Beat 1738

Enjoy a world tour without the jet lag.

160+ places to eat, drink and have fun

25+ cuisines to crunch that craving

20+ venues to enjoy live entertainment

Collect your Eating and Venue Guide from Sydney Road Brunswick Association Hub, 454 Sydney Road, Brunswick, Victoria 3056 or scan the QR code above.

EDITOR

Lucas Radbourne

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Frankie Anderson-Byrne

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Riley McDonald

GIG GUIDE

Jacob Colliver

CONTRIBUTORS

Bryget Chrisfield, Jake Fitzpatrick, August Billy, Dom Lepore, Chris Hockey

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PUBLISHER

Furst Media Pty Ltd

FOUNDER

Rob Furst

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EDITORIAL NOTE

This month’s cover belongs to Xylourides and Frenzee — siblings Nikos, Adonis and Apollonia Xylouris, who split their time between carrying on their family’s towering Cretan folk legacy and tearing rooms apart as a hard rock and punk outfit.

Æ We sat down with Apollonia to talk about growing up between Melbourne and Crete, all-night village parties, and the challenge of swapping between two very different identities.

In the middle of the issue, we’ve got a double spread on Brunswick Music Festival. Now in its 38th year, BMF packs roughly 180 gigs into two weeks across the northside from Sicilian percussion masters and New Orleans brass at Brunswick Ballroom to punk for kids at the local library and a free afternoon in Gilpin Park. We’ve got the full rundown on what to catch and where to find the weird stuff tucked into unexpected corners of the neighbourhood.

We also chatted with Jalen Ngonda ahead of his return to Australian stages the soul singer fell hard for the country last time and he’s coming back with a bigger band and new music and caught up with Perth’s kawaii metal onewoman-show RinRin about fictional universes, fan puns and smashing Babymetal into Bring Me The Horizon. As always, the festival guide, stage guide and gig guide have everything else happening around town. Dive in.

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 March cover stars are Xylourides and Frenzee, photographed by Suzanne Phoenix.

BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL RETURNS FOR ITS 38TH YEAR

From Sicilian percussion masters to kids’ punk bands, BMF is back for its 38th year. Brunswick Music Festival runs 1 to 8 March across Brunswick Ballroom, Howler, Gilpin Park and unexpected corners of the neighbourhood, with Horns of Leroy, Alfio Antico & Go Dugong, Riot Baby and Thndo among the highlights.

SYDNEY ROAD STREET PARTY BRINGS FOUR STAGES TO BRUNSWICK

One of Melbourne’s biggest free street parties kicks off Brunswick Music Festival on 1 March. Sydney Road Street Party brings six hours of live music across four outdoor stages, with sets spanning surf-punk to South African jazz, plus all-day lineups inside The Bergy Bandroom, Brunswick Ballroom, The Retreat, Stay Gold and Co-Conspirators.

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL TURNS 40 WITH STACKED LINEUP

Melbourne’s biggest laugh factory hits a milestone birthday this March. MICF runs 25 March to 19 April with Rich Hall, Josie Long, David O’Doherty, Phil Wang, Zainab Johnson and Mark Watson among a massive international contingent, plus Edinburgh best show winner Sam Nicoresti making his festival debut.

AIDC 2026 BRINGS OSCAR NOMINEES TO ACMI

Melbourne’s documentary conference is stacked this year. AIDC 2026 runs 2 to 5 March at ACMI with over 100 speakers including double Oscar nominee Geeta Gandbhir, plus decision makers from Netflix, National Geographic, Al Jazeera and more, alongside over $305,000 in development funding for filmmakers.

ROCKWIZ CELEBRATES A DECADE OF HAMER HALL MAYHEM

Ten years of trivia, tunes and total chaos. Julia Zemiro, Brian Nankervis and the RocKwiz Orkestra return to Arts Centre Melbourne on 3 April for their anniversary spectacular, complete with singalongs, mystery guests and the beloved Million Dollar Riff segment.

AIREYS INLET MUSIC FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 20 COASTAL YEARS

Two decades of volunteer-run coastal music and it’s still only $90 for a weekend pass. Aireys Inlet Music Festival runs 13 to 15 March with The Mess Hall, The Meanies, Bob Log III, Nick Barker & The Reptiles, Ella Thompson and plenty more spread across the pub and surrounds.

LANDMARK FREE EXHIBITION SHOWCASES VIVA GIBB’S GOLDEN-ERA MELBOURNE

Over 200 never-before-seen black-and-white photographs are headed to Melbourne Town Hall. On The Street Where I Live opens at City Gallery on 12 March, presenting Viva Gibb’s intimate portraits of North and West Melbourne’s residents from the mid-1970s to early 1990s. Free entry, running through to 7 August.

BIG JAZZ DAY OUT RETURNS WITH VINCE JONES, MILDLIFE

A full day of jazz spanning swing, Latin, funk and cosmic disco. Big Jazz Day Out lands at Monash University’s Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts on 21 March with Vince Jones performing alongside the Monash Sinfonia, Cookin’ On 3 Burners, Paul Grabowsky and Mildlife closing proceedings.

GIG GUIDE 02/03 ‘SOCIAL SANCTUARY’ w FAN GIRL, CAMOMILE + UGLIEBOY 04/03 M.WARD & THE UNDERTAKERS SELLING FAST 05/03 RAINBOW GIRLS (USA) 06/03 SALLY SELTMANN 07/03 WICKED SMILE 09/03 ‘SOCIAL SANCTUARY’ ASCENT TAKEOVER WITH ARAMINTA, ROMÆO + NABII 11/03 MOUNTAIN GRASS UNIT 12/03 JEFFREY MARTIN SELLING FAST 13/03 DISCO COOKOUT W/ COOKIN’ ON 3 BURNERS 14/03 BOY SODA 15/03 TYLER HILTON & KATE VOEGELE: CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF ‘ONE TREE HILL’ SELLING FAST 18/03 HORI SHAW 20/03 VELVET TRIP

21/03 SLEEPAZOID 22/03 THE HILLBILLY GOATS & LUKE O’SHEA (LATE MATINEE) 26/03 PINKY BEECROFT 27/03 KYE 28/03 NICK BARKER AND THE REPTILES SOLD OUT 29/03 EMILY LUBITZ (LATE MATINEE) SELLING FAST 02/04 TEMPORARY BLESSINGS 03/04 FAMOUS FRIEND (USA)

RECORD STORE DAY

AUSTRALIA RETURNS WITH STACKED LOCAL LINEUP

Put the streaming down and go touch some vinyl. Record Store Day Australia lands on 18 April with limited releases from Empire of the Sun, Spacey Jane, Kee’ahn, Holy Holy, Crooked Colours, Ruel, Bluey and Kutcha Edwards with the Melbourne Youth Orchestra at independent record stores across the country.

JEFF GOLDBLUM TOURS AUSTRALIA WITH HIS JAZZ BAND

Hollywood icon, piano man, and now touring jazz artist. Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra bring The Night Blooms World Tour to Palais Theatre on 24 April, followed by dates in Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and a special collaboration with The Metropolitan Orchestra at Sydney Opera House.

FEAR FACTORY ANNOUNCE FIRST AUSTRALIAN HEADLINE TOUR IN DECADE

The industrial metal pioneers are back with the Cybernetic Domination tour this May. Fear Factory hit eight cities across Australia and New Zealand, celebrating 35 years of machine-gun riffs, with Melbourne’s Northcote Theatre show locked in for 23 May.

NORWEGIAN STONER ROCK OUTFIT SLOMOSA MAKE AUSTRALIAN DEBUT

Bergen four-piece Slomosa are finally bringing their self-described Tundra Rock sound down under. The band hit Max Watts Melbourne on 22 May, followed by Sydney and Brisbane dates, off the back of support slots with Mastodon, Helmet and Alkaline Trio.

PICASSO, DALÍ AND CEZANNE HEAD TO REGIONAL VICTORIA

Shepparton Art Museum has secured the sole Australian run of a major international exhibition. Facing Modernity: Degas to Picasso arrives from Auckland Art Gallery with 37 paintings and sculptures from 23 May to 20 September, featuring works by Matisse, Gauguin, Hepworth and more that have never been shown in Australia.

EMMA DONOVAN REIMAGINES SOUL CLASSICS WITH THE MSO

A proud Gumbaynggirr and Noongar woman, Emma Donovan brings Take Me To The River to Hamer Hall on 10 July. The concert pairs Donovan’s voice with the MSO for reimagined classics from Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Al Green and Etta James, woven together with her own original music.

MINISTRY OF SOUND’S 90S AND 2000S TOUR RETURNS

The golden eras of dance music get another warehouse workout this July. Ministry of Sound TESTAMENT runs 11 shows across seven cities from 17 to 26 July, hitting The Timber Yard in Melbourne with Danny Tenaglia, Booka Shade, Crookers, Altern 8 and Darren Emerson among the international lineup.

AIR AWARDS TURN 20 WITH NEW DANCE CATEGORIES

Australia’s independent music awards celebrate a milestone year on 30 July at Adelaide Town Hall. New categories for Best Independent Dance/Club Single and Best Independent Electronic Single have been introduced, with nominations open until 13 March for releases from 2025.

LILY ALLEN ADDS SECOND MELBOURNE SHOW FOR ARENA TOUR

Presale demand has been fierce enough to warrant extra dates. Lily Allen brings her West End Girl tour to Rod Laver Arena on 28 and 29 October, performing her fifth studio album front to back across seven arena shows in Australia and New Zealand.

WOLF ALICE ANNOUNCE LIVE AT THE GARDENS HEADLINE SHOW

The GRAMMY-nominated UK rockers are heading to the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne on 5 December. Wolf Alice lead the first announcement for Live at the Gardens’ fifth season, touring behind their acclaimed album The Clearing and fresh off sold-out dates across North America and Europe.

MELBOURNE’S BELOVED BENDIGO HOTEL IS UP FOR SALE

One of Melbourne’s most iconic live music pubs is on the market. The Collingwood venue known as The Bendi has been fully renovated with two band rooms, a commercial kitchen, beer garden, bottle shop and a self-contained two-bedroom apartment, with a capacity of 300 and a 3am licence.

METRO TUNNEL’S SECOND TOWN HALL STATION ENTRANCE OPENS NEXT TO YOUNG & JACKSON

Town Hall Station just got easier to access. A new Swanston Street entrance next to Young & Jackson is now open, joining the City Square entry that launched in November, with a third entrance at Fed Square planned for later this year. More than 700,000 visits have already been recorded across the new stations.

ABBOTSFORD CONVENT LAUNCHES NEW WOMEN’S HISTORY WALKING TOUR

Award-winning feminist collective She Shapes History has partnered with Abbotsford Convent for a two-hour walking tour tracing the labour, creativity and resilience of generations of women who lived and worked within the historic precinct. The tour runs from the Convent at 1 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford.

STUDIO GHIBLI’S ORIGINAL SINGERS AND JAPANESE ORCHESTRA HIT MELBOURNE

Original vocal cast members from the iconic animation studio’s film soundtracks are performing live with the 17-piece Tokyo Asia Orchestra. The Music of Studio Ghibli –Original Singers Symphony lands at Palais Theatre on 1 March, featuring singers Yoshikazu Mera, Sumi Shimamoto, Azumi Inoue and Yuyu across a programme spanning Nausicaä to My Neighbour Totoro.

MELBOURNE FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL RETURNS WITH 200 EVENTS

A Greek-themed World’s Longest Lunch stretching 600 metres through Kings Domain kicks things off. MFWF 2026 runs 20 to 29 March with international chef collaborations, a free Festival of Korean Fried Chicken in Koreatown, 1,000 free pizza slices at Leonardo’s in Carlton and Baker’s Dozen returning to Fed Square.

MELBOURNE ATTEMPTS WORLD RECORD JOHN FARNHAM SINGALONG

Thousands of audience members will form a mass choir under the baton of Jonathon Welch AM for an Australian Book of Recordscertified attempt. We Are The Voice takes over Sidney Myer Music Bowl on 13 March, with the reunited Farnham Band performing together for the first time since Fire Fight Australia in 2020. Em Rusciano hosts, with proceeds going to Head and Neck Cancer Australia.

JOSH PYKE BRINGS 36DATE REGIONAL SOLO TOUR THROUGH VICTORIA

Fresh off a sold-out anniversary run, Pyke is stripping his catalogue back to intimate solo shows across the state. The Victorian leg of the Feeding the Wolves and Other Stories tour kicks off in Healesville on 26 March and winds through Bendigo, Wodonga, Shepparton, Geelong, Frankston, Sale and more.

MOMO FEST MELBOURNE RETURNS AFTER A SEVEN-YEAR HIATUS

Melbourne’s dedicated Nepalese dumpling festival is back with two days of food, DJs and carnival rides. Momo Fest takes over Footscray Park on 11 and 12 April from midday to 10pm, and it’s completely free to attend with registration via Eventbrite.

FISHER’S OUT 2 LUNCH FESTIVAL GOES NATIONAL

The open-air electronic music event expands beyond Queensland for the first time. Out 2 Lunch lands at Flemington Racecourse on 2 May with Gorgon City, Skream, Sarah Story, Little Fritter and more, before heading to Gold Coast, Sydney and Perth. First release tickets start at $189.90.

K-POP POWERHOUSE IVE BRING WORLD TOUR TO ROD LAVER

The six-member Starship Entertainment group have notched seven consecutive million-selling albums since debuting in 2021. IVE World Tour Show What I Am hits Rod Laver Arena on 16 June, arriving alongside second full-length album Revive+ and off the back of a 28-city global run that reached over 420,000 fans.

