilliantly compact way to elevate your home listening setup, AudioTechnica have really knocked it out of the park with this product. With many turntables now having Bluetooth capabilities, the ATX-SP3 are perfect for daily home use across all your listening methods and devices. Swapping from streaming music from your phone, throwing a record on and watching television with the same speakers is as quick and simple as pressing a button.

All in all, Audio-Technica have nailed the bookshelf speaker format with a product that successfully bridges the gap between small bluetooth speakers and fully fledged studio monitors in a compact product perfect for the average home setup. Whether you’re streaming music from your phone, listening to vinyl, making demos with your DAW of choice, gaming, watching TV or anything in between, these monitors are a great choice for anyone looking to upgrade the sonic quality of their home setup, without the need to fuss around with amplifiers or external receivers.

With a long history of creating excellent audio products for both professional and casual settings across a spectrum of price-points, Audio-Technica continue to grow and evolve, proving many times over why they are one of the most successful and relied up brands in the game. Everyone from the average home listener to full blown audiophiles could get some great use out of the ATX-SP3 speakers across several devices and formats, their compact size and excellent sound quality making them a versatile and convenient addition to the Audio-Technica product lineup.

To find out more about the phenomenal Audio-Technica AT-SP3X powered bookshelf speakers, RRP $399, head to their website.

This article was made in partnership with Audio-Technica.

KRIX LOUDSPEAKERS

Everybody loves a good Aussie success story and one can certainly be found in the case of Krix.

WORDS BY JAMIE COLIC

Æ From commercial cinemas to residential homes all over the world, Krix’s legacy has been embedded in the heart of audiophiles worldwide.

2024 sees Krix blowing out the candles on a 50th birthday, so to celebrate such a momentous occasion, let’s take a look at some of what Krix has to offer your dedicated home theatre or living room entertainment setup.

From finding themselves at the forefront of the Australian commercial cinema boom of the early 1980s, Krix cinema installations quickly grew to cover 90% of cinema expansions nationwide. 2004 saw Krix cement their status as a global pioneer when they implemented a line of 4-way cinema speakers that shook the industry at its foundations

More recently, Krix blew minds in 2018 by demonstrating a world-first home cinema featuring 34 decoded channels in 24.10.10 configuration. It became the talk of that year’s StereoNET International Hi-Fi Show.

HOME THEATRE/ MODULAR SYSTEMS

Krix seamlessly adapted their commercial cinema innovation to the home environment and through their dedicated home cinema range offer customers a real cinema at home experience.

Krix’s line of modular speakers (Series MX) are the direct embodiment of this endeavour, adhering to the brand’s total commitment to quality and craftsmanship.

MX-20

The MX-20 is designed to be implemented in home cinema setups that have a transparent screen. The MX-20 will ensure that you can feel your favourite movie soundtracks right in your seat.

Utilising an ultra-wide 40hz-20khz room response, the MX-20 thrives in dedicated home cinema rooms that measure 4-7 metres long. Comprising of five modules, the MX-20 measures a very slim 295mm depth, ensuring easy installation into a tailored wall cavity.

MX-30

Implementing larger bass drivers and compression high-frequency drivers, the MX-30 is designed to offer an extended frequency response at higher sound pressure levels. Featuring components found in commercial cinema systems, the MX-30 will deliver sound so realistic it will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

MX-40

The largest model in Krix’s Series MX lineup, the MX-40, is capable of immense sound pressure levels while still maintaining pristine soundtrack reproduction.

The first in the Series to incorporate a special 3-way design, the MX-40 encompasses all the makings of a true dedicated home cinema experience.

The MX-40 is best suited to larger rooms 5-15 metres in depth, implementing – among many other things – a signature single-mold dual horn system that was three years in the making.

HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Krix knows that not everyone has the means or desire to recreate IMAX at home and for these individuals, Krix has a plethora of amazing bookshelf and floorstanding speakers to choose from.

Gesturing back to the traditional Hi-Fi speakers, on which the reputation of Krix was built, these incredible home speakers will bring your music collection to life in any space. If that wasn’t enough, Krix home entertainment speakers come in a range of finish options including black ash, blackwood and the delectable Atlantic jarrah, ensuring they will fit the aesthetic of any home.

EQUINOX MK5

Adored by 2-channel enthusiasts, the Equinox Mk5 perform spectacularly regardless of how they are mounted.

With a stunning 45hz-40khz frequency response, the Equinox Mk5 pack a deceptively large sound from such a smaller speaker package.

ACOUSTIX MK2

These front-ported speakers are extremely versatile, ensuring efficient implementation in any space regardless of how close to walls they need to be set.

With such an intricate sound emanating from its dual 130mm drivers, the Acoustix Mk2 are a fantastic choice for anyone looking to build up their home entertainment system.

PHOENIX MK2

A speaker to live by, the Pheonix Mk2 is a excellent choice for any multi-channel or stereo setup, guaranteed to fill any room with the soundtrack of your life.

Whether you are rocking out with the legends or cosying up with a glass of red to your favourite flick, the Phoenix Mk2 have you covered in any scenario.

NEUPHONIX MK2

The Neuphonix Mk2 strive to provide the ultimate experience when it comes to a floorstanding Hi-Fi speaker, succeeding in every facet and reaching beyond.

This 3-way design delivers outstanding clarity and power, especially when paired with Krix’s own Epicentrix Mk2 centre channel.

The perfect choice for the bigger room, the Neuphonix Mk2 will handle the utmost power cooly, calmly and collectively, without taking up too much space in the process.

To find out more about Krix, head to their website. This

THE BENDIGO HOTEL

WORDS BY OLIVER WINN

Æ The Bendigo Hotel is set to reopen in late August after The Mill Brewery revealed its plans to relocate and take over the iconic venue on Johnston Street. It comes after the Bendigo Hotel announced its closure earlier this year in March, prompting heartbreak among the live music scene in Melbourne. The brewery will adopt the Bendigo Hotel name, continuing the venue’s valuable 113-year-old legacy, while closing the doors at its Sackville Street location.

The Bendigo Hotel has been a haven for metalheads, punks, emos and goths, hosting everything metal-related. Whether bands were well-established in the metal scene or starting out fresh, the Bendigo Hotel always ensured there was a place for metal amid the diverse music scene of Melbourne. Joining the new team will be local booking agent Kit Atkinson from Social State Entertainment, leading the live music revival and liaising with local acts to bring the best music to The Bendi once it reopens.

The team will collaborate with Technical Audio Group (TAG) and Pink Noise to implement a state-of-the-art QSC L-Class Line Array PA in the venue, ensuring that live gigs will sound unreal at all volumes. The Mill Brewery aims to install its 600-litre pilot brewery inside The Bendi’s garage, transforming the already iconic venue into a true brewpub.

The Bendigo Hotel will be reimagined to offer more than just a late-night bandroom. With a cosy front bar, a lounge with a fireplace, and a pool table and Altered Beast arcade machine, there’ll be plenty of options to choose from, if being minced in the mosh isn’t your thing. In a celebration of a new era for The Bendigo Hotel, the team are holding a party for the reopening on August 31. It’s sure to be an absolute rager.

