Photos by: Lucinda Scott
Words by: Mitch Patrick
There is a distinct, electric shift in the air when a highly anticipated international tour finally kicks off, and Wednesday night at 170 Russell was absolute proof of it. Manchester’s premier alt-rock powerhouse, Hot Milk, made their triumphant and long-awaited return to Melbourne, turning the iconic basement venue into a pressure cooker of sweat, chaotic energy, and deeply emotional catharsis. Supported by local heavy hitters Bad/Love, the night set a remarkably high standard for the rest of their Australian run, delivering an unforgettable masterclass in modern alternative music.
Opening the night on home soil, Melbourne’s own Bad/Love proved from the moment they stepped under the lights exactly why they are widely considered one of the most exciting, forward-thinking forces in the local heavy music scene. Stepping out to a rapidly filling room, the band didn’t bother with a slow, atmospheric build. Instead, they brought massive, unrelenting energy right from the very first chord, instantly locking in the crowd’s attention and setting a blistering pace for the evening.
The hometown crowd was locked in immediately, but Bad/Love were determined to push the room even harder. They didn’t waste any time getting the floor moving, actively orchestrating a massive, room-splitting wall of death early in the set. Seeing the crowd divide and collide with such intense momentum inside the basement walls of 170 Russell set an incredible tone for the night.
However, live music is nothing without its unpredictable moments. Mid-set, the band hit a sudden technical speed bump, suffering a laptop issue that threatened to completely kill the momentum they had just fought so hard to build. In the hands of a lesser band, a sudden technical silence can ruin a set, but Bad/Love handled it like absolute professionals. Rather than letting an awkward silence settle over the venue, they kept the crowd entirely engaged. Front men and band members paced the stage, chatting casually with the front rows and very nearly resorting to an impromptu stand-up routine of terrible dad jokes while the crew scrambled to fix the playback tech. It was a testament to their charisma and stage presence; they had the room laughing and cheering through a moment that usually kills a vibe.
Once the tech issues were sorted and the samples kicked back in, their performance was completely seamless. Backed by crushing, low-end riffs, precise drumming, and absolutely massive, soaring clean vocals contrasted with vicious screams, Bad/Love delivered a profoundly entertaining and fiercely confident set. They showed Melbourne exactly how heavy music should be played, leaving the stage to a deafening roar.
By the time the lights dimmed for the main act, the basement was packed to the rafters and buzzing with anticipation. Hot Milk operate at a level of chaotic, beautiful, non-stop kinetic energy that very few live acts on the planet can match. The moment co-frontrunners Han Mee and Jim Shaw bounded onto the stage, the venue erupted into a full-throttle display of pure alternative rock power.
The Melbourne crowd went completely feral from the very first track, matching the band’s frantic energy jump for jump. The atmosphere on the floor was wild and unpredictable, reaching a chaotic peak during the bouncy, biting anthems of Candy Coated Lie$ when an over-excited fan managed to bypass security, leap directly onto the stage, and dance alongside the band before returning to the sea of bodies. Rather than being phased, the band thrived on the madness. The night was also packed with the kind of hilarious, localised banter that makes a tour opener feel incredibly special. Han took a brief pause between songs to proudly bring her “Aunty Linda” out onto the stage. Trying her best with local Victorian geography, Han confidently introduced her to the massive crowd as being from Geelong. Linda, understandably a bit shy in front of a packed rock venue, didn’t grab the mic—instead, she quickly leaned in and whispered the correction directly into Han’s ear. Han immediately burst out laughing, announcing to the room that Linda was actually from Point Cook. The wholesome family moment had the entire venue laughing and instantly broke down any remaining barrier between the stage and the room. That sense of community continued into the crowd participation, highlighted by a legendary moment where
Han called for the room to split open for a massive pit. Specifically, she demanded a “muff pit” or “clit pit” consisting entirely of women fans to take over the centre of the floor. Hearing Han rally the room with that specific phrase in her thick, unmistakable Manchester accent was absolutely brilliant. The crowd happily and instantly obliged, creating an incredibly fun, safe, rowdy, and empowering space right in the middle of the room that kept spinning for the rest of the track.
Beneath the relentless bouncing, infectious hooks, and massive pop-punk melodies, it was the raw emotional core of the night that hit the hardest. Hot Milk’s music deals heavily with mental health, survival, and coping with the weight of the world, and those themes became overwhelmingly real during their performance of BREATHING UNDERWATER. The sheer scale of the crowd singing the words back, combined with the weight of kicking off the tour, caught up with Han. She openly cried on stage, delivering a performance of pure, unfiltered vulnerability that left a noticeable hush of respect across the venue.
Before wrapping up their massive, high-energy 17-song set with an explosive encore, Han took a quiet moment to express what these international shows truly mean to them as individuals. Looking out at the sea of sweaty, smiling faces in Melbourne, she sincerely referred to everyone in attendance as her genuine friends. She shared a deeply personal admission, telling the crowd that when she is back home in England, sitting alone on her darkest, saddest nights, it is the vivid memories of wild, loving, and passionate rooms like 170 Russell that pull her back through and make her happy again.
It was a beautiful, deeply touching note to end on, capping off a night that felt far less like a standard, transactional rock gig and more like a massive, cathartic family reunion for Melbourne’s alternative community.
Hot Milk cemented their status as one of the most vital, energetic, and emotionally resonant live bands in the world today. If you missed out on this tour opener, you missed a milestone.
GALLERY
BAD/LOVE
HOT MILK