MORGAN EVANS BRINGS BIGGEST HEADLINE TOUR TO FORUM MELBOURNE

The Newcastle-raised, Nashville-based artist returns to Australian stages behind his sophomore album Steel Town, due 20 March. Morgan Evans plays Forum Melbourne on 23 May with US singer-songwriter Laci Kaye Booth as special guest across all dates.

SIMON BRODKIN, THE COMEDIAN WHO PRANKED FIFA, TOURS AUSTRALIA

The English comic has made headlines for showering Sepp Blatter with fake cash and handing Theresa May a mock dismissal slip at her own party conference. Simon Brodkin brings his stand-up show to The National Theatre in Melbourne on 3 July, following a 170-date international tour that included three sold-out nights at London’s Hammersmith Apollo.

NATALIE CUOMO BRINGS SOLD-OUT STAND-UP TO THORNBURY THEATRE

The Queens-raised comic has built a following of over 2.4 million across social media and landed a number one debut comedy album on iTunes. Natalie Cuomo plays Thornbury Theatre on 18 July as part of a four-city Australian run presented by Destroy All Lines.

HILARY DUFF ANNOUNCES FIRST WORLD TOUR IN 20 YEARS

It’s been over a decade since Duff last toured, and the lucky me tour spans seven countries through to February 2027. Hilary Duff hits Rod Laver Arena on 26 October with La Roux as special guest, coinciding with the release of her sixth studio album luck… or something.

Wesley Anne Wesley Anne

XYLOURIDES

WORDS BY AUGUST BILLY

Performing as as Xylourides, siblings Nikos, Adonis and Apollonia Xylouris are carrying on their family’s legendary Cretan folk legacy.

Æ The Xylouris family name is near-synonymous with Cretan folk music. Xylourides centres on Crete-based brothers Nikos and Adonis Xylouris and their Naarm/ Melbourne-based sister Apollonia.

The siblings’ grandfather, Antonis, and his older brother, Nikos, both Cretan lyra players, are towering figures of 20th century Cretan folk music. Their father, Cretan laouto player George Xylouris, is one half of Xylouris White. Their mum, Shelagh Hannan, is a musician from Melbourne.

But over the last decade, Xylourides haven’t just carried on the family legacy, they’ve become respected performers in their own right.

“They’re not just grandsons or sons anymore,”

Apollonia says of her brothers, who perform as a duo outside of Australia. “They’ve grown up like that, George’s sons or Adonis’ grandchildren, but now they’ve got their own thing going on and they’re wearing it well and everyone around them is proud. So, they’ve made their own stamp.”

Nikos, the oldest sibling, follows the lead of his grandfather and great-uncle, playing the lyra. Adonis takes after his father on the laouto. Apollonia plays a Persian drum called the tombak. All three sing.

Nikos and Adonis share a house in the mountains of Crete, the largest of the Greek islands. They’ve been making a living off Xylourides for the last decade. The project began when the brothers were completing their compulsory military service.

“They managed to go into the army together and they managed to be in the band of the army,” Apollonia says. “So, they were just playing music quite a lot. Then, during that time, they got a residency in the town that they were serving, and they had permission to do this residency, and that’s how they started to do this really.”

Summer in Crete is peak season for Xylourides, and their shows back home tend to be anything but reserved.

“Summer is all just village parties. It goes off,” says Apollonia. “These gigs are just mental. Three, four thousand people rock up very often. My brothers play for six to eight hours. They would start around 11 pm, if not 11:30, and then finish around – I mean, the earliest would be like 4 am, but then a lot of times it’s 7 or 8 [am]. So these things are like an all-night party.”

“It’s incredible, the stamina in the Cretans,” she adds. “They just keep going and they don’t need any drugs either. They’re just happy having some whiskey and staying up all night singing, dancing – and then a lot of times going to work in the morning.”

The Xylouris siblings don’t lack for stamina, either. For evidence, look no further than their hard rock and punk band Frenzee in which Nikos plays drums, Adonis plays electric guitar, and Apollonia tears audiences to shreds with her roaring lead vocals.

On the surface, the two projects seem diametrically opposed, which makes switching from one to the other a challenge.

“It’s not as simple as you would hope,” Apollonia says.

“Especially for the boys, just because they’re the ones that really lead Xylourides, and it’s not just sitting there playing music. It’s a whole responsibility of being that persona.”

Xylourides’ upcoming performance at Brunswick Ballroom will follow a Frenzee tour promoting the band’s new seven-inch, Hyperactive. It’s not the first time the trio have spliced Xylourides shows with Frenzee shows, an act that Apollonia equates to “swapping between two identities.”

“Performance-wise, Frenzee, we’re running around, everyone’s on their feet, there’s a lot of movement, there’s a lot of noise. It’s rock and roll, punk, all of that atmosphere,” she says. “And in Xylourides, when we play here, it’s way more of a concert atmosphere, which makes everything a bit more intimidating in a way. Like, it’s so quiet. Everyone’s sitting down. Everyone can hear everything you’re doing.”

“These gigs are just mental. Three, four thousand people rock up very often. My brothers play for six to eight hours.”

Xylourides last performed in Australia 12 months ago, headlining the Antipodes Festival on Lonsdale Street. A couple of months prior, they played to a sold-out Brunswick Ballroom, and they’re excited to return to the venue.

“We really, really liked the Brunswick Ballroom show because it brought the Greeks, and the friends we’d made from the Frenzee gigs, and people that were interested in the duality, and family,” Apollonia says. “And the boys had been playing for the Cretan Brotherhood and the Pancretan [Association]. All of them getting together in that one venue was very exciting for us to see.”

XYLOURIDES AT BRUNSWICK

MUSIC FESTIVAL

WHERE: BRUNSWICK BALLROOM

WHEN: TUE 3 MAR

FRENZEE AT THE RETREAT

WHERE: THE RETREAT

WHEN: SUN 1 MAR

FESTIVAL GUIDE

BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL

Melbourne’s longest-running community music festival kicks off with the massive Sydney Road Street Party on 1 March. Eight days of local and international acts across Brunswick venues, culminating in a free closing party at Gilpin Park.

VARIOUS VENUES 1–8 MAR

SYDNEY ROAD STREET PARTY

One kilometre of Sydney Road shuts down for Melbourne’s favourite free street party. Four stages of live music, market stalls, food trucks and around 60,000 people celebrating Brunswick’s famous multicultural strip. No alcohol, all ages, all welcome.

SYDNEY ROAD, BRUNSWICK 1 MAR

HOLI FESTIVAL MELBOURNE

Melbourne’s biggest Festival of Colours returns with a vibrant celebration of unity and diversity. Throw non-toxic coloured powders, dance to Bollywood beats and enjoy Indian cuisine at Ron Barassi Senior Park. Free entry available.

DOCKLANDS 1 MAR

MOOMBA FESTIVAL

Australia’s largest free community festival returns for its 72nd year. Expect carnival rides, live music across multiple stages, nightly fireworks, the iconic Birdman Rally and the famous Moomba Parade on the Monday. A Melbourne tradition not to be missed.

ALEXANDRA GARDENS 5–9 MAR

FORMULA 1 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX

The new era of Formula 1 begins here with revolutionary car regulations, plus the debut of Audi and Cadillac teams. Oscar Piastri’s home race just got even bigger.

ALBERT PARK 5–8 MAR

GOLDEN PLAINS

The beloved boutique camping festival returns to the Supernatural Amphitheatre. Basement Jaxx, Cut Copy, Marlon Williams and Ty Segall lead this year’s single-stage lineup, with no sponsors, no dickheads and Mother Nature on the lights.

MEREDITH 7–9 MAR

PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL

One of Australia’s most treasured folk festivals celebrates its 49th year. Iron & Wine make their Australian debut alongside The Swell Season, Kasey Chambers, Fantastic Negrito and over 100 artists across four days of music, workshops and markets.

PORT FAIRY 6–9 MAR

CHILLOUT FESTIVAL

Australia’s longest-running regional LGBTQIA+ pride festival takes over Daylesford for the long weekend. This year’s Planet Love theme brings drag shows, the famous street parade, pool parties and community celebrations to the spa country.

DAYLESFORD 5–9 MAR

ROLLING LOUD MELBOURNE

The world’s biggest hip-hop festival touches down in Melbourne for the first time since 2019. Gunna, Ken Carson and Sexyy Red lead the charge alongside Tyga, Quavo, Swae Lee and a stacked local lineup.

FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE 8 MAR

HELLO MELBOURNE K-POP FESTIVAL

Australia’s first major outdoor multi-artist K-pop festival arrives with a bang. ENHYPEN, TREASURE and TAEMIN bring the heat in this landmark event from Asia’s biggest K-pop promoter, Applewood.

FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE 14 MAR

MELBOURNE FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL

The festival celebrates its 40th anniversary with ten days of culinary excellence. The World’s Longest Lunch returns to Kings Domain, while 200+ events showcase the best local and international chefs, plus the iconic Cake Picnic.

VARIOUS VENUES 20–29 MAR

MELBOURNE DETHFEST

Australia’s premier extreme metal celebration returns for its fifth year. American tech-death titans Allegaeon headline alongside Disentomb, Abramelin and a lineup of local heavyweights. It’s sold out four years running, so get in quick.

CORNER HOTEL 8 MAR

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL

The world’s largest dedicated comedy festival celebrates its 40th anniversary with over 700 shows across 130+ venues. Hannah Gadsby, Daniel Sloss, international stars and fresh talent descend on Melbourne for four weeks of laughs.

VARIOUS VENUES 25 MAR–19 APR

ANATOLIAN FROMACIDFOLK RAGEGIRLTOGRUNGEBRUNSWICKAS

STAGE GUIDE

THE BOOK OF MORMON

The outrageously hilarious Tony Awardwinning musical comedy continues its Melbourne season. From the creators of South Park, this global phenomenon follows two mismatched Mormon missionaries on a wild ride to Uganda.

PRINCESS THEATRE ALL MAR

MJ THE MUSICAL

Final chance to catch the multiple Tony Award-winning show celebrating the King of Pop. Set during the making of his Dangerous World Tour, the musical features over 25 of Michael Jackson’s biggest hits.

HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE UNTIL 13 MAR

CLUEDO

The Australian premiere of the stage adaptation based on the cult 1985 film and classic board game. Six suspicious guests gather at Boddy Manor for a night of murder, mystery and farcical comedy.

COMEDY THEATRE UNTIL 15 MAR

BLACK LIGHT

Jada Alberts writes and directs this new Malthouse commission starring real-life sisters Lisa Maza and Rachael Maza. A First Nations drama opening the theatre’s 2026 season.

MALTHOUSE THEATRE UNTIL 7 MAR

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK

Drew Anthony Creative presents the powerful Pulitzer Prize-winning play about 13-year-old Anne Frank hiding with her family in occupied Amsterdam. A remarkable true story brought to life on stage.

ATHENAEUM THEATRE 4-14 MAR

FLORA

A landmark collaboration between The Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre. Choreographed by Frances Rings, this full-length work traces Australia’s landscape and First Peoples through the bodies of over 35 dancers.

REGENT THEATRE 12–21 MAR

THE GREAT GATSBY: A JAZZ BALLET ODYSSEY

World premiere production reimagining Fitzgerald’s iconic story through ballet, tap and jazz. Featuring The Charleston, Rhapsody in Blue and brand new compositions in a spectacular new staging.

HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE 18 MAR–5 APR

SHEN YUN

The world-renowned dance and music production returns, showcasing 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation through classical dance, live orchestra and elaborate costumes across ten days of performances.

MCEC PLENARY 6–15 MAR

THE DOLL TRILOGY

For the first time since 1985, Ray Lawler’s complete trilogy is performed by a single ensemble. Full trilogy days on 28 February and 14 March include Kid Stakes, Other Times and Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. RED STITCH ACTORS’ THEATRE ALL MAR

BACK TO TE MAUNGA

Riveting Māori dramedy by Joel Te Teira. Two friends return to a cabin on the anniversary of their best mate’s passing, testing their friendship and relationship with their own history.

LA MAMA COURTHOUSE 4–22 MAR

SOME SECRETS SHOULD BE KEPT SECRET

Haunting gothic drama by Glenn Shea completing his 30-year Indigenous Trilogy. Winner of the 2025 Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting, this is the final instalment of a major First Nations theatrical work.

LA MAMA HQ FROM 11 MAR

HANNAH GADSBY: THE EVENING MUSE

World premiere live talkshow from the creator of Nanette. Different content each night in a format that’s like a Tonight Show, but hosted by Hannah, so probably nothing like what you’d expect.

MALTHOUSE THEATRE FROM 26 MAR

GARRY

STARR: CLASSIC PENGUINS

Winner of Most Outstanding Show at MICF 2025 returns after a sell-out West End season. He’s hell-bent on saving books from extinction by performing every Penguin Classic ever written. Naked. But with flippers.

MALTHOUSE THEATRE FROM 26 MAR

EVIL DEAD THE MUSICAL

The bloodiest musical of all time brings cult comedy horror to the stage. Based on the classic Sam Raimi films, this campy spectacular promises chainsaws, demons and plenty of fake blood.

CHAPEL OFF CHAPEL 26 MAR–5 APR

10 July

Arts Centre Melbourne

Hamer Hall

This NAIDOC Week, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra reunites with Emma Donovan for a tribute to the timeless soul classics that shaped her music and scored the memories of an entire generation.

