Beat 1740

MELBOURNE, SAY WILLKOMMEN! TO BERNIE DIETER AND HER DEBAUCHED AND DELICIOUS CLUB KABARETT

RISING ⠃ MUSIC 27 MAY

— 08 JUNE

A FESTIVAL OF NEW ART, MUSIC AND PERFORMANCE IN THE HEART OF NAARM/MELBOURNE

LIL’ KIM • KAE TEMPEST

DANIEL AVERY • SEUN KUTI & EGYPT 80

SAINT LEVANT • ADRIAN SHERWOOD

CATE LE BON • DRY CLEANING

SAUL WILLIAMS MEETS CARLOS NIÑO & FRIENDS

WEDNESDAY • TR/ST • ANAIIS

RAVEN CHACON • CHANEL BEADS

THE CONGOS • KAHIL EL’ZABAR • SORRY

DISCOVERY ZONE • THE BATS

ELIAS B RØNNENFELT • SAICOBAB

GIL SCOTT-HERON BY BRIAN JACKSON & YASIIN BEY AND MANY MORE

RISING

AT MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE

ANAIIS

THURSDAY 4 JUN 8PM

FRIDAY 5 JUN 8PM

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

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

EDITOR

Lucas Radbourne

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Frankie Anderson-Byrne

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Riley McDonald

GIG GUIDE

Jacob Colliver

CONTRIBUTORS

August Billy, Bryget Chrisfield, Sarah Duggan, Dom Lepore, Jake Fitzpatrick, Molly England

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Rob Furst

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EDITORIAL NOTE

Bernie Dieter brings joyous energy to every room she enters, and it’s exactly why she’s on the cover of our May issue.

Æ The Australian-born, Berlin-forged queen of Weimar punk kabarett has taken over the Meat Market, so we sat down with her to talk about the show, the chaos and the craft behind it all.

Elsewhere, we chatted pizza shapes and shoeys with Maggie Lindemann before she brings her new album I Feel Everything to the Forum. Then over at Northcote Social Club, Katy Steele is stripping things right back: we spoke to The Little Birdy frontwoman about her new material, recorded largely in single takes across a single day. Plus, Mike Scott, The Waterboys’ one constant since 1983, is returning to the Palais with a warning - a few lyrics may have been quietly improved since you last heard them.

Last but certainly not least, we have Melbourne’s own Madigan’s Wake, who are making a serious case for Celtic folk punk. Between the fiddle, the tin whistle and the brutally distorted guitar, it’s music with roots and teeth in equal measure. Plenty to get into this month.

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 May cover star is Bernie Dieter, photographed by Giulia Giannini McGauran.

STÜM’S BIGGEST HOMETOWN HEADLINE GIG LANDS IN MAY

The Melbourne-raised, London-based DJ and producer has announced a one-off headline show at Forum Melbourne on 1 May, presented by Untitled Group and DJ Mag. STÜM has been at the forefront of Australia’s dance music scene, fusing high-energy house, colourful techno and classic club influences.

GENESIS OWUSU LAUNCHES PIRATE RADIO TOUR ACROSS AUSTRALIA

The seven-time ARIA Award winner is taking his Red Star Wu’s Pirate Radio Tour across seven cities in May, in support of third album Redstar Wu & the Worldwide Scourge, out 15 May. He hits Forum Melbourne on 21 May.

EARL SWEATSHIRT AND MIKE UNITE FOR JOINT HEADLINE SHOW

Hip-hop’s two most singular lyrical voices are bringing their decade-long creative partnership to The Timber Yard on 23 May for a joint headline show. Earl Sweatshirt has built a cult following through abstract, introspective rap across five studio albums, while MIKE’s lo-fi production and poetic lyricism have made him one of New York’s most respected underground artists.

ASIA’S UNDERGROUND INTERNET RAP SCENE LANDS IN MELBOURNE

SEBii, kimj and Billionhappy are heading to Australia for the first time, presented by TEG Dainty. All three sit at the intersection of underground rap, club music and internet culture, part of a generation that’s built international audiences entirely outside traditional industry pathways through SoundCloud and cross-border digital communities. The Night Cat, Melbourne on 23 May.

ALISON WONDERLAND RETURNS HOME FOR GHOST WORLD TOUR

The Sydney-born electronic artist is returning for her Ghost World Tour behind her fourth studio album. With over 1.1 billion global streams and a touring resume spanning Coachella, Red Rocks and Tomorrowland, Wonderland brings one of the most high-impact touring productions in electronic music to 170 Russell on 5 June.

DANGEROUS GOODS XXL SCALES UP WITH NEW LOCATION

The rave that sold 22,000 tickets last time is back at Melbourne Showgrounds on 27 June, relocating from its previous venue for a major scale-up. The first seven of 15 headline acts have been locked in, with SLVL, USH and OMAKS among the names announced so far.

BANDROOM - X 2 SETS

NAAVIKARAN: THE MYSTIQ HOMECOMING - WITH MISS UNDERSTOOD + KÃMNA THE BERGY OPEN MIC NIGHT - PRESENTED BY RSOM - PRE BOOKED + 4 WALK IN SPOTS! $10 PINTS! AN EVENING WITH NATHAN VEGA - WITH INIGO M AGNO + MEKKY

ARVO - JOSIE‘ S VACATION - WITH TAINTED FACADE + ROSCOE MULE + HEARTH SUNDAY SCHOOL FT :

(JPN)

07/06 PRIME CIRCLE 09/06 COUNTRY STRUTS BOOT SCOOTING CLASS 12/06 HUGH CORNWELL (UK) 13/06 STARSHINE - TRIBUTE TO STEVIE NICKS & FLEETWOOD MAC

14/06 MEI SEMONES (USA) SELLING FAST 20/06 RYAN OAKES (USA) 23/06 COUNTRY STRUTS BOOT SCOOTING CLASS 26/06 THE SMITHS CELEBRATION 27/06 GO-JO: THE GO-JO VARIETY SHOW 04/07 BON BUT NOT FORGOTTEN 07/07 FROM THE JAM (UK) 08/07 DRAKE MILLIGAN SELLING FAST 12/07 BEN KWELLER (USA) SELLING FAST 31/07 WEENED

01/08 THE PRETTY LITTLES 02/08 MOTTA MAADI MUSIC

07/08 FIRE FROM THE GODS (USA) 14/08 SUNK LOTO SELLING FAST 15/08 THE ANGELS

01/05 KATY STEELE 02/05 ANNA SMYRK 03/05 JORDIE LANE & BAND (LATE MATINEE) SELLING FAST 04/05 ‘SOCIAL SANCTUARY’ w RELAYS, MAQUINA PELIGROSA + HOT MILK MACHINE 07/05 RACHAEL FAHIM 08/05 FACS (USA) SELLING FAST 09/05 ROLLERBALL SELLING FAST 10/05 THE REMOTES (LATE MATINEE) 11/05 ‘SOCIAL SANCTUARY’ w MADI LEEDS, SYDNEY MILLER + SOPHIE EDWARDS 14/05 BILLY CART 15/05 CHRIS CAVILL 16/05 MONSTERS OF RIFF 2026 FT. ELM STREET 18/05 ‘SOCIAL SANCTUARY’ w SANTA ANA RODEO, TALLULAH GRACE + MEISIE

17/06 INCANTATION (USA) 19/06 JOHN SPLITHOFF SELLING FAST KATY STEELE

21/05 DADDY LONG LEGS 22/05 BLUEBOTTLE KISS 23/05 DEVIL ELECTRIC 25/05 ‘SOCIAL SANCTUARY’ KASUMUEN TAKEOVER WITH SISTER PAUL (JP), VELVET PARADE + EBI NORI AND THE PHANTOM FINGERS

27/05 I HOLD THE LION’S PAW 28/05 EGOISM 29/05 KATHLEEN HALLORAN 06/06 RUBY JONES 07/06 WARNER BROTHERS RESIDENCY (LATE MATINEE)

11/06 THE BATS (NZ) SELLING FAST 12/06 ROD COOTE

13/06 JORDAN HART

14/06 WARNER BROTHERS RESIDENCY (LATE MATINEE)

THE DRONES RESURFACE AFTER A DECADE OF SILENCE

The Drones are returning to stages across the country for an eight-date tour running August through September, with The Mess Hall along for the ride. The Melbourne show lands at Thornbury Theatre, marking the band’s first live appearances since December 2016. Frontman Gareth Liddiard and bassist Fiona Kitschin will step away briefly from Tropical Fuck Storm for the run.

THE TEMPER TRAP TOUR BEHIND FIRST ALBUM IN A DECADE

The Melbourne-formed four-piece will take new album Sungazer, their first full-length in 10 years, to Forum Melbourne on 11 September. Sungazer blends the band’s signature anthemic sound with electronic textures and dancefloor energy, all anchored in Dougy Mandagi’s expansive voice.

STRAWBERRY FIELDS’ BOUTIQUE OFFSHOOT CELEBRATES ITS FIFTH BIRTHDAY

Wonder Mountain heads back to Victoria’s High Country for its fifth birthday, with the intimate electronic camping festival returning to Beechworth in September. The event has carved out a reputation as one of the state’s most well-curated small-scale gatherings.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD END A 12-YEAR AUSTRALIAN ABSENCE

Avenged Sevenfold are heading back for their first Australian shows in over a decade, with Rod Laver Arena on 20 October locked in as the Melbourne date. Coheed and Cambria and Melbourne heavyweights Thornhill join as special guests. The band have been touring behind their eighth studio album Life Is But a Dream…, a sharp creative pivot into existential and avant-garde territory.

BILL BAILEY CHANNELS VAUDEVILLE’S CHAOTIC GOLDEN ERA

The British comedian is returning with a sprawling 17-date national tour. Vaudevillean takes its cue from the original prime-time entertainment format, blending Bailey’s trademark musical chops with surreal comedy and variety-style performance. Known for Black Books and his Strictly Come Dancing win, Bailey plays Hamer Hall on 20 October.

INTERSTELLAR GROOVE DROPS ITS BIGGEST LINEUP YET

The boutique Victorian electronic camping festival returns to Tallarook from 30 October to 2 November with three stages of programming for its biggest edition to date. The four-day gathering has built a loyal following among Melbourne’s electronic music community.

ROBBIE WILLIAMS BRINGS BRITPOP TO AUSTRALIAN STADIUMS

Robbie Williams’ BRITPOP World Tour hits Marvel Stadium on 11 November as part of a seven-date stadium run. The tour centres on his latest album BRITPOP, a surprise January release that returns to the guitar-driven sound of mid-90s Britain, featuring collaborations with Chris Martin of Coldplay and Gaz Coombes from Supergrass.

CHARLIE PUTH ANNOUNCES WHATEVER’S CLEVER WORLD TOUR

The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and producer behind Attention, We Don’t Talk Anymore and Light Switch is bringing the Whatever’s Clever world tour to Rod Laver Arena on 7 November as part of a six-date Australian and New Zealand run.

ORKESTRATED IS RETURNING TO THE BOWL

Danny Rants, Orkestrated and Kinetix Group have announced Our City, Our Sound: Melbourne Club Legends at Sidney Myer Music Bowl. The follow-up to the 18,000-capacity sold-out original is a tribute to the DJs, promoters and venues that built Melbourne’s dance music identity. The first edition sold out in 48 hours without any traditional marketing spend.

LEAPS AND BOUNDS EXPANDS ACROSS THE CITY OF YARRA

Melbourne’s winter live music festival has opened expressions of interest for its 2026 edition, expanding with more venues and a broader program than ever. The annual festival has become a cornerstone of Melbourne’s winter cultural calendar, turning pubs, bars and band rooms across Fitzroy, Collingwood and Richmond into a multi-venue showcase.

A NEW INTIMATE VENUE IS BEING BUILT ABOVE SOUTHBANK

Construction has kicked off on The Peter and Ruth McMullin Beacon, an intimate 80 to 100-seat performance space at the very top of Melbourne Recital Centre’s architecturally striking Southbank building. The hidden room will become a brand new venue with views across the city.

ALWAYS LIVE EXPANDS INTO REGIONAL VICTORIA WITH FREE GIGS

The Victorian government’s ALWAYS LIVE program is expanding beyond Melbourne with Victorian Vibes, a new free live music series delivering pop-up performances across Ballarat and regional towns. The initiative aims to bring live music to unexpected public spaces across the state.

YIRRAMBOI UNVEILS FOUR NEW COMMISSIONS FOR 2027

Melbourne’s First Nations arts festival has unveiled four new commissions ahead of its 2027 edition, spanning performance, visual art and digital media. The commissions continue YIRRAMBOI’s role as a platform for ambitious new First Nations work developed and presented in Naarm.

FLICKERFEST SHOWCASES NINE VICTORIAN SHORT FILMS AT KINO

Flickerfest is bringing its Best of Melbourne Shorts program to Kino Palace Cinema, showcasing nine Victorian short films hand-picked from a record-breaking 3,700-plus entries.

NATIONAL CELTIC FOLK FESTIVAL DROPS STACKED 2026 LINEUP

The National Celtic Folk Festival returns to the Bellarine Peninsula from 5 to 8 June. International acts on the 2026 bill include Scottish artists Amy Henderson and Luc McNally, Astro Bloc and Misha Macpherson, alongside Irish outfits Colm Broderick and Niamh Dalton, Saltaire, Séamus and Caoimhe and more.

ROCKWIZ HEADS BACK TO WHERE IT ALL STARTED

After years on the road, RocKwiz is returning to the Gershwin Room at The Espy in St Kilda for four intimate nights from 26 to 29 May. Julia Zemiro, Brian Nankervis and the RocKwiz OrKestra are back with all the classic segments — Who Can It Be Now?,

Million Dollar Riff, The Furious Five — plus rotating special guests. No recordings, no broadcasts, just the show happening live in the room where 175 episodes were filmed across 14 seasons.