THE PUNTERS CLUB

Æ

The new owners of 376 Brunswick St, Fitzroy (formerly Kewpie and Bimbo) are reopening the venue this month as the legendary Punters Club, replete with original decor, a jukebox filled with CDs from 90s Aussie bands and posters adorning the walls from the venue’s peak era.

The Punters Club is widely recognised as one of the best music venues to have existed in Melbourne. Coming into being back in 1987 (when the Moonee Valley Hotel was taken over), it was given its moniker and refurbished to serve as a live music hub on Brunswick Street.

It was the heart of music in Fitzroy, famous for its grungy vibe, bare floorboards and raw live performances, with the venue helping launch the careers of countless bands, including Frente, Magic Dirt, Something For Kate, Spiderbait and You Am I.

As Brunswick Street started to gentrify, it remained one of the last grimy stalwarts on the street before finally succumbing to the higher rent on a new lease. In 2002, The Punters Club closed for the last time after a 12 hour music marathon, and the site became Bimbo, then Kewpie.

The Punters was part of a golden era of Australian music and interest hasn’t waned over the years with various Punters Club Reunion Shows - including one at Leaps and Bounds festival in 2023 - paying tribute to the extraordinary venue.

The new owners are a consortium that includes Jet bassist Mark Wilson as well as the owners of venues like Marquis of Lorne, The Scenic Hotel and Near & Far.

“We see this new era as a love letter to the original pub which Matt and Penny Everett so beautifully created,” they said in a statement.

“We plan to focus on music and music events but also create a community for all music lovers and locals. We want to honour what it once was while also creating something new.”

THE GRACE DARLING HOTEL

WORDS BY OLIVER WINN

LIVE MUSIC: at The Grace Darling Hotel borders on the boundary-breaking, from experimental strands of postpunk, eclectic hip-hop performances and sounds of the Oz underground.

FAMOUS FOR: pub food of the highest quality. The Grace Darling Hotel truly goes above and beyond in ensuring its take on pub classics stand out from the rest, focusing on a seasonal rotation of quality local produce and fortnightly specials.

INFAMOUS FOR: its curious namesake. Grace Darling was the daughter of a lighthouse keeper in 1800s England who rose to fame after rescuing shipwrecked survivors at sea.

Æ It’s easy to see why The Grace Darling Hotel is a favourite among many. This cosy, yet sophisticated pub delivers exceptionally on all fronts, with quality food, widely lauded staff and a music program highlighting local musicians, artists and designers.

What truly makes The Grace Darling Hotel special is its longstanding history. Built in 1854, the hotel is one of the few remaining 1850s goldrush era hotels in Melbourne, adding authenticity to its vibe that simply cannot be replicated in a newly built venue.

Its castle-like exterior, constructed of bluestone, transports you back in time as you sip on a microbrew in the soft flickering candlelight.

The venue offers frequent gigs, community gatherings, fundraisers and special events including life drawing, poetry showcases and trivia. The Grace Darling Hotel ensures its grandiose appearance doesn’t compromise on the fun.

On top of that, the bandroom, basement and plant-filled atrium can be hired for private functions, transforming the space to accommodate a range of bookings – cocktail parties, book launches or even weddings. With the sound equipment, stage and PA already fitted and a dedicated functions team, it becomes the perfect place to host an event.

THE VINEYARD

LIVE MUSIC: has been free-flowing at The Vineyard for more than 30 years. It’s a full-bodied mix of maritime, techno and punk aromas with hints of The Tea Party and wild afterparties from members of The Dandy Warhols and Public Enemy.

FAMOUS FOR: its highly sought-after location. Stroll down the esplanade, past Luna Park and into the O’Donnell Gardens and you’ll see its bustling courtyard in full-flight.

INFAMOUS FOR: It’s a 200-year-old venue in the middle of St Kilda, so it’s seen some shit. It’s a hark back to the suburb’s glory days and a small oasis from its relentless gentrification.

Æ The Vineyard, like the rickety rollercoaster that overshadows it, is a St Kilda institution. It occupies such a central place in the eclectic beachside suburb that an afternoon people-watching from its beer garden captures a menagerie of life more diverse than a trek through the Amazon.

The building predates St Kilda’s familiar geography, starting life in 1886 as a boat shed that serviced small vessels running along a creek behind it. Needless to say, there hasn’t been running water through Acland Street any time recently (except torrents of spilled VB).

It was transformed into a petite European style café in 1906 by Italian architect Carlo Catani (of Catani Gardens) and became a thumping live music venue in the 1990s. The Iodice brothers, Johnny, Alex and Adrian, took over in ‘99 and have been “sailing this little boat shed seven days and nights a week” ever since.

Its live music cache continues to swell thanks to its launch of Live Fridays, a weekly celebration of homegrown talent and electrifying performances every Friday night.

“St Kilda has a rich musical heritage, and we are committed to nurturing its future by providing a stage for talented local bands to showcase their artistry,” the team says. “Whether you’re a fan of rock, indie, garage, hip hop and electronic live music there will be something for everyone to enjoy at St Kilda Live Fridays.”

GRINSPOON

whatever, whatever

Æ “And we will live forever…” – Phil Jamieson, Aussie rock’s Peter Pan, declares during Unknown Pretenders. Grinspoon’s first single release in 12 years is also a vehicle for urgent, explosive riffage and manic drumming, and we can easily imagine flying shoes in the mosh when this one’s performed live.

A gut-punched, “OOoo!” Followed by, “What?” Then, “WAAAAAAAAAHHH!” From the jump, standout track (ILYSM) – short for I Love You So Much, obvs – deals blood-curdling yowls (think The Vines’ Craig Nicholls). There’s also a barrage of dumbfounding, electrifying riffs and walloping, cymbal-heavy drums – woah, no passengers is an understatement when it comes to Grinners. They’ve been on the road a fair bit in recent years and Grinspoon’s gig fitness has clearly translated to the studio.

Self-described as “...a little bit surf, a little bit James Bond and a little bit magic mushrooms”, Grinspoon’s latest single, Never Say Never, starts off turbo before instruments retreat during the breakdown to spotlight lyrical imagery: “Falling down, need to get up/ I’m a lonely clown with no makeup…”

We suspect Jamo’s theatrical stint as St Jimmy in Green Day’s musical American Idiot impacted some of his whatever, whatever vocal performances – definitely not in a cringey way, though. On the dynamic This Love, he channels Ozzy before switching to ‘Cookie Monster At Large’ for the chorus. During Nasty – which contains an unforeseen, stank face-inducing guitar solo – Jamieson flirts with caricature (convincingly, like he’s Alice Cooper’s sassy younger bro or something) and it totally works: “You say I drink too fucking much!” – drinking’s a bit of a lyrical motif throughout, come to think of it. “We’re together and we’re drunk as fuck, HEY!” – some of whatever, whatever’s themes are super-appropriate for Schoolies playlisting; even the album’s title also embodies youthful ‘tude.

