Beat 1724

17 DAYS OF LIVE MUSIC

PROGRAM OUT NOW

ANDY SHAUF (CAN)

ANEES (USA)

ANTHONY B (JA)

ANYMA

BAKER BOY

BANKS (USA)

BIMINI (UK)

CASH SAVAGE & THE LAST DRINKS

CHET FAKER

CHRISTINE ANU

COTERIE (NZ)

DAN SULTAN

ELEANOR JAWURLNGALI

EMMA DONOVAN

FLEWNT & INKABEE

JACK WHITE (USA)

JACOTÉNE

KAIIT

MAITHILI THAKUR (IN)

MILDLIFE

MISSY HIGGINS

RIPPLE EFFECT BAND

SARAH BLASKO

ST. VINCENT (USA)

TASH SULTANA

THE OFFSPRING (USA)

TINA ARENA

WAXAHATCHEE (USA)

+ SO MANY MORE

12 OCT 24–02 FEB 25

Experience more than 200 powerful works including rare guitars, historical and contemporary paintings, poster art, objects and photographs in this epic exhibition narrating the evolution and design of the guitar from its Medieval beginnings through to its pivotal role in popular culture.

PRINT EDITOR

Kaya Martin

EDITOR

Lucas Radbourne

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Riley McDonald

GIG GUIDE

Jacob Colliver

CONTRIBUTORS

Bryget Chrisfield, Sarah Duggan, Andrew Handley, Jake Fitzpatrick, Tyler Jenke, Romesh Cruse, Christopher Hockey and Gabrielle Duykers

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

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EDITORIAL NOTE

Daylight savings has arrived and you know what that means: now the fun begins .

Æ I don’t know about the rest of y’all, but this month has left us feeling like we’ve been bucked off the Moon Dog bull, like we’re dragging ourselves out of the Corner mosh pit: rattled, haggard and smiling all the way. Chaos is in the air. The city’s in full bloom. It’s a mad-dash sprint until the end of the year and we’ll make it to Christmas if it kills us.

Any true party person knows it’s all about stamina, so here’s what’s happening in November. ALWAYS LIVE is hitting Victoria with a birdshot of blockbuster events, bringing featured artists including St. Vincent, Andy Shauf, Chet Faker and our cover king Baker Boy. We also talk to Nigerian legend Seun Kuti ahead of his Strawberry Fields appearance and Perth reggae-rockers Coterie before they take on Queenscliff. Annie Hamilton unpacks the mysterious phenomenon of lightning, Big Special praise working-class music and TISM leave our heads spinning with their confusing and combative interview.

All this seeming like a little much? Have some water. Sneak outside for a cig and some fresh air. Sit on the curb reading Beat Magazine. Then head back in (your friends have a fresh round waiting) and rinse and repeat until the sun engulfs the earth.

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 November cover star is Baker Boy shot by Sulaiman “Sully” Enayatzada

Ç WOMADELAIDE DROPS FIRST WAVE OF ARTISTS FOR 2025

Held at Botanic Park in Adelaide from March 7 to 10, Adelaide’s treasured world music festival features 47 artists from 28 countries, including PJ Harvey, Nils Frahm, Mariza, Goran Bregović & His Wedding & Funeral Band and Bangarra Dance Theatre, alongside the previously announced Khruangbin.

Ç AN AI CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IS OPENING IN MELBOURNE

The Victorian government is claiming global tech company Sonata Software will create 100 new jobs over the next three years by opening its Centre of Excellence in Melbourne.

Ç GOLDEN PLAINS LINEUP LED BY PJ HARVEY, FONTAINES D.C AND KNEECAP

The lineup for Golden Plains 2025, happening from March 8 to 10, will also include 2manydjs, Osees, Teether & Kuya Neil, Magdalena Bay, Thelma Plum, Wet Kiss, Grace Cummings, the Sun Ra Arkestra and more.

BALACLAVA BOOGIE BRINGS THREE DAYS OF FREE MUSIC TO CARLISLE STREET

From November 22 to 24, Balaclava Boogie will feature performances at eight venues throughout the inner-city suburb, with artists including Kylie Auldist, Alma Zygier, Bernadette Novembre, A Whale Called Pheonix, Kiwat Kennell and more.

Ç THE WORLD’S MOST NOTORIOUS METAL BAND, MAYHEM ARE TOURING AUSTRALIA

Notorious Norwegian black metallers Mayhem will return to Australia for a 40-year celebration featuring original members Necrobutcher and Hellhammer. They’re set to play at the Northcote Theatre on January 12.

Ç ASIA TOPA RETURNS TO MELBOURNE AFTER FIVE YEARS

Asia TOPA (Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts) is scheduled from February 20 to March 10, led and curated by an artistic team with Asia-Pacific roots for the first time. This edition promises an array of global debuts, free concerts, captivating shows and nightlife takeovers in Melbourne.

A NEW 3,600-SQUARE-METRE PARK IS BEING BUILT IN MELBOURNE’S NORTH

Willowbark Reserve will be a new 3,600-square-metre park in Melbourne’s north-west, with playgrounds, BBQ facilities, a picnic area and more, created alongside with the LUMA residential development project.

Ç KATY PERRY HAS ANNOUNCED THREE MELBOURNE SHOWS IN JUNE

Following her recent AFL Grand Final performance, the pop star will return to Melbourne on her The Lifetimes Tour and will play three dates at Rod Laver Arena on the 12, 13 and 14. She’ll be touring her most recent album, 143.

I DO’ SINGLE LAUNCH - WITH ELLIE GIBSON + LOUKOUMI SUNDAY SCHOOL - FT :MOTH + SOUP & THE CROUTON + SNAIL GUN - $7 SCHOONERS OF L AGER/CIDER

ISADORA - WITH BUSHIDO + SONS OF ABRAHAM + BODIES ON THE MOUNTAIN RSOM PRESENTS: THE BERGY OPEN MIC NIGHT - SIGN UP VIA RSOM OR WALK IN ON THE NIGHT - 7PM KICKOFF RSOM LIVE! - FT : WAM AL A + KIERAN J PHILLIPS + LILY JONES + EAMONN CONOR NO APOLOGIES (NSW ) - WITH HEAT + TIME ENDS + BEST BELIEVE

PEGGY FREW ‘DIAL UP ’ ALBUM LAUNCH - WITH SWEET WHIRL + MIK A JAMES

ARVO - MAC AND THE STEEZE: AFTERNOON TEA PARTY - WITH GALL AGATH + CONTACT SPORT

SUNDAY SCHOOL - FT : ENDS IN TRAGEDY + GRAVE RISK + BIT TER KIND + ALIYA AWAITS YOU - $7 SCHOONERS OF L AGER/CIDER

ALISHA K ‘FROM SOMETHING TO EVERYTHING’ EP LAUNCH - WITH LUNIC + FRANKY THE ALBERT STEEZE BAND

GIG GUIDE 01/11 THE SEDUCEAPHONES 02/11 CLAIRE ANNE TAYLOR (MATINEE) 02/11

17/11 HOWQUA 18/11 ‘SOCIAL SANCTUARY’ FRUIT TONES (UK), RHYSICS + GIRLATONES 20/11 LIV LOUD - AN AUSMUSIC T-SHIRT DAY CELEBRATION W DOGWORLD, HYDRA FASHION WEEK + PUBLIC FIGURES

18/01 NOASIS

24/01 SYCCO

29/01 X AMBASSADORS

31/01 MIKE TRAMP’S WHITE LION 07/02 XIBALBA (USA)

ION SKY + CICADASTONE 11/11 ‘SOCIAL SANCTUARY’ W MILOU MOON, DARBY + ELMOWY X SMITH 13/11 NADIA REID (DUO, NZ) 15/11 JESS DAY

21/11 THE BURES BAND 22/11 CAITLIN HARNETT & THE PONY BOYS

23/11 HENRY WAGONS & THE ONLY CHILDREN 24/11 RIPPLE EFFECT BAND 25/11 ‘SOCIAL SANCTUARY’ W BLUE DINER., BLUE VEDDER + EDVARD MAC

Ç BLACK COFFEE IS PLAYING EXCLUSIVE MELBOURNE, SYDNEY SHOWS IN JANUARY

Recognised as one of the most influential figures in electronic music, the South African artist’s signature sound fuses house, soul, jazz, alternative African percussions, organic electronics and evocative vocals. He’ll be performing on January 4 at the Coburg Velodrome.

Ç LIKE THE ARIAS, BUT FOR MELBOURNE BANDS: GET READY FOR THE MDMAS

The sheer talent of Melbourne’s music scene will be voted upon at the Melbourne District Music Awards, a people’s choice awards night celebrating homegrown independent artists. The ceremony will be taking place at the Gasometer on November 16, featuring live music, free food, competitions, games and more.

THIS OFF-THE-GRID FESTIVAL OFFERS THREE DAYS OF NOSTALGIC ROLEPLAY

From November 29 to December 2, The Town will wake over the Licola Wilderness Village, bringing back the naughty ’90s. The beloved event is an immersive experience and will feature a Battle of the Bands, a frat house party, a prom and a stellar lineup of musicians.

Ç STRAWBERRY FIELDS AFTERPARTY LINEUP LED BY THEO PARRISH, SOICHI TERADA

Taking place at the Port Melbourne Industrial Centre for the Arts on November 24, this event will bring some of Strawberry’s most anticipated acts to the inner city, including Theo Parrish, Soichi Terada, Suze Ijó, Byron Yeates b2b IN2STELLAR, Wax’o Paradiso and Poli-Pearl b2b Elle Shimada.

Ç SIGUR RÓS TO EMBARK ON AUSTRALIAN ORCHESTRAL TOUR IN MAY

Icelandic post-rock pioneers Sigur Rós are set to make a triumphant return to Australian shores in May 2025 for a series of unmissable orchestral performances. On May 19 and 20, they’re set for two shows at Arts Centre Melbourne’s Hamer Hall.

NEW $5 MILLION ‘MUST-SEE’ PENGUIN PARADE BEING BUILT BY HELICOPTER

More visitors will soon be able to enjoy Phillip Island’s world-famous Penguin Parade with the construction of a new boardwalk and viewing stands well underway. To protect the sensitive natural habitat, components of the framework were lifted into place by helicopter, while other parts were installed by hand.

Ç UKRAINIAN DJENT TITANS JINJER ARE COMING TO MELBOURNE IN FEBRUARY

Ukrainian metal band Jinjer has announced their largest Australian tour to date, accompanied by Canadian metal group Kittie as special guests. This tour will see both bands play at Festival Hall on February 25.

DANISH DARKWAVE LEGEND TRENTEMØLLER IS TOURING AUSTRALIA WITH A FULL BAND

Copenhagen-based alternative and electronic artist Trentemøller is set to return to Australia in April 2025, bringing his fivepiece band for a nationwide tour. Known for his unique blend of electronic and dreampop soundscapes, Trentemøller will perform at the Forum on April 6.

Ç LEON BRIDGES IS TOURING AUSTRALIA WITH GLASS BEAMS IN JANUARY

Grammy Award-winning RnB artist Leon Bridges is set to play at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on January 23. The Texas-born singer-songwriter will perform across major Australian cities with additional shows at some of the country’s top winery venues as part of a day on the green.

Ç SUPPORT ACT’S AUSMUSIC T-SHIRT DAY IS BACK

Music industry charity Support Act has announced that Ausmusic T-Shirt Day will return on Thursday, 28 November 2024. The initiative, which promotes the tagline ‘Life’s better with Australian music’, aims to celebrate local music while raising urgently needed funds for music workers facing crises.

Ç THIS BELOVED LIVE MUSIC VENUE IS EXPANDING INTO A WHOLE NEW SPACE

Shotkickers is set to expand with the addition of a new front bar and smoking area, expected to open in early 2025. The venue has taken on the lease of the neighbouring space, formerly occupied by Dean’s Picture Framing, and plans to reunite the two buildings which were adjoined decades ago but later separated.

Ç THERE’S A HUGE ROCK ’N’ ROLL STREET PARTY HAPPENING IN ABBOTSFORD

Luliepalooza has announced its return on November 23. The one-day music festival will once again bring together music lovers across Naarm. As well as live music by Starcrawler, The Gooch Palms, Battlesnake, The Miffs, Milly Strange, Platonic Sex and more, there will also be skateboarding demos, DJ sets and a bucking bull.

2024 AUSTRALIAN WOMEN IN MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Over 450 music industry leaders, artists, and guests attended the event at The Fortitude Music Hall last month. Winning artists included Kasey Chambers, Alice Icy and MO’JU.

Ç A NEW COASTLINE TRAIL HAS JUST OPENED WITH SPECTACULAR VIEWS

Beacon Point Reserve’s new shared walking and cycling path is officially open to the public, giving visitors the chance to explore the picturesque Bellarine coastline. The new trail is the first of its kind, offering unobstructed views over Corio Bay.

Ç AUSTRALIAN OPEN REVEALS 2025 MUSIC LINEUP

The Australian Open has announced the music lineup for its 2025 AO LIVE event, marking the only Grand Slam worldwide to host a dedicated music festival alongside its tennis tournament. The entertainment offering will span from 23 to 25 January and will feature acts including Benson Boone, Kaytranada, Kesha and Armand Van Helden.

VICTORIAN OPERA SHARES EIGHT NEW SHOWS ON 2025 PROGRAM

From Broadway and classic literary adaptations to an Australian first, Victorian Opera’s Season 2025 is a striking curation by Artistic Director Stuart Maunder AM. The season will feature Stephen Sondheim’s musical Follies, an adaptation of Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio, Leoš Janáček’s opera Katya Kabanova and more.

LANEWAY LINEUP

LED BY CHARLI XCX, CLAIRO, BEABADOOBEE, BICEP AND MORE

Laneway 2025, set to take place in February, has dropped its lineup with the headliners rounded out by Barry Can’t Swim, Remi Wolf, Olivia Dean, Eyedress, Skegss, Stüm and more.

ONE OF MELBOURNE’S MOST BEAUTIFUL THEATRES IS FINALLY BEING RESTORED

The National Theatre in St Kilda is undergoing significant restoration to restore the iconic building to its original grandeur. Celebrating its 50th year, the heritage-listed venue is embarking on a series of capital works that will help preserve its historical features and improve safety.

MELBOURNE CREEK SET TO DOUBLE IN SIZE THANKS TO ‘VITAL’ RESTORATION WORKS

The next phase of transforming the Moonee Ponds Creek into a thriving, healthy waterway is officially underway. This initiative will see concrete blocks replaced with natural rockwork and aquatic vegetation and new public gathering spots including an amphitheatre.

Ç NOW OR NEVER FESTIVAL IS BACK IN 2025

The City of Melbourne’s annual festival of art, ideas, sound and technology, Now or Never, is gearing up for its 2025 edition, working to the theme I Have Seen the Future. The team is inviting submissions for boundary-pushing projects, offering up to $100,000 in funding.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL RETURNS WITH ERIK THOMPSON AS SCROOGE

One of Australia’s most celebrated actors has been announced as the lead in Melbourne’s new festive tradition, A Christmas Carol. Thomson will take the stage in the beloved production set to warm hearts this Christmas, starting on November 22.

Ç MALTHOUSE THEATRE ANNOUNCES 2025 PROGRAM

For its upcoming season, Malthouse Theatre is offering a year of innovative productions, music theatre, drama, horror and comedy. The lineup includes seven major works by Australian and international theatre makers, with a focus on accessibility, as ticket prices have been significantly reduced for all shows.

Ç WE ARE LOST FESTIVAL IS COMING TO AUSTRALIA FOR THE FIRST TIME

After building a loyal following in Europe, particularly in Amsterdam where the festival originated, We Are Lost is set to come to St Kilda on its first-ever Australian run, bringing acts including Guy J, Patrice Bäumel, Khen and Jamie Stevens.

