Backseat Downunder
Live Review: Lady Gaga Ignites Sydney with a Jaw-Dropping Spectacle at The MAYHEM Ball
Lady Gaga’s first Sydney show in over a decade erupts into a colossal, stadium-shaking spectacle, as 70,000 Monsters witness The MAYHEM Ball in full surreal, electrifying force — a career-spanning triumph from pop’s most fearless performer.
News: Grace Jones, MARINA and King Stingray Lead Huge New Announcements for Brisbane’s On the Banks 2026
On the Banks has unveiled a massive second wave of artists for its 2026 series, adding Grace Jones, MARINA, King Stingray and Sarah Blasko to an already star-powered summer line-up set against Brisbane’s Cultural Forecourt at South Bank.
Premiere: Eora/Sydney band Postcards from Pluto return with a thumping, stomping single ‘Arcade’ ahead of headline gig.
We’ve been following the upward trajectory of Eora/Sydney band Postcards from Pluto for a little over a year now and thoroughly impressed by both their singles and live performances (see our reviews here). We are therefore overjoyed to be able to premiere their new single ‘Arcade’, which indicates things are only getting better. Since their …
News: Grace Jones to Headline Sydney Opera House Forecourt in 2026
Grace Jones will play the Sydney Opera House Forecourt in February 2026, bringing her singular blend of avant-pop, performance art and untouchable charisma to a summer program already stacked with global heavyweights.
Live Gallery: Bar Italia Cast a Quiet Spell Over Sydney’s Metro Theatre with a Taut, Oblique Performance 10.12.2025
At Sydney’s Metro Theatre, bar italia turn the mystique of their early years into something bold and theatrical, delivering a blistering set that proves just how far they’ve evolved since their underground days. Powered by the new album Some Like It Hot, the trio move with confidence, heat and a newfound muscularity—transforming their spectral indie into a force built for big rooms.
News: BADBADNOTGOOD and Hannah Joy Join a Stacked Sydney Opera House Summer Line-Up
BADBADNOTGOOD and Middle Kids’ Hannah Joy have been added to the Sydney Opera House’s summer music program, with the Canadian trio set for a boundary-shifting Concert Hall debut and Joy performing her first-ever solo show in the Playhouse.
Live Gallery: Rebecca Black Transforms the Metro with a Dazzling, Genre-Smashing Performance 9.12.2025
At a sold-out Metro Theatre, Rebecca Black sheds the shadows of her past and emerges as a fully realised pop visionary, blending high-camp theatrics, club-driven production and emotional candour into one of her most commanding performances to date.
Track: Meanjin/Brisbane’s Ancient Channels unveil new single ‘Chimera’ ahead of new album and appearance at showcase label gig organised by False Peak Records.
Ancient Channels are a supergroup of sorts, consisting of members from the myriad of talented bands operating in Meanjin/Brisbane( including Terra Pines, Apparitions, and Deafcult), many of whom have been enthusiastically covered by us here at the antipodean outpost of Backseat Mafia. Their new single ‘Chimera’ is a gloriously dense wall of shimmering sounds that …
News: MARINA Announces First Australian Shows in 15 Years with Princess of Power Tour
MARINA returns to Australia for the first time in 15 years with the Princess of Power Tour, celebrating her latest album with headline shows in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, joined by Mallrat on select dates.
News: You Am I Frontman Tim Rogers Plots East Coast Solo Run Next March and April
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Tim Rogers has announced the Le Charme Defensif tour, a set of intimate solo shows across the east coast in March and April, promising the wit, warmth and sharp songwriting that have cemented his reputation as one of Australia’s most distinctive performers.