Photos by: Lucinda Scott
Words by: CeeCee
Special thanks to Destroy All Lines
A perfect day of sun, sand, and crashing waves set the scene, and the crowd made the most of every second. Bodies flowed effortlessly over the barrier and into the waiting arms of security, as the atmosphere quickly turned into one big, salt-soaked celebration. Among the sea of surfers was a familiar and much-loved figure — James, ‘the man on wheels,’ a Melbourne legend. Many of us have seen the photos or videos — or even captured some ourselves — of him being lifted high above the crowd, wheelchair and all. It’s a moment that never loses its magic, and he remains an absolute icon of the scene.
True to its beach party spirit, the day was splashed with colour — bright shirts everywhere, including one group sporting matching tees personalised with names and inside jokes across the back. It was the kind of day where strangers became friends, old friends reappeared unexpectedly, and the good vibes felt endless.
First up for the day was a band I’d only seen once before back in December, and I was just as impressed the second time around — Headwreck from Brisbane. They know exactly how to put on a show, rolling straight into the crowd early in the day and setting the tone from the outset. By the end of the night, plenty of people were sporting the band tees they’d picked up at the festival — a clear sign this is a band climbing the ladder fast.
They opened with Filet-O-Fish, which felt perfectly fitting for the venue. The crowd went wild for Plan Z, and they closed their set with Buzzsaw, which had our lovely photographer Luci singing along to every word. That one seemed to be the crowd favourite. As they left the stage, the Bear in the Big Blue House Goodbye Song played over the speakers, sparking a crowd singalong to send them off.
Next to take the stage was Reliqa, a decade-long band who have made waves throughout the scene, led by the melodic and powerful vocals of Monique Pym. It was my first time seeing them live, and I was genuinely impressed. By their second song, Cave, the crowd had their hands in the air, fully locked in. When they launched into Killstar (The Cold World) as their third track, a mosh pit erupted and a wall of death split the floor, with Monique egging the crowd on.
For their final song, Terminal, a circle pit started up as the lyrics ‘Rage, Rage, Rage‘ rang out, with someone dressed as a banana standing in the centre, somehow keeping the chaos moving closing the set on a high.
Up next, the pace shifted dramatically into some seriously heavy territory with Melbourne-based band HEAVENSGATE, and I won’t lie — it caught me off guard in the best way. From the first note of Burden Of Being, the crowd went feral, with a circle pit breaking out almost instantly.
Having never seen them before, I was genuinely surprised by the intensity they brought. By the third song, I turned to my mate and said, ‘That guitarist looks so familiar‘ — turns out it was an old acquaintance from years ago. I always love those moments, seeing someone from the past and how far they’ve come in their career, and this band has clearly been making waves since they started.
They powered through tracks including Violent Joy and Ginsick, before closing their set with Ratking. I was planted at the barrier as crowd surfers rolled overhead one after another — they truly know how to command a crowd.
With Caskets up next, I was genuinely excited. I’ve been a long-time listener but had never had the chance to see them live, so this set felt special from the start. They took to the stage with a cinematic intro rolling over the speakers before launching straight into Make Me A Martyr.
Throughout the set, vocalist Matt Flood had a playful energy, sharing cheeky moments with the other bands watching from the balcony — making heart signs and pointing with a grin across his face. When Lost in Echoes began, the crowd singalong was deafening; it honestly felt like if Matt had dropped the mic, no one would have missed a single word.
They also played Our Remedy from their latest album, The Only Heaven You’ll Know, which was met with just as much enthusiasm. The crowd spilled over the barrier as the emotion built, and they closed out their set with Glass Heart — another massive singalong, a clear crowd favourite and a personal favourite of mine too. Finally seeing them live left me with a huge smile on my face.
Another Aussie staple of the scene hit the stage next — Ocean Sleeper — and I’ve honestly lost count of how many times I’ve seen them over the years. No matter how often I catch them live, they always bring the energy. From Karl Spiessl using every inch of the stage to his advantage to Stan Liagourdis twirling his guitar mid-set, they’re never anything less than captivating to watch.