But listeners are also afforded plenty of opportunities to collect themselves thanks to a coupla moody instrumental interludes and several rock ballads, including 4, 5 & 7 – during which Jamo’s winsome, vulnerable portrayal hits the spot (“I’m broken with nothing else to say…”) – and The Only 1, a breakup lament: “I never signed up to be the only one/ To be there when you’re coming down…”

Following up the record’s penultimate barnstormer Can I Make You Feel (those frustrated, screamo vocals could potentially wake people from comas!) with closer Underground – a strings-enhanced, get-yer-lighters-out ballad (“She’s all fucked-up and crying”) – redefines tonal whiplash.

Could OG Grinners fans potentially rock out alongside their offspring with this record cranked at high volume? HELL, yeah! Unfuck your family therapy.

One of Lismore’s proudest exports, Grinspoon continues to school rock bands of the future. On whatever, whatever, this band is – unquestionably – in career-best form. They’re still mischievous rabble-rousers. Grinners are winners.

LABEL: UNIVERSAL

RELEASE: 9 AUG

ALICE IVY

Do What Makes You Happy

Æ “I can’t help but dancin’ all night/ The beat has got me losin’ my mind…”

We’re long-time Alice Ivy fans, sure. But holy CRAPballs! When this album’s opening lead single, Howlin’ At The New Moon (feat. Mayer Hawthorne), dropped mid-last year, we played it on loop for hours. “Benihana”, “Chateau”, “Mericana”, “Giorgio” – we’d follow that slinky bassline wherever Mayer namechecks during this song, known or otherwise. As for that unexpected, recurring hip-swivelling breakdown: you can’t help but surrender to the sonic wizardry at play here. It’s also smooth and laidback overall, though – yep, we can legit “feel the wind in [our] hair”.

2023 was a strong year for bangers, but Howlin’ At The New Moon landed in this scribe’s Top 3 Songs Of The Year (behind Kylie’s Padam Padam and Troye’s Rush).

“Don’t pay me no mind/ Just admiring the fact that you’re fine… You being this fine should be criminal” – Criminal sees Kah-Lo falling under the spell of someone “fine”. Following a slow build, sirens tease this pogo-friendly belter’s laser-pew-enhanced release. Can’t wait to experience this one live, hands in the air.

Uplifted by a sweet whistling refrain, the sultry, woozy Wildlife “la-la-la”s toward its eventual fantasyland-sounding conclusion. Annika Schmarsel (the legend behind the namesake) exudes fresh jubilance and her voice can be heard singing lead on the pulsing, sheeny Dandelion. All In My Head (feat. Elohim)’s metallic, descending riffs somehow capture swirling self-doubt – illustrating the lyrics.

Written between Melbourne, London, New York and Los Angeles, Do What Makes You Happy captures the post-pando joy of collabing IRL – with some of your musical heroes, no less.

LABEL: HELIXED

RELEASE: OUT NOW

EMPIRE OF THE SUN

Ask That God

Æ As soon as the voice of Emperor Steele (aka Luke Steele of The Sleepy Jackson) –affected, sure, but never soulless – wafts into our earholes at the top of track one, Changes, we melt into a puddle of nostalgic bliss, which triggers a sizzle reel of life highlights soundtracked by Walking On A Dream’s euphoric chorus melody. You see, Empire Of The Sun’s music encapsulates riding a magical unicorn as it jumps over rainbows.

“I don’t like the music on the radio/ They don’t play my song/ I don’t like the music on the radio/ But I sing along…” – a casually oscillating beat underscores the cheeky realtalk of Music On The Radio. With its metallic beat, fluttering keys and kiddie-choir BVs –which bring D.A.N.C.E by Justice to mind – The Feeling You Get is a deadset banger. Steele’s vocals during these verses – all broody and croonerish – provide the perfect foil for the hands-in-the-air euphoria of this standout track’s choruses.

On their latest single Cherry Blossom, Empire Of The Sun’s God complex peaks – “We reach out to everyone/ Everything, everywhere/ All at once, all the time..”

Elsewhere, AEIOU_PM (feat. another of Lord Littlemore’s outfits, Pnau) is Euro disco-inspired brilliance and Rhapsodize features a wookiee voice plus birdsong. Friends, this record’s final track, incorporates sweeping, weeping strings before a mystical, childlike voice whispers, “Good night, my friend/ Sweet dreams”.

Best paired with Nag Champa incense, Ask That God cements Empire Of The Sun’s reputation as journey agents/trip sitters of choice.

Sidenote: Empyreans is a clear contender for Best Fanbase Name.

WATERMELON BOY

The Wow Signal

Æ Arlo Enemark has said of his latest project, Watermelon Boy: “I’m always trying to evoke the feeling of a holiday in the tropics.” Success! The Wow Signal transports us directly to Ibiza; here’s your soundtrack for relaxing poolside and partying at a day/night club (see: Cheap Drinks & Bad Decisions –also a great name for a bar, methinks).

Distant, floaty sax cushions Magajie’s commentary on outsider status (“We outside in Australia…”) throughout opener, Outside. Spliced vocal samples form the Memories hook. Cagi Mudre Vou (feat. Bigwilz) – sung in Fijian language – opens with the soothing sound of waves breaking against the shore and also features “lali” (traditional log drum).

For Glistening Sand, samples were recorded at the famous Blue Stone Beach in Flores, Indonesia. Calling Leftfield (AfroLeft, in particular) to mind, Mereba is further elevated by Ghanaian MC Bogo Blay’s multilingual wordplay. Fuzzed-out guitar riffs dominate standout Damn Son (feat. 2FISTD), which is built from an audacious beat with occasional siren sounds.

Break That Board (with Richie Loop & Mark Dwyer) – a jaw-droppingly brill dancehall belter – is “sprinkled with ‘90s fighting game samples”, which speaks to Enemark’s other passions: martial arts and vintage gaming. Then our dancing feet are hijacked by Du Papa’s military drumming and repeated “pa-pa-pa-pa-pa…” vocal percussion, with exotic birdsong samples enlivening the drop. From influences including dancehall, moombahton (a reggaeton/dancehall/ American house hybrid), Afrobeats, amapiano (Google it), techno nous and ample twerking ops – Watermelon Boy serves tropical electronica. The Wow Signal worms its way under the skin.

THE FINCH CYCLE

Mt. Pilot

Æ After reading the title of Mt. Pilot’s opener, we smile and nod, IYKYK-style, delighted even before pressing play. ‘Ahem, what’s the title, then?’ I hear you ask. Oh, it’s Sarah Tone In – geddit?

Like a scenic helicopter ride, ducking and weaving through unruly natural landscapes, Mt. Pilot is sweeping and panoramic as its namesake Victorian mountain range out Beechworth way.

The Finch Cycle’s debut album was created in three regional Victorian homes situated in Ballarat, Bendigo and Wangaratta, from whence Bradley Murray – the musical mastermind behind this project, who also fronts Sunny Disposition – hails.

