Photos by: Mitchell O’Rourke
Words by: CeeCee
Melbourne Pavilion in Kensington felt roomy while still being packed to the brim with alt people from all around Australia. It never felt too big—you could run into old friends, meet the band members, and by the end of the night it felt like home.
First up was Blood Oath, a female-fronted five-piece Naarm/Melbourne band made up of Allison (vocals), Josh (guitar), Rik (guitar), Ben (bass) and Anthony (drums). Emerging into the heavy scene around mid-2025, the band have already made serious waves, with their debut EP The Pattern of Pain dropping just a few weeks ago.
Blood Oath delivered a powerful and commanding performance, setting the tone for the night with crushing energy and undeniable presence. The set drew heavily from the EP, including Gauze, The Dull Hum of Nothing and Pardon My French, alongside a taste of new material with Jihad and Beta. It was the kind of performance that left no doubt they’re a band on the rise.
If you missed them this time around, don’t fret—Blood Oath will be playing Stay Gold on January 27 and The Catfish on February 13, and they’re absolutely one to catch live.
Christmas bells chimed over the speakers as, one by one, the boys from Brisbane’s Headwreck took to the stage. Dayne (bass) and Colby (drums) appeared dressed as elves, followed by Jamo (guitar) dressed as Santa, before the gorgeous Mrs Claus graced us with their presence — none other than Connor (vocals). They launched straight into Low Blow, instantly setting a chaotic, festive tone.
By the third song, Plan Z, Connor prompted the pit to open and the crowd wasted no time, exploding with energy for the high-octane set. Headwreck had the room completely locked in, and even watching from the sidelines of the pit was an absolute blast — the joy and chaos in the crowd said it all.
The band powered through the rest of their set with tracks including Freefall and Filet o Fish, before closing out with Buzzsaw as the crowd showed no signs of slowing down. Headwreck are absolutely a band to watch, with 2026 shaping up to be a huge year as gigs pop up left, right and centre. Keep an eye out for them when they roll through your town — they’re not one to miss.
The next band sent the crowd straight into head-banging mode and had the pit going feral with their crushingly loud sound — Gold Coast heavyweights Diesect. The band is made up of Damien (vocals), XENØCHRIST (guitar), Tom (bass) and Jake (drums), and from the moment they opened with Hide From The Light, the room erupted. Looking out over the crowd, arms were flying as people let off some serious steam. Their set tore through tracks including Too Many Scars, Pretty Much Dead and Suffer, with circle pits and walls of death breaking out across the floor. It was loud, chaotic and overall an absolute blast — truly a sight to see.
Diesect closed out their set with There Was Never Light, a fitting bookend after opening with Hide From The Light. With big things clearly on the horizon for 2026, this is another band to keep firmly on your radar. If you’re chasing a mad mosh pit, make sure you catch Diesect when they roll through your town.
Fresh from a European tour, the next band to grace the stage was Diamond Construct from Taree, New South Wales. Made up of Kynan (vocals), Braden (guitar), maverickredman (bass) and Josh (drums), the band took the stage dressed head-to-toe in white and launched straight into Enigma, with Kynan immediately encouraging the pit to open up.
From there, chaos followed. The pit was wild — from girls dancing in the middle of a circle pit to spotting a banana moshing its way through the crowd (hopefully no one slipped). Kynan fed off the energy at every opportunity, constantly egging the crowd on and even kicking off a wave of crowd surfing, with roughly ten people going up during a single song. On the other side of the barrier, security were kept busy as fans reached out for Kynan’s hand mid-surf.
The set also included Psychosis, Faded and Neon, before closing out with Hit It Back. As a friend said just before they took the stage, ‘they’re grouse’ — and honestly, that couldn’t be more accurate. With big moments already behind them and even bigger things coming in the new year, including new music on the horizon, Diamond Construct are a band to keep firmly on your radar once they’ve taken a well-earned break after a massive 2025.
The chaos continued with Sydney heavyweights Justice For The Damned, who have been tearing up stages for over a decade now. Made up of Bobak (vocals), Nick (guitar), Chas (drums) and Kieran (bass), the band wasted no time sending the pit into overdrive. From the opening moments of Retribution in Blood, the mosh pit went absolutely ham, with hands flying through the air as the crowd fully gave in to the madness.