Ç RUSSELL HOBBS BRITISH FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS TO MELBOURNE

This year’s British Film Festival, taking place at various locations across the city from November 6 to December 8, gives us a seriously deep dive into the nation’s cinema, capturing everything from its rebellious rock ‘n’ roll stars to its ancient historical icons in stunning 4K.

Ç FATBOY SLIM ANNOUNCES AUSTRALIAN TOUR HITTING OUTDOOR VENUES

In a very special event for Australian fans, Fatboy Slim is heading out across the country in March on his Fatboy Slim Loves Australia tour supported by DJ Seinfeld, CC:DISCO! and Jennifer Loveless. He’ll be performing at Mt Duneed Estate in Geelong on March 22.

Ç MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE UNVEILS ENCHANTING 2025 PROGRAM

Melbourne Recital Centre is known for curating a rich and diverse range of talent and next year will be no exception. In 2025, the iconic venue will host acts from international favourites to stunning debuts and absolutely everything in between.

Ç RIVERBOATS MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2025 LINEUP

Located at Echuca-Moama, Riverboats, on from February 14 to 16, fuses nature with song, curating a breathtaking and serene atmosphere distinctly its own. This year’s lineup will include Ian Moss, The Cruel Sea, Dan Sultan, John Butler, Grace Cummings, Pierce Brothers and more.

MUSIC HALL

EDINBURGH CASTLE

Wesley Anne y Anne

BAKER BOY

Raised in the remote Arnhem Land communities of Milingimbi and Maningrida, Danzal Baker’s connection to music has always run deep.

WORDS BY SARAH DUGGAN

Æ In 2017, the world was introduced to Baker Boy after he won the triple j Unearthed National Indigenous Music Awards. Since then, it’s been non-stop for the 28-year-old Yolŋu musician. In 2021, he released his debut album, Gela, which saw him dominate the ARIAs, winning five awards including Album Of The Year.

A solid hip-hop album with a beautiful blend of traditional elements and contemporary sounds, it was no wonder that Gela was so well-received. This November, Baker Boy will be headlining BLAKTIVISM, a powerful event presented as part of this year’s ALWAYS LIVE program that combines a celebration of Blak Cultures with activism and showcases some of the biggest names on the First Nations music scene.

“I’m probably in the best place I’ve ever been in,” Baker says, reflecting on the last few whirlwind years. “At the start of 2023, I made a decision to try and slow down a bit and to make music, but also get to be at home with my partner and my dog and back north to see family.”

Despite this slower pace, Baker Boy has been far from idle. He’s been working behind the scenes, spending time in the studio and even a few months in LA, crafting new music and evolving his sound. “I think just getting some balance and doing some cool life and music shit has made my music better. I’m in a really good headspace and itching to get back on stage and to keep getting bigger and better.” His passion and determination are palpable and it’s clear that this hunger for growth is a driving force behind his success.

Looking back, Baker recalls his career highlights. Hearing the audience sing lyrics in Yolŋu Matha back to him was one, as well as the recent release of his single KING in which he rapped in three different languages: English, Yolŋu Matha and Burarra, his mother’s native tongue. A particularly thrilling milestone came recently when he received an email from American pop-rock titans Imagine Dragons asking him to feature on their single Take Me To The Beach.

“I was actually in the studio when the email came through, the guys shared the track and we instantly dropped everything to work on my verse. Smashed it out in an afternoon and they loved it. It felt kind of surreal, like almost too easy. But for real, it’s huge – I mean, Imagine Dragons! A feature like this is something that you know would be epic, but you’re not expecting it to happen. It’s really special for me to get to share Yolŋu Matha with such a big international audience. Fingers crossed I get the chance to perform it live with them one day.” Collaboration has been a key part of Baker Boy’s journey, particularly his long-term partnerships with producers Pip Norman and Rob Amoruso. Their shared creative energy has allowed Baker to feel free and experiment in the studio. “Those guys just know me so well and we can just be chatting shit in the studio and something completely random comes up and we instantly all know it’s sparked an idea for a track,” he says. Another source of support and inspiration is his partner, Aurie. “She empowers me to push for the things I believe in… Aurie really believes in the Baker Boy project, I think having someone who believes in you so much is invaluable because we collaborate so much and she understands every detail of the project.”

Looking ahead to BLAKTIVISM 2024, the fourth annual event held at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall, Baker Boy is excited to perform alongside an impressive lineup of First Nations artists, such as Yirrmal and Tasman Keith. “It’s such an epic event. I went along last year when King Stingray headlined and it was so powerful to be in the audience and experience really powerful storytelling. It’s a great show for mob to come together and celebrate and share, for it to be collaborative and creative and a really safe space for us as musicians,” he says. BLAKTIVISM isn’t just about the music – it’s about giving artists a platform to express their stories and truths while offering audiences the opportunity to listen and learn.

When asked about the challenges facing First Nations artists in the music industry today, Baker acknowledges the ongoing issue of tokenism. “I can only speak on my experiences. I think maybe not the biggest challenge, but probably one that is the most ongoing and can be really draining is a certain level of tokenism. I have been in too many situations having to explain to people that things aren’t culturally safe or feeling like they are trying to make me come across as

more ‘Aboriginal’. People assume I want black, red and yellow colour schemes for everything or expect me to educate them rather than doing their own research. Describing me as ‘Aboriginal artist, Baker Boy’ rather than Yolŋu. They might seem like small things, but when it’s a consistent ignorance that can be exhausting.”

Baker Boy’s role as a trailblazer for young First Nations artists is one he embraces. His advice to those who look up to him is sincere: “Remember, you can be more than one thing. I am Yolŋu, but I am also a 28-year-old man who loves playing video games, watching anime and hanging out with my dog and partner. I love playing golf, making music, telling stories and being creative. I love my culture, my childhood and how I was brought up. I feel emotions. I face challenges that aren’t related to race. I have low days and huge, great ones. I am Yolŋu but it’s important to remember that humans are multi-faceted. Don’t feel pressure to up your ‘Aboriginality’. Don’t allow people to tokenise you or put you in a box… You don’t have to be everything to everyone all the time.”

As Baker Boy’s music continues to evolve, so does his identity as an artist. Comparing his earlier work to Gela and his more recent releases like KING, you can hear the growth and maturity in his sound. “I’ve been joking that Baker Boy is growing up, he’s becoming Baker Man,” he says of this evolution, hinting that his upcoming music will showcase this development further. While he remains tight-lipped about specifics, he teases, “There is definitely music, I don’t think I can hide that, but nothing specific to share just yet, nothing new this year. I’m just itching to get back on the stage, looking forward to BLAKTIVISM, celebrating with my crew and all the mob. It’s going to be a huge night.”

BAKER BOY

WHERE: HAMER HALL

WHEN: 22 NOV

BIG SPECIAL

WORDS BY ANDREW HANDLEY

Making music about the struggles of the working class isn’t new, but the way Big Special do it is.

Æ On their kaleidoscopic debut album Postindustrial Hometown Blues, the Black Country duo blend post-punk, spoken word and soul.

The band, in its current formation of singer Joe Hicklin and drummer Callum Moloney, almost didn’t happen. Having met 13 years earlier at music college, the two had already built a connection by playing in other projects together. “Cal was the only person I wanted to do it with,” recalls Hicklin from his grandfather’s Walsall home, just outside Birmingham. “If he didn’t want to, I was going to do it on my own.”

Moloney was hesitant to give up the stability of his driving job and was finally making money through music playing in wedding bands. “I didn’t want him to think I didn’t respect his decision, but I thought I’d ask him one more time,” he says. It was a demo version of This Here Ain’t Water – a highlight from their album – that swayed Moloney. With its powerful, gospel-like chorus and biting spoken word commentary, the song perfectly encapsulates what Big Special can do.

Before the band, Hicklin mostly sang folk and blues music. While flourishes can be heard on their debut, he says genres aren’t considered when writing songs. “We just wanted to make something honest. The elements we knew we wanted were live drums and live vocals,” he explains. “If we create this strong, central voice, so that whatever we do is recognisable as Big Special, then we don’t have to think about genre.”

Only having live drums and vocals when performing allows the band to experiment with such varied songs. “You obviously get limited by using the [backing] track,” reasons Hicklin. “But you also have the freedom of not having to have six or seven different bands with different setups to be able to do all the tracks live.”

Midway through the album, Hicklin’s crooning abilities shine on the Black Dog / White Horse, which he wrote before forming the band. “We reworked and messed with the palette of it to see if it could fit in with all the other songs,” he recalls. “The people we work with got really excited about that one, and I chimed in, ‘It’s the one I don’t do any fucking speaking on.’”

Hicklin’s spoken word delivery puts his Black Country accent at the forefront of their music. “Where we’re from, people take the piss out of your accent everywhere you go… and growing up [you’re] subconsciously taught not to like it,” he languishes. “Especially people who get into the arts, they get rid of their accent.”

It was the work of Black Country poet Liz Berry that changed Hicklin’s perspective. “She writes phonetically, using the accent,” he explains. “Something just clicked in my head. It made me think that I should embrace the accent and the uniqueness of it, rather than hide from it. Since I’ve done that, I’ve never felt more fulfilled creatively and the stuff I make now is more authentic than ever,” continues Hicklin. “The voice is mine now proper, so I feel good about that.”

Lyrics detailing the often-gloomy minutia of daily life further Big Special’s authenticity. “[They] are always central to what we do. The music is just dressing up the lyrics,” he says. “The most relatable stuff is just honest rather than thought out to be relatable. I don’t think you have to share the experience to relate, so it’s just everyday stuff.”

“You can’t sit there and go… ‘I’m going to write for the people,’ because you put yourself above the people,” he continues. “You’ve got to write as one of the people and then if you’re authentic, it will relate, even if they’ve got a different idea of what the meaning is.” Since the release of Postindustrial Hometown Blues, Hicklin says he and Moloney’s lives have changed. “We’re seeing what’s possible from life now – the options and opportunities have grown,” he says. “We’re getting to make a living doing our own thing, and we never thought we’d be able to do that.”

However, don’t expect a rosier outlook on the band’s next album. “Nothing changes… the generations of working-class hardship, it’s a different version of the same thing,” decries Hicklin. “I don’t know if that’ll ever change, that’s why people should encourage more working-class art. It’s rare in the public eye nowadays, and the only thing we can do is have a moan about it collectively,” he adds wryly.

With a second album in the works, Hicklin says audiences can expect to hear some new songs on the upcoming Australian tour, where they’ll be joined by Melbourne bands Radio Free Alice and Sex Mask.

“It will be nice to drip feed some of that to see what the reaction is live,” he says. While excited about their first visit to the country, he is less so about the gruelling schedule. “We’re there for three days. Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney – one each day. So, we’ll get a good impression of the Australian airports.”

BIG SPECIAL

WHERE: CORNER HOTEL

WHEN: 30 NOV

WORDS BY THIS! is Kingston

SUMMER GIG GUIDE IN MELBOURNE’S NEW SOUTHSIDE

Kingston’s underrated live music and entertainment scene are buzzing with variety and excitement. Whether you’re a local or visiting Melbourne’s new Southside, there’s plenty of hidden gems to discover this season.

NAKED RACER CAFÉ

Motorcycles and Music

What do you get when you mix a retro motorcycle museum with live rock? Naked Racer Café! Enjoy live bands as you sip on craft brews, surrounded by a unique collection of bikes. There’s no better place to enjoy an electric atmosphere and vibrant entertainment.

→ nrmotoco.com

CHELTENHAM Every Friday night

LUCKY 13 GARAGE

Saturday Night Gigs

If you’re a rock fan, Lucky 13 Garage is the place to be. Expect energetic live bands that will take you back to the golden age of rock. This venue promises a night of loud, live, and unforgettable music.

→ lucky13garage.au

MOORABBIN Every Saturday night

WILBURY & SONS

Friday night Live Music

Kickstart your weekend with soulful live music at Moorabbin’s favourite neighbourhood pub: Wilbury & Sons. Known for its warm ambiance and killer drink selection, it’s the ultimate place to unwind and enjoy good vibes.

→ wilburyandsons.com.au

MOORABBIN Every Friday night

SIDE ST LOUNGE

Live DJ Sets

A weekend at Side St Lounge is always a hit with live DJs spinning the best tracks to get your night moving. Whether you’re looking for a casual night out or something more upbeat, this is the spot.

→ sidestreet3195.com

MORDIALLOC Every weekend

HAWKER TYPHOON

Sunday Live Music

Cap off your weekend with live music at Hawker Typhoon. Enjoy a chill atmosphere, delicious Vietnamese food, and a carefully curated set list designed to soothe the soul.

→ hawkertyphoon.com.au

HIGHETT Every Sunday

HIKI BAR

Weekend Vibes with a Twist

Feel the weekend rhythm with live DJ sets every weekend at Hiki Bar. Sip your way through the uniquely designed drinks menu including an extensive wine list and craft beers, then enjoy eclectic beats while enjoying unforgettable cocktails by the bay.

→ chikichan.com.au/hikibar

MORDIALLOC Every Fri & Sat night

BO GURKS

Mid-week Fun

Test your trivia skills before enjoying some live tunes at this local favorite. Bo Gurks is known for the finest craft beers, damn good woodfire pizza’s and great live acts.

→ bogurks.com.au

EDITHVALE Every Thursday night

POCKETS

Weekend Live Sessions

Get cozy at Pockets with some laid-back live music every weekend. Known for its intimate setting and top-notch acoustics, this is where you’ll find the perfect blend of atmosphere and talent, to hang out with your mates, play some pool and enjoy the weekend vibes.

→ pockets.com.au

MOORABBIN Every Fri & Sat night

ARCO BAR

Acoustic Fridays

For those who love acoustic music, Arco Bar delivers an intimate night of soulful performances. Perfect for winding down the week, grab a drink and some delicious food from their menu inspired by fresh Australian produce, and get lost in the music.

→ arcobar.com.au

HEATHERTON Every Friday night

STAGE GUIDE

WORDS BY SARAH DUGGAN

TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL

Discover the remarkable journey of Tina Turner, the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. With over 20 of her legendary hits, including Simply the Best, River Deep – Mountain High and Proud Mary, this electrifying musical will light up Princess Theatre throughout November.

THE PRINCESS THEATRE THROUGHOUT NOV

SISTER ACT

The global sensation Sister Act is now touring Australia, showcasing a fantastic cast that includes Casey Donovan as Deloris Van Cartier, Genevieve Lemon as Mother Superior, and Rhonda Burchmore as Sister Mary Lazarus. With an energetic new soundtrack by Alan Menken inspired by Motown, this musical promises an evening filled with joy and fun that you won’t want to miss!

REGENT THEATRE FROM 3 NOV

MADE IN CHINA 2.0

Made in China 2.0 premiered to sold-out audiences at Malthouse Theatre and has since toured internationally, including stops in Boston, Adelaide and the Netherlands. Directed by Wang Chong, one of Beijing’s most prominent theatre directors, this intimate solo performance offers a personal manifesto on creative risk-taking while providing a poignant exploration of family and the artist’s role in challenging times.

THE SHOW ROOM, ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE 6–16 NOV

THE WAITING ROOM

Join Melbourne artists Camilla Hannan and Martine Corompt for a unique immersive experience, The Waiting Room, where audiences explore the joys and challenges of anticipation. This captivating event blurs the lines between a Ted Talk and a theatrical performance, enhanced by cinematic elements and live music.

THE CAPITOL 9 NOV

MY BRILLIANT CAREER

My Brilliant Career follows an audacious teenager in the ‘90s who refuses to choose between love and her own ambitions, determined to forge her own path.

