Brisbane’s premier heavy music and dark arts event, the Dead of Winter Festival, is officially rising from the ashes. Dubbed The Resurrection, the festival is locked in for Saturday, 27 June 2026, marking its first return since 2019. Originally launched in 2009, the iconic gathering was forced into a multi-year hiatus following the pandemic.
For its grand comeback, the festival is shifting away from its former home at the Jubilee Hotel to a brand-new venue: the Mansfield Tavern in Brisbane’s southern suburbs. The highly anticipated 2026 edition promises a massive celebration of alternative culture, packing 34 live acts across multiple stages alongside performance art, horror cosplay, visual installations, and dark market stalls. Organisers have unleashed a diverse, genre-spanning lineup headlined by dance-punk and noise-rock heroes DZ Deathrays, alongside heavy hitters like Mammal, Toe To Toe, Beanflipper, and Slim Krusty. Tickets are available now via Oztix and the official Dead of Winter Festival Website.
With the festival fast approaching, HEAVY sent out some questions to all of the bands in order to get to know them better. Today, we chat with MITCH PLEASE.
Mitch, Please is a five-piece nerd punk band based in Meanjin/Brisbane, Australia. Often described as a blend of fast-tempo melodic pop punk, thrash-heavy hardcore, and the eccentricities of the B-52’s, the group is celebrated for its highly relatable, satirical lyrics covering everyday shortcomings like puzzle addictions, cats, fizzy drinks, and band shirts. The line-up includes Polly Cooke, Steve Reed, Matt Sim, Nick Bragg, and Kayla Philp—hilariously noting on the official Mitch, Please website that the band does not actually contain anyone named Mitch.
A beloved fixture of the South East Queensland community music scene, they regularly top the charts on local radio station 4ZZZ FM, with their single All The Rage landing the number one spot on the station’s Hot 100. Their discography includes acclaimed releases such as The Bin Collection and Yes, Thanks.
Q & A
HEAVY: DEAD OF WINTER FESTIVAL returns in 2026 after a seven-year hiatus. Why do you think DOW just HAD to return?
MITCH, PLEASE: Independent festivals are important to continue to support and celebrate local talent. DOW is similar to the 4zzz market days of the past, where local bands were celebrated and given the same platform as the established bands. Being able to see so many outstanding local and national acts in different rooms at the same pub, it really makes you feel a part of something.
H: What does it mean to your band to be playing DOW?
Getting to play, but also getting to see Pizza Death and hopefully eating their pizza. Have you seen Pizza Death? Our singer, Polly, once did an ASMR reading of Pizza Death lyrics. Maybe if we ask her nicely enough, she will do it again.
H: Have you ever been to DOW as a punter or playing?
Yes, a time long ago. Memories are hazy… Bragg was formally introduced to Polly by Jodie Flange at one of the very earliest DOW festivals. She was probably preoccupied with a cola Chupa Chup at the time, but look at us now!
H: If so, best memories of the day.
The Jubilee Hotel, before it was gentrified and turned into a food court. It was great finding bands or cabaret acts in the various rooms of the hotel on the day. That time our former guitarist just completely forgot there were toilets and went in the pot plant in the green room while Frenzal Rhomb were on stage.
H: It’s a long day of music. What will you be doing to make sure you will still be standing come your set time?
SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS… EVERYBODY
H: Give me your Top 3 Festival survival tips.
Cardio
Double tap
Beware of bathrooms
H: Which band – other than yourself – do you think will get up to the most mischief on the day?
Flangipanis, being one of their last ever shows! They always have something for the crowd. Looking forward to them topping toilet paper rolls and rubber missiles. Also, I hope Pizza Death will feed us.
H: Run us through your typical live show and what punters can expect.
We hope c#@ts like mathematics because they will be learning.
H: If you could get one band on the line-up to cover one of your songs, who would it be and what song would they cover?
Monster Zoku Onsomb: Rubbish
H: What’s your latest release?
All the Rage, it was #1 on 4zzz’s Hot 100 2025, as you well know
H: Finally, what plans does your band have for the rest of 2026 into 2027?
We will be catching a Blue Horizon shuttle to space to start a new life, for 11 minutes. On Planet Coachella. Where we will headline Fyre Festival. Twice.
