New York hardcore agitators Show Me The Body are heading back Down Under this December, bringing their abrasive collision of punk, hip-hop, noise and experimental hardcore to Australia and New Zealand for their biggest run of local headline shows yet.
The tour takes in Wellington, Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, including a stop at Sydney’s Liberty Hall. They’ll also make an appearance at Meredith Festival alongside Dijon, underscores and Australian underground veterans Eddy Current Suppression Ring.
The dates follow the release of Alone Together, the band’s fourth studio album and the follow-up to 2022’s Trouble The Water. For a group that has spent its career dismantling hardcore conventions, the new record finds them sharpening their attack without abandoning the political urgency and community-driven ethos that have defined their work.
Founding members Julian Cashwan Pratt (banjo and vocals) and Harlan Steed (bass), alongside drummer Jackie McDermott, have built a reputation for a distinctly DIY approach to hardcore. Pratt’s raw, confrontational vocals and pointed lyricism collide with Steed’s caustic electronic experimentation, while distorted banjo, subterranean punk and hip-hop rhythms push their sound far beyond conventional guitar-driven hardcore. Heavy, abrasive and deliberately unconventional, Show Me The Body have little interest in following established rules.
Their commitment to the New York underground extends well beyond the stage. Through CORPUS, the collective has developed an independent record label, recording studio and community organising platform, creating space for artists and communities operating outside traditional music industry structures. Family, solidarity and the changing landscape of New York City remain central to their work, with music and activism treated as inseparable parts of the same project.
Alone Together takes those ideas further, examining grief, family, solidarity and the gap between political conviction and meaningful action. Much of the album began taking shape in the basement of the band’s CORPUS headquarters in Queens, where Pratt lives with his young family. Written following the birth of his daughter and amid personal loss, the record finds the band confronting the realities of adulthood without softening their sound.
Working with producers Klas Åhlund, whose credits include Robyn and Ghost, and Kenneth Blume III, known for his work with Geese and Fcukers, the band stripped away unnecessary elements to concentrate on what makes their music unmistakably their own. The result moves between punishing hardcore, industrial textures and moments of unexpected vulnerability, with singles Dance in the USA and Eat For Peace capturing its restless energy.
The album’s themes also extend beyond the music. Pratt has launched an accompanying conversation series, directed by Nicolas Heller, exploring loss, creativity, family and community with friends, collaborators and mentors. It’s another extension of the band’s long-standing belief that hardcore should exist as a community rather than simply a genre.
For Australian audiences, the December shows offer another chance to experience a band that treats the stage as a place for confrontation and connection in equal measure. With Alone Together, Show Me The Body continue to challenge the boundaries of hardcore while remaining firmly connected to the New York underground that shaped them.
SHOW ME THE BODY AU/NZ TOUR
Tue 8 Dec – San Fran – Wellington, NZ* [TIX HERE]
Wed 9 Dec – The Tuning Fork – Auckland, NZ- [TIX HERE]
Sat 12 Dec – Meredith Festival – Waddawurung Country / Meredith, VIC
Sun 13 Dec – Thornbury Theatre – Naarm / Melbourne, VIC^ [TIX HERE]
Tue 15 Dec – Liberty Hall – Eora / Sydney, NSW~ [TIX HERE]
Thu 17 Dec – The Princess Theatre – Magadgin / Brisbane, QLD` [TIX HERE]
Fri 18 Dec – The Rechabite – Boorloo / Perth, WA# [TIX HERE]
Tickets available on Monday 12 October at 10am AEST via showmethebody.com