EMMA DONOVAN x MSO

Take Me To The River

Presented by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in association with Arts Centre Melbourne

Regional GUIDE

WORDS

BY

FRANKIE ANDERSON-BYRNE

FESTIVALS

UNICORN FESTIVAL AT KRYAL CASTLE

Kryal Castle transforms into a fantasy world featuring themed entertainment, magical creatures, unicorn rides, fairy dance parties and unicorn chess. Families enjoy knight displays, face painting, hair braiding, archery, Skill at Arms shows and potion making.

KRYAL CASTLE 1 MAR

CHILLOUT FESTIVAL

Australia’s longest-running regional LGBTQIA+ pride festival transforms Daylesford into Queer Country over Labour Day weekend. The 2026 Planet Love edition features Reuben Kaye, The Huxleys, Jude York and Kita Mean, plus the iconic Street Parade and lakeside beach party.

DAYLESFORD 5–9 MAR

BRIGHTER DAYS FESTIVAL

Pioneer Park hosts a three-day family-friendly fundraising festival over Labour Day weekend, raising money for children’s charities. Features live music from Australia’s best, silent discos, car displays, food trucks, market stalls and free kids’ activities.

BRIGHT 6–8 MAR

PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL

The 49th edition features over 100 artists across four days. Headliners Iron & Wine, The Swell Season, Kasey Chambers and Emma Donovan lead an international lineup. Expect free entertainment, markets, workshops, theatre and family activities.

PORT FAIRY 6–9 MAR,

BALLARAT BEGONIA FESTIVAL

The Botanical Gardens showcase 1,000 begonias over Labour Day weekend. This free festival features Gardening Australia experts, interactive art installations, a community parade, gardener’s markets, food vendors and family entertainment, culminating in the PowerFM parade.

BALLARAT 7–9 MAR

GOLDEN PLAINS

The 18th iteration delivers two days of music at Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre. Basement Jaxx headline with Marlon Williams, Cut Copy and Ty Segall. Features camping, BYO allowed and a non-commercial ethos supporting regional organisations.

MEREDITH 7–9 MAR

CASTLEMAINE STATE FESTIVAL

Australia’s longest-running regional arts festival celebrates its 50th anniversary with ten days of contemporary arts. Over 55 events unfold across distinctive spaces featuring music, performance, visual arts, exhibitions, talks and workshops from local and international artists.

CASTLEMAINE 20–29 MAR

YACKANDANDAH FOLK FESTIVAL

Three days transform this tiny town into a music paradise. Over 60 acts and 200 performers take to six walkable venues with closed-off streets. The festival welcomes 2,500 visitors for music, food and community in regional Victoria.

YACKANDANDAH 20–22 MAR

TOURS

SUMMERSALT PRESENTS

OCEAN ALLEY

Ocean Alley bring their AUS Coastal 2026 tour to Torquay Common, joined by Skegss, Allah-Las, Babe Rainbow, Mid Drift, Le Shiv and Seaside. This coastal show celebrates their sun-drenched sound and triple j hits.

TORQUAY COMMON, TORQUAY 8 MAR

REGURGITATOR

Brisbane legends Regurgitator celebrate three decades with their JUKEBOXXIN’ tour, delivering retrospective singles spanning their catalogue. From Polyester Girl to Black Bugs, joined by SA hip hop collective Dem Mob for an unforgettable night.

SS&A CLUB, ALBURY 15 MAR

RED HOT SUMMER TOUR

Paul Kelly headlines with Missy Higgins, The Cruel Sea, The Cat Empire, Kasey Chambers and Jess Hitchcock. This outdoor festival delivers homegrown talent spanning folk, rock and soul, bringing generations together for Australian music.

BENDIGO RACECOURSE, BENDIGO 14 MAR

HUMAN NATURE

Australian pop-vocal legends celebrate 20 years of Motown with their MTWN 2026 Regional Tour. Performing hits from three chart-topping albums including My Girl and Baby I Need Your Lovin’ across Victoria venues.

ACROSS VICTORIA 6–25 MARCH

NICK BARKER & THE REPTILES ELLA

THE MEANIES • THE PLEASURES

BOB LOG III • KATHLEEN HALLORAN

LORETTA MILLER • BROOKE TAYLOR • SWEETHEARTS

SARAH CARROLL & THE BIG FUSS • FANDANGO

THEE MARSHMALLOW OVERCOAT • THE BEACHNIKS

RUMOURS BAND • DE PORSAL • MINK MILA

CHARLIE NEEDS BRACES • CHITRA • PLASTIC CHEESES

THE GROUNDSWELL • CARL & MATTY O • BARRY GILSON

SCAN FOR TICKETS & INFO

MARCH 13-15

2026

JALEN NGONDA

WORDS BY JAKE FITZPATRICK

The soul singer talks new music, his upcoming Australian tour and making music in the TikTok age.

Æ Jalen Ngonda is something of an anachronism. Armed with a voice like silk and a sound seemingly lifted straight from 1968, it’s easy to imagine him perched atop the stage of a smoky dive bar, dressed in a wide-collared pastel suit. In a world where bell-bottoms, gold chains and beehive hairdos reigned supreme. It was, by all accounts, a simpler time. Devoid of TikTok dances, photo filters and the near-constant compulsion to record and share every facet of life. You did things because you wanted to, not because you thought you should.

Alas, as time machines have not yet been invented, this is not where I find Jalen Ngonda.

Instead, we’re in London. It’s 8:30am and the sun is just beginning to poke its head above the concrete. The see-your-breath chill is starting to dissipate, and smiles are finally populating the streets.

“It’s quite nice to see the sun,” Ngonda effusively says of the glowing ball of plasma as soon as I call him. “Finally.”

You can almost picture the smile stretching across his face as he says it. Unlike most, Ngonda has been largely unfazed by the darkness of the British winter. Where many succumb to bedridden colds and seasonal depression, he seems to have found his own rhythm within it.

“I’ve been here for 11 years, man. Where I’m from is a bit sunnier — but not too much — so I’m pretty used to it now.”

Despite not being from the ’60s, Ngonda’s story almost reads like that of a Motown great. Born in the small town of Wheaton, Maryland, he was introduced to soul music from an early age. Then, after hearing The Temptations’ My Girl for the first time, he knew music was for him. His parents later bought him a Fender Squier guitar, and within five years he was proficient in drums, guitar, piano and singing.

After moving to Liverpool to study, Ngonda began releasing music on SoundCloud. This eventually culminated in a record deal with the legendary Brooklyn-based Daptone Records and the release of his critically acclaimed debut album, Come Around and Love Me. The record took him around the world — including an Australian tour in early 2025. Just over a year later, Ngonda is returning to our shores.

“I actually fell in love with Australia last time I was there,” he says of his previous tour. “I’m not joking — I really did. It felt like being in a completely different world.”

Last year’s run saw Ngonda perform across the country in intimate theatre venues. This time, he’ll be stepping into even larger rooms. Despite not yet having a new album out, he promises the show will feel markedly different to last time.

“There will be new music and a bigger band this time around. Last time it was kind of just me and my drummer. Now it’s a big band.” Where the previous tour felt like a whirlwind, this time Ngonda and his team are allowing space to properly sink their teeth into the country — literally.

“On the last tour we tried kangaroo in Melbourne. It kind of felt like I was eating a human being,” he laughs. “But I liked it. It was cut up and grilled. Anything else you’d recommend this time?”

I suggest something slightly more approachable for a secondtime returnee: Tim Tams, Vegemite, lamingtons, a Mrs Mac’s meat pie, Twisties and chicken crimpy Shapes.

“On the last tour we tried kangaroo in Melbourne. It kind of felt like I was eating a human being.”

Having attended one of Ngonda’s shows on his last tour, what struck me most was the diversity of the audience. From peachy-cheeked children to those with skin like dinosaurs, his music casts a wide net. This may partly be due to the fact that his buoyant single If You Don’t Want My Love seemingly found a home on TikTok.

Unlike many artists resistant to the algorithm-driven trends of music discovery in 2026, Ngonda embraces them with open arms.

“When I was 15, I was only exposed to what was on the radio — or what my parents played. Even kids in the ’60s mostly listened to music from their own time. Now someone can hear a song from 1952 on TikTok and fall in love with it.”

He pauses.

“And I kind of fucking love that.”

As the conversation naturally winds its way down to a close, I ask Ngonda what he has coming up beyond the tour. He takes a moment to think.

“Oh yeah, I have an album coming out this year” he says, casually, as if we were talking about the weather again.

“Wait — what?” I ask.

“It’s all recorded and has a similar flavour to the last one. And that’s all I’m giving you for now.”

Upon pressing for more details, I was politely told that that was it. So, I shut my mouth, said my thankyou’s and reminded myself that patience is a virtue. I guess we’ll all just have to wait, or, perhaps, see a show.

JALEN NGONDA

WHERE: THE FORUM

WHEN: 6 MAR

BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL

Brunswick Music Festival returns from 1

to 8 March

with community celebrations, international collaborations and programming that stretches far beyond traditional venues.

Æ Now in its 38th year, the festival produced by Merri-bek City Council and curated by local legend MzRizk delivers a week of sound that spills across Brunswick Ballroom, Howler, Quad Club, Gilpin Park, the local library and unexpected corners of the neighbourhood. From Sicilian percussion masters to Philadelphia noise-rap experimentalists, kids punk bands to New Orleans-style brass explosions, this year’s program showcases Brunswick as Melbourne’s most sonically adventurous postcode.

BIG BRASS AND SOUTHERN ITALIAN RITUAL

Horns of Leroy bring their New Orleansinspired brass bonanza to Brunswick Ballroom on 8 March, promising to wobble the very foundations of the venue. Formed in 2013, the seven-piece have become one of Australia’s premier brass bands, gracing stages from the MCG to Dark Mofo with their fusion of traditional street band sounds and Melbourne pub energy. They’re joined by Jake Amy Trio and MO’JU on DJ duties for what’s shaping up to be one of the month’s sweatiest nights.

Earlier in the festival, Brunswick Ballroom hosts a headlining collaboration between Crown Ruler and Research Records on 5 March. The bill pairs Alfio Antico & Go Dugong with Khaled Kurbeh and RAFET. Antico is considered the undisputed master of the tammorra and frame drum, a Sicilian musician who has radically transformed traditional percussion with unprecedented timbres and phrasing. Milan-based producer Go Dugong layers electronic textures over Antico’s primordial rhythms in a collaboration that merges archaic heartbeat with contemporary experimentation.

Credit: @hillvalephoto @metro.auto.photo booth

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD EXPANDS

BMF’s Neighbourhood Noise program activates spaces across Merri-bek with live performances, installations and activities that blur the line between gallery, library and music venue. Brunswick Library hosts Riot Baby and Thndo on 7 March in a free, family-friendly afternoon that captures the festival’s community spirit. Riot Baby play punk for kids, drawing inspiration from Australian children’s books and playground chants while tackling topics rarely heard in music aimed at younger audiences. Zimbabwean-born soul powerhouse Thndo, widely known as Melbourne’s First Lady of Soul and R&B, brings serious vocal firepower to the library setting.

Next Wave presents an installation by Worimi multidisciplinary artist Leon Rodgers at the Brunswick Mechanics Institute throughout Sydney Road Street Party on 1 March. Titled Gulan, the audiovisual work brings playful sensory territory to one of Brunswick’s most architecturally distinctive spaces.

At Counihan Gallery, Burmese singer-songwriter Naung Yoe performs live in response to visual artist Ma Ei’s exhibition Pit Yourself Against – showcasing newly created video and photographic self-portraits, revealing the fragility, resilience and emotional depth of human experience.

FREE FINALE AT GILPIN PARK

The festival closes with a free outdoor concert at Gilpin Park on 8 March, running from 2pm to 8pm. Butchulla songman Fred Leone teams up with Radio For Ghosts alongside Allysha Joy, Cool Out Sun, Jace Clayton and Pirritu for an afternoon under the trees. Leone is one of three Butchulla songmen, bringing traditional knowledge to contemporary Australian culture through songs performed in language. The entire community is invited to recline on the grass for what promises to be one of Melbourne’s most distinctive free concerts of the year.

CLUB NIGHTS AND UNEXPECTED SPACES

Quad Club hosts several highlights throughout the week. Dreamache presents Eternity is a Terrible Thought on 4 March, a multi-sensory theatre and electronic music experience featuring Rita Bass. The Melbourne producer and live act creates bass-heavy electronic music layered with ethereal vocal harmonies, blending experimental textures with broken beats and pulsating low end.

DJ Haram arrives at Quad Club on 5 March with support from SKNOW, Stev Zar, HipHopHoe and Megatronic. The Brooklynbased producer has built a reputation for integrating bass and club music with analog sound design, Middle Eastern instrumentation and experimental noise. Her 2025 debut album Beside Myself on Hyperdub cemented her position as one of electronic music’s most distinctive voices.

New partnerships bring programming to unexpected corners of Brunswick. Found Sound hosts a pop-up exhibition celebrating 10 years of WORNG Electronics, while That Paper Joint returns with Books, Tunes & Snips, continuing the weird and wonderful collaboration with BMF. Brunswick Picture House presents BEATS WORKING on opening night, rounding out a program that finds music in every available space.

BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL

WHERE: VARIOUS VENUES ACROSS BRUNSWICK

WHEN: 1–8 MAR Beat is a proud media partner of Brunswick Music Festival.

SYDNEY ROAD STREET PARTY

Sydney Road Street Party returns to Brunswick on 1 March with six hours of live music, roving performances and cultural celebrations.