Distorted, soupy guitar – grainy as TV static – categorises Sarah Tone In, with Michael Evans-Barker’s drumming immediately leaping from the mix.

Neuro Backpack, with its showy time signature, releases shimmering, metallic riffs and lingering trombone parts. Morose brass infuses Diesel Hands. Used sparingly, Brendan Bartlett’s trombone contributions shine – an additional layer of atmospheric interest throughout this set.

Insistent, layered riffs intensify before facing-off towards James Squared’s conclusion. Sonically stacks-on in parts, Parents And Friends somehow captures the inevitable push and pull of trying to balance competing loyalties. Closing track A Ticket For August has got the funk – grooves aplenty alongside pulsing, duelling riffs.

Grab those noise-cancelling headphones, relax into your fave chair and surrender to the post-rock instrumental brain bath that is Mt. Pilot.

LABEL: EMI RELEASE: OUT NOW

LABEL: THE MELON & GOURD DEVELOPMENT BOARD RELEASE: 2 AUG

LABEL: KEY CONTROL RECORDINGS RELEASE: OUT NOW

00_

WORDS BY WIL CLIFFORD

00_ (pronounced double oh nothing) exist in a world outside our own.

Æ Composed of jagged rhythms and twisted guitar lines, these post-punk radicals are at their most uncompromising on their sophomore album ∞, putting a hard focus on creating an atmosphere.

“I think we’re just approaching – I want to say instruments, inclusive of vocals – our practices differently,” said bassist and violist Gene Beissel. “After the first album and kind of gigging those songs a lot, I took a step back and looked at what we were making sounds with and then kind of went like, ‘Okay, and then what happens? What else can we do?’”

Forming in 2021 from the ashes of punk groups The New Dregs and Thistleswitch, 00_ apply the unconventional structures and soundscapes of experimental electronics to the musical makeup of a conventional rock band. The result is this gloomy whirl of prickled songwriting – a sonic labyrinth in every track.

“I feel like when you’re looking for creative inspo as an instrumentalist and you’re not sure where to go, playing to your equipment can really help you discover some things,” said guitarist Asher Bates. “That definitely led me towards some of the sounds that I make on the record.”

Things have been pretty steady since the quartet’s 2021 debut Ca\ yptra – an album launch at The Curtin, a regional tour up the coast and a few appearances in the noisy Adelaide scene. A couple of standalone tracks in late 2022 hinted at the band’s trajectory, one that viewed the studio as its own instrument.

“I think the mindset kind of shifted,” Asher said. “I remember we definitely had conversations with the first record of not wanting to do things that made it sound not live and then this time it was totally the opposite approach for whatever reason of, ‘Let’s finesse this.’”

The result is ∞, six tracks with rich song structures, haunting vocals and powerful heights. Wandering guitar and bass unpredictably ricochets off swung jazz drums on album opener Fainting At The Punk Squat, loosely held together by vocalist Cllawd3’s lurking voice. The track’s peak is an equation of guitar harmonics and drum hits before it simmers into a tranquil, spacious outro.

These quiet moments, the spaces between, carry huge value for 00_.

“Looking at the first album, whether it was Gene’s bass that the song started on or my guitar, we’d come in with very full parts,” Asher said. “This time I was really determined to leave a lot of space for everyone and to create that atmosphere.”

The second single and album closer Ivy (Crystallised Damage) embodies this goal. Slow and wallowing, it features drummer Elvis Walsh’s snare hits blasting atop Asher’s lonely guitar line, before swelling into a hazy summit of reverb-soaked guitar and droning viola.

“Ivy’s a good example of a song where we tried a whole lot of different stuff,” said Gene. “We really engaged in a subtractive process of like, ‘What are the bare essentials we need to keep this song going?’…I think our tendency is to be noisy, but [we’re] embracing comfort and being a bit quieter this time around.”

While tracks like Moon Card may sound a bit more in line with 00_’s previous live-orientated work, ∞ instantly innovates with Bath Water Baby, a dub-inspired jam that really gets under the skin. Cllawd3’s vocals shine, simultaneously angsty and silky. Their voice is utilised melodically just as the guitars are; both are able to lure the listener gently through each track but have moments of fierce grit and edge.

“This time around I’ve become a bit more well-versed in what I was trying to do, a bit more comfortable,” they said. “I’ve found more confidence and I kind of just don’t give a fuck anymore.” Recorded at Sound Recordings near Castlemaine, 00_ and engineer Alex Bennett really experimented with these songs, overdubbing pianos and violas as well as distorting and reversing vocal takes. They tested out hardware, including an old-timey vocal mic from the 1920s which appears on a few tracks.

“I was drawn to it because I really liked the feeling of holding it,” said Cllawd3. “It brought out this character to me where I was able to situate myself in the song in a different place.” ∞ sees 00_ grow as intuitive musicians, becoming more than the sum of their parts. For Cllawd3, this record is a huge step forward for a band that will only get better and better. “I think everyone has, this time around, a lot more confidence yet consideration in their contributions. The three Cs.”

“I’ve found more confidence and I kind of just don’t give a fuck anymore.”

00_

WHERE: ECHO BRAVO FESTIVAL – BERGY BANDROOM WHEN 17 AUG

GIG GUIDE

AUGUST 2024

THU 1 AUG

CASS AWARE. THE WHYB PROJECT, EARLY MORNING SYNDROME, WET DENIM

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $16.85.

THE STRAIGHT SHOOTERS

The Penny Black. Brunswick. 8.30pm.

ULCERATE. PESTILENTIAL SHADOWS, ALTARS

Hotel Esplanade (aka The Espy). St Kilda. 7.30pm. $41.35.

CLAYTON DOLEY’S FLASHY DASHBACKS WITH THE BAYOU BILLABONG HORNS

Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. $20.

Hume Blues Club

FT: John Williams Blues Band, Shake Shack Jammers

Thornbury Bowls Club. Thornbury. 7pm. Free.

SLOW JAMS: ANGELA LIBRANDI, EMERSON ALEXANDER & CISCO TAVARES

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $45.

TAMARA

KULDIN + JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET

Golden Gate Hotel. South Melbourne. 7pm. $18.

OPEN MIC

The Merri Bar. Preston. 7.30pm.

INNER

SANCTUARY

FT: DJ JNETT + Jimmy James Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 3pm. Free.

THURSDAYS AT THE MOTLEY: MUSIC FROM THE 70’S & BEYOND

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7:30pm. $15.20.

ZOE KNIGHTON & AMIR FARID

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 6pm. $37.

HEY GRINGO. THE 6V6S

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 8pm. Free.

HUGH MCGINLAY

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm.

LA BOHÈME

The Round. Nunawading. 7.30pm. $68.

RENEE ALISON

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

FATHER DADDY & THE PORK MOJITO Gasometer. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $23.50.

JACOB LEE.

TAYLOR SHERIDAN, RICH DELINQUENT

The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 7pm. $28.30.

FRI 2 AUG

CAITLIN HARNETT & THE PONY BOYS

Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $33.66.