RISING EXPANDS WITH PASIFIKA BLOCK PARTY AND SHUFFLE CLASSES

RISING’s latest program additions include God Save the Queens, a free Pasifika block party taking over Fed Square on 7 June led by The Royal Family Dance Crew. The festival is also offering Melbourne Shuffle classes taught by Victorian dance legends, voguing sessions, Bollywood workshops and Polyswagg choreography breakdowns. Latenight addition Bass Lounge runs beneath Chinatown’s Paramount Food Court from 10pm to 4am across two nights.

MSO MARKS 40 YEARS SINCE ELTON JOHN COLLABORATION

Forty years since Sir Elton John invited the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on a national orchestral tour, the MSO is celebrating with four concerts at Hamer Hall from 1 to 4 October. Chong Lim AM, John Farnham’s long-time musical director and one of Australia’s most respected arrangers, is at the helm for a program that promises to balance orchestral sweep with rock punch.

THE DAMNED BRING 50TH ANNIVERSARY FAREWELL TO MELBOURNE

Half a century of chaos, and The Damned are still standing. The pioneering British punk outfit have announced four farewell shows across Australia and New Zealand this September, including a Melbourne date. The band hold a stack of firsts in UK punk history — first punk single with New Rose, first punk album with Damned Damned Damned, and first British punk band to tour the US.

BOBBY LEE’S FIRST-EVER HEADLINE SOLO TOUR COMES TO MELBOURNE

After more than 30 years of performing, the MADtv cast member, Bad Friends and TigerBelly co-host has never headlined a fullscale solo tour of his own. The Finally Tour hits the Plenary at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on 14 August. His debut hour-long comedy special, executive produced alongside Bill Burr, is streaming on Disney+.

ODD MOB ANNOUNCES HUGE SPRING HEADLINE RUN

The Australia Vol 2.0 tour follows a mammoth year for Odd Mob, which saw him join John Summit as main support on a sold-out national run, play Coachella and pack out his own headline shows. The Timber Yard in Melbourne on 19 September is the local date, presented by Untitled Group. International bookings for 2026 include Tomorrowland main stage, a Las Vegas residency and dates across the US, Asia, UK and Europe.

Wesley Anne Wesley Anne

BERNIE DIETER’S CLUB KABARETT

“German Kabarett is not afraid to get down and flirty and be a bit naughtier and edgier and wild.”

Coming off the back of a roaring success at Adelaide Fringe Festival, Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett is barrelling into Melbourne in all its delicious debauchery.

WORDS BY MOLLY ENGLAND

Æ

“Adelaide has been a wild ride, but Melbourne are the best audience in the world,” Dieter tells Beat ahead of her five week stint in Melbourne.

Dieter and her motley crew haven’t been back for seven years, and their return has been welcomed with raucous applause and soldout houses. With eighteen five-star reviews in the first weeks of their season, it’s safe to say that audiences are frothing at the mouth for a taste of Club Kabarett.

Bernie Dieter is no stranger to the Kabarett scene; circus is in her blood.

Her Oma grew up in a travelling circus in Dresden, selling popcorn and working with the animals.

“My Oma was a beautiful, powerful woman. I try to channel her in the show as much as I can. I have a drinking song toward the end of the show that is dedicated to her. She taught me how to drink in more ways than one!”

After 16 years in the biz, Dieter is not only the undisputed queen of her genre, but she has honed her performances into a transcendental experience that subverts expectations of what people assume to be Cabaret, “the glamorous, French feather and champagne” kind, to it’s raunchy, satirical and rebellious older sibling: Kabarett.

“German Kabarett is not afraid to get down and flirty and be a bit naughtier and edgier and wild,” Dieter said.

With the rise of fascism across Germany and Europe in the 1920s and 30s, Kabarett was forced underground, as the political commentary integral to its ethos that pushed the image of unity despite differences was too controversial for the government and leading powers of the day.

Kabarett celebrated individuality, freedom of expression and created a haven for those who felt different.

“It became a secret rebellion against oppression. It’s a really powerful artform in that way. That’s why I love German Kabarett with a ‘K’. We’re not afraid to be a bit political, a bit edgier.”

What has kept the tradition of Kabarett alive is not only the boundary-pushing nature of the performance style that audiences love, but the heart at its very core that makes them feel seen.

“What really pulls the show together is a thread of human connection, which is something I am very passionate about. It’s something that in our current society that is not so encouraging, you know? We are living in a world where we are really polarised and divided.

“But actually, I find that at the heart of it all, people really want to connect and understand each other better. We make everyone welcome. We never punch down; we’re not making fun of anyone.

“We lift everyone up, and that’s what’s important. Everyone is celebrated and welcomed. What we offer is a place where everyone is welcome, everyone is safe.”

Club Kabarett is making its return to Melbourne in its newly evolved form.

“The show has evolved into what I would say is its best form. We’re like the final Pokémon!” Dieter says.

“We’ve evolved into an amazing, large-scale production. We’re taking it to an elevated level, really focusing on the fashion, working with amazing designers to create wearable art and amazing musicians. The band is incredible. It’s a really rocking, amazing band.

“We are so proud of where the show is, and the content, especially at the moment, what is happening in the world feels very poignant and powerful. It’s beautiful.”

Dieter has been seducing audiences for over a decade now, drawing them and delighting them with her witty, dirty lyrics and menagerie of performers.

“If we’re all laughing together, we’ve had a drink and are relaxed and open, we can all just have a bit of fun,” she says.

“The heart of everything I’ve done is a celebration of difference, diversity, rebellion and power, celebrating woman and strong women. We celebrate all different humans because, you know, it’s our differences that actually make us so beautiful and interesting.

“We are here with open arms for anyone who wants to come.”

For those revisiting the den of immorality and utter joy that is Club Kabarett, there are a few new acts joining the cast of infamous misfits. Caleb Cameron, tap dancer fresh from Crazy Horse in Paris, has joined the caravan.

“I mean, his feet are ridiculous. We have taken tap dancing and put it in a Berlin Club.”

There’s also a Glaswegian pole dancer joining the crew, who will be performing pole and hair hanging acts.

“I love the pole act. You know, as a woman and a pole dancer people have certain assumptions about what that means traditionally. They believe it is very much designed for the male gaze, but she really subverts it.

“She is a powerful woman. She comes out literally tearing these labels from your body: slut, whore. Throwing them to the ground and takes to the pole. I love the subversion of the norm in the act.

“Then, of course, we have some old favourites. I think people would be outraged if we didn’t bring the cake act back. Our beautiful drag performance artist Iva Rosebud does something very naughty and ridiculous with a cream cake.”

The global phenomenon that is Club Kabarett not only defies classification, but has established itself as an outlier, so singular in the levels of outrageous, salacious talent that celebrates the joys of being alive and defying the binary mould of conventional society. That’s what makes it so deliciously fun.

Bernie Dieter is on fire, and she’s not slowing down. Get yourself amongst the heat.

WHERE: MEAT MARKET, 3 BLACKWOOD ST, NORTH MELBOURNE

WHEN: 17 APR–24 MAY

This article was made in partnership with Velvick.

FESTIVAL GUIDE

SHADOWS OF WONDERLAND

Melbourne’s biggest hardstyle event returns to PICA for a night of pounding bass, lasers and dark fantasy. Radical Redemption, Warface, TNT, Bioweapon, Dimitri K, Krowdexx, Lekkerfaces and Toza make up the international-heavy lineup, with MCD hosting proceedings as the warehouse transforms into what organisers are calling a sanctuary of sound, ritual and raw intensity.

PICA, PORT MELBOURNE 1 MAY

GRAMPIANS GRAPE ESCAPE

Western Victoria’s iconic wine, food and music festival returns to the foot of the Grampians National Park for its 34th year. More than 90 stalls pour wine straight from the winemaker and plate food direct from the producer across a three-day programme that opens with Feel-Good Friday’s local bands and food trucks before expanding into masterclasses, cooking demos by guest chefs and live music all weekend.

HALLS GAP RECREATION RESERVE, HALLS GAP 1-3 MAY

BRIGHT AUTUMN FESTIVAL

The ten-day celebration of autumn colour and regional produce in Victoria’s Alpine High Country wraps up its 2026 programme with the highlight event: the Alan Findlay Memorial Gala Day on 2 May, featuring a market with over 200 stalls, live music in the streets and a grand parade through town. Open gardens, historical tours and the Bright Art Gallery’s annual autumn exhibition round out a festival that’s been running since 1962.

BRIGHT AND SURROUNDS, HIGH COUNTRY UNTIL 3 MAY

SOUTH SIDE FESTIVAL

Frankston’s annual arts and culture festival returns for 10 days of performances, installations, exhibitions and community events across the bayside city. The 2026 programme features the return of Neon Fields, transforming Beauty Park into a glowing wonderland of light and colour, while One Fell Swoop Circus presents In Common at Frankston Arts Centre. The free South Side Sea Soak brings cold-water swimmers to Frankston Foreshore at sunrise and street art walking tours wind through the city’s 100-plus murals.

VARIOUS VENUES

THE BIG DESIGN MARKET: ALMOST WINTER

The Big Design Market takes over the Royal Exhibition Building for three days of independent Australian design, gourmet food and wintery indulgence. More than 250 designers and makers showcase ethically made ceramics, jewellery, homewares, apparel and lifestyle products alongside 75-plus artisan food and drink brands. Melbourne artist Xue Fei Art transforms the heritage space with a bespoke installation, and a creative play space keeps the kids occupied while you shop.

ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING,

COMMON GROUND

A community-driven weekend of live local music, handmade goods and creative workshops in Melbourne’s west. Local makers showcase art, jewellery, homewares, fashion and self-care products alongside live demos and hands-on creative sessions, with live music running across both days. More market hang than traditional festival — this one’s about turning up, browsing the stalls and soaking up the atmosphere.

ST ALBANS 23–24 MAY

BERNIE DIETER’S CLUB KABARETT

The Green Room Award-winning queen of Weimar punk kabarett and her troupe of bombastic Bohemians continue their Melbourne residency at Meat Market. Expect fire-breathing, hair-hanging, contortion, unique aerials and Dieter’s signature blend of risqué humour, original songs and bold covers across a run that has been packing the venue since mid-April.

MEAT MARKET, NORTH MELBOURNE UNTIL 24 MAY

RISING

Melbourne’s flagship festival of new art, music and performance returns for 12 nights across theatres, town halls, galleries and public spaces. The 2026 programme features over 100 events and 376 artists, including hip-hop icon Lil’ Kim at Festival Hall, postpunk outfit Dry Cleaning at Forum Melbourne, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 at Hamer Hall, Cate Le Bon at Melbourne Town Hall and a massive free public dance event at Fed Square from Royal Family Dance Crew.

VARIOUS VENUES 27 MAY–8 JUN

STAGE GUIDE

HEATHERS THE MUSICAL

The cult rock musical based on the 1988 film wraps up its professional Australian premiere run, with Melbourne the first stop on a national tour. Welcome to Westerberg High, where popularity is a matter of life and death and Veronica Sawyer is just another nobody dreaming of a better day. Things take a dark turn when brooding outsider J.D. arrives with a plan to thin the school’s hierarchy permanently.

PLAYHOUSE, ARTS CENTRE

MELBOURNE UNTIL 3 MAY

JULIUS CAESAR

Bell Shakespeare’s striking contemporary staging of Shakespeare’s political masterpiece transplants ancient Rome to 1990s Eastern Europe. Directed by artistic director Peter Evans, the production features Leon Ford, Peter Carroll, Brigid Zengeni, Mark Leonard Winter and Septimus Caton in a companion piece to last year’s Coriolanus, shifting from the Republic’s rise to its bloody unravelling.

FAIRFAX STUDIO, ARTS CENTRE

MELBOURNE UNTIL 10 MAY

WAITRESS

Broadway’s smash-hit musical makes its Australian premiere in Melbourne. Natalie Bassingthwaighte stars as Jenna, a smalltown waitress and expert pie maker who longs to escape her rocky marriage and start again. Featuring an uplifting score by Grammy winner Sara Bareilles and direction by Tony winner Diane Paulus, this is a feel-good story of resilience, friendship and second chances brought to life by a trailblazing female-led creative team.

HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE FROM 1 MAY

GAME. SET. MATCH.

Written by and starring Megan Wilding, this new two-hander pairs Wilding with Rick Davies in a tightly wound encounter set on a humid night during the Australian Open semi-final. What begins as an opposites-attract romcom gradually reveals something darker and more unpredictable, with secrets surfacing and the balance of power shifting as the night stretches on. Directed by Jessica Arthur.

BECKETT THEATRE, MALTHOUSE 1–23 MAY

THE GLASS MENAGERIE

Melbourne Theatre Company brings Tennessee Williams’ haunting memory play back to its stage for the first time in two decades. Alison Whyte plays Amanda Wingfield, the heartbreakingly hopeful mother clinging to the past while trying to control the future, with Tim Draxl as her son Tom, who teeters between obligation and escape.

SOUTHBANK THEATRE, THE SUMNER UNTIL 5 JUN

SHOELACE CHASER

A warm and funny coming-of-age story about teenage friendship and caregiving from playwright Madelaine Nunn. This new MTC Next Stage commission will tour regional Victoria after its Southbank debut, marking the latest in a string of new Australian work championed by the company’s development programme.