Æ The annual street festival transforms one of Melbourne’s most iconic thoroughfares into a sprawling open-air celebration, kicking off Brunswick Music Festival’s 38th year with a day that captures everything the neighbourhood has become synonymous with.

Four stages will host a wildly diverse lineup spanning surf-punk to South African jazz, Turkish classical to youth Pasifika harmonies, while iconic local venues throw open their doors for intimate sets and surprise appearances.

FOUR STAGES, ONE VERY BIG DAY

The Birum Djerring Stage on Albert Street anchors proceedings with a lineup that reads like a snapshot of Melbourne’s boundary-pushing music community. Máquina Peligrosa opens the day before making way for The Kismet Project, Immy Owusu & Sensible J, and Laura and the Hellcutz. AFROSPACE Interchange closes out the stage with what promises to be a suitably joyous, globetrotting finale.

Over at the Engakeng-end (Song) Stage on Glenlyon Road, the program leans into Brunswick’s multicultural heartbeat. Liona Tatafu + Friends and Candice Lorrae warm things up before Pese Mai, a youth Pasifika choir, takes the stage for what’s shaping up to be one of the day’s most talked-about performances. Voice of Lele round out the afternoon.

The Tonberang Ngarrga Stage on Weston Street belongs to the next generation. Dedicated entirely to youth acts, the stage hosts In Her Palms, Chromatin, Your Last Words, Illan Kaapan, Out Of Spite and Heat across an afternoon designed to spotlight Brunswick’s emerging talent. Meanwhile, the Sparkly Bear Stage at Barkly Square offers something slightly more eclectic with Mana Duet in collaboration with Setareh Nematollahi, Quality Used Cars and Cantrips. Over at Michelle Guglielmo Park, Kiss FM broadcasts live from their own rave stage.

THE VENUES JOIN THE PARTY

Street festivals are one thing, but Sydney Road Street Party wouldn’t feel complete without Brunswick’s beloved venues getting involved. The Bergy Bandroom runs an all-day marathon from midday until late, hosting Sundreamer, The Balls, The Maggie Pills, Boggle, China Beach, effe, Uglieboy, The Antics, Stimpies and Public House across a schedule that doesn’t let up.

Brunswick Ballroom presents a similarly stacked lineup featuring Rowena Wise, Grace Mitchell, Grace Robinson, Fenn Wilson & The Weather, Wrong Way Up, Public Figures, a yet-to-be-announced special guest, Dad Fight and The Meanies. The Retreat offers sets from Be Kind to Other People, Isabelle Skye, Ramona Sky, Brown Spirits, Gracie Sann, Hot Machine and Frenzee.

Co-Conspirators hosts Sista Sara, Kenji, Sisterdeep and Baba Noir. Stay Gold welcomes Great Australia Bank, A Gazillion Angry Mexicans, Tench, R.U.B, Grim Rhythm and The Tarantinos. Joey Smalls brings DJ Stuckey + Crew, while Bar Spontana runs Milfort and Desi Rascals sets throughout the afternoon and evening.

Howler hosts MUDRAT at 4pm, bringing Naarm’s formidable punk and hip-hop hybrid to the party. The rapper, singer and writer blends metal aggression with politically charged lyricism, earning inclusion in NME Magazine’s 100 Essential Emerging Artists of 2025.

Meanwhile, Correspondences studio offers something gentler with This Way, That Way, a community making session with exhibiting artist Ravi Avasti and curator Emma Thomson. Presented in partnership with Melbourne Art Fair’s PROJECT ROOMS initiative, the afternoon invites attendees to create within an exhibition inspired by Edwin A. Abbott’s eccentric 1884 sci-fi novella Flatland.

BETWEEN THE STAGES

Part of what makes Sydney Road Street Party feel different from your average festival is everything happening between the main stages. Street performances pop up across Victoria Street and Brunswick Road, with Nick Keogh, Tyra Lewis, Meiwa, Amadou Suso, Cle Morgan’s Unplugged Series and Con Kalamaras offering acoustic moments for anyone needing a breather from the main action. Roving performances weave through the crowds throughout the afternoon, including Camille El Fehgali’s Tabel w Zamer bringing movement and spectacle to unexpected corners of the precinct. A skate jam takes over the park at Sydney Road and Wilson Avenue from 2pm.

For those seeking something quieter, the Counihan Gallery offers a chill-out space, while Next Wave presents an installation by multidisciplinary artist Leon Rodgers at the Mechanics Institute.

SYDNEY ROAD STREET PARTY

WHERE: SYDNEY ROAD, BRUNSWICK

WHEN: 1 MAR, 12–6PM

Beat is a proud media partner of Brunswick

Festival.

AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-R30X

WORDS BY CHRISTOPHER HOCKEY

Æ Earlier this year Audio Technica, a name synonymous with studio grade reference headphones, introduced a new series of their R headphones, a collection of open back headphones expertly designed for an array of professional uses. Now, they’re expanding the same series even further with their most affordable addition yet, the ATH-R30x.

From critical listening tasks and professional mixing and mastering to home studio production and content creation, we already know the R series provides an incredibly natural listening experience with detailed sound for highly reliable referencing. Now you can have access to that for a lot less than you might think.

For those uninitiated, open back headphones provide a spacious sound that approximates experiencing studio monitors, and feature a more natural sound-stage than closed back headphones can achieve. Due to the reduced sound isolation, open back headphones help to create the effect that the sound you’re hearing is coming from an external source rather just inside your head, helping you reference with a more honest sound. Open backs are also generally considered a more comfortable listening experience as they apply less direct pressure to your eardrums and allow you to talk without experiencing as much internal head resonance.

The ATH-R30x’s are incredibly comfortable and lightweight, coming in at just 210g. The adjustable headband is very soft and flexible and feels like you could wear it for days without getting uncomfortable. This paired with the headphone’s soft velour earpads makes for a very comfortable experience and best of all, the open back design allows for airflow which keeps your busy ears nice and cool.

The open design of the R30x’s really allows sound to flow naturally from the 40mm drivers and provides a very immersive experience. The sound is very clear due to Audio Technica’s transducer design and relies on very little additional tuning or dampening. The great thing about these headphones is that they’re specifically engineered to eliminate internal resonance and they deliver a very fast transient response, meaning the diaphragm reacts instantly to sudden, sharp signals like kick drums, producing a tight detailed sound without any muddy overhang. The result is a dynamic, energetic and true to life sound that makes mixing a dream.

The R30x’s also feature high efficiency magnets and a pure alloy circuit design that greatly reduces distortion and provides an extended high-end frequency response. Combined with an acoustically transparent honeycomb housing, these features produce an incredibly natural, airy sound that lends itself to a truly painless and very accurate listening experience.

The R30x’s sound very balanced, with well defined lows, even, uncoloured mids and highs that are extended but very smooth. The soundstage is very wide and realistic, ideal for mixing dense tracks and getting lost in your work. Though extremely light weight and comfortable, these headphones seem very durable and like they could handle some serious wear and tear. After wearing them for a few hours they gave me no discomfort whatsoever and the headband is very well designed and ergonomic.

Now for the nerdy stuff. These headphones are fitted with a 3.5mm TRS connector with a screw-on 6.3mm adapter included, the driver diameter comes in at 40mm, they boast a frequency response of 15-25,000hz, the maximum input power is 1,000mW and they have a sensitivity of 92dB/mW.

Facts and figures aside, the R30x’s provide an open, airy listening experience that suits not only mix referencing but all sorts of professional and recreational purposes. They’re a great all rounder and have the sonic detail for virtually any audio related task. These cans are a great gateway into the R series at an accessible price, and are a solid option for anyone interested in trying out open-back headphones for the first time. I myself am more used to closed back headphones but after giving these a go I think I might be a convert.

I love more than anything to get lost in the process of mixing, I find it to be an incredibly immersive and meditative experience in which hours pass by like minutes and I can exist completely in the present. What really screws that up is the searing pain in your skull you get when you’ve been wearing an uncomfortable pair of headphones for too long and for that, the R30x’s are a remedy. What they also remedy is ear fatigue, their open back nature really helps to alleviate the feeling of wearing out your ears during a long session due to the reduction of direct pressure on your ear drum that the design provides.

When you’re trying to get lost in your work, comfort is key. It’s all very well to have great sounding reference headphones but if they hurt your head after a couple of hours of use you’re not going to get very far. You won’t have that problem with these. Not only is the sound as expansive, detailed and honest as you could hope for, but the lightweight construction and pillowy headband and earpads make for a luxurious experience that allows you to focus solely on your work for as long as your heart desires. It may not be advisable to stay up until 2am trying to get a snare drum to sound exactly like ZZ Top’s but at least now I can do it without causing myself an injury.

At $219rrp, these cans are an absolute steal and I can’t imagine anyone regretting investing in them. If you’re curious about open back headphones and are ready to take the plunge without breaking the bank, these are the ones for you.

To find out more about the Audio-Technica ATH-R30x headphones, head to their website.

Made in partnership with Audio-Technica

Make your next night out unforgettable TALKS | TOURS | EXHIBITIONS | MUSIC

First Thursday of every month | 6 – 9:30pm Melbourne Museum

“I’ve been shocked, actually, at how young the audience is.”

LEFTFIELD

UK

dance music innovators Leftfield will return to Melbourne for a Live at the Gardens headline show.

WORDS BY AUGUST BILLY

Æ Progressive house is now one of many subgenres that make up the broader fabric of dance and electronic music. But the term was coined in the early 1990s as a way of describing acts like London’s Leftfield, who were combining deep and percussive house with dub and downtempo.

Leftfield are responsible for two landmark entries in the prog house canon. Their debut single, 1990’s Not Forgotten, is often seen as the genre’s blueprint. “It wasn’t garage; it wasn’t techno; it wasn’t piano house. It was underground electronic house,” DJ Dave Seaman told Insomniac.

Released five years later, Leftfield’s debut album, Leftism, is one of prog’s defining documents. The album, produced by the original Leftfield lineup of Neil Barnes and Paul Daley, includes a handful of dancefloor fist-pumpers, such as the tribal-influenced Afro Left and the techno leaning Black Flute. But Leftism is no stylistic monolith.

Opening track, Release the Pressure, combines house and techno kickdrums with skanking reggae chords. Song of Life is an evolving epic that shifts from a dubby, downtempo mood into a bassy chugger that gives a nod to breakbeat hardcore. Original is a lost trip hop gem, proving that Leftfield could make morning-after music just as well as night-of.

Leftism also includes guest vocals from PiL’s John Lydon, Curve’s Toni Halliday, and reggae vocalists Earl Sixteen and Danny Red. The outcome, wrote DJ Mag’s Ben Cardew, was an album that “united the musical melting pot of post-rave Britain under the steady thump of the house beat.”

Not Forgotten turned 35 years old last year, and Leftism turned 30. Barnes, who fronts Leftfield solo these days, spent much of 2025 on tour marking the two anniversaries. The celebrations will continue in Australia in March, where Leftfield will headline Live at the Gardens at Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens on Sunday 8 March.

“It’s been a busy old time of playing live to be honest, all over Europe, and it’s been fabulous,” says Barnes, who’s chatting to Beat on Zoom from his London home. “I’m feeling that we’re playing the best we’ve ever played. The gigs have just been off-the-Richter-scale good.”

Barnes is joined on stage by engineer and programmer Adam Wren and drummer Seb “Bid” Beresford. The trio has been playing together since Barnes rebooted Leftfield in 2010. Leftfield have released two new albums in that time: 2015’s Alternative Light Source and 2022’s This Is What We Do.

During the recent batch of touring, Barnes has been impressed by the wide spread of age groups in the crowd.

“I’ve been shocked, actually, at how young the audience is,” he says. “We just played Drumsheds in London, which is a very big venue. It’s like 10,000 people. It’s a club environment. We played in the same lineup as loads of DJs – Sven Väth played and people like that. The crowd was young, in their 30s. There weren’t that many people over 30.”

This shouldn’t come as a great surprise. Early-90s UK dance music has enjoyed a major revival in the last handful of years, with younger listeners flocking to jungle, drum and bass and UK garage. Even happy hardcore has made a comeback. Progressive house – and its sugar-fed sibling, trance – has also been embraced by a new generation of listeners, much to Barnes’ delight.

“I think that people have discovered Leftfield now, and not just Leftfield, but are discovering Orbital as well; they’ve had the same experiences,” he says. “It’s a surprise to me because I was worried that it would just become geriatric techno.”

The era’s sustained relevance is a testament to the innovation of acts like Leftfield, Orbital, Underworld, William Orbit and many others. Looking back on the early 90s, Barnes remembers there was a lot of excitement about these relatively new forms of music.

“Electronic music and DJing still felt very fresh and new and it was different to rock music and different to indie and stuff like that,” he says. “So, I suppose on that level, it felt special. But I wouldn’t be surprised if every generation has that feeling.”

Leftism and its 1999 follow-up, Rhythm and Stealth, incorporated a broad sweep of influences, everything from punk, post-punk and reggae to Chicago house and acid. But nothing spurred Leftfield’s creativity quite like the work of their electronic music contemporaries.

“We spent an enormous amount of time in the studio listening to other people’s music,” Barnes says. “Richie Hawtin and all those early Detroit records were massive inspirations. We recognised how good The Chemical Brothers were and what good records they made.

“We felt just part of a gang. And it was a very rich tapestry of music that came out then.”