SOUTHBANK THEATRE FROM 7 NOV

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

Peter and the Starcatcher comes to Melbourne, featuring a talented cast including Pete Helliar, Colin Lane, Alison Whyte, Paul Capsis, Olivia Deeble and Otis Dhanji. This exciting adaptation of the prequel to Peter Pan combines live music and stunning visuals to tell the untold story of Neverland, introducing audiences to a world filled with vibrant characters and whimsical adventures.

PLAYHOUSE THEATRE FROM 8 NOV

MADWOMEN MONOLOGUES

Bad dates, murder, and breast exams — Madwomen Monologues presents 12 powerful pieces exploring the female experience.

CARSON PL 11–16 NOV

CLIFFHANGER

Cliffhanger is a multidisciplinary performance that explores the relentless struggle to rise above the superficial layers of reality.

ARTS HOUSE 13–17 NOV

CRUEL BRITTANIA: AFTER FRANKENSTEIN

Melbourne’s acclaimed writer and performer, Kristen Smyth, presents the Australian premiere of her debut solo show. Set in 1980s London, Captain Walton explores a turbulent society through a poetic lens, brought to life by a majority transgender and non-binary creative team under the direction of Cohan.

THE SHOW ROOM, ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE 20–30 NOV

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

This five-time Tony Award-winning adaptation by Jack Thorne, directed by Matthew Warchus, offers a magical and immersive experience filled with music, joy and the timeless story of redemption.

MELBOURNE COMEDY

THEATRE FROM 22 NOV

JACK THE RIPPER

In London 1888, a man struggles with his wife’s infidelity amid the chaos of the Ripper murders, becoming increasingly consumed by his love for her and his obsession with the killer. As he searches for answers, he begins to question whether he might be the Ripper himself.

THE BUTTERFLY CLUB 25–30 NOV

EDGING

Edging is a bold new performance by APHIDS’ Lara Thoms, Sammaneh Pourshafighi, and Eden Falk, exploring the intersections of queerness, popular culture and border control.

ARTS HOUSE 27–30 NOV

F**K CHRISTMAS

Break free from the commercialism of Christmas and join the wild, anti-capitalist celebration of F**k Christmas. This unique variety show blends campy holiday fun with a critique of toxic traditions, offering a refreshing alternative to the typical festive experience.

MALTHOUSE THEATRE FROM 27 NOV

FESTIVAL GUIDE

WORDS BY SARAH DUGGAN

RIDIN’ HEARTS

Shine your boots and put on your finest cowboy hat, because Ridin’ Hearts is back! At Melbourne’s Caribbean Gardens, you’ll see huge artists like Riley Green, Cooper Alan, Josh Ross and more country faves.

2 NOV

CARIBBEAN GARDENS

AURA MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL

This three-day event brings together a mix of jam, funk, rock, jazz and livetronica performances, along with interactive workshops and activities.

OUR FRIENDS FARM 2–4 NOV

RMIT 100 YEARS FILM FESTIVAL

To celebrate the centenary of The Capitol, RMIT is hosting the 100 Years Film Festival, featuring all-time classics like The Wizard of Oz, Superman, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and more.

4 NOV

THE CAPITOL

TISM & FRIENDS MINI FESTIVAL

To celebrate the release of their recent album Death To Art, anonymous alt-rock band TISM are bringing their buddies Eskimo Joe, Machine Gun Fellatio, Ben Lee and The Mavis’s along for a mini-festival at Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL 9 NOV

MONOLITH FESTIVAL

Monolith Festival is here with a stacked lineup, featuring New York prog rock icons Coheed And Cambria, as well as Periphery and more. On top of the stellar live music, there will be workshops, markets, panels and DJs.

PICA 9 NOV

SUMMERSALT

SummerSalt returns to Torquay in November 2024 with a day of sun-soaked fun and live music, headlined by Hozier, marking his first Australian performance since 2019. He’ll be joined by Angie McMahon, Joy Oladokun, and more special guests yet to be announced.

TORQUAY COMMON 10 NOV

MELB QUEER FILM FESTIVAL

Melbourne Queer Film Festival is an independent film festival dedicated to screening LGBTQIA+ stories and making their voices heard. Founded in 1991, it returns this November to bring you the latest and greatest in queer cinema.

VARIOUS 14–24 NOV

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT FESTIVAL

From 15-17 November, the Mind, Body and Spirit Festival will take over the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, with over 220 exhibitors, free seminars and performances, psychic readings and market stalls.

MCEC 15–17 NOV

AFRICAN MUSIC AND CULTURAL FESTIVAL

This three-day celebration will see over 35 African countries represented through music, food, fashion, film, dance, art and culture. Set right in the heart of Melbourne in the iconic Fed Square, the rhythm and sounds will be heard throughout the city.

FED SQUARE 15–17 NOV

ONE ELECTRIC DAY

One of Victoria’s favourite one-day festivals is back! Noiseworks, Birds of Tokyo and Wolfmother will headline this impressive lineup at the beautiful Werribee Park.

WERRIBEE PARK 17 NOV

QUEENSCLIFF MUSIC FESTIVAL

Queenscliff Music Festival is back, with sets from Kasey Chambers, Michael Franti & Spearhead and even Dorothy the Dinosaur with The Wiggles Soundsystem. Set against the lovely coastal backdrop of Queenscliff, there’s sure to be a little something for everyone at this family-friendly festival.

PRINCESS PARK, QUEENSCLIFF FORESHORE 22–24 NOV

ARRIBA MELBOURNE MEXICAN FESTIVAL

Enjoy Mexican food, drinks, and entertainment as you celebrate Mexican heritage and culture right here in Melbourne.

TOM’S BLOCK, KINGS DOMAIN 22–24 NOV

ALWAYS LIVE

Always Live is back again with 17 massive days of live music across Victoria. This year, they’re bringing out massive artists like The Offspring, who are playing a one-off show at Melbourne’s Forum, plus many other artists and events.

VARIOUS 22 NOV–8 DEC

A3 FESTIVAL

This three-day electronic music and arts festival is sure to be an experience like no other. With over 50 musical artists plus an impressive lineup of visual artists, it’s a unique event that welcomes artistic expression and cross-cultural collaboration.

LARDNER PARK 29 NOV–2 DEC

WILLIAMSTOWN HERITAGE BEER AND CIDER FESTIVAL

Showcasing over 20 independent breweries and cideries, the Williamstown Beer and Cider Fest promises a stack of entertainment for all ages, with free activities for kids.

SEAWORKS WILLIAMSTOWN 30 NOV

DEAN LEWIS

WORDS BY ROMESH CRUSE

In a world of musicians garnering fame and fortune all before they are legally allowed to get behind the wheel of a car, it’s always refreshing to hear that some overnight success stories take 10 years to build.

Æ With over 7 million albums/EPs sold worldwide and 14 billion streams to date, Sydney-born songwriter Dean Lewis is undoubtedly one of Australia’s biggest exports. Yet, he will be quick to remind you that it wasn’t always that way.

Growing up with a video game controller in his hand rather than a guitar, Lewis represented Australia in Halo 2 at the World Cyber Games in 2005 before a DVD of a live Oasis gig prompted him to retreat into a world of songwriting. As the boyish-looking musician spent his early twenties attempting to write his very own Wonderwall, he was knocked back by more than 30 different record labels.

“No one replied to me… I was keeping an eye on other musicians who weren’t great and I thought, Is that me? I was trying to figure out if I was good or not,” he says. As the knockbacks continued, Lewis picked up a job in television to make ends meet and ironically began to work with the exact musicians he was trying to emulate. “I’d experienced being a sound recordist, where we’d be doing interviews with famous people and I was behind the camera and treated as if I was invisible.”

Not willing to give up on his dream, Lewis moved into his grandmother’s spare room to focus on his music career and in 2016, his persistence garnered the attention of Island Records.

Under the guidance of a major label, a career that had been stuck in stagnation for years suddenly began to gain traction, with his debut single Waves peaking at number 11 on the ARIA charts. Yet, if it was Waves that introduced Australia to a melodic and vulnerable songwriter, it was Be Alright that sent him stratospheric.

One of the many songs he had written in his grandmother’s house, the raw ode to infidelity presented Lewis to a global audience, topping the charts in numerous countries alongside going 5x platinum in the United States. Lewis’ debut album The Place We Knew followed, later winning Album of the Year at the 2019 ARIA Awards.

As he attempted to build on the success of his debut with the more pop-orientated The Hardest Love, Lewis struggled to garner the same attention. It wasn’t until sleeper hit How Do I Say Goodbye started gathering momentum that he could breathe easy again.

“It’s a very interesting feeling. I remember when Be Alright blew up and things dropped off, I wasn’t getting anyone calling me back,” he says.

“My second album started flopping and then How Do I Say Goodbye came out and the phone started ringing again. People can disappear really quickly and it’s a slippery slope when you attach your self-worth to art that really is subjective.”

Now, with his third album Epilogue soon to be released, Lewis has returned to a more acoustic sound that filtered through the arrangements on his debut.

“I think I did go a little more pop on The Hardest Love. It was more of a focus now to go back to a more raw sound and be more genuine. Those songs have always been the ones that connected with me.”

As a pop artist signed to a major label expecting hits, the fear of failure will always be present, yet Lewis tries not to let it affect his music.

“I go between feeling pressured and trying to make what resonates with me but luckily, I am commercially driven a little bit. Just not in the sense of wanting to succeed at all cost.”

Still one of Australia’s most beloved artists, Lewis will spend his spring embarking on a mammoth east-coast tour, culminating in a two-night run at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena.

“I’m very nervous about the shows. But the thing that’s worked for me in the past is I just go out there, tell my stories and try to be me.”

At 36, Lewis is aware the audience he commands could one day disappear, but for a songwriter who has spent so long dreaming of the moment he finds himself in, staying present is his biggest aim for now.

“People can disappear really quickly and it’s a slippery slope when you attach your self-worth to art that really is subjective.”

“I know this doesn’t last forever and I’m just so proud of everything. After all these years, I’m doing the biggest shows of my life. You don’t always have to be thinking ahead.”

DEAN LEWIS

WHERE: ROD LAVER ARENA

WHEN: 7 + 8 NOV

CHET FAKER

WORDS BY JAKE FITZPATRICK

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Built On Glass, the renowned singersongwriter reflects on the iconic album’s legacy and why he hasn’t listened to it much in the years since.

Æ If you’re not already feeling old enough, Chet Faker’s magnum opus, Built On Glass has just turned 10 years old. If you now find yourself questioning where the time has gone in the interim, believe me, you’re not alone.

The year was 2014. Amid the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, The Fault In Our Stars, and the iconic Ellen Oscar selfie, Faker released this album. For many, it became a coming-of-age soundtrack. For others, it became a cherished companion during tough times.

For Faker, born Nick Murphy, though, his feelings towards this album and its respective anniversary are different to most. His baby has now come of age. Rather bemused by the lapse of time, Faker can’t quite believe it’s been a decade.

Before Built On Glass was released, Faker existed on the periphery of the music industry. He was more of an underground artist that only your coolest friends would have known about.

“I put out an EP before called Thinking In Textures but things were only really brimming back then. I was at uni at the time, and I remember they reviewed it in The Age which was cool. I think I got four and a half stars or something. I hadn’t done anything good as an adult at the time, so that was cool.”

His breakthrough eventually came when he recorded and released a cover of No Diggity. The cover instantly went viral, reaching number one on the Hype Machine chart and even being used in a Super Bowl commercial.

“After that, I started getting booked and touring, but I didn’t really have much music and I was trying to fill 45-minute slots. I also didn’t want to do covers back then because I didn’t want to be the ‘No Diggity guy’. I wanted to write my own songs and have people know me for that.”

Off the back of No Diggity, Faker got an offer from a record label to record an album, which spurred the making of Built On Glass. Released in April of 2014, the album was not a raging success at first, but six months later things began to change quite rapidly for Faker.

“Creating silence in tracks would be challenging today, given how music is consumed. That really makes me think of Melbourne.”

“It just started to go gangbusters. The Gold music video went big. I did Boiler Room, I did Ellen and Jimmy Kimmel. I won the Hottest 100. I won five ARIAs. It was nuts. It was just so hectic. I played like 125 shows that year. I did the maths – that’s one show every three days and it was mostly in different cities. I’m really just unpacking it all now. The whole time was so crazy. The album blew it up and I hit all these different worlds.” Now living in America, Faker reflects on how Built On Glass connects him to his Australian roots. “Listening to it now, I hear so many memories. It feels personal, but to be honest, I’ve only listened to Built On Glass maybe five times in the last decade.”

Despite this, he continues to remain proud of the album’s sounds. “It’s more ambient than I remembered, with so much space and patience. I envy that; creating silence in tracks would be challenging today, given how music is consumed. That really makes me think of Melbourne.”

The album’s anniversary has also inspired Faker to record in Melbourne at some point in the future. The opportunity to do so may present itself imminently, with Faker returning to Melbourne in November for a show in the Botanic Gardens presented by ALWAYS LIVE. Speaking on the show, Faker offered, “I can’t wait for that gig. It’s just cool to play these old songs. It’s fun coming back to them.”

With Built On Glass, Faker ultimately laid the foundations for his illustrious career. From there, he has travelled down many musical paths and created a diverse catalogue of tunes. Upon being asked to distil the album’s legacy into a platitude, Faker finished with this: “From it, I’ve avoided having a real job for the last decade. Let’s hope it continues.”

CHET FAKER

WHERE: ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS

WHEN: 22 NOV

Æ It’s a practice Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Shauf has previously drawn on, but his latest conceptual album, Norm, is a grand departure from familiarity. Weaving an eerie tale that unfolds over deceptively sweet melodies, Norm invites a contemplation that deepens with ambiguity. Ahead of his upcoming Australian tour, the acclaimed storyteller talks about honing his craft, giving up drinking and his complicated relationship with jazz.

Best known for works including The Party (2016) and The Neon Skyline (2020), Andy’s older works are rooted in relatable experiences and charming characters. His eighth album, Norm, sees him veer into uncharted waters to craft a fictional world, with each track slowly unveiling a new chapter in the darkening plot.

“I’ve always attempted to write fiction,” Andy says, addressing the misconception that earlier albums were autobiographical. “Those are still fictional stories, whether they’re inspired by a friend or a situation. But with Norm, I really wanted to step into something that I didn’t know.”

The isolation of the pandemic played a significant role in shaping the album’s narrative. The 37-year-old found himself living alone in his Toronto apartment with ample time to play around in his studio. Setting out to create a “normal” album without a particular throughline, he named it Norm. “I really wasn’t seeing anyone,” Andy recalls. “I didn’t have something that I was living that I could write about.”

As the world stewed in uncertainty, the record shifted to a more sinister story.

In writing the track Telephone – a seemingly simple song about longing for connection – he stumbled upon the record’s ominous narrative thread. “The first verse sounds very sweet and there’s all this longing to be talking to this person on the phone. But the second verse flips it and you realise the narrator is watching through the window.”

While solitude, religion and true crime docos all influenced Norm’s clandestine characterization, the project was driven by curiosity. “I can do a bunch of writing of things that I know, or I can step into the unknown and try to explore themes that I don’t understand and questions I don’t have the answers to,” Andy says.

Narrated from three perspectives, Norm contemplates the extremes of unrequited love, obsession and fate. Andy’s meticulous storytelling leaves space for listeners to uncover the plot themselves and derive meaning from the obscurity.

The narrative builds in synchronicity with Andy’s lush orchestral arrangements. The tempo wanes, discordant notes swell and haunting clarinets flutter in from afar.

