Words – @ladylane____
Photos – @photo.amai
G.U.N opened the evening with a confrontational burst of industrial noise punk, immediately cutting through the room with abrasive textures and relentless intensity. Their set was built on distortion, pounding rhythms, and jagged, mechanical edges, less about melody and more about sheer sonic impact. From the first track, they established a harsh, uncompromising atmosphere, trading polish for raw force as feedback, noise, and repetition pushed the crowd into a more visceral headspace.
There was little in the way of restraint, but that was exactly the point. The set moved with a punishing momentum, each track blurring into the next in a controlled wall of sound that felt chaotic but intentional. Vocals were delivered with urgency, often submerged within the mix, adding to the sense of disorder rather than cutting through it. The crowd’s reaction was more physical than expressive – a mix of tension, movement, and absorption – as the band carved out a stark contrast to the night’s later, more atmospheric tones.
By the end, G.U.N. had delivered a set that felt less like an opening act and more like a challenge – loud, abrasive, and unyielding. It was a bold way to start the night, forcing the room to adjust on their terms and leaving a lingering sense of noise and unease that carried into the headliner’s more controlled descent.
THE HORRORS presented a performance that unfolded less like a conventional concert and more like a carefully constructed, slow-burning sonic experience. Opening with “The Silence That Remains,” they immediately established a dark, controlled atmosphere, leaning heavily into synth textures and restrained pacing rather than crowd-hyping energy. Tracks like “Mirror’s Image” and “Three Decades” flowed seamlessly, with minimal interaction, reinforcing a deliberate focus on mood over personality. The mid-set run, particularly “Sea Within a Sea” and the ever-powerful “Still Life” formed the emotional core, blending hypnotic repetition with moments of genuine lift, as the audience responded most strongly to the latter’s familiar swell.
As the set progressed through “More Than Life,” “LA Runaway,” and “Who Can Say,” the band maintained a consistent tone, prioritising cohesion over dynamic spikes. The encore “Lotus Eater,” “Scarlet Fields,” and a closing “Something to Remember Me By” offered a subtle sense of release without breaking the show’s introspective spell. Rather than ending on a high-energy peak, they chose a melancholic comedown that perfectly matched the night’s aesthetic. Overall, the Melbourne performance highlighted a fully evolved version of The Horrors: less chaotic than their earlier years, but far more refined, cinematic, and unified in vision – a show built on atmosphere that rewarded patience and attention.
What ultimately defined the night was the band’s commitment to restraint. Instead of chasing big, immediate reactions, they allowed songs to breathe and unfold gradually, trusting the audience to sit within the tension and texture. It created a shared sense of immersion that lingered well beyond the final notes – a stirring performance that didn’t demand attention so much as quietly consume it.
I sincerely thank THE HORRORS, G.U.N, the Northcote Theatre and Crowd Favourite PR.