LEFTFIELD - LIVE AT THE GARDENS

WHERE: ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS MELBOURNE

WHEN: SUN 8 MAR

WITH: PAUL MAC AND LATE NITE TUFF GUY

”

“It doesn’t slap as hard as Mariah Carey

EXEK

WORDS BY DOM LEPORE

Led by Albert Wolski, the cult Naarm/ Melbourne band blending post-punk, dub and krautrock, have unveiled their seventh album on LCD Soundsystem’s DFA Records.

Æ It’s a wonderful success story: Local band works persistently, writing and touring worldwide, then an established imprint swoops in to recognise that hard work. Well, it’s rather a case of showing the power of cold outreach.

The announcement of EXEK album number seven, Prove the Mountains Move, included frontman Albert Wolski’s out-of-the-blue Instagram DM to DFA: “Hey there. Long shot. We recently finished our new LP. Wondering if you’d wanna check it out and consider releasing it. No prob if not.” The folks at the DFA office already had them on rotation for years.

Now signed to the label, the band lives in another rightful home. “We might not sound exactly like LCD Soundsystem, but we share pretty similar DNA in musical influences,” Albert says. “And I’ve always considered their lightning bolt logo to be cool AF.”

For over a decade, EXEK have prolifically released hypnotic post-punk music with hooks that’ll reel anyone in. Their fusion of quirky synths, angular riffs, and deadpan spoken word recalls underground alternative bands of the past, but the coolest thing is that it’s from Melbourne.

Prove the Mountains Move strays away from the unsettling atmosphere of their previous work. Albert describes the new songs as some of their most “epic”: “The number of chords in the middle eight of Arrivederci Back Pain are nothing short of epic. It’s some straight-up Wagner-type shit.”

Indeed, the ascending riffs brightly elongate as electric synths move from one ear to the other, adding more to the melody that was initially just repetitively cycled.

“Like tugging on a loose thread of clothing, more and more chords kept spilling out, and I ended up with that middle eight,” Albert recalls.

It’s one idea of many coming off the cuff – Albert claims 90% of his riffs form while he’s in the shower – and the loose, out-there nature of EXEK’s output allows them to thrive on spontaneity.

What was more intentional was the lighthearted direction. On opener Sidestepping, Albert’s voice isn’t obfuscated by the music. The lyrics are discernible and distantly read like a pop song, especially at the chorus.

Growing older, Albert is venturing beyond obscure angular postpunk of the early ‘80s, finding inspiration in ‘90s pop and club hits and even what his parents listened to: “Easy listening like Neil Diamond and Celine Dion, and dad rock. I still dig the odd angular post-punk excursion, but it just doesn’t slap as hard as Mariah Carey.”

It makes more sense when he makes his intent clear. “I can hear EXEK staples such as ESG, Public Image Ltd and Michael Rother all still firmly present,” Albert says. “I used that dubby and krauty foundation to springboard into some choruses that ended up sounding like The Go-Go’s or Corona.”

He goes on to hint that the next album will have more of that, but the whole jumping between influences idea is really “just business as usual.”

Another aspect of EXEK being more than Albert’s mind is its large lineup. Today, they’re a sprawling six-piece ensemble, with members coming in and out over the years. “A few years ago, I decided I’d better start checking people’s references – a solid CV is a start, but it doesn’t mean anything unless you double-check rental history,” Albert quips. “And hence here we are, as the EXEK Sextet.”

Looseness is a throughline in everything they do, which Albert recognises. “All great art needs to teeter on the precipice of destruction. That’s why not practising is important, as it keeps your guard up. With our type of music, we can afford to stay loose. If you’re in the Melbourne or Sydney Symphony Orchestra, maybe go home and do some scales.”

Clearly, EXEK have amassed a dedicated cult following in Melbourne’s eclectic music scene. They’re celebrating their new heights at DFA with an album launch at the Curtin on 14 March. It’s a venue they always love to play, but Albert confesses they could do without the “airport-like” security when having a ciggy there. “The game’s got a price,” he resigns.

Albert doesn’t really know what else he’d do besides music. “I’d just be at the pub more,” he jokes. “That shit can be expensive though, and recording at home doesn’t cost me a dime. As fun as the pub may be, it’s fulfilling to have a long-term project.” He sure isn’t pumping the brakes on EXEK anytime soon.

EXEK

WHERE: THE CURTIN

WHEN: 14 MAR

RINRIN

Perth’s kawaii metal trailblazer

RinRin wants you to bring a fan to her next gig…

Æ RinRin is the musical project of Filipino-born, Perth-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Qarin Hipe. Over the past five years she’s carved out a genuinely unique lane in Australian heavy music, blending pop-punk, nu-metal and kawaii influences into something she’s previously described as ‘if Babymetal and Bring Me The Horizon had a baby’. What started as bedroom demos during the 2020 lockdowns has grown into a signing with UK label Year Of The Rat Records and a 2024 arena tour across six cities in China with Walk Off The Earth.

Beyond the genre-hopping, RinRin has built an entire fictional multiverse around her music, where different “variants” of her character exist across alternate realities. Her songs unravel dystopian narratives of survival, revenge and resilience, all wrapped in anime-inspired visuals and produced alongside Chris Lalic of Windwaker. Even recent single CORNDOG! exists as an in-universe “ad break” for a fictional cat-run restaurant called Purrfectly Fried.

“I’ve always loved drawing and making up stories. I used to do it for fun as a kid. I never really stopped until now,” she says. “Music just became another way to bring those ideas to life. Creating a semi-fictional universe lets me combine everything I love about music and art and express myself and my story in how I feel and view the world.”

She reckons the local heavy scene is still warming to what she does. “I feel like kawaii metal and genre-bending stuff is still in its ‘huh?’ phase locally, but I think there are those in the metal scene that’re definitely open to it, especially in the younger crowd,” she says. “Live audiences here can still be traditional when it comes to what ‘metal’ is supposed to look and sound like, but once people are exposed to the new and they like it, the people commit hard.”

Her dream rider? “Lots of Kit Kats, sushi, Cool Ridge water (600ml specifically), and warm tea. I’m a simple girl.” The one thing she wants every punter to bring to her shows? “A fan. An electric or hand fan up is to them. I wanna make fan puns on stage.” And the best live show she’s ever seen? Japanese metalcore act Paledusk in Perth. “I watched the guitarist do these insane spinning kicks on stage and it completely fried my brain. It was chaotic and sick and made me want to go harder.”

HART

WORDS BY AUGUST BILLY

In a city saturated with parties, HART has carved out a reputation as a music-forward, communityfocused event.

Æ The Naarm-based party collective will host its biggest night to date at 24 Moons on Friday March 6, with co-founders Josh Mckenzie and Wynn Stefani presenting a stellar lineup, headlined by Berlin DJs Boris and MCMLXXXV.

Both DJs are dream bookings for HART, representing the broad spectrum of sounds that make up contemporary queer techno.

“When it comes to queer techno, it doesn’t get much bigger than Boris and his residency at Berghain,” says Mckenzie, who DJs as Jack Hardmen. “His sets there are the stuff of legend.”

The same can be said of MCMLXXXV (pronounced: 1985), the co-creator of Herrensauna, a label and party crew that has been at the vanguard of Berlin’s queer club scene over the last decade.

“Queer techno wouldn’t be what it is today without the infamous parties Herrensauna has thrown over the last decade,” says Stefani, aka Sluddy Daddy.

Mckenzie and Stefani launched HART less than 12 months ago. They both have more than two decades of experience playing raves, clubs and festivals across the globe. But HART spawned from a desire to create a queer party that put techno in all its various forms under the spotlight.

“Most of the parties we play are sex-on-premises affairs – cruising-heavy spaces where the music serves a very specific function,” Mckenzie says. “In those rooms, you’re often locked into a narrower sound. With HART, we wanted to move beyond that, to build something broader, more expansive, and driven by the dancefloor, not just the dark corners.”

HART is an inclusive party that says no to sexism, ageism, racism, homophobia, transphobia and body shaming. It’s also an environment where partygoers can expect to hear a broad cross section of music that fits under the techno banner.

“We opened the last event with more traditional techno, around 125 or 130 BPM,” says Stefani. “Really sexy, sleazy early-2000s techno sounds. By the final set, we were closing with proper hard techno, around 160 BPM. It’s a wild ride.”

RINRIN

WHERE: BERGY BANDROOM

WHEN: 19 MAR

HART PRESENTS BORIS & MCMLXXXV

WHERE: 24 MOONS, NORTHCOTE

WHEN: 6 MAR

Sun 22 Mar 2pm – 4:30pm

Powerful percussion and melodic overtones from Australia, Senegal, Cuba and Mali.

JOLTED ARTS SPACE

LIVE MUSIC: avant-garde and experimental performances in an intimate 60-seat theatre. Expect boundary-pushing sonic art, contemporary music and visual exhibitions that challenge the norm.

FAMOUS FOR: being a new home for the avant-garde in Australia. Housed in an 1888 Victorian Heritage building that was originally a bank, JOLTED positions people with disabilities at the heart of independent local culture.

INFAMOUS FOR: its grungy aesthetic. The unpainted walls and period details give the space a raw, intimate vibe that’s perfect for experimental art but might surprise first-timers expecting a polished gallery.

Æ When you’re craving something a little left of centre, JOLTED Arts Space awaits. The Northcote venue is tucked into the heart of the inner north’s cultural corridor at 342 High St, and it’s essentially a playground for artists pushing boundaries, where any genre goes. Equipped with a modest theatre, gallery space, outdoor courtyard, multiple workshop rooms and a commitment to accessibility, there’s really nothing else quite like it in Melbourne.

Whether you’re catching an experimental performance, browsing a visual exhibition in the foyer gallery, attending a sound workshop, or just grabbing a drink in the courtyard during an event, JOLTED’s got you sorted. With a heritage building as characterful as this, the programming doesn’t need to be anything special, but thankfully the team here’s gone above and beyond to deliver thought-provoking, genre-defying work that sings with creativity and innovation.

JOLTED Arts Space presents 20-30 events per year, showcasing projects from JOLT’s in-house artists alongside work by guest artists and other organisations. JOLT Arts also runs an NDIS Workshop program for artists living with disabilities. The venue’s multiple spaces - including workshop rooms, a welcoming gallery with high ceilings for larger-scale works, and an outdoor courtyard with marquee bar - make launches, performances, workshops and exhibitions a breeze. Plus, the entire building has been retrofitted for accessibility, including ramps and an accessible bathroom.

If you’re able to resist the temptation of experimental sound art and envelope-pushing performances, then congrats – you’re stronger than the rest of us.

WHERE: 342 HIGH ST, NORTHCOTE

OPEN: WHEN EVENTS ARE ON (SEE JOLTED ARTS SPACE WEBSITE)

THE LEADBEATER HOTEL

LIVE MUSIC: Since 2019, The Leady has carved out serious cred on the local circuit, with its bandroom hosting everyone from Teenage Dads and Great Gable to Eliza & The Delusionals, Holly Hebe, RaRa Viper, Mid Drift and Playlunch.

FAMOUS FOR: the weekly specials. Hospo Monday brings extended happy hour all night, $1 wings and free pool. Tuesdays deliver two-for-one mains. Wednesday is trivia with $23 parmas and schnitzels. Thursday means steak night with $15 rump. Friday has pasta and wine. Saturday lunch runs $20 burger and pot until 5pm. Happy hour runs Tuesday to Sunday from 4pm to 7pm with $10 pints, $7 wines and $8 house spirits.

INFAMOUS FOR: punching well above its weight for international and interstate heavy acts. This autumn alone, the bandroom hosts Finnish grindcore legends Rotten Sound, Aussie thrash pioneers Mortal Sin celebrating 40 years of Mayhemic Destruction with Hidden Intent, American Idol finalist Thunderstorm Artis, CashTrippy’s 2026 Australia tour, plus Mammon’s Throne and Aquilus for an album launch.

Æ The Leadbeater Hotel is your classic front-bar-meets-bandroom setup, where a proper neighbourhood boozer meets one of Melbourne’s most respected live music rooms tucked behind it.

The venue recently completed a full overhaul of its lighting rig alongside significant sound upgrades including new midfill speakers, foldbacks and processors, making the room sharper than ever for both punters and performers.

With cold pints, proper pub grub and a bandroom that keeps delivering the goods, The Leadbeater Hotel is essential for anyone chasing live music in Melbourne’s inner east.

WHERE: 1 CHURCH ST, RICHMOND

OPEN: TUE–THU 3–11PM / FRI–SAT 12PM–1AM SUN 12–11PM / MON 3–11PM

MIKE PARR /// HUH (JPN) /// SAYAKA BOTANIC (JPN) /// I HOLD THE LION’S PAW /// MARIA MOLES + THE AMPLIFIED ELEPHANTS /// NOISE SCAVENGERS /// BOLT ENSEMBLE /// )-(u||!c|< /// DYAD /// NAARM UNDERGROUND /// BRUNSWICK MUSIC FEST /// VOICEWORKS /// ABSORBED FEST /// SIGGRAPH SPARKS TALKS

The Substation, 13 March Tix: https://thesubstation.org.au/

MUSIC /// VISUAL ARTS /// DIGITAL ART & MORE

JOLTED Arts Space 342 High Street Northcote Tix/Info: https://jolted.art/

by )-(u||!ck Melbourne International Comedy Festival JOLTED Arts Space, 9-18 April

Colonial Drift

Æ William Crighton described Colonial Drift best on Insta recently: “...a swag of songs inspired by my relationship with my big beautiful land. Things like Aboriginal lore and wisdom, colonial and convict history and the continuous fight to keep the bush healthy and the old growth forests off the back of semis and out of wood chippers.”

