Hobart Archives - Backseat Mafia

Track: A. Swayze and the Ghosts feel the ‘Hot Sun’ in a blaze of strutting glory ahead of live dates.

The imitable A. Swayze and the Ghosts return with a surprise single drop that delivers a searing look at the horrors of climate and the seemingly indifference of the populace.…

View Post

View Post

Track: Those unruly TEENS are back with a double tap single release with some bitter truths – ‘Blood On Their Hands’ and ‘Untitled Too’

Ahead of a national tour and after the release of two albums – their debut, self-titled album in 2024 quickly followed by ‘Negative Energy’ in 2025 (reviewed by me here),…

View Post

View Post

Live Review + Photo Galleries: Melbourne Ska Orchestra bring another round as Monte Loco Rides Again comes to Altar Bar, Hobart 11.09.2026

On a planet reeling with crippling debt, widening wealth inequality, extremism, wars and all sorts of other future shock, it is thoroughly relieving to have folk such as Nicky Bomba,…

View Post

View Post

Live Review + Photo Gallery: Bleak Squad set Altar Bar ablaze 13/08/2026

On a cool Thursday evening in Hobart, Australian independent super-group, Bleak Squad cruised into town, much to the delight of a solid 240+ mid-week crowd who had gathered on the…

View Post

View Post

Live Review Plus Gallery: Blackwater Holylight, Dark Mofo Festival, Hobart 20.06.2026

The magnificent Odeon Theatre was awash in deep red light as Blackwater Holylight quietly took the stage, easing the audience into their distinctive blend of doom, shoegaze and psychedelia. Dispensing…

View Post

View Post

Live Review plus Gallery: Headache, Dark Mofo Festival, Odeon Theatre, 18.06.2026

Dark Mofo has long revelled in unsettling certainties, and few performances this year captured that spirit more completely than the mysterious and ethereal Headache. Neither concert nor theatre piece, the…

View Post

View Post

Live Review and Photo Gallery – Dark MOFO Festival 2026: Snapped Ankles at The Odeon, Hobart 14.06.2026

Dark Mofo constantly throws up artists that defy mainstream knowledge, and so it was when Snapped Ankles (amongst others) were named in the 2026 lineup, forcing this reviewer into a…

View Post

View Post

Album Review: Things We Did on Earth – The Kilbey/Kennedy sonic spaceship alights in our universe, and they’re better than ever.

Over the years, writing about Steve Kilbey and Martin Kennedy has become a little like tracing constellations across different skies. Whether reviewing latter-day albums by The Church or previous Kilbey…

View Post

View Post

Live Review plus Gallery: A pop-up masterclass in craft, warmth and multigenerational magic – Crowded House, MyState Bank Arena, Hobart, 26 November 2025

The legendary Crowded House have been undertaking a return bout of what are being called ‘pop-shows’ across Australia, covering areas they missed last year and targeting more intimate venues. Neil Finn says:…

View Post

View Post

Live Review + Photo Galleries: We Lost The Sea and follow at Altar Bar, Friday 07.11.2025

Two bands, six guitarists, two bass players, two drummers and one keyboard player…..and not a vocalist (or a microphone stand) to be seen. This was the reality of Friday night’s…

View Post

Pages