SOUTHBANK THEATRE, THE LAWLER 9–27 MAY

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Following a critically acclaimed tour through Preston, Geelong and Canberra, Bloomshed’s inventive staging of Jane Austen’s classic romance and society satire arrives at Malthouse. This isn’t your standard bonnet drama — the production reimagines the story with the company’s signature wit from the depths of a housing crisis.

MALTHOUSE THEATRE 14–23 MAY

RETROGRADE

Ryan Calais Cameron’s gripping drama about racial politics in 1950s Hollywood arrives from London’s West End. The play conjures a fateful meeting between Sidney Poitier and a studio lawyer, a decade before Poitier would become the first Black man to win the Academy Award for best actor. Directed by Bert LaBonté, starring Donné Ngabo and Alan Dale.

FAIRFAX STUDIO, ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE FROM 16 MAY

Suzie Miller’s globally acclaimed onewoman play returns to Australian stages in a landmark homecoming season. Sheridan Harbridge reprises the role she originated — a confident criminal defence barrister whose certainty fractures when she finds herself on the other side of the witness box. Seen by more than 1.2 million people worldwide and translated into over 30 languages, this is the original Griffin Theatre Company production directed by Lee Lewis for a strictly limited run.

COMEDY THEATRE FROM 20 MAY

Regional GUIDE

WORDS

BY

FRANKIE ANDERSON-BYRNE

FESTIVALS

BALLARAT CABARET FESTIVAL

Ballarat’s premier performance arts event returns across two venues, blending city sophistication with regional charm. Local and national acts fill the program, with the flagship Festival Gala running four nights at Federation University. An eclectic celebration cementing Ballarat’s reputation as a serious cabaret destination.

BALLARAT CENTRAL 15–31 MAY

FISH CREEK TEA COSY FESTIVAL

The world’s biggest tea cosy festival returns to South Gippsland for its biennial nine-day run. Over 200 traditional, wild and whimsical entries from around the globe fill the exhibition space, drawing 7,000+ visitors. Craft workshops, gallery shows, high teas, artistic performances and the popular Bendigo Bank Market Day round out the program.

FISH CREEK

SACREDEDGE FESTIVAL

Hosted by the Unitingqueenscliff community, this three-day arts and culture gather ing celebrates radical inclusion. Musicians, storytellers, visual artists, and advocates for Indigenous, refugee, environmental, LGBTIQA+ and disability causes share one

Sea Wolves Howl

roof. Expect concerts, workshops, an ocean labyrinth, deep-listening sessions and great food in a warm community atmosphere.

QUEENSCLIFF 1–3 MAY

NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL AUSTRALIA

Melbourne’s most laid-back jazz weekend — run entirely by volunteers — spreads 42 bands across four intimate venues around Paine Reserve, just 200m from the train station. Trad, swing, blues, bossa and beyond feature, with headliners Bobby Sedergreen and Friends and Sarah MacLaine’s Quartet. Weekend and daily tickets available, concessions apply.

NEWPORT 2–3 MAY

KOROIT IRISH FESTIVAL

Southwest Victoria’s beloved Irish celebration returns for another craic-filled long weekend. Highlights include the Australian Danny Boy Championship, a colourful Saturday street procession, live Irish music headlined by uille ann piper Colm Broderick direct from Ireland, and the now-legendary Sunday lunchtime Rock the Boat dance. The 2026 theme: Koroit — The 33rd County.

KOROIT

RUTHIE FOSTER

Texas-born blues and gospel powerhouse Ruthie Foster brings her raw, soulful voice to two intimate regional Victoria venues. Weaving together gospel roots, folk and R&B, she’s a Grammy-nominated artist whose live performances are widely regarded as unmissable.

THE WATERBOYS

The Waterboys’ Mike Scott is many things. Prolific. Ambitious. Musical. Lyrical. But one thing Scott is not is ingratiating.

WORDS BY AUGUST BILLY

Æ This has been the case throughout the Scottish musician’s long career. How else would you explain the decision to follow the anthemic “big music” of The Waterboys’ commercial peak, 1985’s This is the Sea, with an album of Irish and Scottish folk music, 1988’s Fisherman’s Blues? And how else would you explain the monomaniacally-detailed storytelling of The Waterboys’ latest album, last year’s quasi-audio biography, Life, Death and Dennis Hopper?

Scott, who’s been The Waterboys’ one constant since the band formed in London in 1983, has always followed his nose, and his nose has never fancied nuzzling the same object for very long.

The Waterboys will be back in Australia this May for a national arena tour, stopping in Melbourne for a show at the Palais on 16 May. If the band’s recent tour setlists are anything to go by, fans can expect a hefty portion of the Dennis Hopper backstory.

“In Europe and the USA, we played a 45-minute set from the album in the middle of the show,” Scott says, chatting to Beat over Zoom from his Dublin home. “So, we would come on and play familiar music for the audience and then we would do a Hopper set and then we would do more familiar music, and that shape worked very well.”

Scott has been fascinated with the career and personal history of Hopper, a star of the New Hollywood era, for several years. A song called Dennis Hopper appeared on The Waterboys’ 2020 album, Good Luck, Seeker. He was able to fully indulge his fascination with Hopper, who died in 2010, on Life, Death and Dennis Hopper – a 25-song concept album that runs for more than an hour and features Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle and Fiona Apple.

“Dennis Hopper, what a man, what a life,” Scott says. “Not easy to write the songs, but very easy to identify episodes or eras in his life that were worth writing about. So, it was a very fascinating project. And to be not writing about myself as well, not writing autobiographically, but writing about someone else’s life, it was quite liberating. I really enjoyed it.”

Scott has never particularly struggled for songwriting inspiration. Life, Death and Dennis Hopper is The Waterboys’ 16th studio album, and he has also released a couple of solo LPs. But despite this level of output, he has always taken a fairly relaxed approach to songwriting.

“It’s very rare for me to think, ‘Well, all right, I’m going to write some songs now,’ and sort of dig in for a couple of weeks to write songs,” Scott says. “It’s more like I’m alert and I’m available, and when it’s ready to happen, I’m paying enough attention that I pick it up.”

The Waterboys haven’t abandoned the music with which they made his name. Several of the band’s most adored songs continue to appear in their live setlists, including their 1983 debut single, A Girl Called Johnny, and selections from Room to Roam (1990) and Dream Harder (1993). Fisherman’s Blues’ freewheeling title track is a live staple, and the bulk of This is the Sea gets a run most nights.

“I enjoy playing those songs,” Scott says. “They’re really good, really fun to play, which is why we still play them. The audience loves them too, so it’s dead easy to play them live.”

Scott can’t guarantee the songs will sound exactly as audiences remember them, however. He holds himself to a high standard, and sometimes that means tinkering with the past.

“If I’m not happy with a piece of the lyrics, sometimes I’ll go back to an old song of mine and I think, ‘What the hell did I put that in the lyric for? That’s not good enough.’ In fact, there’s a couple of lines in The Whole Of The Moon that I don’t like, that I never sing because I’ve changed them since.”

“I consider my songwriting as an ongoing process,” he adds. “I can change anything I like. And I’ll do that to other people as well. You know, if I sing a Bob Dylan song and I don’t like a couple of lines, I’ll fix them. They’re not museum pieces. They’re living things.”

THE WATERBOYS

WHERE: PALAIS THEATRE

WHEN: 16 MAY

MAGGIE LINDEMANN

WORDS BY JAKE FITZPATRICK

At a hotel somewhere in Nebraska, Maggie Lindemann is splayed across her hotel room bed.

Æ Legs still slightly aching from the gig the night before, this is her much-deserved day of bed rotting. “I truly have no idea where I am right now,” she laughs, her candour palpable. “I think we’re in Lincoln. I’m not fully sure though.”

Lindemann is currently living the nomadic life most musicians only dream of — where home is wherever you happen to lay your head that night. Where each day requires its own recalibration: figuring out where the nearest coffee shop is, what city you’re in, and whether you have the energy to leave the hotel at all.

“Usually on my days off I just chill and go shopping if I’m in a cool city. But Lincoln, Nebraska is not that. So today I’ll just rot.”

You can’t blame the 27-year-old either. For anyone who has attended a Maggie Lindemann show, they will know that it is a high energy performance. Where not a single soul leaves the gig without having sweated through every pore of their body. Lindemann’s latest tour in support of her new album, I Feel Everything is no exception to this rule.

The album, which was released in October of last year contains a catalogue of songs which detail the intricacies of pain. Written after breaking up with her boyfriend, NBA player Jordan Clarkson, the album interrogates the emotional fallout of lost love and the process of moving on.

“It’s about all the different emotions that come around pain, loss and grieving. I had a tonne of songs written before it [the breakup] happened and then I scrapped them. I Feel Everything was born out of that. It was a bad breakup, and it was just the easiest thing for me to talk about.”

The emotional intensity of the album even made its way into its visual identity. The cover quite literally features Lindemann lying on a bed of nails — and yes, the nails were real.

“It was just a bunch of little bruises. I just thought, fake nails or AI is just not cool. It’s only a little bit of pain for art that’s going to live forever. So, it was worth it.”

“I did hurt myself shooting it [the cover] but it was worth it for sure,” she says with an assured shrug. “It was just a bunch of little bruises. I just thought, fake nails or AI is just not cool. It’s only a little bit of pain for art that’s going to live forever. So, it was worth it.”

The raw emotions on the album have led to a noticeably more emotional crowd than the last time. “This tour has a completely different energy,” she explained. “Suckerpunch was very heavy. This one is a bit more emotionally driven. And that’s translated into the tour. So, it’s been a really interesting crowd reaction.”

Though, Lindemann is keen to point out that the sounds of a new album are looking like they will be markedly different next time around. “I just want to make something fun. I don’t want to make another sad album. It will be a little more pop leaning I think.”

In promotion of the new album, Lindemann will soon be returning to Australia for her second tour of the country. This time she will be playing at larger venues and expanding her itinerary, with shows scheduled in Perth and Adelaide alongside Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

“I’m literally so excited to come back,” she says. “I just want to explore more this time. Sydney, I had a day off last time. I saw kangaroos and stuff at this zoo. That was cool. I didn’t get to do it as much as I wanted to. It was also cold. So, I’m hoping it’s at least a little warmer this time around.”

Despite the weather, it seems Lindemann still got the full Aussie experience on her last visit. After sampling kangaroo, Vegemite, Tim Tams and various other Australian delicacies, she seemingly fell in love with one snack in particular. “I literally love Pizza Shapes,” she laughs. Before we wrap up, there’s one final question to ask — a crucial one for any international artist visiting Australia: would she ever commit to a shoey?

“I do know what a shoey is,” Lindemann says, cackling through the phone. “But I’m going to have to decline on that one. I’m sorry!”

I tried.

MAGGIE LINDEMANN

WHERE: THE FORUM

WHEN: 15 MAY

STEPH STRINGS

WORDS

BY FRANKIE ANDERSON-BYRNE

Nine years is a long time. Long enough to go from a sixteen-year-old uploading an EP for fun to a full-time musician with her debut album Feel Alive and a world tour locked in.

Æ I meet Steph Strings at Hope St Radio, her favourite bar in Melbourne, the one she says she’ll probably be buried in one day. It feels like the right place to talk about a record that’s fundamentally about belonging, to yourself, to a city, to the life you’ve chosen over the one that was handed to you.

I ask her how it feels, the gap between then and now.

“I think 2017, I was just doing it for fun. I was almost just like, here world, here’s an EP,” she says. “But now I’m a full-time musician, this is my job, this means so much more than it did ten years ago. Even just so much more money and time and more riding on this one.” She pauses. “You only do your debut album once. So there’s a lot of emotions tied to it.”

The most obvious difference between then and now? She didn’t sing at all back then. Steph built her reputation as a fingerpicker of uncommon dexterity, the kind of guitarist people talked about in reverent, slightly disbelieving tones. Touring with Kim Churchill, Ziggy Alberts, and Pierce Brothers only added to that.

“I was watching them perform thinking, they all sing,” she explains.

“Instrumental stuff is wonderful, but for where I wanted to go, I don’t think I could’ve done it just remaining a guitarist.”

I tell her it’s nice to have those timestamps, past versions of yourself preserved in amber. She nods. “It’s a time capsule for sure.”

The album was described as a celebration of growth, movement, trusting instinct. I push her on that. Where does fearlessness actually come from when you’re packaging your life into twelve songs?

“Rockstar Gypsy is all about confidence,” she says. “Me being in America and performing and going, should I be this clean, perfect popstar? But no, I’m a bit of a gypsy and a rockstar, so it took confidence to stay true to yourself.”

There’s no performance in the way she says it. “Big themes of growth and dreams and following those. That’s all just come from where I’m at in life now. I still feel like a kid at heart, but in the last few years I’ve just matured a bit. Grief, loving. I think about it in a different way and express it in a different way.”

The writing process, she tells me, is non-negotiable in its simplicity. There’s no sitting down to manufacture a record.

“The only way the song works is if I’m like, I’m going to play my guitar right now because I really want to and I feel really free and I want to get into flow state.”

It’s only later, in the studio, that she starts thinking about sequencing, cohesion, the bigger shape of the thing.

“The start is not thinking about an album,” she says. “I just want to play because I bloody love it.”

One track stands apart. A Storm in April is built on piano, an instrument Steph admits she barely plays. “I know how to play two songs on piano, and they’re both on the album,” she deadpans. She wrote it in April 2017, a month she describes as horrible, as a kind of purging. Years later, on tour with Kim Churchill, she played it to him one night.

“He looked at me and said, when you do an album one day, put that on the album.” So she did.