Cockatoos screeching, “A top of 51 degrees, that’s an all-time record for Australia,” an Indigenous elder’s voice (“shame on you”), surfing radio stations, “We’re all people, we’re all the same… we bleed the same blood, ay?”, a motor engine struggling to spark – encapsulating many of Colonial Drift’s themes, the opening sound collage Drift 1 sets the scene.

Crighton co-wrote a lot of Colonial Drift with his wife Julieanne, and when the couple sing in unison it feels inclusive and universal. Visual lyrics are infused with a strong sense of place throughout. You’ll feel like you’re casting a line beside him on a Murrumbidgee fishing trip, “making damper on coal, drinking billy tea”.

“Wild and untamed as a wedge-tail flies/ Saplings grow where their old bones lie…” –Australia, a poignant piano ballad with wind blowing through, employs sensory-rich language to stunning effect.

The late, great Rob Hirst – Crighton’s friend and mentor – contributed to two album tracks: Horizon – with its stirring, recurring lyrics (“More money in mud than dust”) – and the standout Warzone, a rallying call to action: “This is not a warzone/ This is my home”. “We got a Woolies on the corner and a KFC/ Tiny phones and big TVs/ But there’s a part of the sky we can’t get back…” – Warzone timestamps where we’re at right now, culturally. First-rate storytelling through an Australian lens, delivered with chest-beating intensity.

Rolling thunder, ghostgum shadows, emus running, hungry eyes, distant whistling, ancient riverbeds that won’t forget – Further Down The Road awakens all of our senses: “Is anybody out there?/ Further down the road,” Crighton almost-whispers. Extreme vibe shift: “Fire in the sky, feet in Maralinga/ If I work another day in this pit I’ll pull the trigger/ I’ll never get a night’s sleep, I gotta find some peace…”

During Poor Ned’s cooked synth breakdowns, we can picture Australia’s most famous bushranger being chased through the bush by cops, bullets pinging off his homemade armour while he calmly returns fire with a rifle – a perfect example of Crighton’s trademark bushpsych sound.

The Way It Works concludes with a career-best, impassioned vocal performance. Like watchful spirits reminding us we’re never alone, William Barton’s yidaki vibrates through the closing couplet of Beautiful Country and Peaceful Land.

This bush balladeer is dedicated to making music that gives us a deeper understanding of Australian history and First Nations people. Colonial Drift reminds listeners to live in harmony with nature and value what truly matters.

LABEL: ABC MUSIC

RELEASE: 20 MAR

CHET FAKER

A Love For Strangers

Æ Fifteen years have passed since Chet Faker (born Nick Murphy) broke through with his viral cover of Blackstreet’s No Diggity. After releasing a handful of EPs and one album as Chet Faker, Murphy then unveiled a pair of records under his birth name before reverting back to the moniker for 2021’s Hotel Surrender set.

The opening Over You eases in gently, sighing strings and delicate piano chords setting the stage for Murphy’s flawless, soulful croon: “I was gettin’ over/ You-oo-oo…” His instinctive phrasing and immaculate pitch are always welcome; no affectation, just unfiltered artistic expression.

Piano, birdsong, harp and windchimes –the upbeat 1000 Ways captures the feeling of falling in love. Murphy checks in, “Is your heart okay?” over a jangly beat that won’t quit.

Wooing tracks are sprinkled throughout this record – yep, it’s romantic AF. “And I will come/ Alone/ For yoouuu…” – Far Side Of The Moon sounds like finally locking lips with someone you’ve been crushing hard on for years.

This Time For Real unleashes a trademark soaring note – what a showoff! Here, Murphy sounds buoyant and optimistic: following a werewolf-like “Aah-OOH!”, he giggles then clears his throat.

Featuring fluttering synth and a string ensemble, Remember Me is almost Van Dyke Parks-level grand. Sax saunters in, then sizzles periodically.

During Inefficient Love, a softly strummed acoustic ballad, Murphy’s multi-tracked harmonies are heavenly. Fingerpicked guitar, woozy synth, lively tambourine – aLex vs aLex’s dulcet, wispy tones elevate The Thing About Nothing and Oh No Oh No’s intricate beat drips with hip-hop flava.

Crestfallen vocals – emotive to the perfect degree – floating atop melancholy, danceable beats is our favourite Murphy mode. Chet Faker is back, baby!

LABEL: BMG

RELEASE: OUT NOW

KELI HOLIDAY

Capital Fiction

Æ “I’m the life of the party/ Dance on your table, while I’m kissing your aunty…” – Peking Duk’s Adam Hyde initially described his Keli Holiday alter ego as “a very confused, heartbroken man that still thinks he’s the shit”. Holiday has since recovered from said heartbreak (see: luv’d-up banger Dancing2).

Written about Hyde’s real-life meet-cute story with his current partner in life – media personality Abbie Chatfield – Dancing2 is tonally derivative of All My Friends by LCD Soundsystem, condensed for the short-attention-span generation. Its opening atmosphere and sultry, extended “IIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiii” also brings Bowie’s Heroes to mind. Still, we’re powerless to this #1 hit song’s undeniable appeal – especially once the bongos kick in.

(“A pocket full of…”) Ecstasy, with its whistling refrain, will get you dancing, too.

Champagne on ice, Armani suit – hold tight, Somebody, we’re on our way! This brooding, The Cars-esque electro highlight channels ‘80s chic.

Listen out for a recorded snippet of Hyde and Chatfield having actual sex during the horny More’s bridge.

Melodically, the closing Favourite Stranger – a ballad on a bed of sparse keys and elongated strings – evokes Barry Manilow’s exquisite Mandy.

Music for partying, pashing and popping off, Holiday’s second album serves shimmering synths, lashings of sax and banging beats interspersed with some soft serenades. Capital Fiction documents his romantic dream boyfriend era: “Call me Chalamet ‘cause I’m in my P/ Limping out the party like I’m Timothée.”

NEWTON FAULKNER

Octopus

Æ A five-year creative hiatus preceded Newton Faulkner’s eighth album release, which is named after an eight-limbed sea creature. His unique, percussive fingerpicking remains at the heart of what Faulkner does, although he’s switched out his trademark acoustic guitar for a distortion-charged Höfner violin bass.

Funky, vibrant electric guitar licks, percussive güiro and soaring vocals that evoke Gotye at times – this album gets down from the get-go, with hooks so catchy they’ll adhere to your brain like suction cups.

“That’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout – OOOOOWHOOOO…” – delivered with raucous, werewolf-level intensity, opener Alright Alright Alright sounds like an unhinged all-nighter in full swing. Ukrainian sibling duo The Bloom Twins (Anna and Sofiia Kupriienko) bring cheerleader energy to this one.

What Took You So Long, which follows, demonstrates what happens when Faulkner fully surrenders to his creative muse – nothing’s off limits.

Showcasing Faulkner’s heartfelt vocals to perfection, Spirit Meets The Bone boasts a gently swaying pace and tumbling keys – a synchronised arms-swaying-overhead moment for his future shows. Don’t Make Me Beg is a soulful crooner.

The boppy, Pharrell-esque Gravitational belongs on a TV network’s summer programming sizzle reel. Then Tic Tac Toe sashays into old-school, happy-clappy territory, resplendent with an anachronistic electric guitar solo.

“It’s so much better to be together” –sung a cappella, the closing Gratitude gives barber shop quartet vibes and underlines one of this record’s main themes: we truly are better together.

Faulkner often sounds like multiple musicians playing simultaneously, which makes Octopus a fitting title. After just one listen, you’ll want to “linger on it”.

GORILLAZ

The Mountain

Æ For record number nine, Gorillaz set themselves a challenge to “make an album about death that made people feel less afraid of death”.

Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett had been reflecting on mortality after both of their fathers died, just ten days apart. The pair found comfort in the afterlife beliefs favoured by Eastern religions, which impacted The Mountain’s themes. Albarn turned to music, composing The Sweet Prince in the days following his dad’s death.

Although Anoushka Shankar (sitar), Ajay Prasanna (flute) and Viraj Acharya (tabla) are integral to The Mountain’s sonic palette, Gorillaz’ quirky signatures – nursery-rhyme melodies (The Manifesto feat. Trueno and Proof), whistled hooks (see: Orange County’s winsome refrain) – remain.

Inside The Moon Cave, Black Thought’s rap oozes smoothly over glitchy, shuffling beats, hopeful strings and wafty flute. For The Happy Dictator (featuring the brilliantly bonkers Sparks), 2D sounds more like Albarn himself than ever before.

With its belly-dancing beat that won’t quit, Damascus feat. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) is a cheeky belter. The Shadowy Light teams Gruff Rhys with 91-year-old Bollywood legend Asha Bhosle.

The Mountain speaks five languages – Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish and Yoruba – and features unused recordings of now-deceased Gorillaz collaborators including Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Dennis Hopper and Tony Allen. “Shrunken China heads… Peg-legged slave traders…” – Delirium immortalises Mark E. Smith’s unmistakable, dramatic timbre.

“Now there is nothing and I have gone/ No more mountains no more song/ No more prayers sent up into space/ Only screens left to see your face” – closer The Sad King circles back to the self-titled opener’s bewitching sitar/flute/tabla blend. An impeccable addition to the Gorillaz catalogue.

LABEL: INDEPENDENT

RELEASE: OUT NOW

LABEL: COOKING VINYL

RELEASE: 6 MARCH

LABEL: KONG RELEASE: OUT NOW

GIG GUIDE MARCH 2026

THU 26 FEB

THE BELAIR

LIP BOMBS Corner Hotel. Richmond. 7pm. $40.40.

BELLA CLAXTON

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $39.90–49.90.

TOM LINDSAY

The Jazzlab. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $25–30.

FLEXIBLE SKY

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $75.

GOOD MUSIC

THURSDAYS Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7.30pm.

CLAYTON DOLEY

Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. $20.

HANNAH COHEN & SAM EVIAN

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $60.79.

HARRY MANX

Sooki Lounge. Belgrave. 6.30pm. $62.25.

FRENZEE. GRIM

RHYTHM, R.U.B., DADFIGHT

Shotkickers. Thornbury. 7pm. $28.80.

BODY TAX. DARCY FOREVER, HARD

RUBBISH

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $11.25.

HEARTACHE

TONIGHT: SPEED QUEENS

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 8pm.

XANDER CUMING

Baxter’s Lot. Fitzroy. 9pm. Free.

PUFFER. SHOVE, CANTONA

The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 8pm. $36.25.

DAN & CYRIL

The Fifth Province. St Kilda. 8pm.

CHINA. HELLELLUJAH, FARNOZZ, KIMBOCLAT

Wax Music Lounge. Melbourne. 9pm. $16.45.

INNER SANCTUARY

FT: DJ JNETT, DJ

Jimmy James Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 4pm.

JAMIE MACDOWELL

Freddie Wimpoles. St Kilda. 7pm.

ROBBIE CAVANAGH + KAREN LEE

ANDREWS

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $46.

JARRYD GOUNDREY

The Espy. St Kilda. 7pm. $41.35.

STAY GOLD

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: HEAT 2

FT: Sage, Violet Tendencies, Paper St, Magpie, Unscored

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

THE DARYL

MCKENZIE JAZZ ORCHESTRA

FT: Josh Kyle

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

HEAR MY EYES–TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY

Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7pm. $89.

SKABHANGERS

Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. Free.

STEPH CROTHERS: DADDY DAYCARE

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 8.30pm. $32.92.

ROSS WILSON & THE PEACENIKS

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $60.

FRI 27 FEB

FATHER DEER HANDS. IRKEN ARMADA

Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $15.43.

THE EAGLES

GREATEST HITS: 2026 TOUR

The Round. Nunawading. 7.30pm. $79. SPLIT SYSTEM. PUFFER, CONDOR, THE ANTICS

The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $43.80.

TONY J KING

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. Free.

JAZZPARTY

Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $33.66. HATCHIE Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $33.15.

TYPECAST X URBANDUB: 25TH

ANNIVERSARY TOUR

Prince Bandroom. St Kilda. 7pm. $114.75.

HARRY MANX

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $50–60. DIVORCED DAD

ROCK NIGHT Sooki Lounge. Belgrave. 8pm. $18.40–24.50.

HYDE PARK HI-FI

FT: DJ Casper, Laces, Nabii, Since Contact, Swag Traffickers, Twinlite, Zorg, HPHF DJs New Guernica. Collingwood. 10pm. $20.

ALEX HUGHES DUO

The Bay Hotel. Mornington. 9pm.

STIGG. BEAR THE MAMMOTH, SPIDER GOAT CANYON

Shotkickers. Thornbury. 8pm. $18.45.

INFINITE COLES: TRANSENERGY & REVOLVER FRIDAYS

FT: Bbsanii, Henry Who, House Mum, Jesse DM, Michaél Beaty, Mike Callander, Sophie Forrest, Tong Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 10pm. $21.42–31.62.

GIDDY UP STRUT

FT: The Nashville Jukebox, Queens Country & Line Dance, DJ Clay Tharle Croxton Bandroom. Thornbury. 8pm. $35–45.

MELLOWING.

QUIET NEIGHBOURS, THE MUNDAYNES, PET THERAPY

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

UN-LIMITED

TRIO. DJ ALEE

The Fifth Province. St Kilda. 9pm.

FRIDAYS WITH MIKE GURRIERI

FT: Mansa & Friends

Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 4pm.