TAYLOR HENDERSON

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $43.86.

THE BRAKES + LEATHERMAN

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND

FT: Deborah Conway, Darren Coggan

Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7.30pm. $85.

LOUDER THAN

LOVE: THE VOICES OF A GENERATION.

FT: Nirvana Tribute, The Pearl Jam Experience

Hotel Esplanade (aka The Espy). St Kilda. 7pm. $59.90.

PEVAN & SARAH: EDUCATOR MEET-UP

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 7pm. $28.15.

Freedom for Falasteen

FT: Kee’ahn. Marroushti, Daisypicker, Cold Hands Warm Heart Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7.30pm. $24.

NARDIA: ETTA JAMES MEETS EVA CASSIDY. JON HUNT

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $45.

THE TONALISTS

Bar 303. Northcote. 8.30pm. $15.

NGV FRIDAY NIGHTS: MELBOURNE AFRICAN TRADITIONAL ENSEMBLE (MATE) NGV - National Gallery of Victoria. Melbourne. 6pm. $45.

NIGHTFALL

FT: Claddy & Crew

Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 3pm. Free.

THE FRIDAY REVUE

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 12.30pm. $32.

FIREFLY HORNS

The Beast. Brunswick East. 9pm. Free.

LUKE MORRIS + WILL HEARN

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. Free.

BINGO

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

MINILUV

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

BASEMENT COMEDY CLUB

Morris House. Melbourne. 8pm. $25.

HEALTH. ZHEANI, JOSHUA WELLS & KARINA UTOMO

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm.

ERTH VISUAL & PHYSICAL INC PRESENTS

ARC The Round. Nunawading. 1pm. $22.

ANNWEN ROBERTS QUARTET

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

DIVEBAR YOUTH. FRANKI KANEUR

Gasometer. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $17.85.

CREATURE FEAR

The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8pm. $17.85.

DJ BRICOLAGE

Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm.

SAT 3 AUG

TASH. SQUID THE KID, JAY KIRA Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $20.

GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK PROJECT WITH EMMA GILMARTIN & NICK HAYWARD Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $40.

GRIGORYAN BROTHERS Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 7.30pm. $45.

THE BEAUTIFUL BEDLAM. APLEGATE, UNDERTOE

The Penny Black. Brunswick. 9pm.

HOT SEXX + PADDOCK BOMB Gem Bar. Collingwood. 4pm. Free.

Guitar Heroes

FT: Thunderstruck: The AC/DC Tribute Band, GN’R: The Australian Guns N’ Roses Tribute Show, Mean Street: The Van Halen Story Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $40.

ANASTACIAFEST:

A TRIBUTE TO THE GREATEST SINGER OF THE 2000s + GAZA FUNDRAISER

FT: Metdog, Sapphire Street, Daddy Issues, Ebi Nori, Ricky Butler, Flura, D’Gorgeous, DJ Y2GAY

Old Bar. Fitzroy. 6pm. $25.

GOLD CHISEL: AUSTRALIA’S #1 COLD CHISEL TRIBUTE

Missing Gorilla. Eltham. 9pm. $35.

JESS BALL. RIORDAN, NIKKI WISHART, DYLAN JETT Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $21.45.

JAYMIE DEVILLE: THE HOMECOMING SHOW. JULIA LOSTROM, TYRA LEWIS

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $21.62.

COUNTRY FOLK SATURDAY

FT: Liars In Love, The Distant South, Rodeo Sideshow Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 2.30pm. $10.

NICK HOWELLS (THE DISTANT SOUTH)

The Merri Bar. Preston. 7pm.

SADIVA Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 12pm. Free.

BARRY’S BASS-MENT!

FT: A.O.E, KONG, DJ Mindleaf, Colette, Norachi Wax Music Lounge. Melbourne. 8pm. $10 - 15.

JAZZ ARVOS

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 5pm. Free.

IZZY SUMMERS

The Cosmopolitan Hotel. Trentham. 3pm. Free.

INTO THE MYSTIC: THE MUSIC OF VAN MORRISON

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $35 - 55.

JERRY DOUBLE. KUZCO, BIRDSNAKE

John Curtin Hotel. Carlton. 8pm. $19.80.

MICHELLE NICOLLE: SONGS IN THE KEY OF W Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $50.

FAVOURED STATE. LOW MONROE, THE FUGITIVES

The Beast. Brunswick East. 9pm. Free.

BASEMENT SPACEMAN

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm.

GYPSY KING JONES

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

BASEMENT COMEDY CLUB

Morris House.

Melbourne. 8pm. $25. LADYHAWKE. BEC SANDRIDGE

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $70.90.

ERTH VISUAL & PHYSICAL INC PRESENTS ARC

The Round. Nunawading. 1pm. $22.

DISGRACELAND: THE PUNK ROCK ELVIS EXPERIENCE

The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 2.30pm. Free.

IJALE. SHRETA, DJ NOLI

Gasometer. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $17.85.

GOLDTÜTH. PLANET BITCHY, CRUSHED LAVENDER, BLONDEHOUSE

The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8pm. $12.75.

DJ BRICOLAGE Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm.

Anime Music Festival 2024

FT: Animelodies + Hoka no Tea Time

Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 7pm. $16.32.

THU 8 AUG

LOCAL SOUNDS: OVRNIGHT. KINCAID, BODHEIL

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $20.

NORTHSIDE PARENTS BATTLE OF THE BANDS

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7pm.

RUTH ROSHAN & TANGO NOIR. AMIR FARID

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $45.

NORIA LETTS + JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET

Golden Gate Hotel. South Melbourne. 7pm. $18.

HUME BLUES CLUB

FT: The Blue Jays, Shake Shack Jammers Thornbury Bowls Club. Thornbury. 7pm. Free.

INNER

SANCTUARY

FT: DJ JNETT + Jimmy James Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 3pm. Free.

RESTLESS BASS EDITION

FT: Clickbait, Sk4nk, The Bass Gypsy, System, more Section 8. Melbourne. 6pm. Free.

THURSDAYS AT THE MOTLEY: MUSIC FROM THE 70’S & BEYOND

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7:30pm. $15.20. THE BELAIR LIP BOMBS. SUNFRUITS, HOLLY HEBE, UNDERLAY

John Curtin Hotel. Carlton. 8pm. $20.80.

ENSEMBLE LIAISON: SCHUBERT’S OCTET & CHOPIN’S SONATA Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $55.

DERSERT MACHINE

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 8pm. Free.

TONY J KING

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm.

PHONX

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

Outcry Opus:

Raising Voices and Funds for Palestine

FT: Anders Lyche, Guthrie, Cry Club, Mudrat Gasometer. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $20.95.

SHEER CHANCE (DEBUT SHOW). CHARLES & WILL, ALI

The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 7pm. $15.

FRI 9 AUG

ECHOWAVE. PRETTY MOI, THE WHITE FLOWER SOCIETY, BIG CAT

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $16.85.

BLACK DIME CABARET. NAKED MANNEQUIN, SEAS OF TITAN

The Penny Black. Brunswick. 9pm.