Melbourne bleeds through the whole record. She wrote Melbourne Blue about the strange vertigo of coming home from tour to find everything exactly as you left it. “I come back to my old childhood bedroom and the same tramline, and it’s exactly how it was twenty years ago, which has made me feel strange at times.”

Hope St Radio gets a namecheck in the song, and Three Wishes was recorded in Northcote with Alice Ivy, the city’s industrial hum folded into the production itself. The Workers’ Club, where she played her first headline shows, has its own chapter in this story too.

“This place will always be my home,” she told me, though she’s about to leave it behind for a while.

North America first, then Europe and the UK, then home for Australian shows, then back to the States for festival season. Bonnaroo is on the list. She says the name with appropriate reverence. Noah Kahan, Kesha and Role Model are playing the same day.

I finish by asking what makes her feel alive. She doesn’t hesitate. “Laughing my head off. When I’m laughing so hard I’m bawling and telling the other person to stop.” Then her expression shifts slightly. “But also when something horrible happens, or a song plays that reminds me of someone, stepping back and going, I need to feel grateful for feeling this.”

A few years back she told a friend she wished she didn’t have to feel so much. The friend’s response stopped her cold. “She said, how dare you say that. That’s your body telling you you’re alive.”

“I just want to play because I bloody love it.”

STEPH STRINGS

WHERE: 170 RUSSELL, MELBOURNE

WHEN: 15 MAY

DAMON MUDGE

Damon Mudge bought a guitar off a stranger on a street in Italy, wrote an album in someone else’s garden, then came home and demoed the whole thing alone in a paddock shack.

At no point does

him.

he tell this story like it’s unusual. It isn’t,

to

That’s just what making something he’s proud of requires.

Æ It started, as these things often do, with something to prove.

Mudge had just come out of a band project, one with no shortage of creative voices, and found himself wondering what he actually sounded like on his own. So when his partner Lily, a painter, suggested a residency abroad, he said yes.

He bought a guitar off a stranger on a street in Italy, moved into a house with an old janky piano in it, and started writing. Every morning at 5:30 he’d put on a pot of coffee, sit in the garden, and see what came. Then he’d have lunch, drink some wine, smoke some cigarettes, and do it all again.

“I acknowledge how lucky I was to have that experience,” he says. “You obviously don’t have to go all the way to Italy to achieve it. You just have to make the effort to spend time with yourself, spend time away.”

That particular blend of gratitude and groundedness is all over Country Living City Benefits, his debut solo album.

What came out of those two weeks was a record about coping with a touch of existential dread. Friends, bad decisions, imagination, community, presence. The album’s title lifts from the actual slogan of Queanbeyan, the town outside Canberra where Mudge grew up, a place he describes, affectionately, as somewhere “everyone considers a bit of a shithole.”

“I think that sense of existential dread is quite common,” he says. “What I wanted to comment on is: here’s all these things we can do.”

The first song is essentially advice from his mother. Whenever he complained of boredom as a kid, she’d say ‘use your imagination’. The rest fans out from there: songs about turning to your friends, making poor decisions together, substance use, capitalism, fake news.

Heavy material, but Mudge carries it lightly. He wanted listeners to be able to put the record on and switch off for forty minutes. He pressed it to vinyl so they actually would.

Back in Melbourne after Italy, he wheeled his piano into a workers’ shack on his partner’s parents’ farm and spent two more weeks locked inside demoing the whole thing. The solo process, it turned out, was exactly what the songs needed.

“It enabled me to really make something that was what I wanted to make,” he says. “I’d been toying with the idea of writing something more piano-centric for a while. It forced me to write in a different way. They’re composed and arranged really differently to a guitar-centred arrangement.”

Then he called Louis Montgomery, an old Canberra friend and producer now based in Melbourne, and asked him directly: is this good enough to put out?

Montgomery thought so, but they recorded it again anyway. Mudge doesn’t regret it.

The piano is central to all of it, and has been Mudge’s point of difference for years.

“There are so many great people making cool stuff,” he says, “but I’m really interested in this instrument. All you need is a welloiled band and a van to bring it along with you. It’s not that much of a pain.” He pauses and laughs. “People have said ‘you’re making it hard for yourself.’ But there’s something important to me about it. It’s not really worth doing if I don’t take it that far.” He tried a keyboard once, played one show, walked offstage, gave it away.

“Any piano player would know why you wouldn’t just play a keyboard. There’s no feel behind it.”

The real instrument, he says, has to hit. To find out what that meant for him, he built a playlist spanning sixty years of piano in rock contexts, starting with a childhood obsession with Elton John and spiralling outward.

“I discovered all these artists I’d never really given much thought to. Nina Simone, Carole King, and I was like, ‘how have I never listened to this before?’”

Then further still, into the White Stripes’ third album, where the piano is purely rhythmic, just that and drums, hitting hard. “I can do this retro 70s rock thing right through to a very rhythmic, on-the-beat sound. I needed the piano to really hit.”

Live, he’s bringing five people onstage, including long-time collaborator Oscar Erbus on bass, and drummer Sylvie Gunn opening the full tour with her own set. He’s planning to paint the gigging piano yellow. The album art was painted by his partner. A friend did the photography, another did the screen printing for merch.

“I’d done a lot of it by myself,” he says, “so I was really keen to engage my friends on the backend.” He pauses. “It made it feel like it wasn’t just mine.”

COUNTRY LIVING CITY BENEFITS IS OUT NOW.

“It’s nice to just embrace simplicity.

Embrace the space between. Embrace the vulnerability.”

KATY STEELE

Æ Katy Steele has spent most of her career behind an instrument. Whether it was guitar with Little Birdy or piano on her solo records, there was always something between her and the audience. The undressed tour changes that.

Presented by Double J, the national run sees the ARIA-nominated songwriter performing in a duo format — just Steele, one other musician, and a set list spanning her new undressed album, reworked Little Birdy favourites and hand-picked covers including a reworking of Lou Reed’s Perfect Day.

“This show will focus mostly on my voice and be the focal point for a lot of the show,” Steele says. “There will be an array of different instruments but the basis of the show will be based around the intimacy of these songs and the power of simplicity.”

The undressed album was recorded largely in single takes across a single day in July, with additional material drawn from unreleased sessions made in New York and Los Angeles over the years. It’s a deliberate departure from the layered production Steele is known for — voice and piano or guitar alone, no embellishment.

The Little Birdy frontwoman’s undressed tour strips her catalogue down to voice and not much else.

“It makes you focus more on the voice and the space between the voice,” she says. “This record really brings my voice to the front and it’s nice to just embrace simplicity. Embrace the space between. Embrace the vulnerability.” Parenthood sharpened the urgency behind the project. Steele says having kids made her want to work faster and more often, and she’s tagged undressed as Volume 1 — a signal that this stripped-back approach is a new creative lane, not a detour.

“It’s liberating to just rely on yourself as an artist and embrace the flaws and the energy that comes with that.”

KATY

STEELE THE UNDRESSED TOUR

WHERE: NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB

WHEN: 1 MAY

ROCHELLE JORDAN

London-born, Toronto-raised and now based in Los Angeles, Rochelle Jordan has spent the better part of two decades carving out a lane entirely her own.

Æ Across early cult releases ROJO, Pressure and 1021, and a triumphant comeback with Play with the Changes in 2021, the alt-R&B and soul artist has built a reputation for bending genres without ever losing her centre. Her third full-length album Through The Wall, released in September 2025, is the record that made the rest of the world catch up — 17 tracks of polished house, garage, electronic soul and pop that have amassed over 200 million global streams, sold out headline tours across the US, and earned acclaim from virtually every corner.

Now, she’s bringing it to Australia for the first time.

At the heart of Through The Wall is KLSH, Jordan’s longtime executive producer and collaborator since 2009. Their creative partnership is the kind of thing most artists spend entire careers searching for, and Jordan says the formula hasn’t really shifted. “Not much has changed. We grew together in this and still honour what’s meant the most to us when we started making projects in 09,” she says. “We have high standards so we never lie to each other about these songs. We want every album to be great, no matter how long it takes. I think this mentality is a forever thing.”

That patience extends to the way the pair build tracks together. Through The Wall moves between UK garage, Chicago house and silky R&B with the kind of fluidity that sounds effortless, but Jordan insists the process is more instinct than blueprint. “We always have a direction but we’re never rigid, so it lowkey just happens,” she explains. “In the end it all comes down to choices within the many vibes that we’ve created together and alongside other exceptional artists. By that time we can both hear and feel what the world is and so we just follow that feeling, sound and execute to the best of our ability.”

Alongside KLSH, the album features collaborations with DāM FunK, Chicago house legend Terry Hunter, Byron the Aquarius, Japan’s Initial Talk and KAYTRANADA, who lends his touch to the trance-laced The Boy.

After 15 years of grinding as an independent artist, the scale of Through The Wall’s reception could easily feel like a long-overdue arrival. Jordan sees it differently. “Honestly I’m just sitting in a space of gratitude, giving all of what’s happening to the most high, hard work and dedication. A little bit of vindication on the side for all the sleepless nights but I’m staying present because nothing in life is guaranteed,” she says. “I’m happy they hear me now because now I’m more than ready to be heard.”

“I’m happy they hear me now because I’m more than ready to be heard.”

Ask Jordan what her music sounds like in physical space and the answer is vivid. “The room is dark, shadowy, with shades of indigo, pink and strobe shots of white. It feels like the room is spinning as you’re ascending upwards,” she says. “It’s a portal of confidence, freedom, honesty and joy.”

As for what Australian fans can expect? Jordan is characteristically direct. “My Australian fan base is sexy, excitable, very chic and lovers of music, truly. I have no shadow of a doubt that these shows are about to be some of my favourites played ever! I’m so ready to be on the dancefloor with my Aussie darlings.”

And if she could play one track for the teenage version of herself uploading YouTube covers? “I’d show young Rojo Ladida. She would be shocked and extremely frustrated that she can’t make that song right now, instantly in the bedroom on her little white Macbook on Garage Band trying to replicate what she just heard. She’d be proud.”

ROCHELLE

JORDAN

WHERE: 170 RUSSELL

WHEN: 28 MAY

MADIGAN’S WAKE

WORDS BY FRANKIE ANDERSON-BYRNE

Melbourne’s Celtic folk punk rock scene has a new anthem, and it’s impossible to ignore.

Æ Melbourne’s own Madigan’s Wake are back with their powerful new single Easter, which dropped on 5 April.

A band already turning heads across Melbourne, Australia and beyond, this release cements their reputation as one of the most exciting forces in modern folk rock.

In an era where much of modern folk leans toward polished nostalgia, Madigan’s Wake arrive like a storm rolling in off the Irish Sea. Blending the raw energy of punk with the rich traditions of Irish folk, they have crafted a sound that is both timeless and electrifying.

Their music fuses driving rhythms, soaring melodies, and storytelling steeped in history and heart. It’s a formula that has already earned them international attention.

Their 2023 self-titled debut album won London Celtic Punks’ debut album of the year.

That sound didn’t emerge in a vacuum. The band’s touchstones run deep. The Pogues sit above all others, their revolutionary collision of traditional Irish music and punk attitude, shot through with poetry, grit, humour, and heartbreak, setting a template the band hold close.

Closer to home, Mick Thomas and Weddings Parties Anything proved that storytelling could sit right at the centre of this kind of music. Characters, working-class lives, pubs and streets: a grounded, human approach that resonates strongly with Madigan’s Wake’s own ethos. And then there’s The Clash, whose willingness to blend genres, stay political, and experiment without losing their edge showed the band that there were, in their words, “no rules. You could bring folk, punk, and storytelling together as long as the energy and honesty were there.”

It was within that tradition that Madigan’s Wake found, and continue to refine, their own distinct voice.

Easter continues that tradition. An evocative, hard-hitting track inspired by the historic Easter Rising of 1916, delivered with the band’s signature intensity and passion. It’s more than a song; it’s a story brought vividly to life through pounding drums, fierce vocals, and the unmistakable lift of fiddle, tin whistle, bodhran, and mandolin, undergirded with the searing grit of a brutally distorted electric guitar.

The Easter Rising is almost sacred ground, and the band knew it. The two founding members, Elly D’Arcy and Albert Peck, both carry strong Irish heritage.

The name ‘Madigan’ was the maiden name of Albert’s mother, and he grew up immersed in Irish history and culture, including its most defining moments of struggle.

“The Easter Rising sits in a different category,” the band explains.

“It carries enormous emotional and cultural weight, not just in Ireland but across the entire Irish diaspora.”

Achieving that emotional intensity requires a delicate balancing act, and it’s one the band has clearly mastered. With fiddle, tin whistle, bodhran, and mandolin sitting alongside brutally distorted electric guitar, making those two worlds collide without one swallowing the other is no small feat. The key lies in arrangement and dynamics.

“The distorted guitar isn’t constantly blasting away at full power. Sometimes it pulls back so the fiddle or whistle can lead the melody. Other times the guitar locks in with the rhythm section

and acts more like a wall of energy behind the folk instruments rather than competing with them.”

The bodhran, they note, is something of a secret weapon. A traditional instrument that, played aggressively, can hit as hard as a drum kit, locking in with the kick and bass to anchor the folk instruments firmly in the rhythmic engine.

But to truly understand why Madigan’s Wake are fast becoming known as Australia’s premier Celtic folk rock band, you need to experience them live. Their shows are nothing short of explosive. From the first note to the final chorus, Madigan’s Wake transform any venue into a sea of movement, with crowds singing, stomping, and raising glasses in unison.

People who’ve seen them consistently describe the experience as something closer to a ritual than a gig. It’s an atmosphere the band say is partly crafted and partly just happens.