KATE MCKAY

Freddie Wimpoles. St Kilda. 8pm.

WOODY SAMSON

& JAY BRUNO

Baxter’s Lot. Fitzroy. 9pm. Free.

LXRP. SHIRKHER, SIMONA 808GTR

Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $13.30.

MATT HART.

SUBURBAN SPELL, PALLIATIVE, DJ MATT HART, DJ SPIKE, DJ CROWLEY Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 9pm. $28.05.

THE PEARLY SHELLS

SWING ORCHESTRA

The Jazzlab. Brunswick. 8pm. $35–40.

BELLA CLAXTON

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $39.90–49.90.

DAY WE RAN

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $30.

SEVDALINKA: A NIGHT OF LOVE SONGS

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

AM//PM EMO NIGHT + THORNHILL OFFICIAL AFTERPARTY

FT: Paledusk & Ocean Grove (DJ Sets), Ghostseeker, Sundreamer Stay Gold. Brunswick. 8pm. $23.75–25.

THE BELAIR LIP BOMBS Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm.

ROSS WILSON & THE PEACENIKS Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $60.

THORNHILL. AMIRA ELFEKY, PALEDUSK, HEAVENSGATE

Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 6.30pm. INTERVAL

FT: Backyard Mix + Goldi Glamorama. Fitzroy. 10pm. $20–30.

COME TO BRAZIL: GEORGIE AUÉ BAND

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $45. FLEXIBLE SKY: MELBOURNE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA WITH SLAVA GRIGORYAN Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 7.30pm. $65.

THE FOUR SCOOPS

Bar Open. Fitzroy. 6.30pm. Free.

ST KILDA BLUES FESTIVAL

FT: Hussy Hicks, Geoff Achison, Kim Volkman, Cold Snap, Rod Paine & The Fulltime Lovers, more St Kilda. VIC. 10am. Free.

SNOTTY NOSE REZ KIDS X BAARKA

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 8pm. $65.47.

HEAR MY EYES–TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7pm. $89.

SAT 28 FEB

PALEDUSK. PENI PARKER, FALLWEATHER, DEFICIT

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $54.90.

DREAYZO TAKEOVER. SHKEN, JEDIJIM, CHANS, DTAV, LEUK, NOZZ Sooki Lounge. Belgrave. 9pm. $19.40.

THE TIGER LILLIES Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $60.79.

BELTIN’ ELTON WITH NITIDA

Ragtime Tavern. Preston. 8pm. Free.

THE POCKET TRIO

The Jazzlab. Brunswick. 8pm. $35–40.

STELLA DONNELLY Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm.

GEORGIA RODGERS Daylesford Hotel. Daylesford. 2pm. Free.

NO ERA & FRIENDS Whitehart Bar. Melbourne. 12pm.

BRACE. BABY RAPTOR, THE MESS Shotkickers. Thornbury. 8pm. $23.45.

GLAMORAMA

SATURDAYS: FOSTERS + OZO X GLASSHOUSE Glamorama. Fitzroy. 8pm. Free–$30.

JERRY. THE PAYBACK, ORANGE MOON Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $24–29.10.

THE TIGER LILLIES Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $60.79.

THE HILLBILLY GOATS SHOW The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7pm. $25.33.

PANDA LILLY.

RARA ZULU, BRENT WATKINS Wax Music Lounge. Melbourne. 9pm. THE LONELY WEEKENDERS. DJ AHA

The Bay Hotel. Mornington. 9pm. FRONT & CENTRE FT: The Halves. Heart Shaped Aces, Phoenix Street, Hannah & The Heartstrings The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $24.90–27.95.

JACK HOWARD’S EPIC BRASS Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $39–60.

ST KILDA BLUES FESTIVAL

FT: The Jump Cats, Mission Brown

The Fifth Province. St Kilda. 1.30pm.

FILTH SOCIETY:

THE REUNION

FT: Jack Darcy

Prince Bandroom. St Kilda. 7pm. $24–39.80. HOMEBASS

Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. Free.

LEWIS TOMS

Baxter’s Lot. Fitzroy. 9pm. Free.

WAVES

FT: Naone. Silki, Eddie Guy New Guernica. Collingwood. 10pm. $20–25.

PROGRESSIVE POWER ALLIANCE. TERAMAZE, VANISHING POINT, TERRESTRIALS

Bergy Bandroom.

Brunswick. 8pm. $35.20.

HANNAH KATE. BAD BANGS, HBCG, TECHNO 666

The Tote. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $23.50.

MIXED TAPE

Freddie Wimpoles. St Kilda. 8pm.

NTS NAARM 2026

FT: 3Phaz, Abe Pedroza, babyschön, bodies of divine infinite and eternal spirit, Bridget Small, more Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 5pm. $156.77–166.36.

POLLY & THE POCKETS. FRONS, BAGLICKER

The Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $17.35.

RADIUM DOLLS

Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $38.76.

GORDON’S GRANDSON

The Espy. St Kilda. 1.30pm.

KID HANK & HIS OCKERSTRA

Post Office Hotel. Coburg. 9pm.

DEATH BY DENIM

The Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 7pm. $28.85. MAD PROFESSOR

Croxton Bandroom. Thornbury. 8pm. $55.60–76.50.

ST KILDA BLUES FESTIVAL

FT: Hussy Hicks, Geoff Achison, Kim Volkman, Cold Snap, Rod Paine & The Fulltime Lovers, more St Kilda. VIC. 10am. Free.

LITHE

170 Russell. Melbourne. 7pm. $69.90.

GEORGIA SCARLETT

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $28.30.

MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: STRAUSS & MOZART

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $43.

ALBARE & JOE CHINDAMO PLAY JOBIM

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 6pm. $45.

ALANNA & OLD HAT

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $45. THE JACKETS. BLOWERS, THE STATES, HANDGRENADE HEARTS, HYPNAGOGIC FONDUE

Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 7pm. $49.50.

MANIFEST–A

SACRED RAVING BUSH EXPERIENCE BY RITUAL: THE SACRED RAVE

FT: Amy, BDE, DJ Galactic Rainbow, Mihow, Mīssiyá, Psyris, Soulphonious, Unalome Monbulk. VIC. 12pm. $88.

HEAR MY EYES–

TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (MATINEE SESSION)

Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 2pm. $89.

STEAMBOAT WHISTLERS

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. Free.

BOB SEDERGREEN & FRIENDS

Geelong Botanic Gardens. East Geelong. 4pm. $22.

RACHAEL BECK: IN THEIR OWN WORDS The Round. Nunawading. 1.30pm. $60.

THU 05 MAR

JACK’S GARAGE: THE PRESETS Hotel Esplanade (aka The Espy). St Kilda. 7.30pm. Free.

DEEP SOUTH BRASS 8 BAND

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $35.

FROST CHILDREN

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $71.14.

2026 SEASON OPENING GALA

FEATURING JEANYVES THIBAUDET

Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7.30pm. $76–139.

TRIPSIDE LIFE Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

360. PEZ

The Deck. Ballarat. 7.30pm. $59.90. EUSTER Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm. THE SHACKMEN

Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. $20.

THE BLACK SORROWS

Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 8pm. $69.90.

WORDPLAY

FT: Rachel Ang, Tony Birch, Osman Faruqi Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $22.

THE 1980S. CELLTOWERS, SECRET MIGRAINES

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 7pm. $11.25.

THE JAZZ ALCHEMISTS

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $35.

2026 KINGSTON WOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Kingston City Hall. Moorabbin. 9.30am.

ALFIO ANTICO & GO DUGONG / LA MACCHIA

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $47.94.

THIS IS LORELEI. WAY DYNAMIC

Howler. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $59.

INTO DARKNESS: A NIGHT OF ETHEREAL ALTERNATIVE & SHOEGAZE

FT: Purrers, Kite Vendor, S.A.N, Spouse, Nausicaa Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7pm. $20.

SLOW BURN SESSIONS

FEAT: Javiera Diaz, Cherie Blossom, Zuva Shotkickers. Thornbury. 7.30pm. $18.35.

RAINBOW GIRLS

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $46.

BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL

FT: DJ Haram. Sknow, Stev Zar, Hiphophoe, Megatronic Quadraphonic Club. Brunswick. 7pm. $44.40.

ANNAHSTASIA

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $59.90.

ROBERTO FONSECA: LA GRAN DIVERSIÓN Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $69–89.

FRI 06 MAR

MORTAL SIN. HIDDEN INTENT

The Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $51.

PITCH MUSIC & ARTS 2026

Moyston. VIC. 10am.

THE LITTLE BOURKE BIG BAND PRESENTS: THE MUSIC OF COWBOY BEBOP

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

SUZIE SO BLUE

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. Free.

DIRTY LOPEZ

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

DISCO INFERNO

Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 11pm. Free.

FORTY YEARS OF STEVE EARLE’S GUITAR TOWN

FT: Shane Nicholson, Duncan Phillips, Freya Josephine Hollick, Lachlan Bryan, Rebecca Barnard, Kim Volkman Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $29–50.

OLDBOY. GABRIEL MUÑOZ, CAPTAIN WALLOP

New Guernica. Collingwood. 10pm. $32.93–38.

LIVE BABY LIVE: THE INXS TRIBUTE SHOW

Prince Bandroom. St Kilda. 8pm. $39.80.

IWD: WOMEN OF BLUES FESTIVAL

FT: Nardia, Kaliopi & The Blues Messengers, Cold Snap, Delta Debi Candlish, Minnie & The Moonrakers, Stella Anning, Back Alley Sally, Linda Stainton Trio, Marni Rose, Lizzy D. Smith The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 5pm. $37.25.

THE DROPKICKS. THE SCREAMAGERS, MORE

Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8.30pm. $18.40.

IN THE MOMENT RADIO: LAUNCH WEEKENDER

FT: Finn Rees Ensemble, Ella Thompson Soul Chamber Trio, Mike Gurrieri Quadraphonic Club. Brunswick. 6pm. $38–71.25.

PATERSON’S CURSE. DIRTY WASABI, HERE BE GIANTS Shotkickers. Thornbury. 8pm. $13.36.

SALLY SELTMANN. SOPHIE KOH, JUDY SELTMANN Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $40.40.

THE BIG HOO HAA!

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

RIOT FEST

FT: GnR: Guns’n Roses Tribute, Through the Never: Metallica Tribute, Cuckoo for Caca: Faith No More Tribute Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $35.30.

BOG MONSTER. THE WORLD AT A GLANCE, BLIGHT, NON Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $13.30.

NERVE MELBOURNE 2026

Brown Alley. Melbourne. 10pm. $11.67–$32.84.

SING: THE OLIVIA & KAREN SHOW

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

FROST CHILDREN

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $71.14.

CHILLOUT 2026: BIG GAY BANG–THE WELCOME PARTY Daylesford Hotel. Daylesford. 6pm. $25.50. THE PRETTY LITTLES The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $25.

ANIA Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm. INTERRUPT FESTIVAL 2026

FEAT: Trash80, Chipzel, Chibi-tech, Mikey303, AzuriaSky, Perhaps Bry, cTrix, Calavera, Abraide, Hope.DMG, Avrilcadabra, NeonSystem95, Dot.ay, Kate Geck, Snottdog, Cat Full of Ghosts Kindred Bandroom. Footscray. 7pm. $48.69–84.15.

IRELAND: THE VOYAGE

The Round. Nunawading. 7.30pm. $59.90.

JACK’S GARAGE: SLOWLY, SLOWLY Hotel Esplanade (aka The Espy). St Kilda. 7.30pm. Free. OBONGJAYAR Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $79.90.

MICHAEL CERA

PALIN. MOWGLI Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $74.97.

MARCUS KNIGHT Morris House. Melbourne. 6pm. JAKSON. LITTLE BORED, KOTLAS BEGEMOT Cactus Room. Thornbury. 8pm. $13.80.

GUSTO GUSTO. BROMHAM, MALCURA Evelyn Hotel. Fitzroy. 8pm. $22.94–30.

MARY MOTORHEAD/ TRADE

Malthouse Theatre. Southbank. 7pm. $50–110. SUPERMODELS.

THE STATES, POLLYMAN

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. $15.05.

THE COMFORT. ALERA, CAUTION:THIEVES

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $22.95.

HELLRAISER: A FUNDRAISER

FEAT: Flyying Colours, Screensaver, The Empty Threats Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 9pm. $36.72.

SAT 07 MAR

PITCH MUSIC & ARTS 2026

Moyston. VIC. 10am.

JACK’S GARAGE: ANNA LUNOE

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

SKA-BQ

FT: The Ska Vendors, Miss Skatonic, DJ Gary Skaman

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 2.30pm. $28.60.

IN THE MOMENT RADIO: LAUNCH WEEKENDER

FEAT: François K, Zepherin Saint Quadraphonic Club. Brunswick. 6pm. $38–71.25.

CHILLOUT

2026: MARY! COSMOSEXUALS Daylesford Hotel. Daylesford. 7pm. $40.

THE SUBURBAN

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

MAHALIA BARNES

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 6pm. $50.

WICKED SMILE

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7pm. $29.10.

CHAIN

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

CLUNK ORCHESTRA Bar 303. Northcote. 3.30pm. Free.

SPEED BUMPS.

OIL RIG, THE RARTEL Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7pm.

TRASH INDIE

SLEAZE PARTY

Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 11pm. Free.

THE NEW WAVE OF NAARM HARDCORE

FT: Blackbird, Destroy, Lockjaw, Pillars

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $10–15.

ARTIST TALK WITH ABHIJIT PAL Kingston Arts Centre. Moorabbin. 11am.

THUNDERSTORM

ARTIS

The Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $47.45.