As soon as the second song, Heaven, kicked in, the crowd launched straight into a singalong. Bodies were surfing overhead and shoulder riders rose above the chaos. When they broke into the first verse, Fireball inflatables bounced through the air and two guys dressed as Fireball bottles jumped into the crowd, adding another layer of madness. Even the stagehands got involved, throwing out T-shirts and hats while the crowd soaked up every second of it. Karl mentioned they have a new album coming out this year before launching into Never the One, a personal favourite of mine. If this set was anything to go by, there’s plenty to look forward to with what comes next.
Another blast from the past hit the stage with We Like To Party! blasting over the speakers — Thy Art Is Murder, but with a twist. The vocalist walked out wearing a mask, which definitely caught me off guard. After opening with Blood Throne, he pulled it off and admitted, ‘I was going to wear that the whole show, but it’s too fucking hot.‘ I was still trying to place him, but later found out it was Jerry Chard, aka Jerry Grimefeld, who was allegedly filling in for the band.
After tearing through Join Me in Armageddon, Jerry addressed the crowd with, ‘Melbourne, will you be my Valentine?‘ before doubling down with, ‘For the rest of this fucking set, you belong to me,‘ and launching straight into Slaves Beyond Death. As always, this band brought absolute chaos — the crowd completely let loose, moving like no one was watching and embracing every brutal moment.
The next band to hit the stage was another group I’ve listened to for years but hadn’t yet had the pleasure of seeing live — We Came As Romans — and they absolutely did not disappoint. They opened with All Is Beautiful and rolled straight into Bad Luck, instantly locking the crowd in. When they played one of my personal favourites, Darkbloom, I was singing along without hesitation.
Between songs, Dave Stephens took a moment to reflect on starting the band almost 20 years ago, admitting he never imagined they’d be ‘playing on a beach at sunset in Australia with this many fucking people singing the words.’ He spoke candidly about the failures and difficult times they’ve faced, crediting resilience as the reason they’re still standing today. ‘You’re going to have failures,’ he told the crowd, ‘but it’s important that you get back up and keep going,‘ before dedicating No Rest for The Dreamers with the words, ‘This one’s for all my dreamers out there tonight.’ It was a powerful, heartfelt moment that resonated deeply.
They continued with more favourites, including Black Hole. During the final chorus, Dave lowered his microphone as the crowd sang every word back to him, and it genuinely looked like he was holding back tears. Closing out with Daggers, the energy never once dipped — the pit was in constant motion, and it felt like no one took a breath the entire set. I already can’t wait to see them again.
Closing out the night were Aussie legends Polaris — the very band who helped bring this show together, sharing their love for the scene and for the people who’ve stood by them from the beginning. From the moment they launched into Dissipate, the energy surged through the beach like a shockwave.
Vagabond saw Jamie Hails rocking a tambourine mid-set, a small but memorable touch, before The Remedy turned into one of the night’s biggest crowd moments with a huge back-and-forth singalong that echoed across the sand. At one point, Jamie called out, ‘Whether you came here for your best friend, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, your mum, your dad — get on top of their shoulders,‘ repeatedly shouting, ‘Get up in the air!’ Within seconds, people were lifted high, transforming the beach into a sea of silhouettes against the sunset, voices raised in unison for Masochist just to add to the chaos. During another track Jamie demanded the entire crowd get down low — you could almost hear the collective creak of knees before everyone exploded back upward on cue.
Inhumane, a personal favourite of mine, hit with relentless force, while Hypermania and Martyr (Waves) kept the intensity climbing. By the time they reached Nightmare, fireworks rained across the top of the stage, a fittingly explosive backdrop to close out the night.
From start to finish, the crowd never stopped — just a relentless sea of moving bodies and bellowing screams, the perfect ending to a massive day.
Huge thanks to the teams at Destroy All Lines and Polaris, with support from Coopers, Fireball Whisky, AM/PM, and Riviera Beach Club, for delivering such an epic day. And a special shout-out to the security team for keeping everything running smoothly (and for putting up with us).
I’d absolutely love to see more festivals like this in the future — what a day.
– GALLERY –
HEADWRECK
RELIQA
CASKETS
HEAVENSGATE
OCEAN SLEEPER
THY ART IS MURDER
WE CAME AS ROMANS
POLARIS
