Words by CeeCee
Pix by Richie Black Photography
The first band of the night was a new discovery for me, and they did not disappoint. Melbourne’s own four-piece metal act, RAWTISM, left a lasting impression with their sharp wit and powerful classic metal sound. From the moment they hit the stage, they had me laughing, thanks to vocalist Keefy’s self-deprecating humour. “Unfortunately, you have to deal with us poor bastards for the next 30 minutes,” he quipped, before adding that this was their first time sharing a stage with an international act.
They kicked off their set with Go Rawtistic, a track that perfectly showcased their talent and showmanship—an energy they maintained from start to finish. Their set list also featured headbanging anthems like B.Y.H.A.S.T.F.U. and You’ll Get What’s Coming, keeping the crowd engaged throughout.
For their final song, Stay Metal, bassist Naimo took things up a notch, making his way through the crowd with his illuminated bass in hand before rejoining the band on stage. The set closed with all members raising their guitars high in unison, delivering a powerful, unforgettable ending. RAWTISM’s performance was an absolute blast—I loved every minute of it!
Up next was another Melbourne local band I discovered a few years ago, and I was beyond excited to finally see them live—Dead City Ruins. They kicked off their set with Til Death, with every member rocking classic metal-style long hair and headbanging in sync with the beat.
Vocalist Steve Welsh took a moment to introduce the rest of the band—Shaun Webb (Lead Guitar), Tommy Cain (Bass), Sean Blanchard (Guitar), and Nick Trajanovski (Drums)—all while extending the intro to This Side of the Dirt. In true Aussie fashion, Steve handed each guitarist a beer, which they promptly downed before launching into the song.
The band delivered a high-energy set, featuring Vision, Bones, and Happenzella, keeping the crowd engaged with synchronised guitar movements and plenty of fist-pumping. For their final song, Preacher, Steve rallied the audience, calling out, “We need you one last time, as loud as you can!” The crowd responded with a thunderous “Hey! Hey! Hey!” in perfect rhythm.
Adding a touch of humour to the set, Steve accidentally got his microphone cord tangled around Shaun’s guitar neck but quickly laughed it off, untangling it like a pro before belting out the next verse. It was a small moment, but one that added to the raw, live energy of their set—I couldn’t help but chuckle and give a little applause for the quick recovery.
Dead City Ruins put on an electrifying performance, and it was an absolute blast to finally witness them live!
And last, but certainly not least—the one and only Tim “Ripper” Owens, accompanied by his powerhouse Aussie backing band: Joel McDonald (Guitar), Jordan McDonald (Drums), Andrew Hudson (Bass), and Voya Mulitinovic (Guitar). Every time I see these guys perform together, it’s an unforgettable experience, and this night was no exception—I walked away with a huge smile on my face.
Kicking off the set with One on One, the energy in the room was undeniable. The crowd instantly got into it, headbanging and singing along to every word. By the fifth song, Tim addressed the audience, saying, “We’re going to slow it down and then speed it up,” leading into a powerful rendition of Beyond the Realms of Death.
After the song, Tim injected some humour into the set, asking, “Is it too early for a beer?”—prompting Jordan to spring into action, grabbing a beer and impressively popping the cap off with his drumstick before handing it over. Tim, ever the entertainer, quipped, “You know, I’ve been sober for 10 years,” before rolling into a few tongue-in-cheek jokes about buying a wife beater and an eight ball. He then took a moment to thank Doug Dalton for bringing him to Australia as his second-ever act and reminisced about the past before launching into the Beyond Fear track, Scream Machine.
As the night progressed, the energy only intensified, with electrifying performances of Grinder, One More Shot at Glory, and When the Eagle Cries. The set also had its more heartfelt moments, with Tim paying tribute to his favourite singer, Ronnie James Dio. Encouraging the crowd to raise their drinks and horns, he introduced the song The Mob Rules, he also gave a shout-out to Paul Di’Anno, the first artist Doug ever brought over. In a nod to Paul’s influence on heavy metal, Tim dedicated a blistering performance of Wrathchild in his honour.
After a killer rendition of Hell Is Home, Jordan delivered an incredible drum solo—something that never fails to impress—before seamlessly transitioning into a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s The Green Manalishi. A standout moment came when Joel handed his guitar over to Tim for Living After Midnight, and before returning it, Tim playfully riffed a few notes from other songs he’d learned on guitar, much to the crowd’s delight.
Closing out the night with his signature humour, Tim joked about guitar pick sizes, saying, “It’s not the size of the pick… but it is though.” He then got the crowd laughing by pointing out that they don’t do encores, saying, “Just make some noise like we aren’t on stage,” before diving into a powerful, show-stopping finale with Heaven and Hell.
This set had everything—intensity, humour, nostalgia, and pure heavy metal energy. Tim Ripper Owens and his Aussie crew delivered an absolutely phenomenal performance, and I loved every second of it!