The set was relentless, ripping through tracks including Clawing Wounds, Every Lie You’ve Spoken and Ghosts, each one hitting harder than the last and keeping the floor in constant motion. Justice For The Damned’s ability to command a crowd is second to none — years of experience showed as they controlled the chaos without ever letting the energy dip. They closed out their set with Built to Be Broken, a fitting finish that left the crowd battered, breathless and wanting more. With upcoming shows rolling through towns near you, this is a band you don’t want to miss live — if you’re chasing pure, unfiltered chaos, Justice For The Damned always deliver.
To mellow things out a little, Sydney favourites Yours Truly took to the stage. Having had the pleasure of reviewing them earlier this year as well, it was great to see them once again bring their high-energy, bubble-bright presence to the room. Made up of Mikaila (vocals), Teddie (guitar) and Henry (drums), the band opened their set with Sinking, instantly pulling the crowd in.
The set flowed effortlessly through fan favourites including Back 2 U and High Hopes, with the crowd singing along and soaking up the shift in atmosphere. A standout moment came with their cover of Silverchair’s Freak, which added a nostalgic edge while still fitting perfectly into the set. Call My Name rounded things out, closing the performance on a high that left smiles across the room.
Yours Truly were the perfect palate cleanser in an otherwise heavy night — uplifting, energetic and undeniably fun. Their connection with the crowd and polished performance make it clear that there’s more to come from this band going into the new year.
Up next were Newcastle favourites Trophy Eyes, with John (vocals), Jeremy (bass), Josh (guitar) and Blake (drums) taking to the stage. They opened their set with Blue Eyed Boy, instantly pulling the crowd into a massive sing-along. From the very start, the energy in the room was undeniable. During People Like You, the crowd began surfing toward the stage, adding to the sense of shared chaos and connection that Trophy Eyes always seem to create. A personal highlight for me was OMW, my favourite Trophy Eyes track, which they played with huge enthusiasm and heart.
The band’s high-energy performances never disappoint, and I’ve honestly lost count of how many times I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them live. Watching them grow from the early days to where they are now has been something special, and they continue to carry themselves with so much grace. I always leave a Trophy Eyes show with a smile on my face. The set also included Kill and Life in Slow Motion, before closing out with You Can Count On Me. Trophy Eyes have already achieved so much in their career, but I genuinely can’t wait to see what they do next.
And finally, last but not least, Melbourne’s own Thornhill took to the stage. Made up of Jacob (vocals), Ethan (guitar), Nick (bass) and Ben (drums), the band made an unforgettable entrance — complete with a special guest appearance from Santa himself. They opened with Nurture, sending the crowd into an uproar, especially since the song hadn’t been played live since 2021. From that moment on, the room erupted. Looking out over the crowd, everyone was singing along, the pit was going absolutely ham, and crowd surfers were having the time of their lives. Watching it all unfold made it hard not to want to jump in — the energy was unreal.
Thornhill weren’t short on special moments either. Mikaila from Yours Truly joined them on Lily & The Moon, John from Trophy Eyes appeared on Nerv, and former member Matt van Duppen made a special appearance on Views From the Sun. The band also treated fans to their cover of Paparazzi, which may be the last time it’s played live for a while. The set was stacked, with additional tracks including Silver Swarm, Mercia and Hollywood, before closing out the night with an encore of Casanova. Thornhill have had a massive 2025, and heading into 2026 with big plans already on the horizon, they’re showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
What a day — a true reminder of the love and respect this community has for one another. The friendly faces and genuine warmth you feel at shows like this never disappoint, and no matter who you are, you always feel welcome.
A huge thank you to Destroy All Lines for putting on such an incredible event, to every band who took to the stage, and to the venue for hosting such a restless and energetic crowd. It was an absolute blast, and here’s hoping this becomes a yearly event.
GALLERY
DIAMOND CONSTRUCT
JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED
YOURS TRULY
TROPHY EYES
THORNHILL