“Once the music starts and the crowd gets involved, you can’t really control it. There’s a point in some shows where the line between the band and the audience starts to blur. People are singing louder, dancing harder, maybe linking arms, shouting choruses back at us. That’s when it starts to feel almost ritualistic.” What is entirely deliberate, however, is how they close the night. After the chaos, vocalist Elly always ends the show with a traditional Irish song, just her voice and the room.

“It almost acts like a benediction,” the band explains. “A quiet moment where everything settles. A song of blessing, of health, safety and gratitude to those who come to watch us, and the hope of all being together again soon.”

Whether they’re tearing up a packed Melbourne pub or lighting up festival stages, the band brings an intensity that few can match. Their music doesn’t sit quietly in the background. It demands attention, pulls you in, and refuses to let go.

At the core of Madigan’s Wake is authenticity. Their songs draw from both Irish tradition and Australian identity, telling stories of struggle, resilience, and celebration. It’s music with roots, but also with teeth. The kind of sound that honours the past while charging headfirst into the future.

That tension, the band insists, is not something they try to resolve. It’s the engine that drives the songwriting. “We don’t see the past and the future as opposing forces. The past is where the music comes from; it’s the soil the songs grow out of. But every generation has to reinterpret those traditions in its own voice.”

With Easter, the band takes another bold step forward. It’s a release that showcases not only their musical power, but their ability to connect history with the present in a way that feels urgent and alive.

“We feel like we’re just scratching the surface of what we can be,” they say, “and that’s an exciting place to be.”

Madigan’s Wake are here, they’re loud, and they’re only getting started.

SEE SLOWLY

‘ See Slowly ’. It’s a phrase that asks something of you. Not passive observation, but the kind of sustained attention that leads to understanding.

Æ A night of Naarm music where the cause is as loud as the lineup. See Slowly is a group fundraiser show bringing together Naarm’s Force Quit, Dumbhead, Shock Corridor (DJ) Soliloquy, Corporate Body and Bank at The Grace Darling, with all funds raised going to Olive Kids’ Gaza Appeal.

The event brings together six acts from across the Naarm music scene, all circling the same orbit.

“The acts on this bill are a tight-knit group of friends,” says Dumbhead.

“We all came up in Melbourne together, often playing in each other’s bands.”

That interconnectedness isn’t incidental; it’s what gives the night its cohesion. These aren’t strangers sharing a lineup for a cause; they’re a scene that decided collectively to do something with the platform it has.

Force Quit came together last year in a restaurant kitchen, three dishies and a barman, and that accidental, thrown-together energy is still audible in what they make.

Wilfred sings, Tarquin plays trumpet, Luka plays guitar, and Charlie runs what they affectionately call “a soup kitchen of synths.”

The brass is key; it gives the project warmth and a kind of theatrical fullness that pure electronics rarely achieve.

They’ve only played a handful of shows, but they’ve been busy about it, supporting Dumbhead and Shock Corridor early on, which is part of how this whole night took shape. Luka also plays with Ruby Dattner. They’re on at Eli’s Cactus Room on the 22nd of May if you want a second look.

Dumbhead’s name, incidentally, came from a love of bands with “head” in the title (Portishead, Radiohead). Their place on the bill is as much about friendship as anything else; they’re part of the same scene that grew up playing together across each other’s projects.

Corporate Body is the project that rewards the most curiosity. Damian Carl, performing with a close collaborator on synths and bass, will be running SP404 samplers, field recorders, and a mixer that he treats as its own instrument, processing and shaping sound live.

The genre tag of experimental hip-hop and noise is honest but incomplete; this is closer to collaged sound, built from fragments and overheard moments. Most strikingly: they intend to play exactly one song. No setlist, no structure. Just one piece that will only reveal itself as it unfolds, to the performers and to the room simultaneously.

It’s the kind of set you need to be there for from the start.

Bank are the wildcard in the best possible sense. Two months old as a band, never played live before. Axel Koeppenkastrop on vocals and guitar, Robbie Lang on guitar, Freddie Carew-Reid on bass, Gus Stoquart on drums. Wilfred organised the show and asked them to play, and they said yes. When asked about other upcoming dates, they say: “We’ll see how this one goes first.” Fair enough. Shock Corridor holds down the DJ set. Soliloquy rounds out the bill. The Grace Darling, one of the more genuinely community-minded rooms in Collingwood, has been accommodating of the event throughout, a venue that actually cares about what happens in its space, not just what gets booked into it.

“We believe any chance at showing solidarity with the Palestinian people is essential in the progression of bringing an end to the genocide of the Palestinian people.”

As for why they’re all here, the answers are different in texture but consistent in direction.

Force Quit explain the name plainly. “See Slowly is a phrase which for us means the importance of observing something for what it is, to fully grasp the seriousness of a situation.”

It’s a statement that sets the register for the whole night: not a charity gig in the softened, distance-maintaining sense, but a room full of people who’ve decided to call something by its name.

Dumbhead put it simply: “This is one of the most important issues of our time, and we believe any chance at showing solidarity with the Palestinian people is essential in the progression of bringing an end to the genocide of the Palestinian people.”

Bank, who are playing their first ever show that night, frame it in terms of helplessness and its antidote.

“I think everyone is pretty shocked at what they see happening in the world right now,” they say. “This was a way to pursue our passions, hopefully give people a fun night, whilst also raising money and awareness for people in need.”

Damian Carl, who is debuting Corporate Body at the fundraiser, has moved from working under his own name into what he describes as “further abstraction”, a new sound for a new year, and says this felt like the right moment to bring it out.

All funds raised go to Olive Kids’ Gaza Appeal, channelling money into food packages, blankets, mattresses, clothing, nappies, and educational support for children and families in Gaza. Tickets are tiered between $10 and $30. The expectation is clear: give what you can, show up, and actually look at what’s happening.

SEE SLOWLY

WHERE: THE GRACE DARLING, COLLINGWOOD

WHEN: 3 MAY, 7:30–11:30PM

RUSSIAN HOUSE

LIVE MUSIC: can turn Russian House into one of Melbourne’s coolest clubs — it’s a heritage hall that transforms depending on who’s using it. Promoters and collectives book the two-storey building for full venue takeovers, turning the Crystal Hall and Emerald Hall into makeshift stages for experimental electronic, ambient, noise and leftfield sounds. Cease and Desist and Spaces Within Space have run sold-out multi-day festivals here, and Platform Presents and Soundcheck launched the Hybrid event series in the building in late 2025, blending live electronic performances with immersive new media art across both floors and a courtyard.

FAMOUS FOR: the architecture. Built in 1884 as the Fitzroy and Collingwood Friendly Society’s Dispensary, the two-storey facade is a rare and striking blend of Italian Renaissance and Classical styles. Inside, the Crystal Hall on the ground floor has a grand piano and period details, while the upstairs Emerald Hall features polished timber floors, high ceilings, large windows and intricate chandeliers. It’s a photographer’s dream and one of the most unusual event spaces in Melbourne — heritage charm without a hint of corporate polish.

INFAMOUS FOR: a BYO liquor licence and DIY event setup mean promoters bring their own vision, vendors and sound — which is exactly why every event here feels completely different from the last. Hybrid turned the rooms into a maze of reactive projections and interactive installations with live synth sets upstairs and DJs in the courtyard. The Cease and Desist weekenders pack both halls with experimental DJs and live performers.

Æ Tucked into the corner of Greeves and Gore streets, a minute’s walk from Smith Street, Russian House is one of Fitzroy’s best-kept secrets. It’s not a venue in the conventional sense — there’s no regular programming, no resident DJs, no weekly gig night. Instead, it operates as a blank canvas that independent promoters and collectives shape into something new each time they walk through the door.

That unpredictability is the appeal. One visit might land you in a two-day experimental music festival; the next, a multi-floor immersive art party with reactive installations responding to your movement. The heritage bones of the building add a layer of atmosphere that purpose-built venues can’t replicate.

It’s not wheelchair accessible and it doesn’t run its own bar, but for anyone plugged into Melbourne’s underground music and arts scenes, Russian House is a space worth keeping an eye on.

WHERE: 118 GREEVES ST, FITZROY

OPEN: AVAILABLE FOR EVENT HIRE (CHECK INDIVIDUAL EVENT LISTINGS FOR DATES AND TIMES)

EAT THE BEAT

LIVE MUSIC: comes courtesy of a full Funktion-One sound system running throughout the venue, placing it alongside the top tier of global club standards. The upper-level room pushes further with an immersive, futuristic setup and room-specific lighting installations integrated into the architecture.

FAMOUS FOR: more than ten years of concept-driven programming across Melbourne’s underground, built on unconventional spaces and a refusal to do things the obvious way. The brand’s founder brings over 20 years of global music industry experience to the project, alongside a team with international event credentials behind them. This venue is where that identity finds its permanent form; a shift from one-off events to a curated, multi-space weekly format.

INFAMOUS FOR: the raw, underground character of the space, industrial columns and ceilings that define the room and give it a bones-of-the-building energy few venues can manufacture. The heritage structure of 546 Collins Street has been transformed into something Melbourne’s club scene hasn’t seen before; a next-generation environment that still runs on underground principles.

Æ Eat The Beat moves inside a heritage-listed building on Collins Street, a CBD clubbing destination marking a new chapter for a brand with over a decade of Melbourne underground credibility. After more than ten years of a strong Saturday residency, this move into the CBD represents an evolution; a new home for a proven identity. Minutes from Southern Cross Station, the multi-level venue spans three main rooms across two floors, with hidden spaces built

WHERE: 546 COLLINS ST, MELBOURNE CBD WHEN: SAT NIGHTS ONLY, 5AM LICENCE

THE GRAVEYARD BAR & BANDROOM

LIVE MUSIC: every weekend, the bandroom comes alive with a rotating bill of rock, stoner, punk and grunge acts from across Melbourne and beyond. Built into the same precinct as One.Be Studios and Headstone Records, The Graveyard has a direct pipeline to local talent — many of the bands who rehearse on site end up on stage. Live music runs across three sessions from Friday to Sunday, with the bandroom doubling as a function space during the week.

FAMOUS FOR: the sprawling covered beer garden that connects the bar to the bandroom, giving you a view of the stage without leaving your seat. Hungry Lah handles the food with Malaysian street food that’s picked up awards back in Kuala Lumpur — their fried laksa and char kway teow are the main draws. Brothers Foodies does loaded kebabs and HSPs for the late-night crowd, while Street Crepes rounds things out with sweet and savoury options. Hawkers Brewery supplies the taps, and there’s a full cocktail list alongside craft beers and wines.

INFAMOUS FOR: rising from the same grounds as a rehearsal studio and independent record label. One.Be Studios and Headstone Records have been building a creative community in Coburg North for years, and The Graveyard is the social extension of that — a place where the people making the music can also be the ones watching it. Trivia every Thursday keeps the mid-week crowd entertained, and the venue’s on-site parking and proximity to Sydney Road make it one of the more accessible rooms in the north.

Æ Coburg North hasn’t historically been a live music destination, but The Graveyard is doing a solid job of changing that. Opened in late 2025, the venue grew out of a rehearsal and recording precinct that had been quietly nurturing local rock and heavy music for years before adding a bar and bandroom to the equation. It’s unpretentious, community-driven and built by people who clearly care about local music. Three distinct zones — bar, bandroom and beer garden — give you options depending on whether you want to catch a band, eat Malaysian street food in the open air or just park yourself at the bar with a Hawkers tap pour. There’s always something on, and tickets rarely break the bank. If you’re in Melbourne’s north and you haven’t been yet, it’s worth the trip up Sydney Road.

WHERE: 942–944 SYDNEY RD, COBURG NORTH

OPEN: WED 4–10PM, THU 4–11PM, FRI 4PM–12AM, SAT 3PM–12AM, SUN 3–10PM

THE CATFISH BAR

FAMOUS FOR: the only proper cheesesteaks in Australia; Philadelphia’s world-famous grilled beef, onion, and melted cheese sandwich, done right, full stop. Pair that with twelve rotating craft beer taps across two levels, with a genuine dedication to sourcing the best brews from the best independent breweries going around. The tap list changes, the quality doesn’t.

INFAMOUS FOR: being the kind of local you don’t want to share. A craft beer bar downstairs, an outdoor courtyard perfect for an afternoon session, and an upstairs band room that books some of the country’s best live talent week in, week out; free front-bar gigs through to sold-out shows. Every Tuesday brings a rotating lineup of top local and international comedy acts for just $15 a head, with $5 pots and $10 pints to keep the laughs going. Every Wednesday it’s free trivia; three rounds of general knowledge, prizes for the top three, 7pm start. Not too easy, not too hard, just right. Bookings essential.

Æ Michael and Kieran met working at the Hilton on the Park, and when they pooled their years of experience, their friendship, and a shared love of hospitality, The Catfish was the result. The brief was simple: a proper local, good booze, no pretension. Back-to-back Publicans of the Year at the Pub Awards suggests they nailed it. Since 2013, Fitzroy’s regulars have been quietly bragging about this place to anyone who’d listen, and the reputation has only grown. This is the kind of bar that reminds you what a great local is supposed to feel like. Come find out why. A short walk from the 11/86 trams at Brunswick & Gertrude St, or the 86/96 at Nicholson & Gertrude St.

WHERE: 30 GERTRUDE ST, FITZROY

WHEN: OPEN 7 DAYS, SUN–THU UNTIL 11PM, FRI–SAT UNTIL 1AM

ALDOUS HARDING

Train On The Island

Æ

“Big thick coats on the dogs of people/ Just try’na help” – if you’ve ever heard a more delightfully oddball and hilarious lyrical musing please slide into our DMs immediately. Sung so matter-of-factly, this closing track’s choruses contrast the meticulous vocal layering of its verses, which give the impression of multiple personalities ganging up in your mind.