“There was a point where I thought, ‘this record is going to be extremely dark and I’m writing it to be extremely digestible,’” Andy says. The contrast between unsettling lyrics and bright instrumentation – paired with his signature dulcet tone – creates

ANDY SHAUF

WORDS BY GABRIELLE DUYKERS

‘Write what you know’ remains one of the most widely shared pieces of creative advice.

a soundscape that sways between comfort and angst.

Typically averse to jazz-inflected sounds, Andy was drawn to the genre’s harmonic structures to help build a sense of unease. “A lot of the musicians in my bands are jazz musicians and I’m not a big listener,” he confesses. “It kind of frustrates me. It’s so noodly and I’m not into that.”

Nevertheless, the multi-instrumentalist explored the subtleties of the genre. “I was playing around with melodies that move around the resolve, and just leave you hanging,” he explains.” I think that does a lot for how the harmonies affect you and how emotionally you feel when a melody kind of teases you – like it’s going to hit the right note and it doesn’t.” Enlisting the mixing talents of audio engineer Neal Pogue (Tyler, the

Creator, OutKast), his ethereal atmospherics and crisply layered synths add further dimension to the indie-folk record.

Andy’s sobriety has yielded a profound impact on his creative growth. Deciding to quit drinking a few years ago, he reveals how deeply entwined alcohol had become with his songwriting. “Writers have this idea that if you have a couple of drinks your brain loosens up and things can really start to flow,” he says. “What I wasn’t realising was that my drinking was becoming my writing process. I was just expecting to continue being inspired by this thing that was actually kind of killing me,” he says.

Fortunately, the change reinvigorated his focus and well-being. “When I sobered up, my brain got sharper again,” he says. “I realised that I really need to be intentional about what I’m putting into my body and how I’m challenging myself.”

After gracing Australian shores for the first time in 2022, Andy is keen to return for a Victorian mini-tour of solo gigs as part of ALWAYS LIVE that bring Norm’s compelling tale to life. He’ll be hitting Melbourne, Ballarat and Castlemaine.

ANDY SHAUF

WHERE: CORNER HOTEL

WHEN: 3 DEC

ST. VINCENT

WORDS BY KAYA MARTIN

There’s no room for subtlety on St. Vincent’s seventh and most recent album, All Born

Screaming .

Æ It’s extreme. It’s life and death, the knife’s edge, “black and white and all the colours in a fire”. It’s a lot to wrangle, but if anyone’s up for the task, it’s Annie Clark, also known as three-time Grammy Award winner and rock ‘n’ roll darling St. Vincent.

Released in April, All Born Screaming has been lauded for its urgency and its cutting, visceral songwriting. Born from the pandemic – a time of both collective and personal grief for Clark – the album spans heaven and hell, charting parasitic obsession, self-abasement, violence and vitriol, as well as the fragility and subsequent beauty of life.

“I was dealing with loss. We all were, right? I don’t mean it in an abstract sense,” she says. “[I was] trying to grapple with the human condition, which is that life is brutal, and it’s beautiful, and it’s all of those things all the same time. But we get to live it and it’s very short, so we ought to dig in and live it as righteously as we possibly can.”

From the angelic, crystalline drawls of Reckless to the apathetic swagger of Big Time Nothing, Clark’s voice is a weapon brandished with precision. In the studio, she was joined by a small but mighty team including her longtime recording engineer Cian Riordan, the inimitable Dave Grohl and Welsh songstress Cate Le Bon.

The resulting instrumentation is at once alien and familiar, pairing textural synths with the acerbic force of Nine Inch Nails and the sparse, haunting grooves of Portishead.

“To me, nothing’s ever a direct reference to anything exactly,” she says.

“You’re not going, ‘Oh well, what if I put the Fleetwood Mac snare sound?’ Whatever, ‘the acid bassline’ – it’s not that. You’re referencing your impression of your last memory of a thing. You’re referencing more an emotional reaction than something literal.”

Credit: Anthony Pham

“It’s like a pummeling and then a soothing, and then an ecstatic rave.”

The album’s artwork, an image of Clark on fire, came about in the same way. She and modern artist Alex da Corte had admired Fransico Goya’s Black Paintings on a trip to Madrid’s Museo Nacional del Prado, which eventually helped shape the visual language of the project. “Alex is so brilliant and he made an image that feels very alive and also very iconic in a small black square,” Clark tells me. In the past, she’s said she’s wanted the live shows to feel like a “pummelling”. Now, after taking the album to stages across the United States and on the precipice of her first Australian tour since 2018, it’s become much more than that.

“It’s like a pummeling and then a soothing, and then an ecstatic rave,” she says. “I’m finding this very strange phenomenon, which I promise doesn’t always happen, where people are more excited to hear the new material than the old material… in a way that I’ve been so pleased, and also a little confounded by.”

While Clark has always been regarded as a potent live performer, the All Born Screaming era sees her kick it up a notch, drawing from basement punk shows and her pre-stardom past as a member of the noise band Skull Fuckers. During each performance, she enters a “fugue state”, partially because the stakes are so high in front of a live crowd.

“I’ll crowd surf and spit and roll around on the ground and get totally physical with it,” she says. “Performing, for me, gets to be as feral or disturbed or vulnerable and serene as I am not when I’m just like, walking down the street or answering emails or whatever. It’s a very different thing, that kind of alchemy that happens between live performer and audience.”

Each night, as Clark brings All Born Screaming to hungry fans, kicking and flailing in kitten heels and tailored blazers, she’s more in the moment than at any other time in her life. It’s only a few months after the release, but there’s always more to be done. After an album as ambitious and climactic as All Born Screaming, where does one go?

“With every record I ever make, I’m so proud of it and I’ve worked so hard on it – otherwise I wouldn’t put it out. But then life moves on and nothing can stay the same. You change with new information and new experiences. So I always think my next record will be my best record. You have to believe that the next thing must be better, because otherwise why do this? Like, go do something else.”

ST. VINCENT

WHERE: PALAIS THEATRE

WHEN: 25 NOV

Credit: Claire Brown

Credit: Ashley Osborn

BOREA CONNECT SPEAKERS

WORDS BY CHRISTOPHER HOCKEY

France’s premier high-end speaker manufacturers Triangle have once again knocked it out of the park with their brand new Borea Connect series of Bluetooth speakers.

Æ The Borea Connect Series offers unmatched audiophile sound quality in an elegant, compact package, with unlimited connectivity. This new generation of active speakers combines Triangle’s renowned acoustic expertise with all the latest technological innovations. These highly adaptable speakers offer a plethora of possibilities, from pairing them with your turntable or TV to streaming high-quality music from your smartphone.

The Borea Connect series includes two sizing options, the Borea BRO2 Connect features a 13cm Midwoofer and the Borea BRO3 Connect is a little larger with a 16cm Midwoofer. Both options look absolutely gorgeous, with six elegant colour choices consisting of Black, Blue, Green, Oak, Light Oak and Cream. A compact bookshelf speaker, the BRO2 consists of a stereo pair of 50w speakers, suitable for rooms of 8-25m2 whereas the more powerful BRO3 pair runs at 60w and is recommended for rooms of 10-35m2.

Optimised for Turntables, the Borea Connect speakers feature a handy integrated phono preamplifier, making it easy to connect to most turntables on the market without needing an external preamp. Featuring HDMI connectivity and ARC/CEC for a seamless pairing with any television as well as a punchy subwoofer, it’s a great choice for a TV and film set-up. If you’re looking to optimise the sound quality of your at-home viewing experience, look no further, these speakers work great as a stereo pair on either side of your TV.

The Borea Connect series, true to its name, also features Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, allowing you to play low-latency, high-definition audio wirelessly from your phone, tablet or computer with ease. Featuring lossless audio capabilities and a sampling rate of 24bits/48khz, digitised music remains accurate and dynamic through these speakers, retaining the utmost fidelity.

Wireless connectivity truly makes these speakers an ultra-versatile product that can serve a myriad of purposes in any home.

Audiophiles will doubtless be impressed by the crisp and powerful sound of the Borea Connect series, which features a high-quality class-D amplifier in each speaker for rich, precise sound and controlled power. Featuring a very even frequency response, both the

BRO2 and BRO3 provide an incredibly high fidelity, honest and impressively uncoloured sound that will please even the most discerning ear.

With its 24-bit processing capacity, the QUALCOMM APTX HD Chip found in these units delivers an uncompromised listening experience. The lower signal-to-noise ratio, combined with reduced harmonic distortion, results in a truly impressive high-definition signal. This series also features a subwoofer output, providing the option to extend the bottom end of these already powerful speakers if need be.

The elegant design and multitude of available colours make the BRO2 and BRO3 a visually sublime addition to any living space, allowing them to either blend in with the aesthetics of a room or pop out as a bold dash of colour. They’re also incredibly user-friendly, coming with a very handy RF remote control that works up to 15m away from the speakers. Unlike infrared remote controls, radio technology ensures perfect communication with the speaker, allowing for seamless long-range control.

Whilst both models sound and look fantastic, the BRO3 has slightly more output and a bit more kick in the bass response. The BRO2 is recommended for smaller rooms, being more compact, it’s a convenient addition to any bookshelf or similar space. Both models, however, really come into their own when paired with a turntable, the inbuilt phono preamp providing a very convenient all-in-one solution for giving the warm, deep sound of your record collection the amplification it deserves.

Designed as part of Triangle’s BOREA development program, the CONNECT speakers featured in this series have a natural cellulose paper membrane driver for perfect sound neutrality and an EFS waveguide fabric tweeter. Balanced crossover ensures homogeneous, linear reproduction across the entire sound spectrum, ensuring a very clear, honest and articulate sound.

All in all, both models of this series are incredibly well made, versatile and powerful speakers that would be a fine addition to any home audio setup. Their compatibility with turntables, televisions and wireless digital devices makes them a convenient all-in-one solution and they sound absolutely fantastic. With classy looks to match their top-of-the-line sound, the Borrea Connects are a premium product for the true audiophiles out there. So whether you’re spinning vinyl, getting immersed in a film or simply streaming some tunes from your phone, these compact speakers are a fantastic choice for any audio enthusiast.

To find your local stockist or place an order, head to the website. This article was made in partnership with Audio Marketing.

BAR OPEN RECORDS

Bar Open is a stalwart of live music in Melbourne, having run live gigs continuously for 26 years. Now, it’s expanding its operations by opening a record shop during the day.

Æ “We are really excited about opening a record shop. Turns out, the Bar Open bar staff have so much knowledge between them in all these interesting musical areas: psycho and rockabilly, jazz, Afrobeat, ska, fusion, doom, ’70s early metal, contemporary psychedelic and, of course, the local band scene,” says Jon Perring, Bar Open co-owner.

“Bar Open isn’t open during the day, so the opportunity to fully utilise its position on Brunswick Street is there. It just makes sense to expand into retailing vinyl albums. The synergy is obvious.

We will stock a range of new and second-hand records, particularly jazz, funk, soul and roots-related genres, including rock from doom, psych, prog and Krautrock to retro and alternative. There will be an emphasis on local band album releases, particularly those bands that play at Bar Open.

The other aspect we bring to the table is that being a live music venue means that bands who want to launch their vinyl release can have their releases stocked in the shop, ensuring the opportunity to sell their records after the gig is behind them. Also, bands who have already launched their album can do an in-store gig to give their vinyl album a further push.

It’s exciting to offer full bar service during in-store gigs, making the experience feel more like a real gig. Punters can chill at the bar, sit in the sun in the beer garden, trawl vinyl or all of the above with a wine or beer in hand.”

Bar Open Records will work closely with local labels such as Kasumuen Records, Magnetic Sound and Hope Street Recordings, among others.

BAR OPEN RECORDS

WHERE: 317 BRUNSWICK ST, FITZROY

OPEN: SAT–TUE, 11AM–5PM

Made in partnership with Bar Open.

ANNIE HAMILTON

WORDS BY JAKE FITZPATRICK

The Sydney-based singer-songwriter is set to release her sophomore album, Stop And Smell The Lightning on November 1.

Æ Dialling in from her house in Clovelly, alt-pop artist Annie Hamilton is far away from Fremantle, where she wrote and recorded her new album with Jake Webb of Methyl Ethyl. She’s the personification of excitement.

With a smile from ear to ear, she searches for the right words to explain the album’s title. “Umm… I just love lightning,” she says. “It’s a lyric from one of the songs. I came up with that line and then it stuck because it felt like a play on ‘stop and smell the roses’ but this chaotic, wild version. I also think of it as a reminder to be present and pause. Like, why aren’t we all freaking out about lightning? It’s insane. Huge beams of electricity shooting out from outer space into Earth. It’s totally random and most of us are just like, ‘that’s cool.’” This fun Hamilton and Webb had in the studio is audible throughout the entire record. “In Slut Era, all the percussion in that song is me smashing stuff with a hammer. Jake just gave me a bunch of tools – a hammer, a vacuum cleaner, an electric meat slicer, a metal bucket, a chain – and I just did it.”

It even got to the point where Webb and Hamilton took to howling on the floor of the studio. “In DYNAMITE •~*, we wanted to put all these sound effects on. We searched for a howling pack of dogs but then we just thought ‘fuck it, let’s howl ourselves’. So we just began howling.”

After returning home to Sydney, Hamilton got to work on the specific aesthetic she wanted for the record. “Someone described it to me the other day as ‘chaos Barbie’. I wanted it to be surreal and a bit of magic realism. I’ve always had this image of me running around in a storm and lighting and chaos behind me, so that’s the cover.”

ANNIE HAMILTON

WHERE: THE RETREAT

WHEN: 8 NOV

Æ

GIRL AND GIRL

Credit: Zac Bailey

WORDS BY ROMESH CRUSE

When you start a band in the bushland of Queensland, it could be considered a worthy achievement to play a gig anywhere besides the local RSL.

The jittery and eccentric four-piece Girl and Girl have managed to take it a few steps further.

Formed in 2020, the Gold Coast-based band have racked up a string of impressive milestones in their short career, notably signing to legendary record label Sub-Pop following buzz around their early EPs. In support of their brilliantly theatrical debut album Call A Doctor earlier this year, the band embarked on headline tours through the UK and Europe and gallivanted around America with Royel Otis – not bad for a band from the bush.

To top it off, when I join frontman Kai James over Zoom, Laneway’s 2025 lineup has just been announced, with Girl and Girl finding themselves sharing a bill with Charli XCX, Beabadoobee and Clairo.

“We weren’t even told the lineup until two hours before. My Instagram post completely revolved around Charli XCX and that was it!” laughs James.

James was jamming in the shed with guitarist and founding member Jaden Williams one day when they received a knock at the door. His aunty Melissa had dropped in to see how her nephew was going with his new band, before eventually getting behind the drum kit herself.

Initially intended as a temporary arrangement while the band searched for a more suitable replacement, four years on, Aunt Liss is still on the kit. While the endearing story has been the focal point of much of the press Girl and Girl has received, James is quick to note Aunt Liss is no gimmick.

“Whether she’s an auntie or a female drummer or whatever, the fact of the matter is that she’s just a fantastic drummer. She adds this incredibly unique ’90s flavour that isn’t really a part of my musical history and that I never would have sought out on my own.”

Call A Doctor follows a lifetime of James’ mental health struggles. Bold and uninhibited, the release elevated them into an international touring band, something they’re still getting used to.

“The first tour was incredibly intense for me emotionally,” says James. “Just learning to deal with living in such proximity. I’m a guy that needs space and really struggles to sleep in the same room as other people and all that sort of stuff. It was just this intense shock to the system and then the second tour was developing those tools and slowly it got better.”

Lyrically, themes of vulnerability, disdain and guilt weave through Girl and Girl’s songs. I ask James what it’s like to revisit such difficult moments in his life on stage each night.

