The Bendigo Hotel’s relentless autumn program features a big birthday bash
Subscribe
X

Get the latest from Beat

"*" indicates required fields

MusicFeatures
18.02.2025

The Bendigo Hotel’s relentless autumn program features a big birthday bash

KILAT
KILAT
Words by Staff Writer

Collingwood's home of heavy music is going from strength to strength under the stewardship of The Mill Brewery.

The Johnston Street institution has announced its gig calendar through to May, featuring international acts and local album launches that continue its commitment to diverse underground sounds, with American hardcore veterans Harms Way headlining a packed schedule that includes Rose Tattoo’s return and multiple album launches from Melbourne’s thriving metal scene.

One unmissable gig is a birthday bash across the Bendi and The Mill Brewery. It will be a multi-level celebration taking over the entire Bendigo Hotel featuring KILAT, ISUA, Carcinoid, Hope Drone, Diploid, Messianic Gloss and Timber Finish, plus vodka from BA! Check that one out right now over here.

The Bendi’s upcoming gig dates:

  • Australian Pantera Show – Friday 21 February, 9pm
  • ALTAV + Broad Parade + Cass Aware – Saturday 22 February, 9pm
  • Harm’s Way (USA) – Thursday 27 February, 7pm
  • Wallet Inspector + Rare Olives + Nightmarsh – Friday 28 February, 9pm
  • Ironstone + Druid + Roswell Deathsquad + Tiger Driver – Saturday 8 March, 8:30pm
  • Her Trash + Eddy Street + Powder Blue (Upstairs) – Saturday 8 March, 8:30pm
  • Justice For The Damned & Threshold – Friday 14 March, 8pm
  • B.A & The Mill’s Big Birthday Bash – Saturday 22 March, 6pm
  • Ghostsmoker Inertia Cult Album Launch – Saturday 29 March, 8pm
  • Rust In Destruction + Rare Maiden + Auslanders – Friday 4 April, 9pm
  • Religious Observance + Irreparable + Kaarst + Chief Whip – Saturday 3 May, 8:15pm
  • Rose Tattoo – Friday 30 May, 8pm

Check out our gig guide, our festival guide, our live music venue guide and our nightclub guide. Follow us on Instagram here.

The autumn program kicks off with a tribute to metal legends Pantera before Chicago’s Harms Way bring their punishing hardcore to the intimate band room. Local metal acts feature heavily throughout March, with dual headliners taking over both levels of the venue on March 8 as Ironstone, Druid, Roswell Deathsquad and Tiger Driver command the main room while Her Trash, Eddy Street and Powder Blue deliver upstairs.

Late March sees Ghostsmoker celebrate their album Inertia Cult with a headline show, while Justice For The Damned team up with Threshold to continue the venue’s strong relationship with Australia’s hardcore scene.

The program maintains its momentum through April with Rust In Destruction joining forces with tribute act Rare Maiden and Auslanders, before Religious Observance headline a four-band bill in early May featuring Irreparable, Kaarst and Chief Whip.

Capping off the announcement, Australian rock royalty Rose Tattoo return to the Bendi’s stage on May 30, bringing their unmistakable brand of hard rock to the 300-capacity room.

Some killer upcoming gigs at The Bendi

The Australian Pantera Show

Sydney’s premier Pantera tribute act brings their power-groove assault to the Bendi’s hallowed stage. Promising a setlist packed with classics like Walk, Cemetery Gates and Cowboys from Hell, these maestros of metal mayhem are set to deliver the thunderous riffs and bone-crushing grooves that made the Texan legends infamous. With the intimate confines of the Bendigo Hotel’s band room providing the perfect backdrop for maximum headbanging potential, this 18+ show is a must for fans of pure, unadulterated metal.

ALTAV + Broad Parade + Cass Aware

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by AltaV (@altavband)

South-eastern alt-rock outfit ALTAV bring their 90s-inspired punchy riffs to the Bendi, with support from indie five-piece Broad Parade – fresh off releasing their latest single My Light – and self-described dystopian skate rockers Cass Aware. A triple bill of Melbourne’s emerging guitar talent for less than the price of a pint makes this one a no-brainer for fans of local alternative sounds.

Harm’s Way (USA) + Terminal Sleep + Aglo + Severed

Chicago hardcore heavyweights Harm’s Way make their long-awaited return to Australian shores after a six-year absence. Landing at the Bendi with local bruisers Terminal Sleep in support, the band will be celebrating both the tenth anniversary of their breakthrough album Rust and last year’s crushing Common Suffering. With the intimate confines of the Bendigo Hotel guaranteeing maximum intensity, this is set to be one of 2025’s most essential hardcore shows.