Throughout Train On The Island, Harding portrays various roles – method acting, if you will – within single songs. She supplies haunting, overenunciated Kate Bush-esque BVs during opener I Ate The Most, accompanied by minimal mystery percussion: “I’m not afraid, like you’re not gay/ And you’re not old, like I’m on the spectrum/ Every day you look up in my body/ There’s ‘heavy’ and ‘heavier’..”

Built from plonky piano melodies, One Stop sees Harding turning an awks encounter into lyrical gold as she belts, “I met the real John Cale/ He had no words, but I don’t mind/ I packed the stage while he ate rice…”

It would be satisfying to listen to the title track, which showcases Joe Harvey-Whyte’s pedal steel prowess, while gently rocking along in a rocking chair, perhaps while stitching needlepoint.

Venus In The Zinnia, a stunning duet feat H. Hawkline (Googling him rn), sees the pair nonchalantly trading lines: “[her] Red rose trying to leave me/ [him] Redrum rocking the ages.” Producer John Parish’s discordant Wurlitzer parts bring this standout ditty home.

If Lady Does It (“who will be left outside”) comes across like warning a cherished pet not to repeat bad behaviour, but lyrics read more like revolutionary violence of some kind. Veering from stream of consciousness to diaristic, Harding’s lyrics are rich with sensory detail. Dark subject matter materialises (“It’s too late for the girl inside”?), but Harding never lingers there too long – intrigue suits her well. Repeated lyrical phrases suggest repressed memories resurfacing. Listening to Harding makes you wanna delve deep – it’s profound stuff.

“I lost my head in San Francisco/ You begged me not to drink alone…” – San Francisco grabs us from the jump, then – beyond the three-minute mark – jangly guitar strums enter like a timelapse sunrise shedding light on things.

“What am I gonna do if I can’t break out of it?/ What am I gonna do if they can’t train me out of it?…” – Mali Llywelyn’s glistening harp dominates What Am I Gonna Do?, landing on the ominous bassline like softly falling dew.

Tambourine is major within this album’s sonic palette, with so many techniques utilised throughout.

Nothing feels forced in Aldous Harding’s enchanting, timeless world. She’s an artist in the true sense of the word.

KIM GORDON

PLAY ME

Æ PLAY ME kicks off all playful and cruisy, but morphs into the electroclash chaos that is BYEBYE25! to close.

Horns weave through the opening title track, during which lyrics cite lame Spotify playlist names (eg. “Make-Out Jams”, “Rich Popular Girl”, “Villain Mode”).

A rerecording of BYE BYE – from Kim Gordon’s previous solo album, 2024’s The Collective – BYEBYE25!’s updated lyrics are a grim listicle cherrypicked from Trump’s banned words: “Trauma, privilege, uterus, men who have sex with men, measles, peanut allergy, abortion…”

Standout track GIRL WITH A LOOK –with its hypnotic, rolling beat – finds Gordon in raunchy, raspy mode: “You’re a boy with a hook/ A girl with a look/ At me” – such innovative phrasing!

BUSY BEE’s spoken-word intro samples and distorts an audio grab from the 1994 episode of MTV Beach House that was hosted by Gordon and her Free Kitten bandmate Julia Cafritz. “Hey, didn’t you used to be in a band called STP?” Gordon asks. Cafritz replies, “Yeah, those boys are lucky that we broke up…” Dave Grohl pelts the skins on this one, adding supplementary ‘90s clout.

Elsewhere: DIRTY TECH’s skittish beat underscores a catchy hook, SUBCON goes all rage-rap on our arses and relentless, tinny hi-hats cut through NAIL BITER’s static-electricity crackle like fingernails tapping on glass.

The former Sonic Youth member’s third solo record is replete with ear-catching lyrics (“Put your lips together and blow”), which play a starring role throughout.

A reminder that AI could never replace true artistry, PLAY ME should be digested with maximum curiosity.

LABEL: 4AD

RELEASE: 8 MAY

LABEL: MATADOR

RELEASE: OUT NOW

RAYE

This Music May Contain Hope.

Æ “Allow me to set the scene. Our story begins at 2.27am on a rainy night in Paris. Cue the thunder…” – RAYE’s second record demands your undivided attention from Intro: Girl Under The Grey Cloud’s opening monologue.

This Music May Contain Hope seamlessly melds contemporary and vintage elements, with Winter Woman sampling Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons (the Winter movement, obviously).

Being “seven Negronis deep”, ignoring Voicenotes from grandma (“Call me, please. We need to pray”), baulking at your reflection in a Chanel boutique window, incoming message pings (see: The WhatsApp Shakespeare) – present-day wit (“I know life can be a bitch, some call her ‘Monday’”) meets lush instrumentation here, with contributions from London Symphony Orchestra and Hans Zimmer.

Dramatic piano underscores I Will Overcome, during which RAYE unleashes the full impact of those pristine, emotion-drenched pipes. With crisp fingersnaps evoking West Side Story’s showstopping Cool, Beware… The South London Lover Boy serves PSAs: “Stay wary, girls/ It’s scary out there.”

Over jazzy, big-band backing, I Hate The Way I Look Today is a perspective-shifting anthem to silence inner-critics. Life Boat stitches together a collage of different voices “not giving up yet” over a throbbing house beat. The last song proper (Happier Times Ahead) closes out with words of encouragement: “Hold on to happier times, alright darlin’?”

Like watching a golden-era Old Hollywood movie on the silver screen (with your phone switched off), This Music May Contain Hope is an all-encompassing escapism.

THE JUNGLE GIANTS

Experiencing Feelings Of Joy

Æ While making this record, Sam Hales called off his wedding following a decadelong relationship (they’re still mates, FYI), which informed this album overall. Processing through songwriting helped heal Hales’ heart as he set out on the road to self-discovery. Experiencing Feelings Of Joy ain’t no bitter breakup record.

“I said kick it Mumma did you know your love is kinda punk/ Ain’t no man was stoppin’ you from raisin’ us all on your own” – during the opening Tell Me How It Feels, Hales gives his single mum her flowers. This song’s verses are delivered in punchy, percussive, monotone fashion while the choruses climb into silky falsetto.

Hands-in-the-air banger A Moment Like That holds space for future romantic love. On a bed of sighing strings, All The Time In The World’s euphoric brass spreads hope: “You could be my one every day.”

Lipsyncing Are You Seeing Anyone’s chorus to baddies on the d-floor is a surefire way to ascertain relationship status and gauge interest. World’s Getting Smaller, a stripped-back piano ballad, documents the heartsick stage.

“My feet are on gravel, but I feel like I’m floating above” – Is It Love?, with its elongated strings and boppy pace, faces the music – he’s lost that loving feeling: “Tell me how I’m s’posed to feel.”

We’re left with a feeling best summarised by this famous line from a Tennyson poem: “‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

TOMORA

Come Closer

Æ TOMORA features Tom Rowlands (one half of the Chemical Brothers) and Norwegian glacial-pop artist AURORA – hence their portmanteau moniker.

Coachella 2026 was TOMORA’s festival debut. When the lineup was announced, they were yet to release any music.

AURORA’s angelic, bell-like vocals (see: the title track, featuring breathtaking sustained notes) accompanied by Rowlands’ bombastic, oscillating beats? Yes, please.

This record commences with a short snippet of what sounds like an alien choir warming up. Elements are integrated gradually. Track three, A Boy Like You, introduces pew-pews and laidback beats then, BOOM! AURORA’s piercing, vibrato warcry cuts through Ring The Alarm’s menacing Godzillastomping beat and hectic bleeps.

“What are feelings?/ Are they real things?” AURORA ponders in The Thing, which closes out like gremlins in the machinery.

Have You Seen Me Dance Alone flirts with samba rhythms interspersed with surprise electronic squawks. During this provocative, theatrical standout track, AURORA channels Rosalía.

The contrast between AURORA’s stripped-back vocal hook and the massive drop in Somewhere Else, with its The Knife-esque sensibility, is whiplash-inducing. There’s also a percolating undercurrent. We can’t wait to shake our skeleton to this one live!

Built from a hyperfast “na-ma-na-nanee” vocalising sample, In A Minute enters the rave cave, with metallic clacking that brings a rollercoaster’s lift hill phase to mind.

TOMORA will delight discerning listeners who seek pockets of spiritual enlightenment while they rave.

Sidenote: AURORA needs to voice a mystical Disney forest sprite.

LABEL: HUMAN RE SOURCES

RELEASE: OUT NOW

LABEL: AMPLIFIRE MUSIC

RELEASE: 8 MAY

LABEL: UNIVERSAL RELEASE: OUT NOW

GIG GUIDE

MAY

2026

THU 30 APR

FUNK NOIR 4 Bar 303. Northcote. 8pm. $20.

JOHN MONTESANTE

QUINTET: REBECCA BARNARD + AARON

MICHAEL Golden Gate Hotel. South Melbourne. 6.30pm. $20.

BRAINWAVES + MELODY KIN

FT: Melody Kin, Ju’suan, Algbra Bodriggy Brewing Company. Abbotsford. 7.30pm. Free.

LILY HALLAWELL Baxter’s Lot. Fitzroy. 9pm. Free.

DANNY ROSS

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

NICK HYDE + HOLLY WILLIAMS

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7.30pm. $15.70.

SKY THE DOG PRESENTS RETURN OF THE YEARN: HORNY SADBOI BANGERS

FT: 0SMR, SIM, Thorne, Sky The Dog

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $29.13.

THE HUMAN FACTOR. TOAD, EYES GLOW DEAD Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm.

CHILD

Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8.30pm. $10.

ANNIE-ROSE MALONEY

Quadraphonic Club. Brunswick. 8.30pm. Free.

DANA GEHRMAN & DANNY

WIDDICOMBE

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm.

KICK ONS

FT: Last Embers. The Styes, Sugargum The Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $14.80.

ANGLER. WAXMAN, CRASH_08

Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm. $14.53.

OLZA. SAITH, MAYARI

The Curtin. Carlton. 7.30pm. $22.85.

TIMEPEACE. PERSECUTOR, PLEASERS A.D., LOCKJAW

The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 7pm. $16.35.

THE BOOK OF MORMON

Princess Theatre. Melbourne. 7pm.

OPEN MIC NIGHT @ THE MERRI BAR

The Merri Bar. Preston. 7pm.

INNER SANCTUARY

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

KIER STEVENS

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

MOLLY MCKEW

Brunswick Artists’ Bar. Brunswick. 8.30pm. Free.

NANA’S PIE

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7.30pm. $28.

FRI 01 MAY

XANDER CUMING

Baxter’s Lot. Fitzroy. 9pm. Free.

THE DARLINGS FAMILY TRUST

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

JOYS NJAMBI PRESENTS: QUEENS OF SOUL Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9pm. $45.

REVOLVER FRIDAYS: OPTIMAL 4TH BDAY

FT: Rosax, Sharanya, DJ Wise, Tommy Sharp, Hot Dollar B, Aroha, Dan Beck, Mike Callander Revolver Upstairs. Prahran. 10pm. $21.42.

AMBERFIELD. TERRA VALE, BABY RAPTOR Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8pm. $17.50.

ESP LTD: JAEL. JPS Misfits. Footscray. 5pm. $27.40–40. SANFONA Soundworks. Brunswick. 8pm. $15–18.

8FOOT FELIX.

CHARLIE NEEDS BRACES, TAUL PAUL Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $16.85–28.05.

STÜM Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 7pm.

\LIVE PIANO: VALIANT VON THULE

Daylesford Hotel. Daylesford. 7pm. Free.

TRASH POP

The Penny Black. Brunswick. 8pm. $5. SUPERHEAVEN. ANGEL DU$T, GARAGE SALE

Prince Bandroom. St Kilda. 7pm. $79.90.

MANNEQUIN DEATH SQUAD

The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 8.30pm.

BLURRED LINES

INVITES: BEX + BILLUS

New Guernica. Collingwood. 10pm. $15.

FOUR EYED FROG. EVEYA, RIOT ACT

The Graveyard Bar. Coburg North. 6.30pm. $10.

WILLOWBANK GROVE. DAEZY, FIVE BUCK KID

Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $21.42–28.56.

MARCUS KNIGHT

Morris House. Melbourne. 6pm. WAAX

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $57.02.

ACCESS GRANTED 4

FT: Dizzy Wright, Smndif, Ijale, Voldy, Jye Simpson & K3amz, Nate6, more Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $58.25.

DAMON MUDGE & THE REPLACEMENT BUSES

Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. FOMORA.

TOQUI, LUNIC, FAIRTRADE

NARCOTICS

Bar 303. Northcote. 9pm. $20.

SURROUNDED BY SOUND: DEEP PURPLE

Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm. $10.

KATY STEELE

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8.30pm. $50. THE ZERO INHIBITIONS DANCE COMPETITION

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $24.48.

DIZZY WRIGHT. MARTIAN, MATTHEW CRAIG

The Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $59.90.

BLONDIE’S PARALLEL LINES TURNS 48 Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $39.

INTERVAL: MAR VISTA + BLADEXC

Glamorama. Fitzroy. 10pm. $15–30.

POPPY CARMELLE. LINI, CELIA & JAMIE

Brunswick Artists’ Bar. Brunswick. 8.30pm. Free. JOAN BAEZ: THE ROAD TO WOODSTOCK

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7pm. $46.59.

HEDGE BURNERS. ZIPPER, SEASON 2, IUD, DJ TAMSEN, WOODY & JUNO

The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $22.85.

THE MELBOURNE FESTIVAL OF TEASE: THE SIP CLUB

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $47.94–70.38.