TAKING BACK SATURDAY PRESENTS EMO TIME MACHINE

Hotel Esplanade (aka The Espy). St Kilda. 9pm. $17.35 - 22.95.

THE BRAKES + HOGWASH

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

Malam Busuk #3

FT: Kilat, Vile Apparition, Nerve, Sulphur Garden Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $24.

FAIRTRADE NARCOTICS. IN XIRA, THE SPARES, PUBLIC LEISURE

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7pm. $15.

TAMARA KULDIN’S GENTS OF JAZZ

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $45.

NGV FRIDAY NIGHTS: FEM BELLINGPROJECT MZANSI NGV - National Gallery of Victoria. Melbourne. 6pm. $45.

JONRA + HDSNJMSJR

Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 3pm. Free.

BAUHAUS BURLESQUE

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 8.30pm. $30.39.

GEORGE MICHAEL & WHITNEY HOUSTON: KEEP THE FAITH

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $35 - 59.

POTENTIAL. WELL, SPORES, JAZZ TIGER

Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $11.25.

DAVID GRECO & CHAD KELLY: SCHUBERT’S DIE SCHÖNE MÜLLERIN

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $50.

GREVILLEA BAND + LOSER

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. Free.

BINGO

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

CANDICE ALISHA

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm. BASEMENT COMEDY CLUB

FT: Ivan Aristeguieta, more Morris House. Melbourne. 8pm. $24.

SAM BUCKINGHAM. EMMA DEAN

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 7.30pm. $42.

SLIM KRUSTY

The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 8pm. $20.

Work Wife 003

FT: Luna & Kodi Lotto, Work Wife, DJ PGZ & Baby G, Ricky Nord, Lums World Gasometer. Collingwood. 7pm. $17.85 - 25.

VOLLIE. SECOND HAND HIGH, VERBRASCO

The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8pm. $15.

LUKE THOMAS + KYLE BREW Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm.

RAAVE TAPES

Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 7.30pm. $21.42 - 26.52.

SAT 10 AUG

Against Abuse 2

FT: My Safe Word Is Murder, Cat Crawl, Erin Will Be Mad

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 2pm. $17.85.

SMALL TOWN

ALIEN + LONELY NEW YEARS EVE The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 2pm. $17.34.

LOOSE LIPS + POLLYMAN

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 4pm. Free.

ICONS OF THE 90S

FT: Even Flow, Cuckoo For Caca, Suck My Kiss Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $29.10.

PUNK NEVER DIES!

FT: Suzi, Crushed Lavender, Mister Xenaux Djerring Flemington Hub. Flemington. 6pm. $10.

HONK + MUM

ROCK DJS

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

SHAKY STILLS

The Drunken Poet. West Melbourne. 9pm. Free.

IAN COLLARD AT GIPPSLAND BLUES SPEAKEASY

Paynesville Bowls Club. Paynesville. 6pm. $45.

YOUR MIDJOURNEY FANTASY

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 7pm. Free.

KYLIE AULDIST

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $34.27.

PROTO MORO. FLUXCORE 94, MUDRAT, BIG CAT, RITA BASS Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7.30pm. $24.

FABULOUS DIVA: THE MUSIC OF DR NINA SIMONE

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

THE RESONANT HEART PRESENTS THE HEART WHISPERS & WHIRLS

Shirley Burke Theatre. Parkdale. 7pm. $20.

ALISTER TURRILL

The Merri Bar. Preston. 7pm.

UNCUT RHYTHM

FT: binofski + Mr Pitiful Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 12pm. Free.

LOSTII. DOUBLE VANITY

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 8.15pm. $15.20.

SEAN

MCCONNELL

The Cosmopolitan Hotel. Trentham. 3pm. Free.

SWIFTIE MIRRORBALL PARTY: THIS NIGHT IS SPARKLING Ballers Clubhouse. Melbourne. 9pm. $11.29.

BABBA 30TH ANNIVERSARY

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $40 - 60.

THE ORPHAN. NEPHALEM, LAKE VIEW, GRAVE RISK

Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $11.25.

REUNITED: AN EVENING WITH STACEY ALLEAUME & HADLEIGH ADAMS

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $99.

BLACK NIGHT CRASH. IMMIGRANT UNION

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. Free.

THE DISTANT SOUTH

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm.

PASSION DON’T BUY HOUSE

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

BOLLARD. THE DAILY COMMUTERS, SPEED MULLET, SOLDER

Grace Darling Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $15 - 25.

BASEMENT COMEDY CLUB

FT: Ivan Aristeguieta, Dave Thornton, more Morris House.

Melbourne. 8pm. $25.

LITTLE RAVERS: MELBOURNE Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 10am.

CHRISTOPHER ROZAKEAS

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

COMPLEXANT. LYCANTHROPE, VIRTUES, FURIOUS GEORGE, INFLICTED

The Last Chance

Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 7pm. $22.35.

GASO GOES GUERILLAS

Gasometer. Collingwood. 6pm. $28.60.

YOURS TRULY

The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8pm. $33.95.

PRIORITIES.

RANSOM REVUE, PSYCHOSIA, BENTHAM’S HEAD

Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 7pm. $16.32.

THU 15 AUG

SAN. THE VOIDDECKS, NAUSICAA

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $15.

ELKIE KERSHAW & THE DISTANT RELATIVES. TERRA ROGUE, MAIZIE

Hotel Esplanade (aka The Espy). St Kilda. 7.30pm. Free.

COUNTRY CLUB: MINI HOEDOWN

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $25.

HUME BLUES CLUB

FT: Dollar 20

Blues Band, Shake Shack Jammers Thornbury Bowls Club. Thornbury. 7pm. Free.

ROWAN PATTISON

TRIO FEATURING NATASHA

WEATHERILL: THE AMERICAN SONGBOOK

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

FEM BELLING + JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET

Golden Gate Hotel. South Melbourne. 7pm. $18.

INNER

SANCTUARY

FT: DJ JNETT + Jimmy James Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 3pm. Free.

ALL GOOD IF NOT: PILOT SCREENING

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7pm. $20.26.

HANNAH MCKITTRICK. COLD HANDS WARM HEART

Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $11.25.

BURNING BRIDGES

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 8pm. Free.

DAIMON BRUNTON TRIO

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

CHAZÉVO. ABSENTIA, DROWNING HOUDINI, DYLAN’S OMENS

The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 8pm. $11.25.

BOX HILL INSTITUTE AND TVR RECORDS PRESENT:

Artist Festival

Gasometer. Collingwood. 5pm. $17.85.

HAZY SKIES. WET DENIM, TAX EVADERS

The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 7pm. $15.

FRI 16 AUG

BAD/LOVE. OUTLOVED, COLOURBURN, FALLWEATHER

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $33.15.

THE BRAKES + HEADSPIN

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

WEENZER: 30 YEAR WEEZER & WEEN

Celebration Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $24.

ONE DIRECTION: 14TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

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

GRAACE

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $40.40.

SEX ON TOAST’S WINTER VARIETY SHOW

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $33.76.