“The first few times are the biggest shock, especially in particular settings. After we came back to Australia, we played the love songs off the album in front of particular people and that was probably my most intense moment,” he says with a wry smile.

“But generally, the more you do it, the more it just becomes autopilot. It’s hard to insert yourself completely into it after 1000 times.” Now gearing up for an Australian east-coast tour, the four-piece have returned with a new single The Cow, a manic number jam-packed full of tempo and James’ trademark self-deprecating lyrics.

“All my friends call me The Cow / Not really, but sometimes I think they should / because sometimes I let my cow brain speak louder than my cow heart,” he croaks over a frenetic guitar line.

“It’s standalone. It kind of came out of the album recording session and we couldn’t fit it onto the record so we saved it for later.”

Although tired from a relentlessly busy year, their upcoming Australian tour proves an exciting prospect to James. “Girl and Girl is a live band. I feel like that’s where we kind of sell ourselves. Expect a lot of shaking and jumping and all sorts of stuff.”

James has already started hypothesising what the future could hold for Girl and Girl but isn’t willing to put a timeframe on any new project just yet.

“I try not to actively write music with a purpose but there’s definitely a vague guideline in the back of my head to not make another wallowing album. I’m writing it now, but I don’t know how long that takes and I don’t want to put a timer on it,” he says.

“Somebody will put a time limit on it soon, I’m sure… And so far, it’s not totally depressing!”

GIRL AND GIRL

WHERE: OLD BAR + BERGY BANDROOM

WHEN: 16 + 17 NOV

JET & THE MSO

WORDS BY BRYGET CHRISFIELD

“This whole thing came about in such a funny way,” bassist Mark Wilson observes of Jet’s upcoming, one-off, Australian exclusive Melbourne Symphony Orchestra show featuring classical versions of their songs arranged by conductor Nicholas Buc.

Æ

“We were getting inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame [in 2023] and a guy from the orchestra, who was nominated for an ARIA, came over ‘cause he recognised Louis [Macklin], our keyboard player, from their kids’ school – their kids go to school together.

“He just introduced himself and started chatting to all of us, and then a little bit later on in the piece he came up with the idea of getting us to do the big show at Sidney Myer Music Bowl!

It was pretty fortuitous, really.

“It’s funny, because as you get a little older you start meeting people in all different kinds of ways, and it’s not necessarily meeting down the pub like when I met these [Jet] guys – you meet people at kinder, and, you know, we’ve met people all over. So this one was definitely by virtue of one of our members having children at the same school – that started the conversation,” he says, laughing incredulously. Wilson first met his future Jet bandmates – the Cester brothers, frontman Nic and drummer Chris plus lead guitarist Cameron Muncey – at a Melbourne venue: The Duke Of Windsor (now Lucky Coq). “That was kind of our clubhouse,” he points out. “We did all of

our original meetings with US labels sitting on kegs in The Duke’s back room, just crowded around an old speakerphone.”

On the recent extended edition of Jet’s rapturously received 20 Years Of Get Born Australian tour – which included many regional dates – Wilson reflects, “We didn’t do a lot of those regional shows back in the day, because we’d always tour the country like we were an international band. Working so much overseas, we’d come and play Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and then leave and go to the UK or to Japan or something rather than doing those regional runs.

“Doing the regional shows is such an important part of Australian music touring and we had a ball! They were all great shows – they were packed, they all sold out – and we just can’t wait to keep playing. Obviously, we need to get an album out, but currently we’re still working on that.”

Jet’s first studio album in over 15 years is scheduled for release next year and, back in May, they dropped a brand new 7” single – exclusively on vinyl, for now – titled Hurry Hurry (Australian Tour Edition). “We had a limited amount available online, which were

on coloured vinyl, but you could only buy the normal ones at the shows,” Wilson reveals. “We wanted it to feel special, old-school. We used to do that anyway, so we thought it’s a bit of fun and we just wanted our loyal fans to get their hands on them first.”

Un’avventura, Hurry Hurry’s B-side, is a cover of a cover: Wilson Pickett’s version of the song as performed by Lucio Battisti at the 1969 Sanremo Music Festival: “[There’s] one piece of footage from it and Nic loves it. So we actually pulled out that song and recorded it half in Italian, half in English, ‘cause Nic spends half his time over there in Italy and half here in Melbourne.”

So can fans expect to hear an orchestrated version of Hurry Hurry at their upcoming MSO concert? “Yeah, definitely,” Wilson confirms. “I think by then it will be out on all the streaming platforms as well.”

When asked what the plan is for curating their MSO-enhanced setlist, the bassist reckons “it’s about the mix”. “We do have a lot of ballads – Look What You’ve Done, that’s easy to understand; you could throw all types of stuff at that – but leaning into those rock’n’roll songs you would never even imagine orchestrated would be pretty special. Nic [Buc, MSO conductor/arranger] said he loves doing those ones that are a bit more challenging for him, too. I really wanna know what he’s gonna do with Cold Hard Bitch!” Wilson admits, cracking himself up.

“We’ve never played live with an orchestra before so it’s a very different scenario: 80 people behind you playing, it’s pretty amazing… I’m really looking forward to the process of rehearsals just to see how the nuts and bolts work. I think the rehearsal room we rehearse in with the MSO is Hamer Hall, so it’s pretty bougie!” Kind of the polar opposite of The Duke Of Windsor, then? “Yeah, totally,” he agrees. “I was chatting to the French horn player when we did this photoshoot –which is funny, ‘cause he was actually French! – I was like, ‘So how long do you rehearse for the show?’ And he’s like, ‘Oh, sometimes we just do it on the day of the show. Or sometimes just the day before – one run-through.’ It’s all written out for them, so it’s completely different – [they’re] just basically making sure, you know?”

So can Wilson sight-read? “No, no, I can’t even read – I’m dyslexic,” Wilson explains. “So I can’t read music; none of us can.”

JET & THE MSO

WHERE: SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL

WHEN: 8 NOV

This article was made in partnership with the MSO.

TISM

The first time it’s made clear that this interview isn’t going to be winning any prizes for investigative journalism comes about 13 minutes in when vocalist Ron Hitler-Barassi decides to ask why I’ve not yet asked a single question.

WORDS BY

TYLER JENKE

Æ The reason why is the same as the subject matter: TISM.

It’s been proven numerous times over the last 40 years that anyone who attempts to interview TISM is embarking upon a fool’s errand. I’ve tried twice previously and been forced to submit condensed transcripts of maniacal ramblings.

This time, it’s a simple list of questions that revolve around their first new album in 20 years, Death To Art, and their upcoming national run of shows featuring the likes of Machine Gun Fellatio on the bill.

In true TISM fashion, however, Hitler-Barassi and bandmate Humphrey B. Flaubert were not going to make this an easy undertaking.

“I would like to start off with an acknowledgement of the traditional owners of the land upon which we conduct this interview,” he begins. “Which, in Humphrey and my cases, is Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the owner of TISM and also the owner of the land upon which we speak.

“I’d also like to acknowledge for your readers,” he continues. “The land upon which they are reading is probably land of semi-racist, white grievance fucksticks – 65 fucking per cent of them who voted ‘no’ in the referendum. So to the 65% of you people out there; fuck you.”

The alienation of their audience won’t be letting up soon. Before another question is asked, however, Hitler-Barassi breathlessly shifts his focus to my previous coverage of TISM, claiming “a touch of the Ernest Hemingway” is present, and suggesting this interview should be titled The Old Man And The C Word.

“When I read that piece, I could see the cafes of 1920s Paris, which I assume that the offices of Beat Magazine closely resemble,” he muses.

Another attempt to ask a question is thwarted by a reference to the Dead Kennedys’ hard-to-find single Holiday In Boronia before Flaubert picks up the thread to talk about Hemingway, and – ostensibly – filmmaker Ken Burns.

“Ken Burns – who wrote about your work – was a forward for Birmingham City,” Flaubert helpfully informs. “Brian Clough rescued Kenny Burns and made him a centre half and it was really the making of the player, much in the same vein as PJ Harvey, who operated mainly as a wingback.

“PJ stands for ‘pejorative’ – Pejorative Harvey – and she was transformed when she was put into the midfield by Himmler, the manager of Berlin FC…”

Much like Kenny Burns, now was my time to strike with my first question. Perhaps we could focus on the fact that Death To Art is the band’s first new album in 20 years, their first since their 2022 reformation, and the first chance fans have to hear their view of the current world. But what do they say to fans who might have expected more content related to climate science, equality, or ‘wokeism’?

“That’s a shit question, Tyler,” Hitler-Barassi asserts. “Here we are comparing you to Hemingway, and there’s this verbose piece of fucking crap that’s got 15 clauses in it.”

“Could you convert that to Hemingway? It just needs to go, ‘TISM. New. Back. Creased with worry, their foreheads. And the fish escaped.’”

Perhaps we should move on again? Hitler-Barassi reminds me that he’s got a roast chicken in the oven so we can’t spend too long meandering on the topic of Hemingway. What about the messaging on the band’s album?

Since the final song on 2004’s The White Album claimed in its title that ‘TISM Are Shit’, it’s been the official branding among fans. Now, the opening song on their new album states, “Everything is shit, except for TISM (who are shit)”. The shifting of goalposts is put to him, but the band aren’t too happy with the press who happen to overlook those final three words.

“Could you convert that to Hemingway? It just needs to go, ‘TISM. New. Back. Creased with worry, their foreheads. And the fish escaped.’”

“Mohammed bin Salman’s factotum has chastised me for my inefficient use of language,” Flaubert notes. “This album is called Death To Art and people think that means our position is that art should be destroyed, should be killed, and that wasn’t the idea at all.”

“Humphrey, those words at the end, ‘who are shit’, seem to be completely beyond the comprehension of the journalists who talk about that phrase,” Hitler-Barassi adds. “I mean, I would have thought of all people, the three-word ‘who are shit’ phrase – redolent by the way, of the end of Hemingway’s For Whom The Bell Tolls – isn’t all that complex.”

Given that 20 years ago TISM opened the release of their Best Off compilation with a debate arguing ‘TISM is art’, does this new album, Death To Art, indicate the death of TISM themselves? Will this upcoming tour be the final time we get to see TISM performing live? How on Earth did such an eclectic lineup (which features Machine Gun Fellatio, Ben Lee, and The Mavis’s) come together?

These are all great questions that an accomplished journalist should put forth to the band. I just don’t envy their chances.

TISM

WHERE: SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL

WHEN: 9 NOV

Æ As bandleader of Egypt 80, he’s ensured the project has remained a pinnacle of the Afrobeat movement, a genre Fela pioneered, while continuing his fervent activism. Soon to release his fifth album with the band, Kuti and co. build upon the treasured genre with contemporary influences.

When Fela died in 1997, he wished for his youngest son to lead his band. A mammoth undertaking at any age, Seun was just 14 at the time. Now 41, Kuti describes the succession more plainly: “Nepotism,” he jokes from his home in Lagos, Nigeria.

Modesty aside, the appointment wasn’t without merit. Kuti began performing with Egypt 80 at age 8. “I was always going to the shows with my dad, so the band was like family to me, and the music was familiar,” he reminisces. “Being on stage was what everyone in the house did, so for me, it was just a part of being a family.”

Kuti enjoyed the innocence of his early years before officially joining at 12. “I didn’t have any responsibilities, all I had to do was show up and get on stage. I was too young to understand the dedication that one needed to be a musician,” he says. “I enjoyed it very much as a kid and I still do as an adult.

SEUN KUTI

WORDS BY ANDREW HANDLEY

Seun Kuti carries his father’s legacy to Strawberry Fields with more than his surname.

“I just wish there wasn’t as much of the bullshit we have to deal with today –called the music business.”

Like his father, Kuti leads Egypt 80 with a saxophone. “It was the most available instrument in the house. There was always a sax somewhere,” he says. Multi-instrumentalism is common in the band, where he also sings and plays piano. “I always had a music education growing up. Even before I started playing sax, I studied the piano for a long time.”

Despite forming in 1979, Kuti says the music keeps Egypt 80 youthful. “The band energy has always been fresh because music is forever,” he proclaims. “That’s the blessing that music gives to musicians – it gives you your best form and your best self.”

A handful of members from the band’s formation remain. “Time is a factor here that we must all understand and give respect to,” poses Kuti. “The band changes as people get older – new blood in, old blood is replaced.” However, he does have misgivings about the term ‘original’. “When we say that, it just means people who played with Fela, but any member of Egypt 80 is an original member,” he adds. Aside from putting his musical stamp on the band, Kuti is changing its make-up. “Egypt 80 is very intergenerational, but we are working on making it global… That is the next step,” he explains, “[by having] musicians from all over the world, not just Africa, represent the band.”

“People speak as if it’s just the Kuti family that is so hard-headed. It’s just the Kutis that want to ferment trouble and complain all the time with their music… No... It’s just the right thing to do as Africans.”

“Fela’s message is global and it is diminished if it does not have a global impact, both politically and artistically,” he continues. “It is important that we keep the tradition, but also understand the evolution of our time and bring Fela to where it’s supposed to be in the world today.”

An activist as much as he was a musician, Fela was a proud Pan-African who fought corruption and inequality in Nigeria. Seun’s grandmother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was a renowned suffragist and women’s rights activist.

“People speak as if it’s just the Kuti family that is so hard-headed. It’s just the Kutis that want to ferment trouble and complain all the time with their music,” says Kuti. “No… It’s just the right thing to do as Africans and I am glad to be from this lineage of Africans who were not shy or afraid of their responsibility.”

Far from shying away, Kuti has gone as far as reviving and leading his father’s progressive political party. The Movement of the People reformed in 2020 in the wake of mass protests against police brutality in Nigeria. It’s an issue close to Kuti’s heart, as his grandmother died from injuries sustained by an infamous state-sanctioned raid on his father’s commune.

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 released their new album in October. Fusing traditional and contemporary sounds, Heavier Yet (Lays the Crownless Head) is executively produced by Lenny Kravitz. It also includes a track featuring Zambian-born Sampa the Great.

Having featured on Janelle Monáe’s recent album, Kuti relishes sharing African music. “Our music, our language, our art form must continue to communicate with each other across any divide: land, sea or air. I always enjoy collaborating with artists that I believe are part of this musical family,” explains Kuti. “They don’t necessarily have to be African to be a part of this family. They just have to participate in a way where they are not exploiting African people for their selfish interest.”

SEUN KUTI

WHERE: NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB

WHEN: 14 NOV

COTERIE

WORDS BY JAKE FITZPATRICK

Having just returned from tour with Tones and I and the NRL Grand Final, the Perth-based reggae rockers are next set to tackle the Queenscliff Music Festival.

Æ To most, the idea of being in a band solely with your siblings sounds like a living hell. I imagine heated arguments, major creative differences and the occasional fisticuffs. For the Fisher brothers of reggae-rock band Coterie, however, this is their reality, and by all accounts, they’re loving it.

Having just arrived back in their home of Scarborough, a beachside suburb in Perth’s north, lead guitarist Conrad Fisher is still reeling from the past month.

“We have just been touring with Tones and I. It’s been absolutely crazy. She is just the best human. We met her on a plane after we played a festival with Macklemore in Darwin. We just sat next to her on the plane and within an hour we were all deadest keen on working together. Then she said, ‘You guys should come on my tour.’”

The tour, which spanned mostly arenas and large venues, was something of a step up for the Perth four-piece. But, by the sounds of it, they rose to the challenge with ease.

“Last weekend we also did the NRL Grand final with Kid Laroi. We were on for the women’s NRL. I actually think playing a smaller crowd is harder because if you mess up, everyone notices.”

Born to muso parents, Conrad and his brothers, Tyler, Joshua and Brandford were somewhat destined to be musicians. “We listened to the classics – Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix – from the early days. We had either a rugby ball in our hands or a guitar.”

