Backseat Downunder
News: Slomosa announce first Australian tour for May 2026
Norwegian stoner rock quartet Slomosa will tour Australia for the first time in May 2026, bringing their groove-heavy “Tundra Rock” sound to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne after years of steady international touring.
Live Review & Gallery: Renee Rapp Live in Sydney at First-Ever Hordern Pavilion Show as part of her ‘Bite Me’ Tour 29.01.2026
Renee Rapp’s first Sydney show feels less like an introduction and more like a statement of intent. Drawing from Snow Angel and her 2025 release Bite Me, she balances vulnerability with bite, shifting easily between sharp pop hooks and moments of emotional clarity. The Hordern Pavilion listens closely, singing back lyrics that already feel lived-in, as Rapp proves that her transition from stage and screen to headline artist is not only complete, but compelling.
Live Gallery: The Plot In You, Fit For A King, Boundaries and Banks Arcade take over Sydney’s Enmore Theatre 28.01.2026
The Plot In You front a stacked bill alongside Fit For A King, Boundaries and Banks Arcade, as Sydney hosts a night that traces multiple strands of modern metalcore in one tightly packed room.
News: Naarm/Melbourne’s brilliant HighSchool announce East Coast Australian tour following extensive US/European schedule, in support of debut self-titled album.
In very exiting news, one of Backseat Mafia’s favourite antipodean bands, Naarm/Melbourne’s HighSchool, have just announced an East Coast tour of Australia in support of their self-titled debut album. This album followed up their magnificent EP ‘Accelerator’ in 2024 (see my 9/10 review here) and a spate of brilliant singles leading up to the album release …
Premiere: With links to Australian musical royalty, New York’s Ruby & the Clumsy Dollies exclusively unveil their cool new single ‘Right Through Me’ ahead of debut album release.
We are very honoured to premiere the new single ‘Right Through Me’ from New York outfit Ruby and the Clumsy Dollies. It’s their second release and comes off their forthcoming debut album ‘New and Improved’ due out on 24 April 2026 through the inimitable Cheersquad Records. Founded and fronted by Ruby Rogers-Garcia (daughter of Australian …
News: Rob Hirst Tribute 03.09.1955 – 20.01.2026
Australian music fans, and indeed, the world over are mourning the tragic loss of Rob Hirst, the musician best known as the powerhouse drummer of iconic Australian rock band, Midnight Oil. He passed away on the 20th January, 2026 aged 70 following a 3 year battle with pancreatic cancer which was first diagnosed shortly after …
Live Gallery: Soulfly, Nailbomb and Snot turn Sydney’s Enmore Theatre into a pressure chamber of metal 27.01.2026
Soulfly bring commanding force to the Enmore Theatre, with Max Cavalera at the centre of a bill that also welcomes Nailbomb’s industrial fury and Snot’s long-awaited return, linking multiple generations of heavy music in one relentless night.
Live Review + Gallery: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds set fire to the Domain, Sydney, 24 January 2026, supported by the luminescent Aldous Harding
Fittingly perhaps, bats floated lazily over the sun drenched Domain with the stark outline of Sydney’s high-rises as a back drop. The crowds gathered on the gently rolling greens for Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds‘s first gigs in Sydney for quite a while and it was magnificent. Support came from New Zealand’s luminescent and …
Live Gallery: CMAT returns to Sydney with EURO-COUNTRY at the Enmore Theatre 23.01.2026
CMAT brings EURO-COUNTRY to the Enmore Theatre, following a Factory Theatre appearance last year and a warmly received album that continues to grow in scale on stage.
Track: Straight Arrows reconnect with their roots on ‘MIDDLEMAN’ / ‘DO THE SLOTH’
Straight Arrows have released a new two-track single pairing the sharp garage punk of ‘MIDDLEMAN’ with ‘DO THE SLOTH’, out now on 7-inch and digital platforms.