As the weather heats up, Brisbane is coming through with unique music bookings that make a convincing case for the city as Australia’s live music capital. Just ask Powderfinger’s John Collins, who has traded in the stage spotlight for behind-the-scenes as the owner of two of the city’s live music venues – The Triffid and Fortitude Music Hall.
“There’s no reason why Brisbane can’t be like Austin, Texas, which is considered the world’s live music capital, not LA or New York or London,” he tells NME. “And with [annual music industry conference] BIGSOUND here, we can develop and grow that.”
With more than 20 venues across city-centre suburb Fortitude Valley, let alone those beyond, Brisbane is constantly buzzing with music – and that central hub, Collins says, is key to the city’s strong music community, as bands and punters alike venue-hop all night long, with musicians constantly popping up for impromptu collaborations.
“There’s a real support mechanism for bands of Brisbane. I have a big belief in Brisbane,” Collins adds. “I think it’s come a long way in 20 years, and it’s still growing with the [2032] Olympics and Paralympics. We’ve got more opportunities than we’ve ever had.”
NME handpicks six upcoming events and festivals below that speak to Brisbane’s electricity and musical abundance, from packed New Year’s Eve festivals to queer extravaganzas and Saturday morning kid-friendly gigs.
Concrete Jungle
When: Saturday November 11
Where: The Princess Theatre
Ticket: $45+
From the minds behind Jungle Love, Queensland’s own take on Burning Man, is this festival fundraiser in one of the city’s oldest venues. Headlined by theatrical rock seven-piece Battlesnake and featuring sets from psychedelic-folk act Baby Cool and neo-soul outfits Menajerie and SOLCHILD, as well as DJs and impromptu jam sessions, Concrete Jungle will bring a one-of-a-kind experience to the Princess.
Lagerfest
When: Wednesday November 15
Where: The Triffid
Tickets: $96+
Heavy metal is paired with beer from across the globe at this one-night festival headlined by Swedish melodic death metal legends The Halo Effect – the supergroup combining members of In Flames and Dark Tranquility. They’ll be supported by German symphonic-metal band Beyond the Black, New Zealand’s Devilskin and self-professed “party pirates” Lagerstein.
Small Fry Rock with Kate-Miller Heidke
When: Saturday November 18
Where: The Triffid
Tickets: $25+
Finding the perfect medium ground of true all-ages fun, Small Fry Rock is an ongoing concert series that sees namestays like Phil Jamieson, Ben Lee and Adalita of Magic Dirt play a child-friendly mid-morning set of their hits. Adults can bop along with an early beer, while kids can jump up and down with apple juice. What better act than Kate-Miller Heidke to play the next gig, considering she just co-wrote Bananaland, a musical about a band that finds accidental success as a kid’s act?
Melt Festival
When: November 11-26
Where: Brisbane Powerhouse
Tickets: Free-$69+
Brisbane’s annual festival of queer music, art and culture returns for its eighth year with a slick line-up that mixes some of Australia’s most exciting LGBTQI+ acts with critical darlings and cult favourites from abroad. As part of the free events, Brisbane’s own Elizabeth will serenade with her cinematic dream-pop, and actor-turned-pop powerhouse Keiynan Lonsdale will dance up a storm. Plus: shows from Montreal indie-rock band Tops, electronic chart-topper Aluna with Perth alt-pop export Kučka and US pop maximalist Chappell Roan.
Good Things
When: December 3
Where: Brisbane Showgrounds
Tickets: Sold out
Whether you’re into nu metal or new wave, Good Things’s 2023 line-up is stacked with heavy hitters, including headliners Devo, Limp Bizkit and Fall Out Boy. Anticipation is high: the latter two haven’t been to Australia for more than five years, while Devo is returning after a decade away from our shores as part of their global farewell tour.
Mixing together legacy acts with the contemporary, the 30-strong line-up features Slipknot’s Corey Taylor in solo mode, punk pioneers Pennywise, Bullet For My Valentine, Taking Back Sunday and Enter Shikari. Plus, a mix of Australian legends past and present, including Spiderbait, Frenzal Rhomb, Jebediah, Eskimo Joe, Short Stack and Luca Brasi.
Wildlands
When: December 31
Where: Brisbane Showgrounds
Tickets: $184.90+
Enter the New Year right: dancing to Peggy Gou. The Berlin-based Korean DJ’s track ‘It Goes Like (Nanana)’ is a contender for song of the summer, but if that’s not your vibe, the line-up also boasts Rüfüs Du Sol, UK drill rapper Central Cee, New York’s A$AP Ferg and The XX frontwoman Romy. Rounding out the night are the likes of The Jungle Giants, G Flip, COBRAH, Anna Lunoe, Becca Hatch and plenty more.