After their musician parents moved from South Auckland to Scarborough, the family settled in Perth’s northern beaches, where the relaxed sensibility became a part of them.

Later becoming immersed in surf culture, the brothers had an idea to fuse their interests and create a band. Wanting to create a sound that reflected their chilled-out environment, they leaned into inspirations like Bob Marley and Ocean Alley, creating their distinct Pacific reggae/rock sound by jamming in their garage. But it was only in the late years of high school that the brothers started taking it more seriously.

Needing a name for a gig, the brothers landed on ‘coterie’ in a random conversation. “It’s an old French word,” Conrad says. “It just means when a group of people are working together towards the same thing.”

Cutting their teeth in the Perth music scene, Coterie played every venue that would take them. After a period of grafting, they began to improve significantly and even sold out a show. “El Grotto was our first big one. It’s this little Mexican bar in Scarborough. It was 150 of our mates and cousins.”

After supporting a number of bands across tours, they were scouted by an A&R representative from a major label, but they left soon after signing.

“They just didn’t vibe the music, so we left and within a month released Cool It Down independently. The label said it wouldn’t work, but we just thought to stick to our guns.”

The song, written as a love letter to the band’s heritage, catapulted Coterie into a different stratosphere of success. Going double platinum in New Zealand, it found a home among reggae rock audiences. Due to its success, the brothers got the opportunity to record their debut album Coterie in 2022.

Two years on, they’re now hard at work on the next. “We’re working towards another probably in the next year. We’ve been writing heaps between all the shows. We have something new to say and a new vibe coming. Different producers, different features – even some UK features.”

As for whether any sibling fights broke out during the process, Conrad concedes, “All siblings fight and all bands fight. We have both dynamics. When we were 13 or 14 years old it was mayhem. Now we’ve chilled out, it’s definitely better.”

Despite it all though, the brothers remain good friends, set to perform at Queenscliff Musical Festival on October 23.

“We’re so keen for that one. I love going to festivals like that and supporting a bunch of local acts. People like Xavier Rudd and Marlon Williams, they’re big vibes.”

Despite their successes, the Fisher brothers appear refreshingly grounded. Always keeping each other in check, there certainly appears to be no room for big heads in Coterie. Plus, as Conrad puts it, “We’re the same boys, we’re just not in our garage anymore and more people are listening.”

COTERIE

WHERE: QUEENSCLIFF MUSIC FESTIVAL

WHEN: 23 NOV

BODRIGGY BREWPUB

WORDS BY ROMESH CRUSE

LIVE MUSIC: Bodriggy features an eclectic mix of live music and DJs, showcasing brass bands, soul, disco and vibrant Latin-inspired sounds. With a regularly evolving lineup, every night is a different adventure!

FAMOUS FOR: A commitment to supporting local talent. Bodriggy is not just about the brews; it’s about nurturing the Abbotsford community. With sponsorship of local events, gigs and exhibitions, the brewpub embraces the arts and music scene, creating a vibrant space where creativity thrives.

INFAMOUS FOR: The quirky charm of its former life. Once an Auto LP gas converter, the space still carries echoes of its past, where the only thing being converted now is your taste in beer. It’s a conversation starter that adds character to every pint poured.

Æ Often considered as a staple of Abbotsford’s bustling Johnston Street, Bodriggy Brewpub is everything but your average watering hole. With its unique blend of influences – think New York subway meets Melbourne warehouse meets country tavern – Bodriggy offers a delightful mix of styles that sets it apart from the crowd.

Accommodating up to 425 patrons, this expansive yet vibrant social hub is the perfect place to grab a beer paddle and sample some hop-forward brews while an eclectic range of live music soundtracks your night on the town. If that isn’t enough to tempt you, the venue itself features vintage-style timber panelling which is complemented by painted brickwork and exposed pipes, creating an inviting ambience.

From craft beers to cocktails on tap, the drink selection is designed to cater to everyone’s tastes while the brewery tanks loom large and shiny at the back of the room. Furthermore, the space is dog-friendly and you might even find a pooch lounging while their owner dances under Bodriggy’s twinkling disco ball.

Whether you’re relaxing in a plush booth or having a boogie until close, every visit promises a memorable experience that embodies the spirit of Abbotsford.

Come for the beer, stay for the vibe — Bodriggy welcomes everyone to join the party!

WHERE: 245 JOHNSTON ST, ABBOTSFORD

OPEN: SUN–TUE 12–11PM / FRI–SAT 12PM–1AM

CHAPEL

OFF CHAPEL

LIVE MUSIC: isn’t the only thing happening on stage at Chapel Off Chapel. Comedy, theatre, cabaret and everything in between can often be found in this quirky venue.

FAMOUS FOR: its signature Chapel Sessions which bring musical stars to the intimate stage for one night only. Past acts include Great Gable, Amaru Tribe, Charm of Finches, Sahara Beck and more.

INFAMOUS FOR: the stunning stained glass backdrop that casts a mesmerising glow on the performers. It’s truly a sight to behold.

Æ There’s just something special about seeing a performance in an actual church. Although Chapel Off Chapel was converted in the 1980s, traces of its origins remain, from the stained glass windows to the sacred energy you can feel the moment you walk through the doors.

Built in 1858, the Bluestone building is one of the oldest standing churches in Victoria. The original project was never completed and the space has since been transformed into an arts venue with heritage charm and modern bells and whistles, consistently booking independent and out-of-the-box acts. The 240-capacity theatre comes to life when a performer takes to the stage, with moody lighting and reverberating sound (the cathedral acoustics are another blessing left over from its church origins). With comfortable chairs and an intimate vibe, there’s really not a bad seat in the house.

What’s more, the venue has a well-priced bar, a smaller theatre (The Loft) and lovely grounds to explore before or after the show. Grab a glass of wine and a salty snack and mingle in the courtyard during intermission, getting a little fresh air before heading back in for the end of the show. The parking lot may be a bit small, but it’s easy to get to on public transport, which the team behind the venue encourages as they’re dedicated to increasing sustainable efforts.

There’s a reason why Chapel Off Chapel has earned the reputation as an arts and culture epicentre in Prahran. For fans of live performance in any capacity, Chapel Off Chapel is a must-visit – there really isn’t anywhere else like it.

WHERE: 12 LITTLE CHAPEL ST, PRAHRAN

OPEN: 1 HOUR PRIOR TO PERFORMANCES

PERSEVERANCE HOTEL

LIVE MUSIC: The newly-refreshed Persa bandroom is quickly becoming the place to be for theme parties, gigs, and special events.

FAMOUS FOR: the iconic turreted building, built by the same architectural firm that designed the Bendigo Hotel down the street.

INFAMOUS FOR: it’s rough-and-tumble reputation back in the day – we’re talking the early 20th century – when alcohol was seen as a social evil and the government was cracking down. No one could stop the punters at Persa!

Æ The Perseverance Hotel is a place that has lived many, many lives. First established as a hotel back in 1865, the venue is nearly as old as the city of Melbourne itself. The Art Nouveau-style red brick building has been a Brunswick Street watering hole for as long as anyone around today can remember, welcoming generations of guests and serving many a froff (fun fact: rumour has it that the current building was originally constructed for the Carlton United Brewing Company).

Earlier this year, the venue was refurbished and reimagined, returning with a newfound focus on live music. Since then, the bar and 380-capacity bandroom has consistently been booking banger events, with bands across multiple genres. The venue’s Wednesday night open mic is a favourite, with some of Fitzroy’s finest talent found on stage each week. With its new state-of-the-art PA and lighting system, prime northside location and late-night DJs and parties, Persa has quickly become a Brunswick Street music hot spot.

We love it when a place has long standing charm and history but also isn’t afraid to transform and grow with the times. Plus, we’ll never say no to a new music venue, especially one with bookers who are eager to support rising talent as well as give fans some age-old classics. With events on every Friday and Saturday night (as well as public holiday eves), there’s really no reason not to check the place out. From the intimate beer garden to the time-tested dancefloor, Persa is the kind of place that just oozes a free-spirited party energy.

WHERE: 196 BRUNSWICK ST, FITZROY

OPEN: WED 6PM–12AM / FRI–SAT 6PM–3AM

THE CATFISH

WORDS BY ROMESH CRUSE

LIVE MUSIC: When you’re named after the classic Robert Petway song Catfish Blues, you can’t mess around with the music you’re serving up. The intimate yet distinctive upstairs bandroom hosts a wide variety of musicians several times a week, treating punters to everything from up-and-coming indie bands to New Orleans-inspired jazz.

FAMOUS FOR: A community-focused atmosphere that has hosted events such as The Catfish Poker Pub Crawl, Catfish Comedy and the Gertrude Street Projection Festival. It’s an approach that has won owners Kieran Yewdall and Michael Shaugnessy numerous awards over the years, including picking up ‘True Indie Supporter’ at the 2022 Indies.

INFAMOUS FOR: The upstairs bar that has an unmistakably middle-Americana feel to it. Featuring nooks and crannies that slant more Mississippi than they do Melbourne, you’d be forgiven if you felt like you had just been transported to a western saloon!

Æ Just a stone’s throw away from Brunswick Street’s overflow of large-scale venues, The Catfish’s suburban charm is undoubtedly a breath of fresh air to Fitzroy’s ecosystem of bars.

Exclusively serving craft beer (and the odd cider!) from their eight rotating taps, low ceilings and even lower lights radiate a cushy, home-like feel as beloved resident fish ‘Muddy’ watches on from his very own tank.

Food-wise, the venue’s joint partnership with Sparrows is a match made in heaven, as authentic yet affordable Philly cheesesteaks are dished out well into the night.

Elsewhere, take a trip out to the beer garden if what you’re drinking is best paired with sunshine or head upstairs and get welcomed to one of Fitzroy’s most unique bandrooms.

With a wide array of musicians and comedians taking the stage regularly alongside a heavily-curated drinks list, The Catfish is everything you want in your local watering hole. So whether you fancy putting your cowboy boots on upstairs or you’re after a quiet knock-off on the ground floor, The Catfish has you covered for every situation.

WHERE: 30 GERTRUDE STREET, FITZROY

OPEN: SUN–TUE 12–11PM / FRI–SAT 12PM–1AM

AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS

Cartoon Darkness

Æ We’ve had the Cartoon Darkness lead single, U Should Not Be Doing That – which flaunts this band’s international success, raising middle fingers to jealous haters – on high rotation since its release: “I was in Tokyo/ Showing off my crack/ And you told me that I should not be doing that…” – the lyrics are a crack-up! Amy Taylor has described U Should Not Be Doing That as “a comedic way of rubbing the dog’s nose in its own dog piss after it wee’d on your favourite rug or something.”

Comin’ in hot with the swear-soaked opener Jerkin’ (first line: “You’re a dumb cunt”) is badass. “You are fucking spiders/ I am drinking riders…” – Amy’s lyrics rival hip-hop braggadocio, constantly bringing the LOLs.

“Eh there’s too many snags at the party” (always has been), so it’s high time we “Support the girls in the industry” – Amen, Amy! Her lyrical wizardry also never shies away from feminist real-talk.

She’s flashing her tits in the album cover pic (with pixelated, censored nips for the sake of ‘decency’, which we’re pretty sure would’ve made Amy eye-roll at the very least). Amy’s such a proud member of the “scantily-clad lady” club that she even wrote a song about it: Tiny Bikini, which she delivers in cutesy, cartoonish Betty Boop style.

Amy explores different vocal approaches and sings more tunefully than she’s done on previous Amyl And The Sniffers releases here (see: Big Dreams, which is probably as close to a ballad as they’ll go). Throughout Me And The Girls’ choruses, Amy’s playground-taunt vocals are everything. The melody-stacked Bailing On Me is resplendent with a whistling refrain.

The sinister bass, walloping drums and insistent, chunky riffs we’ve come to expect from The Sniffers remain, but they’ve obviously honed their chops from all that relentless gigging. They’re comfortable being “a vessel for [Amy’s] message”, as bassist Gus Romer said during a recent interview. Throughout Do It Do It, Bryce Wilson’s drumming is off the Richter!

Life can be tough sometimes, sure, but the Nick Launay-produced Cartoon Darkness reminds us to prioritise fun while we’re here. It doesn’t get any more authentic than these c-bomb-slinging legends. Amyl And The Sniffers are certainly Going Somewhere and deservedly so.

Lyrical “cunt” count: just five (surprising, right?), plus two “asshole”s, one “bum hole”, one “dick hole” and six “squirter”s – the latter bleeped out for radioplay.

GUT HEALTH

Stiletto

Æ Jagged, kinetic, energetic, cathartic –whichever word/s you pick to describe Gut Health, it’s all about that bass; far from lazy, those low-end melodies always rise spectacularly to the top. Myka Wallace’s deft drumming has bounce, which makes Gut Health super danceable. And Angus Fletcher’s whiplash-crisp percussive flourishes – triangle, Devo-esque cracks, controlled cymbal crashes – also pop. Guitar arrives in bursts rather than repetitive riffs throughout.

Oh, and then there’s magnetic vocalist Athina Uh Oh, of course. Inspired by Ludus singer Linder Sterling’s wild vocal choices, Athina adds bucketloads of charisma and cuteness to this sextet’s bass-driven sonic chaos. During Memory Foam, her squeaky vocalisation somehow even manages to conjure the titular material’s texture!

The exact opposite of dull, Gut Health’s raison d’etre is basically outlined in song two, The Recipe: “There’s no rule book/ It’s scripture.”

Gut Health stands for and cares about stuff as well. See: the title track, described by Athina as a “condemnation of contemporary so-called Australia, how it is fabricated and capitalistic, and how its real owners are Indigenous people”.

Athina formed Gut Health alongside her partner, bass whiz Adam Markmann, in an inner-Melbourne sharehouse during peak lockdown, before recruiting players from a hotchpotch of genre backgrounds: jazz, improv, hip hop, R&B, shoegaze, psychedelic, soul, folk, brash punk et al.

We’re told the unhinged sax tsunami that gushes over Stiletto’s outro was created by overlaying three improv takes – the only three recorded by Yang Chen, this band’s saxophonist of choice/secret weapon.

Yep, Gut Health is SO ready for their close-up.

LABEL: B2B RECORDS/ VIRGIN MUSIC GROUP RELEASE: OUT NOW

LABEL: HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS/AWAL RELEASE: OUT NOW

HAYLEY MARY

Roman XS

Æ A song about addiction and the glorification of vices, One Last Drag feels like pressing a glass up against an adjoining wall to earwig your cool AF older sibling’s edgy pop music. Hayley Mary’s insouciant speak-singing makes listeners lean in to grasp the full picture (think Debbie Harry’s Rapture rap). There’s also something Britpoppy about these melodies. And a Suzi Quatro-esque rocker spirit at the heart of it all. Okay, we’re only one song in and already fully invested.

Some Rainbows features shiny, optimistic riffs that evoke Where The Streets Have No Name. Ooft, be sure to listen out for that glass-shattering high note in The Ballad Of Ruby Wednesday (not an actual ballad)!

“And I will suck your cocktails/ I want your residency” – the winking, absurd, upbeat Primordial Afterglow, with its claphappy beat, fades out with exuberant brass and jovial laughter.

Eighteen – a Lana Del Rey-adjacent synth-pop track about longing for a past she wanted to escape – interpolates dialogue samples from Mario Caiano’s 1965 horror film Nightmare Castle as well as You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) excerpts: “You spin me right ‘round, baby, right ‘round…”

Intriguing and unpigeonholeable, Roman XS is stylistically diverse. But just like heading off on a spontaneous road trip, wearing just the clothes on your back, it’s a thrilling ride. Ideal for summer playlisting.