GRASS: A NATION’S BATTLE FOR LIFE WITH ZÖJ

The Capitol (RMIT). Melbourne. 7pm. $49.50.

THE SHARP. HOUSE OF EL, ASSASSINS

Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $15.43.

BJÖRN AGAIN

The Round. Nunawading. 7.30pm. $79.95.

GLEE: 17TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

The Espy. St Kilda. 9pm. $14.80–22.95.

BEETHOVEN, MOZART & MORE

Frankston Arts Centre. Frankston. 7.30pm. $20–127.

SAT 02 MAY

MELODIES OF BELONGING

Kingston City Hall. Moorabbin. 7.30pm. $65.

BEETHOVEN, MOZART & MORE

Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7.30pm. $20–127.

THE GREAT COMPOSERS

Royal Brighton Yacht Club. Brighton. 8pm. $55.

STEVE SEDERGREEN & FRIENDS

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $50.

DESTROY FEAR. WAVEDRIVE, GO GORILLA Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8.30pm. $12.25.

MUSIC OF PURE INVENTION

FT: Fiona Burnett & David Jones, Vincent Ward

Oak Hall @ Melbourne

Rudolf Steiner School. Warranwood. 8pm. $20–30. FLOWERS FOR JAYNE. THE DEAD PHARAOHS, THE ELECTRIQUE BIRDS Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $10–12.50.

DEADBEAT DISCO

The Penny Black. Brunswick. 9pm. $10. GOT THE SAUCE + DOUBLE VISION PRESENTS OUR HOUSE VOL.3

FT: Afrodisiac, Apolett, DJ JNETT, Nacho, Radders, Raz, Tong 桐 Miscellania. Melbourne. 9pm. $25–35.

THE REAL SONGWRITERS OF MELBOURNE LIVE SHOWCASE

FT: George Charra, So. NJ Rijs, Marcela Ljutic Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 2pm. $28.05.

CLASH OF THE TITANS

FT: Anemia, Zombie Eaters, Alice Unchained Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 7pm. $54.95.

TRUNK JAM

FT: Lalu, Knight Rider, Hannah & The Heartstrings, Mondo Cane, Huskees, Issy & Akira Shotkickers. Thornbury. 5.30pm. $23.80.

ENZYME: 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

FT: Sukatani, Gaoled, Slant, Crêam Söda, Vasta Ruina, Vampire, Shove, Involucro The Tote. Collingwood. 6.30pm. $55.60.

COLD IRONS BOUND Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 1pm. Free.

MUDDY RIVETS

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

‘HARVEST’: PLAYED LIVE BY THE HONEY SLIDERS

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $55–70.

PLUMP DJS (A PLUMP NIGHT OUT: 25TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR) Howler. Brunswick. 7pm. $49.47–54.57.

COSMIC COUNTRY

FT: The Faraday Memorandum, Team Love, Acid Arrow The Curtin. Carlton. 3.30pm. Free.

TELENOVA. HOLLY HEBE, FADE EVARE Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 8pm.

JOSHUA Morris House. Melbourne. 7pm.

HAKIM Festival Hall. West Melbourne. 6.30pm. $112.03.

ST ALBAN’S KIDS. THE WORLD AT A GLANCE, KERATIN, GIL CERRONE, WORLD SICK, CADMIUM

The Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7pm. THE MELBOURNE FESTIVAL OF TEASE COMPETITION

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7pm. $47.94–70.38.

AIN’T NO LOVE IN MELBOURNE: LUKE COMBS APPRECIATION NIGHT

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 11pm. $16.85–23.50.

QUEEN OF HEARTS Lulie Tavern. Abbotsford. 9pm. Free.

MIDDLE AGE

FANCLUB + THE LIT. ALLUSIONS

Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm. $20.

FROM PARIS TO BRAZIL: INTL. JAZZ DAY Classic Southside. Elsternwick. 8pm. $32. SUCCULENT FUNK

FT: Mikekon, Rah, Miles Ahead New Guernica. Collingwood. 10pm. $16.45–25.

ANNA SMYRK. GEORGIA FIELDS, KIT GENESIS Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $29.10. DR DECADENCE TRIO

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

TAYLOR SWIFT ERAS CELEBRATION Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $25.

FOLK TOO SMART

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7pm. $15.70.

THE NOT-SO-BIGBAND: ALL THINGS NINTENDO

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6pm. $45. HEROES AND MONSTERS

CHILDREN’S CONCERT

The Round. Nunawading. 1.30pm. $20–30.

THE DROPTAILS. LOS MONAROS, JENSEN ELECTRIC

The Espy. St Kilda. 7pm. $22.95.

ROTTEN SOUND. CHOOF, MORE

The Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 7pm. $61.20.

VONNYGUTS. IV

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

JADE PAW DUO

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. Free.

WOODY SAMSON

Baxter’s Lot. Fitzroy. 9pm. Free.

MILO EASTWOOD: 25 HOURS OF MILO

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 9pm. $39.90.

NAARM UNDERGROUND

FT: Tumi The Be, One Sixth, DJ KayZ, Second Thought Jolt Arts. Northcote. 7pm. $25.

THROUGH THE VENTS

FEAT: JesseMelancholy, Kai Cult, Cherry Rype, Eko Atari, Evangeline, Ball Bass John, Upstairs Neighbour DJs Grace Darling Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $17.50.

SNAILGUN. NO HOPER, WAXMAN, WINTERNATIONALE Cactus Room. Thornbury. 7pm. $15–20.

THU 07 MAY

ME IN A DREAM WITH EDDY ST

FT: Me In A Dream, Eddy St Bar Open. Fitzroy. 8pm. $15.

SIDE BY SIDE:

MELBOURNE YOUTH ORCHESTRA

FT: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7.30pm. $30–35.

BRITNEY SPEARS: THE CABARET The Round. Nunawading. 7.30pm. $58.

OKEY DOKEY

KARAOKE

Daylesford Hotel. Daylesford. 6.30pm. Free. WE MAY NEVER MEET AGAIN: THE MUSIC OF AMY WINEHOUSE WITH ELLY POLETTI Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $35. FUTURE LOVES BURNING / AGE OF EXTREMES The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 7.30pm. $35.96.

BIG BLACK MARIA. SNAILGUN, SAN, BLACK WATTLE WITCHES

Shotkickers. Thornbury. 7pm. $15. COUNTRY STRUTS BOOT SCOOTING Quadraphonic Club. Brunswick. 6.30pm. Free.

SALSODROMO: LIVE BAND + SOCIAL DANCING Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 8.30pm. LAURA & THE HELL CUTZ. BLONDEHOUSE, KASH

The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 7pm. $16.35.

THE MODS

The Tote. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $16.35.

MAXON

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $38.76.

AN EVENING WITH ABBEY STONE

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7.30pm. $30–40. BOWLING FOR SOUP + FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 7pm. $119.90.

CHIPPIESBAND

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $19.15. HELLIONS. THE BEAUTIFUL MONUMENT, RINRIN

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 7.30pm.

BROKEN SILENCE. WAKE UP SOLUTION, THE DEFIBS

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $22.95.

PUBLIC SERVICE

BROADCASTING Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $79.90.

RACHAEL FAHIM. LACHIE GILL

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

MARTHA SPENCER + ARCHER

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $41.82.

MCO: OVERGROWN PATHS

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $75–150.

THE JACK PANTAZIS GROUP

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

FT: White Widdow, Audio Reign

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $89.90.

TONY YANG

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

FRI 08 MAY

THE SOUND DOCTOR X AMPLIFY PRESENT PUBLIC FIGURES

The Sound Doctor. Anglesea. 7pm. $20–30.

TODD KEM & JANIE GORDON

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $28.30.

THE ROBBIES. THE HOLLOWS, BLOOM

The Espy. St Kilda. 7.30pm. $15.85.

AYYBO

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 11pm. $45.28.

TEEN JESUS AND THE JEAN TEASERS. DARCIE HAVEN, SONIC REDUCER Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $60.95.

WOBBLY BOOTS OLD TIME STRING BAND

Quadraphonic Club. Brunswick. 8pm. Free.

RALPH MCTELL

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $80–90.

TIME ENOUGH AT LAST ‘26

FT: Tongue Dissolver, Arse, Time For Dreams, Quality

Used Cars, The States, Dog Door, Mug, Linen, Fiancee, Golden Syrup

The Tote. Collingwood. 6.30pm. $60.70.

DERVLA MCTIERNAN: THREE REASONS FOR REVENGE

Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 6.30pm.

LIVE PIANO WITH JOSÉ PUGA

Daylesford Hotel. Daylesford. 7pm. Free.

BALL PARK MUSIC. MERPIRE, LEWIS COLEMAN

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $79.90.

BROWN SPIRITS. BOGGLE, MOTE Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $22.95.

WILLIAM CRIGHTON. MAGPIE DIARIES

Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $23.46–49.47.

KAYLA BRUNO

Morris House. Melbourne. 10pm. BUD ROKESKY Shotkickers. Thornbury. 8pm. $23.55.

HARDCORE UNITY

FT: Desire, Dizdain, Chain of Fools, Shellgam The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 8pm. $23.50.

ULCERATE. THE AMENTA, MUNT Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 7pm. $65.80.

FACS. CHIMERS, TWINE, NO HOPER Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $48.05. RODA DE SAMBA Bar 303. Northcote. 7pm. $15.

INTERVAL: LOWBRAIN + ZAC ATTACQ

Glamorama. Fitzroy. 10pm. $15–30.

SACRED COWBOYS. MATT MALONE & THE HOLY SPIRITS

The Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $34.70. SURROUNDED BY SOUND: BECK Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm. $10.

BEEGEES REVIVAL: 10TH ANNIVERSARY ‘STAYIN ALIVE’ TOUR

The Round. Nunawading. 7.30pm. $69.

STAY GOLD BATTLE OF THE BANDS FT: Fauna, Sage, Bite My Tongue, Blyss, Operation Karma, more Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

A TWIST OF FATE

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 6.15pm. $35.96. BASEMENT SPACEMAN

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. Free.

TAMARA KULDIN’S GENTS OF JAZZ Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 9pm. $45. NO BULL. ENVY MARSHALL, THE CHEVALIERS

Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $15.43.

BEEFCAKE

New Guernica. Collingwood. 9pm. $35–65.

TEXAS IS THE REASON. COAST ARCADE, AVERAGE Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $79.90.

RUTHIE FOSTER & BAND

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $96.49.

SAT 09 MAY

MANKIND + ENZO

Hex Clifton Hill. Clifton Hill. 10pm. $16.50.

WILLIAM CRIGHTON

The Sound Doctor. Anglesea. 7pm. $45.

JOEY LIGHTBULB & FRIENDS: BY REQUEST

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 9pm. $34.49.

MONA LISA & THE LOURVE BANDITS

Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. Free.

SHAKTI RISING

FT: Jasmine Speers, AJNA, Bass Shaman, Blossom, Demonette, D-Fib, DJ Avs, D-Techt, Ezra, Serlx, Sundari, Ultra V!olet, XTNA, Yaz Craftsman’s Corner. Brunswick East. 5pm. $35.

BALL PARK MUSIC. MERPIRE, LEWIS

COLEMAN

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm.

ASHES TO ASHES: DAVID BOWIE

EXPERIENCE

Prince Bandroom.

St Kilda. 7pm. $55.60.

SKA FIGHTER II FEST 2026

FT: The Porkers, The Kittyhawks, The Ramshackle Army, Digger & The Pussycats, Modus Fire, Paperweight, more Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 2.30pm.

$58.15–62.75.

GODDESS OF POP:

A TRIBUTE TO CHER The Round. Nunawading. 7pm. $70.50.

TRANCE CLASSICAL

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 7pm. $70.90–81.10.

FREEDANCE

022: SEEING

FT: Jungle City. Preston. 6pm. $20.

ROLLERBALL. NUADA & THE GIRLIES

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $40.

CAMERON WHITCOMB.

LEWIS LOVE Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 7pm.

SÖJOURN Morris House. Melbourne. 7pm.

RUTHIE FOSTER

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 3pm. $90–95. THE DISABLES. SPENT SHELLS, TIGER SNAKES, JIM MONGREL The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 8pm. $28.60.

TERRA ROUGE. KASH, THE SCREAMAGERS The Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 12pm. $23.75–28.85.

COLLABORATIONS

FT: Kerri Simpson, Bob Sedergreen, Carl Pannuzzo Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $45.

BURNING BITUMEN

BIRTHDAY BONANZA –25 YEARS OF EVIL

FT: Khazurvaal, Cult of the Night, Nephalem, Carcinoid, Whitehorse

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $38.25.

HIGHSCHOOL. SLEEPAZOID, RAIN DOGS

Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $39.90–49.90.

PAULINI & TIM

CAMPBELL: ELECTRIFYING 80S

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $84.90–89.90.

AM//PM EMO NIGHT

FT: Banks Arcade, more Stay Gold. Brunswick. 8pm. $20–25.

KANEKOAYANO

Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm. $75.15.

SURROUNDED BY SOUND: SPLIT ENZ

Odeon Richmond. Richmond. 7pm. $10.

SUMMER ACOUSTICA:

SONIA SERIN

Bar 303. Northcote. 4.30pm. $15.

TIME ENOUGH AT LAST ‘26

FT: Dr Sure’s Unusual Practice, Our Carlson, Simona Castricum, Mandeng Groove, The Prize, Kosmetika, Eggy, Hunny Machete, Hot Tubs Time Machine, Blood Lotus, Voidhood, Captain Beep Boop

The Tote. Collingwood. 6.30pm. $60.70.

HYDRA: THE AUSTRALIAN TOTO SHOW

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

HANNAH BREWER. HANNIE DAY, 40TH PARALLEL, SAGE THE MAGE

The Old Bar. Fitzroy. 7pm. $28.60.