Wallet Inspector + Rare Olives + Nightmarsh

Fresh from their debut New Zealand tour and album release, instrumental prog-metal outfit Wallet Inspector bring their genre-defying sound to the Bendi for their first full performance of Ephemeris. They’re joined by self-proclaimed “most accidentally heavy band in Melbourne” Rare Olives, whose math-djent mayhem draws from Meshuggah and Dillinger Escape Plan, and progressive deathcore merchants Nightmarsh. For fans of polyrhythmic riffing, metric modulation and incomprehensible rhythms, this triple bill of technical mastery is not to be missed.

Ironstone + Druid + Roswell Deathsquad + Tiger Driver

Melbourne metallers Ironstone headline The Bendi with the exclusive first live performance of their new single The Innocent Bleed, bringing their gothic-tinged progressive deathcore to Johnston Street’s favourite dive. Support comes from nu-metal/metalcore outfit Druid, sci-fi-obsessed tech-death merchants Roswell Deathsquad, and horror-punk-meets-sludge specialists Tiger Driver, complete with their signature skull-laden stage show. Grab a Mill Brewery beer and Dingo Ate My Taco feed while experiencing the venue’s upgraded sound system.

Her Trash + Eddy Street + Powder Blue

Melbourne three-piece Her Trash bring their chaotic brand of indie punk to the Bendi’s upstairs room, promising a set of punchy riffs and driving rhythms. They’re joined by fellow local noisemakers Eddy Street and Powder Blue for a night of loud, unapologetic sounds that’ll have the intimate room jumping from start to finish.

Justice For The Damned + Threshold

Sydney metalcore powerhouse Justice For The Damned mark their return with an intimate east coast run, celebrating their first new music in four years with latest single The Current. Local heavyweights Threshold join the bill for what promises to be a packed night in the Bendi’s band room.

B.A & The Mill’s Big Birthday Bash

The Bendi joins forces with BA and The Mill Brewery for a multi-level celebration featuring some of Australia’s heaviest acts. Brisbane atmospheric black metallers Hope Drone headline alongside Melbourne black metal outfit KILAT, who blend raw aggression with Javanese traditions. The stacked bill includes doom merchants ISUA (fresh from supporting Full of Hell), death-doom destroyers Carcinoid, grindcore/black metal hybridists Diploid (touring their 2024 release MANTRA), Adelaide electronic duo Messianic Gloss, and industrial noise project Timber Finish. The Mill marks their eighth birthday with limited release beers, while the night caps off with Karina Karaoke’s metal session upstairs.

Ghostsmoker + Mammon’s Throne + Aglo + Bentham’s Head

Melbourne blackened sludge outfit Ghostsmoker celebrate their debut album Inertia Cult with a hometown launch at the Bendi. They’re joined by a triple bill of local heavyweights, with Mammon’s Throne, Aglo and Bentham’s Head rounding out a night of sonic devastation.

Rust In Destruction + Rare Maiden + Auslanders

Three tribute acts bring arena-sized metal to the intimate confines of the Bendi. Megadeth devotees Rust In Destruction headline, with the members of C()NTACT performing as Rare Maiden – promising deep cuts and rarities from the Iron Maiden catalogue spanning Killers through Fear of the Dark. German industrial metal fans get their fix as Auslanders open with their tribute to Rammstein’s pyrotechnic-free but no less powerful sound.

Religious Observance + Irreparable + Kaarst + Chief Whip

Melbourne’s Religious Observance headline the Bendi with their unique blend of sludge, noise and doom, drawing inspiration from Eyehategod and Noothgrush. They’re joined by industrial black metal outfit Irreparable, fresh from recording their upcoming album The Fate Of All Life, plus post-punk/darkwave duo Kaarst (hot off supporting Perturbator and HEALTH) and industrial doom project Chief Whip, making their return with an expanded lineup. Each band promises to push genre boundaries, from crushing doom to atmospheric synths, in what’s sure to be a sonically diverse night of heavy sounds.

Rose Tattoo

Australian rock royalty Rose Tattoo bring their Hard Road tour to the intimate confines of the Bendi’s band room. The self-proclaimed “meanest and most reliable rock n’ roll band” promise a rare club show that’s destined to go down as one of 2025’s most memorable nights on Johnston Street.

To check out the full Bendi gig guide, head here.