KYLIE

Tension II

Æ Lights Camera Action is pretty much the ideal opening number for Kylie’s future live shows, with those rumbling bass moments just begging to be accompanied by Amnesia Ibiza’s dry-ice cannons – detonating on cue. “My armour is by Gaultier” – of course it is!

Elsewhere: Taboo gives Boney M. –Rasputin vibes; Someone Like Me playfully addresses momentary lapses in embracing singlehood (“Happy for you but selfishly/ Do you have someone for me?”); and the ‘see ya, sucker!’ Good As Gone is a blissful, handsin-the-air jam: “Who would think that losing you would be so much fun?” – yep, basically a song for every occasion on here.

“All my friends don’t know about the things you do…” – Hello is a 4am booty-call banger that pretty much describes what would happen if Padam Padam turned into an ongoing fuckbuddy sitch. Shoulda Left Ya (“…on the dancefloor”) – ha! We’ve all been there, right?

Our personal fave On The Edge Of Saturday Night (with The Blessed Madonna) – with its piano-house hook, schweppervescent synths and pounding bass – makes us wanna party like it’s 1999: “Monday doesn’t matter at all” (except if you spent the entire weekend at Revs – iykyk). Gotta love My Oh My’s opening “la-la-la”s, which pay homage to Can’t Get You Out Of My Head as well –very meta.

The universal acclaim 2023’s Tension received should be lavished onto its sequel as well; in fact, Tension II tops its chart-topping, award-winning predecessor. Our girl’s unstoppable right now! A cultural phenomenon doing her best work on the other side of 50. We’re totally here for Kylie’s ageless, saucy minx era.

I Just Need To Conquer

This Mountain

Æ It’s impossible to forget the first time Sarah Blasko’s pure, spectral, God-given instrument blessed your ears. For this scribe, it was 2009’s We Won’t Run, with its beseeching chorus melody that still moves me to tears to this day – every single time!

She sounds like the most elegant songbird of them all (probably a swan). And in crestfallen mode, Blasko remains untouchable.

Breathy, silken and ethereal, Blasko’s voice also channels the haunted howls of a theremin at times. See: Bothering Me, a song about a painful friendship breakup (“I wish we never met” – ouch!), which also reckons with the loss of her younger self’s imagined future: “Now I do not likе what I see/ A life not aligned with my dreams…”

Blasko’s voice is I Just Need To Conquer This Mountain’s stunning centrepiece (der), with piano – her first instrument – co-starring, from opener The Way’s stately piano intro right through ‘til the Divine closer’s final chord.

“Met you in church when God was on my side/ You said goodbye when it all went to hell…” – Blasko was raised in the Pentecostal church, which informs the gospel choir-enhanced lead single.

We didn’t realise Goodbye! could be bettered, but when Ryan Downey’s honeyed croon melts into this broken-hearted lament the swoon-o-meter climaxes. Sax attack closes out Emotions, illustrating unchecked feelings spilling everywhere: “No one can save you from the depth of my emotions…”

An exquisite explosion of melodies offset by the dark vulnerability of her vocal delivery, Blasko’s seventh album offers solace to the dispirited.

SARAH BLASKO

GIG GUIDE

NOVEMBER 2024

THU 31 OCT

LEAH SENIOR BAND. TALK SHOW, RUTH PARKER

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 7pm. $28.60.

A SPOOKY AHH NIGHT WITH MUNTED CHUNTS

FT: Munted Chunts, Ze Wisenheimer, The Rartel The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $10.

A NIGHTMARE ON SYDNEY ROAD

FT: Select All, Kai Cult, Scud, Light Music Club Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $16.85.

GUTZIG: GUTLESS COVERING THE MISFITS + DANZIG Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $22.95.

LAZERLIPS: HALLOWEEN.

FT: Chloe Booth, Pet Therapy, The Handgrenade Hearts, Il Bastardo Shotkickers. Thornbury. 7.30pm. $18.35.

PUNK FOR THE SPIRITS

FT: Pour, RUT, Ninebarks The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 8pm. $11.25.

HALLOWEEN STOMP!

FT: Maquina Peligrosa, The Earthquakes, The Agents of REVERB Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

HALLOWEEN: NIGHT OF THE UN-DEAD ED

FT: Dead Ed, motionblur., Dynasty Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 7.30pm. $16.32.

PAGEN RITUALS

HALLOWEEN

FT: Dandelion

Wine, Sasa Cuha The Beast. Brunswick East. 9pm. Free.

GET SMART! PUB TRIVIA

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 7pm. Free.

THE THING (FILM SCREENING)

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. Free.

TOM BURLINSON

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 6pm. $50.

BURTONVERSE HALLOWEEN

FT: Lake Minnetonka Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm. $28.60.

CHERRYWEEN

FT: Hypno Sex Ray, Human Toys

Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. Free.

GOLDNER STRING QUARTET

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $69.

HALLOWEEN

ART SHOW WITH LOS CHICOS.

FT: Mesa Cosa, The Breadmakers Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7pm. $28.60.

THE HAUNTING AT STAY GOLD (WHAT WE DID ON THE WEEKEND HALLOWEEN)

FT: Nicolas Cage Fighter, Inhibitor, Circle Of Blood, False Dichotomy Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $28.60.

THE SKELLINGTONS W/ EAMON MCNELIS & GEORGIE DARVIDIS (HALLOWEEN SPECIAL)

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

TYLA MOONCHILD

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm.

THE SHACKMEN Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. $20.

DIAL M FOR MOTLEY

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7pm. $50.65.

JAZZ & JAFFLES: HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

FT: Steppers, SL Tears

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7.30pm. Free.

INGRID SAKER

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

ASSORTED SPORKS WITH HAL SIMONS

Mamma Chen’s. Footscray. 7pm. Free.

OILY RAG RECORDS

PRESENTS:

ROAD DOGS IN THE ROUND

FT: Kerryn Fields, Freya Josephine Hollick, DC Maxwell

George Lane. St Kilda. 7pm. $25 -40.

OCTOBER LUNCH

SPECIALS

FT: Garden of Eden Bellarine Estate. Bellarine. 12pm. $27.50.

AWARENESS FOR THE REBELLIOUS

FT: One Eighty Collective @14 Gallery. Collingwood. 1pm. Free.

YUMMY

HOWLERWEEN

FT: DJ Argonaut, Valerie Hex, D Flowers, Megs Akimbo, Aysha Buffett, Xavier Gibson, more Howler. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $33.66.

INNER SANCTUARY

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

LORD APEX

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $65.15.

FRI 01 NOV

HARD-ONS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

AUSTRALIAN TOUR

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8.30pm. $39.30.

SIMPLY BRILL

FT: Amelia Ryan, Michaela Burger, Michael Griffiths The Round. Nunawading. 7.30pm. $59.

SHEPPARD.

JOLYON PETCH

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $66.50.

DIA DE LOS

MUERTOS

FT: Queen Of Hearts, Dead Amigos, Son De Mexico The Beast. Brunswick East. 9pm. Free.

PENNY QUARTET:

INPOUR

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

THE CLEVER REFERENCES

HALLOWEEN PARTY

FT: The Clever References, Titration, Love Me Not, Tomalia

The Penny Black. Brunswick. 9pm. Free. GHOSTSMOKER. MOUNTAIN WIZARD

DEATH CULT, GIANT, MYRIAD DRONE

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $16.85.

AARDVARK: EUROPEAN FUNDRAISER. REAPER, BARBARION, FLY! Gasometer Hotel. Collingwood. 7pm. $23.50.

HELLA QUEEN

FT: Rakhi, Tinika, Mrs Wallace, PK, Kurious Kat Section 8. Melbourne. 6pm.

THE ROMANS WITH CHANTAL MITVALSKY

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

GRACE ROBINSON BAND. HILLS HOIST, YOURS, GEORGINA Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $12 - 20. FULL HOUR Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $38.86.

SIN CITY + FOGGY NOTION + PADDOCK BOMB: HALLOWEEN SHOW Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 9pm. $14.30.

COFFIN SPINNERS: HALLOWEEN AT LULIE

FT: DJ Bobbi Slim, DJ Poppa Sweet, DJ Pistol Pete Whelan Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 7pm. Free.

SCORPIO RISING III

FT: Gutzig, Beccy & The Vamps, Proboscis, Late Night Karaoke Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. SHADOWS

FT: Berga, D’Vega, Flow, Milton Montenegro, RMTN, SL92 Revolver Upstairs. Prahan. 10pm.

THE SEDUCEAPHONES. THE NEW MONOS, DJ MATAB Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $29.10.

JAMES REYNE. DISGRACELAND: THE PUNK ROCK ELVIS EXPERIENCE

Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm.

TOM BURLINSON

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 6pm. $50.

WANGARATTA

FESTIVAL OF JAZZ & BLUES

FT: Vince Jones, Hetty Kate, Cookin’ on 3 Burners, Jimi Hocking, Checkerboard Lounge The Railyard. Wangaratta. 12pm.

THE BLUE FLAME KIKI NIGHT

FT: Mon Franco, Mike 007, Persia Diesel

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7pm.

ORLANDO BENNETT

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $15.

KATIE MAY & THE MYSTICS + J. TAYLOR BELL & THE DING DONGS Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

SAT 02 NOV

COSMONAUT. SISEMILLIONS, DHERT, YABBIE

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $16.35.

SIMPLY BRILL (MATINEE)

FT: Amelia Ryan, Michaela Burger, Michael Griffiths The Round. Nunawading. 1.30pm. $59.

BAD NEIGHBOUR. DARCY BAKER, TINY RED HOUSES

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7pm. $24.90. TIGER

Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $15.43.

JAMES REYNE. THE SHARP Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm.

LIOR

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $59. 1927

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $45 - 55.

ASTROFUZZ. SELECT ALL, DRENCHED Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 9pm. $22.95.

MARCEL

BORRACK TD

The Beast. Brunswick East. 9pm. Free.

FLEETWOOD MAX

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $40.

AM//PM EMO NIGHT HALLOWEEN

FT: Ocean Grove DJ Set, Belle Haven, The Motion Below, Excuse For An Exit Stay Gold. Brunswick. 8pm. $29.10.

PHOTO/GRAPHIC

FT: Tina & The Hams. Jed Lovell, Ray Hehr Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7.30pm. $12.25.

HELLA QUEEN

FT: Ugliest Hottie, Vixen, Mystique, Angel, Fantasia, Mygramisdiana, Fresh Princess, Hotpink, Tavonga, Mothafunk, Colette, Yuri Section 8.

Melbourne. 3pm.

MATT MALONE & THE HOLY SPIRITS + THE UNDERMINERS

Old Bar. Fitzroy. 3.30pm. Free.

BUZZCOCKS.

MODERN ENGLISH Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $79.90.

COOL OUT

SON. NIASHA

Wax Music Lounge. Melbourne. 8pm. $28.58 - 38.80. Bellarine Estate presents

JOE CAMILLERI & THE BLACK SORROWS. PHIL PARA BAND, COLARD GREENS & GRAVY, SWEET WATER BLUES

Bellarine Estate. Bellarine. 12pm. $50 - 150.

WANGARATTA FESTIVAL OF JAZZ & BLUES

FT: Vince Jones, Hetty Kate, Cookin’ on 3 Burners, Jimi Hocking, Checkerboard Lounge The Railyard. Wangaratta. 12pm.

JENNIFER

SALISBURY SINGS

AUDIOSLAVE: A

MARK MORAND

PRODUCTION

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

YOU MIGHT HIT THE SUN. MOOSE & CAZ Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 2.30pm. Free.

BRENDON SIEMSEN TRIO

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

INDYANA: THE NAVY BABY

FT: DJ Swella, MBq

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 8pm. $33.65. THE YACHTSKI BROTHERS

Evelyn Hotel. Fitzroy. 8pm. $39.90. Dive Bard Disc Presents:

DISCO DE LOS MUERTOS

FT: Dee Dee, Slieker, Slack, Luke McD, Chin Bindi, Chicken, Cuznmatt, Miyagi, Pixleton, Daybreak Disco, Apollo Walker Lucky Schmuck. Thornbury. 3pm. $23.54.

THU 07 NOV

SLO TO GO. SAND, REALITY NEVER DIES

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $16.35.

ACE MUSIC ACADEMY 2024 GALA PERFORMANCE

The Round. Nunawading. 6.30pm. $34.

LILY ANNA & THE MAVERICK QUEEN. MAGIC BEAN GUILLOTINE, POLLYMAN Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

RESTLESS TURNS 2 FT: JPS, Aaron Static, Monkee, Clickbait, NattyNat, Inuka, Stackpackers, Sammie Section 8. Melbourne. 6pm. KAT EDWARDS

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7pm. $35.30.

DEYA DOVA

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $56.30 - 86.90.

THE RESONANT

HEART: THE HEART WHISPERS + WHIRLS II

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $50. GRIM FALKNER + MAGGIE ALLEY

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

DAWN HO

QUARTET: ORBIT

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

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm. MONTY

ALEXANDER

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $65.

TAMARA

KULDIN + JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET

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

HUGO VAN

BUUREN. SANDY HSU, POLJE NIEUK

Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $11.25.

SALMONELLA DUB SOUNDSYSTEM

FT: DJ Spacefish Corner Hotel. Richmond. 7.30pm. $51.10. The Dance Company presents: LIMITLESS Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 7pm. $62.30. SELECT ALL. INTREPID, THE KNEWS

The Beast. Brunswick East. 9pm. Free. ARTS & CULTURE ASSOCIATION FOR MINDFUL SOULS: WOODWIND QUINTET

The Round. Nunawading. 7pm. Free.

THE REAL SONGWRITERS OF MELBOURNE LIVE

FT: Lily Jones, Kieran J Phillips, Wamala, Eamonn Conor Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7pm. $28.05. WAFIA

Howler. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $39.90.

FRI 08 NOV

PAT TODD & THE RANKOUTSIDERS. BLOWERS, POPPIN MOMMAS

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $23.50.

INTERVALS

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $69.90.

NO APOLOGIES. ELLIE GIBSON, LOUKOMI

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $30. LIQUID ARCHITECTURE PRESENTS: MUN SING. CUTTING ROOM, SYLVIA, CRWLR, CHLOË SOBEK, RITA BASS

Grace Darling Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $25.

SARAH MACLAINE QUINTET: BACK TO THE EIGHTIES

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9.30pm. $45. 2POC

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 8.30pm. $28.36.

PRISON AFFAIR. SILICONE PRAIRIE, POLUTE, ELVIS 2, RHIZOME & THE FLAVONOIDS

John Curtin Hotel. Carlton. 8pm. $38.70.

MUTTLEY

The Beast. Brunswick East. 9pm. Free.

JOZI KNIGHT. 100K, LOWANI, SESI LUVA, RAMA OSTO, DJ DAPHNE, MAREZ

Section 8. Melbourne. 6pm. QUIVERS. TAMARA & THE DREAMS, THE MIRRORS

Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $33.15.

THE HOOD NINJA LIVE Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $39.

K’CHIDGE

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm. RAVEN Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $50.

BIG BAND FREQUENCY

The Penny Black. Brunswick. 9pm.

DEANS OF SOUL Hawthorn Arts Centre. Hawthorn. 8pm. $30 - 38.

MONTY ALEXANDER

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $65.

THE SOUTH EAST GENTS

12 Bar Belgrave. Belgrave. 9.30pm. Free.

JOE CAMILLERI & THE BLACK SORROWS. FREYA JOESPHINE HOLLICK

Swan Hill Town Hall. Swan Hill. 8pm. $65 - 69.

THE DANCE COMPANY PRESENTS: LIMITLESS Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 7.30pm. $62.30.

CHIMERS. BENCH PRESS, NOHOPER Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $11.25.