GYPSY LEE

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

THE 70S80S90S SHOW

Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 7.30pm. $72. LUDES. PLEASE PEOPLE, REAL GOOD COMPANY

The Espy. St Kilda. 7.30pm. $22.95.

YOUTHLESS

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. Free.

NELLY BARDELLE. RATFINK!, ASHA RYDER WEST

Brunswick Artists’ Bar. Brunswick. 4.30pm. Free. IN2POL

New Guernica. Collingwood. 10pm. $20–25.

MURRAY & THE MOVERS. RAMONA SKY, THE PEARLIES

Cherry Bar. Melbourne. 8pm. $20.54.

CLASSIC KIDS: BEETHOVEN’S GAMING QUEST

FT: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 10.30am. $28.

SHADOW RESONANCE

FT: Beyond the Lake, Minorarc Club Voltaire. North Melbourne. 7.15pm. $15.

THU 14 MAY

JAEDYN RANDELL

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $46.92.

THE BOOK OF MORMON

Princess Theatre. Melbourne. 7pm.

NINA FERRO & THE GOLD STANDARD

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $45. THE PIAZZOLLA EXPERIENCE BY REVENGE TANGO

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $39.30.

MARIAH THE SCIENTIST Festival Hall. West Melbourne. 7pm. GUERNS THURSDAYS New Guernica. Collingwood. 9.30pm. Free–$15.

AN EVENING WITH NATHAN VEGA. INIGO MAGNO, MEKKY

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7pm. $22.95.

BILLY CART. HANNAH KATE, CLOVER BLUE, ECHO SOCIAL CLUB

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7pm. $15.

PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 8pm. $25.83. THE BLUEBIRDS. BOVINE, THE MODS

The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 7pm. $16.35.

ESKIMO JOE Corner Hotel. Richmond. 7.30pm.

FOR THE SAKE OF THE SONG

FT: Shane Howard, Sara Storer, Shane Nicholson Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $75–94.

COLLIER PLAYS COLTRANE Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $55. TRIO FAN TIID Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

FRI 15 MAY

UNDERSCORE

Kingston City Hall. Moorabbin. 7.30pm. $30.

MAGGIE LINDEMANN Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 7pm. $84.90. THUNDERCAT PICA (Port Melbourne Industrial Centre for the Arts). 7pm. $99.90.

WINTER BLUES AT THE BALLROOM

FT: Jeff Lang & Danny McKenna, Sammy Owen Blues Band, Anna Scionti, Otis Namrell Band

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8.30pm. $56.10.

AN EVENING WITH STEVE KILBEY OF THE CHURCH: FLUKES, HOAXES & WHIMS The Round. Nunawading. 8pm. $62.90.

COME HEAVY SLEEP Quadraphonic Club. Brunswick. 6pm. Free.

ALBERT SALT Shotkickers. Thornbury. 8pm. $23.80.

SO YESTERDAY: THE POP GIRLIES WHO RAISED US Prince Bandroom. St Kilda. 9pm. $12.25–18.90.

JO MEARES’ SILVER BULLETS. JOYCE PRESCHER DUO Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $17.95.

OSMOSIS JONES

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 9pm. $40.70–50.90.

JOEY SILVEIRA. RUBY DATTNER, PARADISE VALLEY

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 7.30pm. $22.95.

CZECHMATE: MEETING AT THE CROSSROADS Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 6pm. $55.

LIVE PIANO: VALIANT VON THULE Daylesford Hotel. Daylesford. 7pm. Free.

FREYA & THE VIKINGS. THE TWO FACE TRIO, DOUBLE PUMPER

Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8.30pm. $10.

DIFFICULT WOMAN: SONGS OF RENEE

GEYER. DJ EUGENE HAMILTON

Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $35–60.

NANCY & THE JAM FANCYS

The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar. North Melbourne. 8.30pm.

MARCUS KNIGHT Morris House. Melbourne. 6pm.

TRAGO AMARGO

Brunswick Artists’ Bar. Brunswick. 8.30pm. Free.

Y FEST

FT: Y Street. Buried Feather, Hollie Joyce, Grevillea, T-Models, DJ Pong Stay Gold. Brunswick. 6pm. $25.

CHRIS CAVILL. PAIGE BARNARD, DJ RYAN MEEKING Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $26.05.

PROJECT MAYHEM

The Espy. St Kilda. 7.30pm. $10.75.

INTERVAL: PAGAN Glamorama. Fitzroy. 10pm. $15–30.

GHIBLI REIMAGINED

FT: Russell Tay Trio Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6pm.

COLLIER PLAYS COLTRANE Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $55.

MURPHY’S LAW. VICIOUS CIRCLE, RAT BAIT, IMPLODE, COMBAT ROCK

The Tote. Collingwood. 8pm. $50.50.

JACK GATTO & CHARLIE GAYLARD: ELVIS SPECTACULAR Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 7.45pm. $79.90.

LCO TRIO

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 6pm.

WILSN

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 7.30pm. $39.69.

SPIN DOCTORS

Geelong Arts Centre. Geelong. 6.30pm.

SAT 16 MAY

STRING

SPECTACULAR

FT: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7.30pm. $20–105.

ONE WHOLE HAND. DEATH OF ART, DEEP MAJESTIC THUNDER, PROJECTILE DYSFUNCTION

The Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 7pm. $23.75.

CHARLEY

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 8pm. $35.21–41.89.

COMEDY AT THE ROUND

FT: Kirsty Webeck, Jude Perl, Annie Louey

The Round. Nunawading. 8pm. $32.

LARA BUCHANAN

The Espy. St Kilda. 1.30pm.

HANUMANKIND

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $81.50.

AMA DANCE

ACADEMY: SWETHA PADMA (THE WHITE LOTUS)

Clocktower Centre. Moonee Ponds. 6pm. $45–55.

DORUKSEN

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 9pm. $38.25–49.

THE DEADBEATS. KEGGIN’, IN THE ESKY, THE WASH Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 8.30pm. $17.35.

THESE NEW SOUTH WHALES. RINSE, SPECIAL GUEST

Howler. Brunswick. 8pm. $39.95.

THE STYES. BLONDEHOUSE, PHOENIX STREET

The Tote. Collingwood. 2.30pm. Free.

ANDREW DE SILVA’S DEDICATION TO GEORGE MICHAEL

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

THE GREAT BIG BEER BAND

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $33.70.

SASHA FERN Morris House. Melbourne. 7pm.

GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK PROJECT

FT: Emma Gilmartin & Nick Haywood Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $45.

WARREN ZEIDERS.

MACK GEIGER

Festival Hall. West Melbourne. 7pm. $101.79.

ONE MORE TUNE DAY PARTY

FT: The Huntress, Ale J, Shaun Rowland, Leah Tanelle, Nevin Glamorama. Fitzroy. 4pm. $15–25.

JOSIE’S VACATION. TAINTED FACADE, ROSCOE MULE, HEARTH

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 1pm. $11.75.

MONSTERS OF RIFF 2026

FT: Elm Street. Witchgrinder, Aardvark, Ion Sky

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 7.30pm. $30.

GOOD MUSIC PRESENTS

ALL STAR Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 5pm. $10.

ITSROSIEQUARTZ.

JESSIE EILERS

Brunswick Artists’ Bar. Brunswick. 8.30pm. Free.

ESKIMO JOE Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8.30pm.

DOOTFEST IN SPACE

The Motley Bauhaus. Carlton. 8.30pm. $25.83.

SPIN DOCTORS Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 7.30pm.

THU 21 MAY

MARGARET & THE GREY MARE (OPENING NIGHT)

FT: Katy B Plummer

The Substation. Newport. 8pm. Free.

GREAT PASSIONS: RADULOVIĆ; PLAYS KHACHATURIAN FT: Melbourne

Symphony Orchestra Hamer Hall (Arts Centre Melbourne). Melbourne. 7.30pm. $20–139.

PARTY DOZEN The Tote. Collingwood. 7.30pm.

LOZ IRWIN-RAY. NINA ROSE, GURUS

Brunswick Artists’ Bar. Brunswick. 8.30pm. Free.

AUSTRALIAN

STRING QUARTET: INTERWOVEN

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $95.

TOTALLY STONEZ: THE ROLLING STONES SHOW

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

GENESIS OWUSU Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 7pm. $79.90.

CHLOE GILL. SADIE MUSTOE

Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $28.30.

DADDY LONG LEGS

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $50.10.

ARIES. TSUBI CLUB

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $81.50.

A LIVE TRIBUTE CONCERT FOR ACHILLES YIANGOULLI

Brunswick Ballroom. Brunswick. 8pm. $36.72.

EARTH CADET. ANOTHER ROTTING CORPSE, SHARPENER

Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 7.30pm. Free.

BIRD LIVES! BEBOP REVIVED

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

JOHN HENDERSON

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 7pm. Free.

FRI 22 MAY

CHET BAKER REIMAGINED

Paris Cat Jazz Club. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $45. KINGSWOOD Corner Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $51.10.

GEORGIA RODGERS

Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. Free.

UMBRA MOON

The Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 8pm. $17.85. KWN

Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 7pm. $91.50.

THE HEAVY KICKS. SAMMY OWEN BLUES BAND, ZEVON LEE

Shotkickers. Thornbury. 8pm. $18.70.

SLOMOSA

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 7pm. $79.

WORLD GOTH DAY 2026

FT: EDEN, Velatine, False Animal, Palliative, Human Intrusion

Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 6.30pm. $22.95.

UNGRATEFUL DEADFEST–BRUTALITY II

FT: Algor Mortis, Vile Apparition, Incinerated, Parasitic Infestation, Odiusembowel, Pulverised Cranial Matter, Crimespree, Trepacide Bendigo Hotel. Collingwood. 7.30pm. $49.50–95.40.

INTERVAL: SHUFFA + DJ OPTIMISM

Glamorama. Fitzroy. 10pm. $15–30.

HERMITUDE

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $67.52.

THE DARLINGS FAMILY TRUST (DUO) Quadraphonic Club. Brunswick. 6pm. Free.

HANA & JESSIELEE’S BAD HABITS. LORETTA MILLER, DOE EYES

The Tote. Collingwood. 8pm. $25.

HAMILTOWN: HAMILTON VS HADESTOWN CLUB NIGHT

The Espy. St Kilda. 9pm. $14.80–22.95.

THE GREAT EMU WAR CASUALTIES. HECTICT+, LOSTII, COMEDY

Brunswick Artists’ Bar. Brunswick. 8.30pm. Free.

PSYCHEDELIA WITH BERNADETTE NOVEMBRE. RUBY & THE CANNONS, SUPA LUCIA

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 7pm. $17.34.

FLEETWOOD MAX

Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $50.

BLUEBOTTLE KISS. POSSIBLE HUMANS, MARCUS TEAGUE

Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $40.

BATHS

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 8pm. $54.90.

LOVE POLICE PRESENT: DADDY LONG LEGS

Stay Gold. Brunswick. 7pm. $33.70.

SAT 23 MAY

SUNDOWN ON EDEN. KEIRA J & THE MICE, NEPENTHES

The Toff In Town. Melbourne. 6.30pm. $19.38.

GRAND WAZOO: THE LEGACY TOUR–45 YEARS OF SOUL Yarraville Club. Yarraville. 7.30pm. $45–60.

SEBII, KIMJ AND BILLIONHAPPY: AUSTRALIA 2026

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 11pm. $119.90.

JEREMY BEGGS. NATHAN SEECKTS Wesley Anne. Northcote. 8pm. $23.20.

MORGAN EVANS. LACI KAYE BOOTH Forum Melbourne. Melbourne. 7pm. $99.90.

HOT COUPLES

NEAR YOU: AN EVENING OF DUOS

FT: Baby Ouzo, Mystery Daughter, Horses of Course

Cafe Gummo. Thornbury. 8pm. $15.

HONOURING TUPAC

SHAKUR: 30TH ANNIVERSARY

Max Watt’s. Melbourne. 8pm. $44–65.

DEVIL ELECTRIC Northcote Social Club. Northcote. 8pm. $20.

NPC. TETHER, JASPER FOX Retreat Hotel. Brunswick. 8pm. Free. BABBA Bird’s Basement. Melbourne. 7.30pm. $70.

FOREVER YOUNG: THE SONGS OF BOB DYLAN

FT: Adalita, Rob Snarski, Lisa Miller, Van Walker, Suzannah Espie, Charles Jenkins, Rebecca Barnard, more Memo Music Hall. St Kilda. 7pm. $57–77.

FEAR FACTORY

Northcote Theatre. Northcote. 7.30pm. $98.12. UNGRATEFUL DEADFEST–BRUTALITY II

The Tote. Collingwood. 4.30pm. $50.50.

CALIGULA

The Old Bar. Fitzroy. 8pm. $35.

BADINAGE. THONGS Bergy Bandroom. Brunswick. 2pm. $16.85. ECHOES OF PIAZZOLLA: ZERO HOUR

Melbourne Recital Centre. Southbank. 7pm. $70. DON’T THANK ME, SPANK ME!. POLLYMAN, SNAKE THIGHS

The Curtin. Carlton. 8pm. $33.45.

MARGOT PETRIE PRESENTS: MELODY GARDOT TRIBUTE

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

The Espy. St Kilda. 6pm. $15–20.

METAL UNITED DOWN UNDER 2026

FT: Dreadnaught, Demonhead, Katana Cartel, Flitcraft, Ots (Of The Shadow), Cold Red Mute

The Leadbeater Hotel. Richmond. 6pm. $34.70.

COMPLETE

The Night Cat. Fitzroy. 8pm. $54.98.