Words – @jstewbyy
Shots – @djsedick
BABY MULLET – Walking into Northcott Theatre at anything less than full capacity was a first for me, had I have walked in with my eyes closed, I wouldn’t have even known I was doing it. Melbourne locals Baby Mullet were already part way through their first song & you could see how tightly their raw & aggressive tones gripped those that had made it down early.
Using every moment up there to its full potential, the band didn’t waste any time showcasing their brand of fast & aggressive hardcore punk.
DELIVERY – Next up were Melbourne locals Delivery. I wasn’t sure I’d seen their name before but the moment they stepped on stage they had my attention. They came out with not two but three guitarists and four members with mics in their face, which told me that things were about to get interesting.
Their mix of sounds adjacent to post-punk, indie, and garage rock felt confident, driven and natural, like a band that knows exactly who they are & what they were there to achieve. Driven by a fun, yet chaotic energy, Delivery achieved exactly what they were brought there for. Cause chaos & hype everyone up, ready for Refused.
REFUSED – By the time Refused stepped out, there was very little space left in the theatre & the band didn’t mess around by easing into their set, they dove right in, hitting the stage with a burst of energy that set the tone immediately. Dennis Lyxzénw, despite being 50+ hit the stage with an incredibly eccentric and captivating energy, moving like a man powered by electricity. The moves were fun, the kicks were sharp, and the way he owned every inch of the stage felt like it was driven by his strongest instincts.
Moving through an hour and a half packed to the brim with classics like New Noise, Liberation Frequency, The Shape of Punk to Come & Rather Be Dead. Nostalgia bending the crowd to the bands will. Refused took every possible moment they could to showcase their brand of chaotic hardcore punk.
By the time Refused finished playing their final notes, people were drenched, exhausted and buzzing.
This wasn’t a legacy act saying goodbye. Refused proved that they are a rare kind of band, one that evolves without softening, ages without slowing, and treats every stage like a platform for ideas and sound.
Northcote Theatre felt small tonight, not because it’s a small venue, but because Refused made it feel like the walls weren’t big enough to contain the energy they unleashed.
An unforgettable show by all three bands.
Huge thanks to the Northcote Theatre Crew, Destroy All Lines and Dallas Does PR for having us!
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