G TANO + RORY TIGANISHANNAN BAND

Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm.

JOHN BENNETT QUINTET: PLAYS THE MUSIC OF CANNONBALL & NAT ADDERLEY

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9.30pm. $45.

MYSTICAL DUET

FT: Ivo Sedlacek, Pavel Sedlacek

The Open Space. Abbotsford. 7pm. $39.

NGV FRIDAY NIGHTS: KUNJANI

HEITA AFRIKA

NGV - National Gallery of Victoria. Melbourne. 6pm. $45.

COLETTE

Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 3pm. Free.

THE OPERATIVES

FT: Nam, JPS, more Section 8. Melbourne. 6pm. Free.

CHARLOTTE BRIDIE

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 8pm. $20.26.

QUEEN FOREVER

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $45 - 60.

BINGO

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

DAN DINNEN & SHORTY

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

BASEMENT COMEDY CLUB

Morris House. Melbourne. 8pm. $24.

LUCA BRADING TRIO

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

Kyoto Indie Rock Experiments 2024

FT: GUSH + Fan Girl

The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 8pm. $23.50.

FLAMES OF LOVE. THE DIVE BOMBS, RESOLVER

Gasometer. Collingwood. 8.30pm. $12.25.

DEADSKIN. BODY PRISON, INTO THE VEIN, BITTER KIND The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8pm. $23.50.

SAT 17 AUG

THEY MIGHT BE DEAD FROGS. ISABELLA FORTUNA, THE RARTEL

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. Free.

Echo Bravo Festival 2024

FT: Garage Sale, Local Authority, Peace Ritual, Propaine, Apparitions, Crawling, Gil Cerrone, Keratin, Caustic Grip, Hope In The Static Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 3.30pm. $38.25.

THE BUOYS Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $38.35.

FLY! CHARITY SHOW

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

MIKE OLDFIELD’S TUBULAR BELLS LIVE IN CONCERT Palais Theatre. St Kilda. 6pm. $99 - 149.90.

BREAKNBREAD BIRTHDAY BASH The Penny Black. Brunswick. 6.30pm. Free.

NOT SO BIG BAND: BEST OF BUBLÉ Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9pm. $45.

THE REBELLES. BACKBEAT, DJ LADY LOVEPOTION Kindred Bandroom. Footscray. 7pm. $27.64.

UNPLUGGED: THE MUSIC OF ERIC CLAPTON WITH MATT ARTHUR & THE LAZYBONES Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $45.

MATT BURROWS

The Merri Bar. Preston. 7pm.

RENDEZVOUS FEAT: Yugo B Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 12pm. Free. PHOENIX STREET

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 8pm. $10.13.

JEREMY BEGGS

The Cosmopolitan Hotel. Trentham. 3pm. Free.

A NIGHT WITH TINA: A TINA TURNER DRAG CABARET

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $45 - 65.

Kyoto Indie Rock Experiments 2024

FT: Messiah To Ninjin, Kashikoi Ulysses, Star/Time Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $23.50.

SZARA FOX DUO

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

BASEMENT

COMEDY CLUB

FT: Anne Edmonds, more Morris House. Melbourne. 8pm. $26.

GRIFF Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm.

THE FENCE

The Round. Nunawading. 8pm. $46.

THIS NEW LIGHT

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $17.35.

KILL TV. MONKEY BUTLER, ABSELOM

The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 2pm. Free.

THE KULTURE SHOW #3: QUEENS EDITION

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 10pm. $22.77 - 36.77.

MICK DALEY’S CORPORATE RAIDERS. DANNY WALSH BANNED, LITTLE FAITHS Gasometer. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $23.50.

TARGET AUDIENCE. THE STEWARTZ, THE PEDESTRIANS

The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 1pm. $7.65.

PETER FARNAN & THE HOME BODIES Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm. $17.35.

TONIX. ZERO CITY, GUSH

Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 7pm. $16.32 - 21.42.

THU 22 AUG

JARON JAY. ISAAC MCKENZIE, JAMIE LENA

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $16.85.

OSCAR LADELL & THE EARTH TONES

Bodriggy Brewing Company. Abbotsford. 7.30pm. Free.

KING BLAKEY: THE JAZZ MESSENGERS

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $45.

ANASTASIA

ASPELING + JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET

Golden Gate Hotel. South Melbourne. 7pm. $18.

HUME BLUES CLUB

FEAT: Bronnie Gordon, Shake Shack Jammers Thornbury Bowls Club. Thornbury. 7pm. Free.

INNER

SANCTUARY FT: DJ JNETT + Jimmy James Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 3pm. Free.

THURSDAYS AT THE MOTLEY: MUSIC FROM THE 70s & BEYOND The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7:30pm. $15.20.

DARK THOUGHTS. GUESTS, CUTTERS, DOLLS, THE ANTICS

Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $31.65.

BAZ RAVISH. THE 6V6S Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 8pm. Free.

BASEMENT COMEDY CLUB

THURSDAY SHOW Morris House. Melbourne. 8pm. $20.

PRINNIE STEVENS:

LADY SINGS THE BLUES VOL. 2 The Round. Nunawading. 7.30pm. $59.

CLARK

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

New Blood Vol. 3

FT: Absentia, Veiled Arch, Drova, Paeon, Crystallines Gasometer. Collingwood. 7pm. $12.25.

FRI 23 AUG

FULL FLOWER MOON BAND

Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $33.66.

THE BRAKES + J.TAYLOR BELL & THE DING DONGS Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

THE SOUTHERN RIVER BAND

Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $46.

SPY V SPY

Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $38.91.

JEFF BUCKLEY’S GRACE: 30TH ANNIVERSARY

FT: Jason Singh

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $45 - 60.

DOLLY DISCO

Hotel Esplanade (aka The Espy). St Kilda. 11.30pm. $11.75 - 22.95.

ELLA THOMPSON

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 9pm. $36.50.

WILBER CABBAGE & THE POLAR FRENZY. TOMMY D TOMMEE D, CAREFULLY YELLING, MORE Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm.

NARDIA PRESENTS: THE SONGBOOK OF EVA CASSIDY Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9pm. $45.

LATE NIGHT

LIQUID

FT: Bacterial Blend, Edan, Bry, Clexane, Defect Stay Gold. Brunswick. 11pm. $5.

NGV FRIDAY NIGHTS: TEMPO RUBATO

CURATES KATIE YAP & DONALD

NICOLSON

NGV - National Gallery of Victoria. Melbourne. 6pm. $45.

THE HOT HOUSE. T.BRACEY

Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 3pm. Free.

ANDY BALLOCH & JUSTIN PORTER: LINDA (WIP)

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7pm. $5.07.

DADDY ISSUES + TOMMY DYNAMITE Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. Free.

BINGO

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

MOSES LEIGH JONES

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

BASEMENT

COMEDY CLUB

Morris House. Melbourne. 8pm. $24.

BURLESQUE WITH EVANA DE LUNE

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7pm. $76.37 - 86.56.

UNDERGROUND

CABARET: DEAN’S MARTINI

The Round. Nunawading. 8pm. $30.