KATIE NOONAN & KARIN SCHAUPP: SONGS OF THE SOUTHERN SKIES VOL. 2 The Round. Nunawading. 7.30pm. $69.

FOLK BITCH TRIO Howler. Brunswick. 8pm.

EILS & THE DRIP + HEADSPIN Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

DAVID HIRSCHFELDER + MINDY MENG WANG: COLLABORATION CONCERT Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre. Preston. 7.30pm. $35.

SAT 09 NOV

DECENNIAL DELIRATION

AT THE TOTE

FT: Miasmatic Necrosis, Vile Apparition, Carcinoid, Contaminated, Gutless, Miserable Creature, Hematemesis

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 7pm. $70.90.

AGE OF BRASS Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $30.

OUT WEST FEST

FT: Deep Sea Arcade, Sex On Toast, Hayley Mary, Bel Kil, Sunday Honey, Milou Moon, Umbra Moon, Maso, more Ararat Town Hall. Ararat. 1pm. $24.50 - 69.

TITTY TWISTER: THE TWISTER SALOON FT: Dead Rodeo, Traumaboys, Sparkarella, Veronica Waite, Elle Diablo, Kitty Obsidian, more Abbots Yard. Abbotsford. 12pm. $51.

MONOLITH

FESTIVAL

FT: Coheed & Cambria, Periphery, Leprous, Intervals, Novelists, Silver Fang

PICA (Port Melbourne Industrial Centre for the Arts). Port Melbourne. 3.30pm. $129.90.

ELANA STONE

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 2pm. $33.76.

BLUEBOTTLE KISS + SCREAMFEEDER. FLEETING PERSUASION

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $46. POWERSTRYDE

The Beast. Brunswick East. 9pm. Free.

TEEN JESUS & THE JEAN TEASERS. FULL FLOWER MOON BAND, SONIC REDUCER

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7pm. $46.10. Tjum Tjumba presents:

BRAJ. BRAJ, PVRTAL, YARRA, FOSTERS

Glamorama. Fitzroy. 4pm. WHISKY GIN RUMMY

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 8pm.

TRIBUTE PARTY

FT: Killing In The Dame, System of A Don’t, Foovana Revolver Upstairs. Prahan. 7pm. $36.72.

INBRAZA

Wax Music Lounge. Melbourne. 7.30pm.

SHOWBIZ PERFORMING ARTS STUDIOS PRESENTS:

THE ERAS: 15 YEARS OF SHOWBIZ

Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 12pm. $47.

THE LAUREL CANYON SCENE: LA IN THE 1970S WITH MISS GEORGE

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $45. UNWOUND Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $77.20.

MONTY ALEXANDER

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $65.

RUDI SOUND. JESSE I, MAGO NERU Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. Free.

JOE CAMILLERI & THE BLACK SORROWS. FREYA JOESPHINE

HOLLICK Riverlinks Eastbank. Shepparton. 8pm. $69.

DONATACHI The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 10pm. $28.56.

A NIGHT OF

NEW WAVE

FT: House of Light, S-Bahn, Winternationale, Field Monuments Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $11.25.

ROWAN PATTISON

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

DAN KELLY. SPOD, BABY BLUE

Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $33.66.

THU 14 NOV

GO GETTERS VOL. 5

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 6.30pm. $11.25.

CURLY & THE FRINGE

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

LITTLE SHOGUN. FIRE ROOTS, CONTACT SPORT, WESTALL 66

Bad Decisions Bar. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $10.

SEQUENTIAL: 50TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW

The Beast. Brunswick East. 9pm. Free.

FIN-I (THE UTOPIAN CONNECTION)

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7.30pm. $35.

SONOROUS X:

LAUREN SQUIRE + JOEL STERN

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

NEIL MURRAY

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 6pm. $35.

MATT AMY’S REALLY BIG BAND W/ LAUREN

ELIZABETH & BOBBY VALENTINE

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $48.

SEUN KUTI & EGYPT 80

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $75.68 - 96.08.

WOODY SAMSON. TANYA GEORGE, CHARLIE NEEDS BRACES

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $28.56.

THE ALBERT STEEZE BAND. DOGGEREL, A.C SAUNDERS

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $11.75.

THIN RED LINES

Brunswick Artists’ Bar. Brunswick. 6.45pm. $17.95.

RUBY GILL JOHN

Curtin Hotel. Carlton. 7.30pm. $38.70.

ANDY WHITE

The Merri Creek Tavern. Northcote. 8pm. $20.

FRI 15 NOV

A FUNDRAISER FOR KAIBORG

FT: Dumb Punts, Drunk Mums, Elvis II, Solder

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $23.50.

DARLING STREET. TOADSTOOL, UGLIE BOY

Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $20. KRAVE

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $28.56.

KILLED BY TECHNOLOGY. COMETS, TIM SMYTH & HOLYTRASH

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $16.85.

RAMBLE TAMBLE: THE AUSTRALIAN CREEDENCE SHOW

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

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $26.05.

THE VANNS: ACOUSTIC & INTIMATE

Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $49.90.

THE BOITE: FIRETAIL + GAMELAN DANANDA

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $37. A.SAVAGE. EGGY

Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $52.53.

ARABELLA & THE HEIST + PSYCHOBABEL

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

THE BRAKES. PROGRAM, THE ANTICS

Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $10 - 15.

BOB ‘BONGO’ STARKIE’S SKYHOOKS SHOW

Bunjil Place. Narre Warren. 8pm. $64. THE ROYAL

MOTOWN REVIEW: NARDIA + PAUL SLATTERY

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9.30pm. $45. HORSEPOWER. MINDRACE, SKORN, SEVEN HELLS, IMPLODE

Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $22.95.

HYBRID THEORY (LINKIN PARK TRIBUTE)

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $59.90.

HAWKER HEIGHTS

The Beast. Brunswick East. 9pm. Free.

WIZARD WATER PRESENTS: THE HEART SHAPED ACES

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $18.98.

SHANE HOWARD Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 6pm. $50. UNDERGROUND

CABARET: BELINDA HANNE REID

The Round. Nunawading. 8pm. $30.

JOE CAMILLERI & THE BLACK SORROWS. FREYA JOESPHINE HOLLICK

The Forge Theatre & Arts Hub. Bairnsdale. 8pm. $69. PROPHETIC JUSTICE MINISTRY. LST, DESTINY T.T

Grace Darling Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $15 - 20.

A. SWAYZE & THE GHOSTS

John Curtin Hotel. Carlton. 8pm. $22.85.

DAMIEN LEITH: IRISH CLASSICSSING-ALONG & REMINISCE Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 7.30pm. $45.

SAT 16 NOV

LUNATIC

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $13.30.

NAT BARTSCH: FOREVER CHANGED

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 6pm. $20. BOYCE AVENUE Festival Hall. West Melbourne. 7pm. $78. THE SUMMER KICK OFF

FT: Fake News, All Hope Remains, Judo Chop, Awake Now, Awaking Tyler Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7pm. $16.85.

SURF TRASH Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $33.66.

DRIFT. GUSH, EVERYDAY BELIEVER

The Beast. Brunswick East. 9pm. Free.

CLUB COUNTRY: NEW WAVE DANCE PARTY!

FT: DJ Monk De Wally, DJ Honk Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 8pm. $23.50.

BRAT PACK Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $40.

FULL GOON FEST

FT: Keggin, Rattleback, The Pingers, Speedball, more Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 1.30pm. $33.70.

MORE STYLES

FT: Hally, Emelyne, Campbell, Greer, Mutant Limit Section 8. Melbourne. 6pm.

BILL KIRCHEN: KING OF DIESELBILLY. FT: Paulie Bignell & The Thornbury Two (with Paul De Marco), Suzannah Espie, Sarah Carroll Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $65 - 85.

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

LICKLASH DESERT

Highways. Reservoir. 2pm. Free.

DEEP FAITH

John Curtin Hotel. Carlton. 8pm. $22.85.

JON TOOGOOD

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $51.10.

GIRL & GIRL. SQUARE, SPURTS Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7pm. $28.60.

HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY + AUSTERE. SULDUSK, MUNITIONS Corner Hotel. Richmond. 7.30pm. $57 - 67.

NIGHTMARE FEST:

6TH WHAT WE DID ON THE WEEKEND FUNDRAISER

FT: Outright, Gravitate, Stressed, Isua, Identity Error, Slowburn, Goathe, Takoba Stay Gold. Brunswick. 4.30pm. $28.60.

VICTOR STRANGES & THE FUTURISTS: THE SONGS OF ELVIS COSTELLO SHOW

George Lane. St Kilda. 2.30pm. $35.

NOT SO BIG

BAND: A NEW TAKE ON DISNEY

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

JOE CAMILLERI & THE BLACK SORROWS. FREYA JOESPHINE

HOLLICK

Meeniyan Town Hall. Meeniyan. 7pm.

CYRIL

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 8pm.

ABYSSAL PRESENTS:

IN:MOST

FT: In:Most, Aaron Static, Rex the Bard, Melta, NIIX, Skatty QQQ

ST. Park. Collingwood. 7pm. $20.

WILD DOG MOUNTAINS + BIN NIGHT BANDITS

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

THU 21 NOV

THE DARYL MCKENZIE JAZZ ORCHESTRA WITH RALEIGH WILLIAMS

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

JESSB

Wax Music Lounge. Melbourne. 8pm. $28.58 - 33.69.

MCO: HANDEL’S MESSIAH

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $50. WHATEVER RECORDS NIGHT

Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7.30pm.

INDU MULLIGAN TRIO

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

JULIARNA CLARK + SAM

LEMANN + JOHN MONTESANTE QUINTET

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

THE PLEASURES: CATHERINE BRITT & LACHLAN BRYAN

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $25 - 40.

THE BURES BAND. ZELKOVA, THE PATERSONS

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7.30pm. $24. LA MUSIQUE

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 6pm. $38.

JOE CAMILLERI & THE BLACK SORROWS. FREYA JOESPHINE HOLLICK

Queenscliff Town Hall. Queenscliff. 7pm. $69.95.

ARTEMAS

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $79.90.

THE FINS

The Penny Black. Brunswick. 9pm.

MOTHER MOTHER Festival Hall. West Melbourne. 7pm. $86.65. CLAIRAUDIENCE. BRAD STAFFORD, MY IMAGINARY FRIEND Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $11.75.

FRI 22 NOV

NICE BISCUIT

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $28.60.

ADAM HATTAWAY

The Merri Creek Tavern. Northcote. 8pm. $18.40. THE ELECTRIQUE BIRDS

The Penny Black. Brunswick. 9pm. ALL REGARDS. BENCHCUP, OFFSET VISION, THIS SPACE IS OURS Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $22.95.

CAITLIN HARNETT & THE PONY BOYS

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

CORNER SHOP COMEDY

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7pm. $15.20. WASTEMAN + THE SATTS

The Fitzroy Pinnacle. Fitzroy North. 8.30pm. $14.80.

COME TO BRAZIL:

GEORGIE AUÉ BAND

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

MISTER CO.. TAHLIA EVE, JONATHAN BUFFALINO

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7pm. $28.56 - 33.15.

STOKAHR

Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm.

KING. TRICKSINGH

Corner Hotel. Richmond. 7.30pm. $60.20.

STRIPPING IN THE NAME OF: LIVE PUNK & BURLESQUE

FT: Kitty Allure, Onya Bones, Bella Babydoll & Frankie Fontaine Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $36.45 - 48.10.

SPIRIT: THE SANTANA SONGBOOK

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $38.

YO CITY: COOL OUT SUN

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

ORGANZOLA

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

JOE CAMILLERI & THE BLACK SORROWS. FREYA JOESPHINE

HOLLICK

Cardinia Cultural Centre. Pakenham. 8pm. $69.

SAT 23 NOV

POISON RUIN. BODY MAINTENANCE, VAMPIRE, PHANTASM, ARMOUR

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $34.20.

POISON FISH: THE RETURN SHOW. ZE WISENHEIMER, RQTBL

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 1.30pm. $11.75.

LULIEPALOOZA 2024

FT: Starcrawler, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks, Battlesnake, The Gooch Palms, Eagle & The Worm, Batpiss, Skyscraper Stan, Platonic Sex, Hana & Jessie Lee’s Bad Habits, The Miffs, Jaded, Milly Strange, Fast Times Skateboarding, Bronco The Bucking Bull, House Of Doom Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 12pm. $95.

HENRY WAGONS & THE ONLY CHILDREN

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $46.

THE RUBBER

SOUL REUNION

Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm. $23.50.

FEELIN’ GROOVY: THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL PROJECT

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

RELAYS + THE MUNDAYNES

Old Bar. Fitzroy. 3.30pm. Free.

SONGS FROM SMYRNE Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 6pm. $40.

JAZZ ARVOS

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 5pm. Free.

STRAWBZ. PRETTY MOI, THE OPALS

John Curtin Hotel. Carlton. 8pm. $20.

LILY’S DANCE STUDIOS 40TH ANNIVERSARY PERFORMANCE

Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 12pm. $49.50.

ELECTRIC MARY

Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $35.30.

SPY V SPY

Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $38.91.

MUSICA VIVA

AUSTRALIA: MUSICA ALCHEMICA

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 5pm. $62.

THE BEATNIK PREACHERS

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $23.50.

JAMES LOCKWOOD & HIS BEBOPPERS

Ragtime Tavern. Preston. 8pm. Free.

NOT SO BIG BAND: AN EVENING IN LA LA LAND WITH AMELIA EVANS

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9pm. $48.

PITBULL PARTY

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 11pm. $13.80 - 22.

MISS KANINNA Howler. Brunswick. 8pm.

WILD DOG MOUNTAINS + BIN NIGHT BANDITS

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

THU 28 NOV

MUDRAT + DANCINGWATER. SOJU GANG

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $28.60. IVORIS. MATAHARA Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $22.95.

AMELIA EVANS: THE MUSIC OF BON IVER

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $40. FOLK BITCH TRIO. ROWENA WISE Howler. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $28.56.

MUCHO MAMBO

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $38.

BLACK ALEPH. GHOSTSMOKER, TREEBEARD, SKIN THIEF

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7.30pm. $24.

ARTEMIΣ

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $54.67. DEB 5000 Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7.30pm.

FRI 29 NOV

SEMINAL RATS 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $16.35.

SKYSCRAPER STAN & THE COMMISSION FLATS. QUALITY USED CARS, AL MATCOTT Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $22.95.

COLLABORATIONS: KERRI SIMPSON, BOB SEDERGREEN & CARL PANNUZZO

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $45. STEPPERS. SOCIAL STREET, KEETS Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. Broadway Bar The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7pm. $15.20.

HOME ALONE: LOST IN DRAG FT: Freddie Merkin, more The Penny Black. Brunswick. 7pm. $60. NUFF RESPECT FT: Vida Sunshyne, Lego, Max Shotta, Sarah, DJ V Section 8. Melbourne. 6pm.

GOSIKA + GULGE. BLUDGER, HEMATEMESIS, FALSE DICHOTOMY Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 7pm. $17.35.

HAYLEY MARY

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $39.99.

THE FERGUSON ROGERS PROCESS Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $56.80.

STEVE BALBI Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $40. RADIUM DOLLS John Curtin Hotel. Carlton. 8pm. $22.85.

WILDING + WESLEY FULLER Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. Free.

SAT 30 NOV

SHRIMPWITCH. HUNNY MACHETE, RHYSICS The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8.30pm. $23.50.

GEORGA BYRNE & MEL LUKIN PRESENT:

SONGBIRD / THE STORY & MUSIC OF EVA CASSIDY Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9pm. $45.

SKI MASK THE SLUMP GOD Festival Hall. West Melbourne. 7pm. $101.95.

SECOND HAND HIGH. PEACH FUZZ, MY DOG, SATELLITE John Curtin Hotel. Carlton. 8pm. $9.70.

Simplify Money