KYLIE AULDIST

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $40.

EMO DIVA

1ST BIRTHDAY

Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 9pm. $12–22.

QUICK FIX

FT: D.Tyrone, Alice Payne, Bbsani, Vee

Wax Music Lounge. Melbourne. 9pm. $10.95–21.95.

SPRING DITCH! 2026

FT: Queen of Hearts

Mariachi Band, Buddhadatta, Amaya Laucirica, The Lulublues, The Skabhangers, DJ Jane Doe, DJ Prof, John Walker

Stanley Recreation Reserve. Stanley. 11am. $40.

LA MAUVAISE RÉPUTATION

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. Free.

BUDD + VAGUE

RITUALS

Trash Cult. Eaglehawk. 7pm. $20.

THE MUSIC OF DJANGO REINHARDT WITH QUARTET

NOUVELLE

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

THAIKKUDAM BRIDGE

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $56.30–128.72.

TILLY LOVECOCK

Morris House. Melbourne. 7pm. SECOND IDOL Cactus Room. Thornbury. 8pm. $15. G FLIP. THE BEACHES, AYESHA MADON Margaret Court Arena. Melbourne. 7pm. LAST WORDS EMO NIGHT

FT: Bad/Love, Some Heard Trouble, Gratitude Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $18–25.

BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL: CROSSFADER WITH DJ KRUSH. J-RED, TEENAGE ENGINEERING PRESENTS THE BEAT INVITATIONAL Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $44.37.

LIAM HIGGINS

Brunswick Artists’ Bar. Brunswick. 4.30pm. Free. 2026 SEASON

OPENING GALA

FT: Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7.30pm. $76–139.

MARY MOTORHEAD/ TRADE

Malthouse Theatre. Southbank. 7pm. $50–110. CHRISTINE ANU Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $57.63.

LIVE AT THE GARDENS: THELMA PLUM + SONS OF THE EAST. JEM CASSAR-DALEY Royal Botanic Gardens. Melbourne. 5pm. $89.90.

THU 12 MAR

KRYVER. BELL HOP, KEYO ROSES FLYING CIRCUS Cactus Room. Thornbury. 7pm. $15.

THE LOCKIE BENNETT TRIO: THE MUSIC OF BUD POWELL

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

TONY J KING

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

MARY MOTORHEAD/ TRADE

Malthouse Theatre. Southbank. 7pm. $50–110.

STAY GOLD BATTLE OF THE BANDS: HEAT 3

FT: Cass Aware, Bite My Tongue, Orphix, Ethereal Gone Kids, Phoenix Street

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

STEVE POLTZ

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $54.67.

ELEPHANT SESSIONS

Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $46.

JEFFREY MARTIN. MATTHEW COLIN Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $44.

CALEB FOSTER.

LILAC, ATLAS The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $28.60.

KAREN FROM FINANCE: OUT OF OFFICE

Howler. Brunswick. 7pm. $38.76.

BIRD’S BASEMENT 10TH ANNIVERSARY WEEK

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

BADBADNOTGOOD

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $91.70.

TOFF LIVE PRESENTS: STUPID F*CK THE SILLY CLOWN

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 9.30pm. Free. JADE PAW

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

FRI 13 MAR

FF NEWS PRESENTS: THE CRASH OUT TOUR

FT: Oopsy, Cult Shotta, 4orttune

Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $23.44.

360. PEZ

Studio 185. Werribee. 9pm. $59.90.

FANTASTIC NEGRITO

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 8pm. $72.04.

MINI SKIRT

The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $27.95.

FLOSSY. OLZA, ALICE RUBY

Grace Darling Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $20–25.

STEVE POLTZ

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $25–55.

BARCELONA GUITAR

TRIO & DANCE

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $89–129.

STAY GOLD ALL STARS PLAYS

PARAMORE

FT: Members of Matahari, The Gloom In The Corner, Melancolia and Caution:Thieves

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $15.

WILD DOG MOUNTAINS. TEAM LOVE, CHELSEA HOTEL Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $22.95. FAKER

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $35.

G_TANO

Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. EREIGNIS

The Thornbury Local. Thornbury. 8pm.

DISCO COOKOUT

FT: Cookin’ on 3 Burners

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $33.15–40.40.

COMEDY AT THE SHIRLEY

Shirley Burke Theatre. Parkdale. 7.30pm.

HUGO RACE & MICHELANGELO

RUSSO: 100 YEARS

Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm. $35.

ACCUSEFIVE

Festival Hall. West Melbourne. 7.30pm. $101.79.

SHY FX + RAGE. MALA. DILLINJA. JPS Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $88.94–94.04.

DOWNSTAIRS DISCO

FT: Steely Ann, more Wax Music Lounge. Melbourne. 9pm. Free.

SVAVAR KNÚTUR. MACHINE TRANSLATIONS

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $28.30.

CASHTRIPPY

The Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 7pm. $85.70.

JIGJAS

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 6pm. Free.

PAUL TABONE

SALUTES ANDREA BOCELLI The Round. Nunawading. 2pm. $69.

NARDIA PRESENTS: THE WOMEN OF JAZZ AND SOUL WITH ISEULA Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9.30pm. $45.

MARY MOTORHEAD/ TRADE

Malthouse Theatre. Southbank. 7pm. $50–110. RANDALL GEORGE Morris House. Melbourne. 6pm. LIVE AT THE GARDENS: CUT COPY.

TODD TERJE, CC:DISCO!, CRAZY P, COLETTE Royal Botanic Gardens. Melbourne. 5pm. $119.90.

NACHT II

The Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts. Clayton. 7.30pm. $20–45.

SALARYMEN

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7pm. $22.95.

GROOVE VULTURES: THE VULTURES RETURN

Hotel Esplanade (aka The Espy). St Kilda. 7.30pm. $15.85.

JUICE

FT: Aroha, Sammie, Kahu

The Toff In Town.

Melbourne. 11pm. Free.

JIM MOGINIE & THE FAMILY DOG

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $60.79.

SAT 14 MAR

KIM SALMON. HARPO WAH

Cactus Room. Thornbury. 8pm. $34.20.

BASEMENT

SPACEMAN:

APOLLO 17 (3 DAYS ON THE MOON). GHOST PARABLE

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $17.10.

WOMINDJEKA BALNARRING NGARGEE

FT: Dan Sultan, Candice Lorrae, Canisha, Kiwat Kennell, Boon Wurrung Ngargee Dancers Emu Plains Reserve. Balnarring. 10am.

DELICIOUS DRILL + SUBURBAN SPELL

Brunswick Artists’ Bar. Brunswick. 4.30pm. Free.

MERAKI MINDS. GREVILLEA HEDGE, MORE

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7.30pm. $10.63.

THE DARLINGS FAMILY TRUST DUO Daylesford Hotel. Daylesford. 2pm. Free.

THE REMOTES. FLICKERING STARS, LA SCIMMIA

Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $13.30.

TRASH INDIE SLEAZE PARTY Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 11pm. Free.

JAMIE HAY. LIAM WHITE, JEN BUXTON, BEC STEVENS, JMS HARRISON

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $23.50. ZEITGEIST FREEDOM ENERGY EXCHANGE

Wax Music Lounge. Melbourne. 9pm.

BOY SODA

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

BMW OPERA FOR ALL

FT: Opera Australia Singers + Orchestra Victoria. Australian Girls Choir, Shauntai Abdul-Rahman Fed Square. Melbourne. 6.30pm. Free.

YOGIPALOOSKA

FT: The Kittyhawks. Admiral Ackbar’s Dishonourable Discharge, Loonee Tunes, Kujo Kings, DJ Beefy Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $28.05.

MELINDA SCHNEIDER

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $39–60.

LUCA CIARLA SOLORKESTRA

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 3pm. $45.

THE DEVIL’S VIOLIN

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $49.

ACID ARROW

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. Free.

MILD ORANGE.

HEAVY CHEST, MORE Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $56.80.

ATMOS + SONIC SPECIES. MR PECULIAR, MACRO, OZZY

Prince Bandroom. St Kilda. 9pm. $39.80–50. THE BORDERLAND

Trash Cult.

Eaglehawk. 7pm.

MAMMON’S THRONE. AQUILUS, CHIEF WHIP

The Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 7.30pm. $23.75.

YUNG SINGH. DR DUBPLATE, HOTBABE93

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $74.90–79.90.

EXEK. SEASON 2, TECHNO 666, DJ

BRIDGET SMALL

The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $33.45.

NYOTA: RADIANCE UNBOUND

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7pm. $23.46–38.76.

JAMES REYNE: FALL OF CRAWL TOUR. BOOM CRASH OPERA

The Croxton. Thornbury. 7pm. $75.

CAMERON AVERY

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $41.82.

DAVID CAMPBELL: GOOD LOVIN’ & MORE

The Round. Nunawading. 7.30pm. $89. BMW OPERA FOR ALL Federation Square. Melbourne. 6.30pm. Free. THE STAMPS

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $20. OUTLOVED

Hotel Esplanade (aka The Espy). St Kilda. 7.30pm. $33.15.

SUMI. UGLIEBOY, SOFT PORN

Grace Darling Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $19.99–24.99.

THU 19 MAR

AN EVENING OF STORYTELLING WITH MARK HOPPUS

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 8pm. $79.90–119.90. THE LISTENER

LOUNGE #1: MY STORY

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $100.

RINRIN. CLOSURE, NIGHTLIGHT

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7pm. $34.

NEUROSPICY: A LIVE PODCAST ON ACCESSIBILITY IN THE ARTS

The Round. Nunawading. 7pm. $25.

NINA FERRO & THE GOLD STANDARD

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

SUB-SOL + RUBITA

Bar 303. Northcote. 7pm. $25.

TONY J KING

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

THE LOTUS SEVEN + RICE OUT THE WINDOW

The Curtin. Carlton. 7.30pm. $22.85.

A CELEBRATION OF THE CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 6pm. $45. FUEL

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7pm. $32.92.

SATANIC SURFERS

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 7pm. $59. OUT OF FOCUS. POWDER BLUE, SNUG Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm.

JUDE PERL

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $25–45. DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN TOUR

Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 7.30pm. $79.

STAY GOLD

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: HEAT 4

FT: The Dropkicks, The Opals, Blyss, The Clones, Crushed Lavender

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

DON MORRISON

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

EXHIBITION CELEBRATION EVENT FOR HANNAH BRONTË, DAVID ROSETZKY & CAROLINE MONNET

Kingston Arts Centre. Moorabbin. 6.30pm.

FRI 20 MAR

THE FAX. THE 50/50’S, MESSIAH TENINJIN

Trash Cult. Eaglehawk. 7pm. XLC PRESENTS: THE HUMANE METHOD. SYDNEY WATER, DJ DOS, WESTALL 66

The Workers Club. Fitzroy. 8pm. $15. INSTITUTE. RAPID DYE, STATION MODEL VIOLENCE, MK NAOMI, BODY MAINTENANCE

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 7pm. $35–45.

ANNEMARIE SHARRY’S BOSSARACH. BOB SEDERGREEN

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

GYROSCOPE

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $54.98.

VELVET TRIP

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $35.30.

CLARE BOWDITCH

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $65–85.

THE GRAND WAZOO LEGACY TOUR: 45 YEARS OF SOUL Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $55.

NERVE MELBOURNE 2026

Brown Alley. Melbourne. 10pm. $11.67–$32.84.

GEOFF ACHISON & SHANNON BOURNE

Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm. $35.

HANNAH MONTANA: 20TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

Hotel Esplanade (aka The Espy). St Kilda. 9pm. $14.80– 22.95.

DR. COLOSSUS. SCARNON, KASEM

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $38.45.

SUZIE SO BLUE Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. Free.

EIVØR. SYLVAINE Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7pm. $89.90.

LISE & SARAH’S DISCO CLUB Festival Hall. West Melbourne. 7.30pm. $109.90.

ROCK AND ROLL CHAOS

FT: Grindhouse, Headbutt, The Half Pints

Gem Bar. Collingwood. 8pm. $18.10.

MUNT + NEMBUTOLIK

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $33.15.

TIM ROGERS. MILLY STRANGE

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $72.93.

SAT 21 MAR

LULIEPALOOZA 2026

FT: Grace Cummings, Private Function, Big Noter, Wilsh, Benjamin Stewart, Georgia Knight, Frenzee, Grim Rhythm, The Vovos, The Gnomes, The Smith & Western Jury, Deadnecks Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 11.30am. $28.60–105.10.

PLASTER OF PARIS. TERRIBLE MURIEL, BABYSITTER

Cactus Room. Thornbury. 8pm. $16.75.

HOLY MOSES HEARTACHE

Brunswick Artists’ Bar. Brunswick. 4.30pm. Free. MOLER. SPITTING CHIPS, PENNY IKINGER SOLO

The Tote Hotel. Collingwood. 8.30pm. $25. FRONT PORCH Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

VAUDEVILLE SMASH: THE GIFT (10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW)

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $24.39.

SIREN SOUNDS 2026

FT: Identity Error, Detestor, Variant, Victoria K, Terra Rouge, Grass Stains, Sage, Violet Tendencies

Penny Black. Brunswick. 2pm. $39.80.

PAPER ARMS + ARROWS. SIDESPLITTER

The Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 7.30pm. $33.94. VS SELF. KNUMEARS Prince Bandroom. St Kilda. 7pm. $50.90.

BA & THE MILL BDAY BASH

FT: KILAT. Quest Master, Purrers, Your Mothers Disgusting Window, Giant, Messianic Gloss, Nerve Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 6pm. $28.05–33.70.