THE MEMPHIS

Three Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $55.10.

EIGHT COUNT. DEMISE, SEVEN HELLS, FALSE DICHOTOMY

The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 8pm. $16.35.

Ratfest ‘24

FT: Frankenbok, Dreamkillers, Seedy Jeezus, Full Tone Generator, Quaid Gasometer. Collingwood. 7pm. $28.60.

LA DISCOTHEQUE

FT: DJ Randy Lipz XXX, DJ Bricolage Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm.

THE PLOT TWIST. THE CHANS, GRUG, MUNDAYNES

Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 7pm. $18.

SAT 24 AUG

Old School - Zero Tolerance Recordings

FT: Gab Oliver, Gavin Keitel, Ivan Gough & Luke Chable, Jamie Stevens, Laura & Trevor Rose, McKeown & Bassiray, NuBreed Howler. Brunswick. 1pm. $45.39.

Common Grounding

FT: Mary Sue, Mammoth, Chef Chung, Hawkrada, Failtrylagi, Bamsam Wax Music Lounge. Melbourne. 7pm. $15 - 20.

NOASIS

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 7pm. $32.44.

DALLAS FRASCA. GEORGIA RODGERS

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $40.40.

MOOD LIFTERS: A TRIBUTE TO RUSH

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 8pm. $59.90.

THE STEMS: 40TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $61.90.

MJ: REMEMBER THE TIME

FT: Adam Donaldson & The Collective, Adelaide Clark Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6pm. $45.

AN EVENING WITH... KATIE NOONAN.

WESTERN REGION CONCERT BAND Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 7.30pm. $55.

EBI NORI

The Merri Bar. Preston. 7pm.

KOMBUCHA

FT: DJ Jimmy James + Miguel Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 12pm. Free.

THE BIG HOO HAA! The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 8.30pm. $30.39.

AL CARR + STEF DUZEL

The Cosmopolitan Hotel. Trentham. 3pm. Free.

RAW BRIT: THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $40 - 65.

TAPE/OFF. PLASTER OF PARIS, DIPPERS, THE NATION TWO Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $11.25.

MOUNTAIN

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $45 - 55. CRUMBE

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

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

SLAP. BANG. KISS.

The Round. Nunawading. 7.30pm. $44.

WAVE JAZZ

Trio Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

DECADANCE

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 11pm. Free.

POSTERZ N THAT. DAY DREAMERS, SKIPTONS

Gasometer. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $7.15.

CLUB COUNTRY

FT: DJ Monk De Wally, DJ Honk Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm. $17.35.

LEE SCOTT + BLACK JOSH. JOE SNOW, MUST VOLKOFF, MORE Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 7pm.

THU 29 AUG

PSI PHI

Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. $20.

OLD & NEW DREAMS: THE MUSIC OF ORNETTE COLEMAN

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 8pm. $40.

CLAIRE

PATTI + JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET

Golden Gate Hotel. South Melbourne. 7pm. $18.

HUME BLUES CLUB

FT: Laurel & The Painkillers, Shake Shack Jammers

Thornbury Bowls Club. Thornbury. 7pm. Free. INNER SANCTUARY

FT: DJ JNETT + Jimmy James

Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 3pm. Free.

DEVASTATING BEAUTY

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 8pm. $25.33.

ACTRESS + HTRK

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 8pm. $55.

NIR TSFATY

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

HEARTLINE. SILVER FANG

Gasometer. Collingwood. 7pm. $24.99.

BULLETBELT. THE SYMBIOSIST, MORTUARY SICKNESS, KNIFE, BORN OF A BASTARD KING The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 7pm. $23.50.

VINYL TAP PODCAST RECORDING

Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm.

FRI 30 AUG

CHAOS DIVINE

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7pm. $33.15.

THE BRAKES + FOGGY NOTION

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

STIFF RICHARDS. THE PRIZE, SPLIT SYSTEM

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm.

CHARLIE OWENS. MARTIN FRAWLEY

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $35.70.

SKUX

FT: DJ Swella, MBq, Wahl

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $30 - 40.

SUPERFICIAL PRESENTS PINK PONY CLUB

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

COLLABORATIONS

FT: Kerri Simpson, Bob Sedergreen, Carl Pannuzzo

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9.30pm. $45.

BLACK DAHLIA. POPULAR MUSIC, FULL FLESHED Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $12.

NGV FRIDAY

NIGHTS: TEMPO RUBATO CURATES DAVID GRIFFITHS & SVETLANA

BOGOSAVLJEVIC

NGV - National Gallery of Victoria. Melbourne. 6pm. $45.

YAMANDU COSTA: THE BRAZILIAN GUITAR

Rowville Secondary College Performing Arts Centre. Rowville. 7pm. $33 - 47.

HONEY. MZRIZK Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 3pm. Free. CORNER SHOP COMEDY

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7pm. $20.26.

AN EVENING WITH ANDREW DE SILVA Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $40 - 50.

ORAVA QUARTET

PLAYS DEBUSSY & DEAN

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $50.

CINCO SAVAGE

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. Free.

BINGO

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

GRANTED

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm. BASEMENT COMEDY CLUB Morris House. Melbourne. 8pm. $25.

SPEED. HIGH VIS, PAIN OF TRUTH, FUSE

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 6.30pm.

VIOLET. MY GIDDY AUNT, TOU-CAN Gasometer. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $12.25.

PRETTY BLEAK

The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8pm. $15.30.

PRIVATE STASH. FOLLOW THE ROBIN

Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm.

SAT 31 AUG

PLOVERS. THE MAGGIE PILLS, TURN SOUTH, EVERYDAY BELIEVER

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $19.90.

AMARANTHE: FIRST AUSTRALIAN TOUR Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $99.90.

SIN CITY + BROTHERS HARVEST

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

YAMANDU COSTA: THE BRAZILIAN GUITAR

Collingwood Town Hall. Collingwood. 7pm. $33 - 47.

CAIRO CLUB ORCHESTRA

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 2pm. $23.05.

THE ARETHA FRANKLIN PROJECT WITH JOYS NJAMBI

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9.30pm. $45.

THE TIPPLERS

The Merri Bar. Preston. 7pm.

GENKI & CREW Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 12pm. Free.

NOW OR NEVER & SECTION 8 PRESENT: BROTHABOY DARDY VIBEZ

FT: DJ Kidd Benny, Soju Gang, Yung Warriors, more Section 8. Melbourne. 3pm.

WHISKY GIN RUMMY

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7.30pm.

SMITH & WESTERN JURY

The Cosmopolitan Hotel. Trentham. 3pm. Free.

TAYLOR SHERIDAN. KATHLEEN HALLORAN

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $30 - 40.

DELIVERY

John Curtin Hotel. Carlton. 8pm. $17.75.

NEIL MORRIS: MINYERRA

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

RETRATOS

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm.

NERVY BEE

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

BASEMENT COMEDY CLUB

Morris House. Melbourne. 8pm. $25.

CALEB PAINE TRIO

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

MORRIGAN & WILDING

Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm. $23.50