Prog rock immersion, Britpop showcases and a quadruple virtuoso hit Odeon Richmond in June
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12.06.2025

Prog rock immersion, Britpop showcases and a quadruple virtuoso hit Odeon Richmond in June

Odeon
Odeon
Words by Kosa Monteith

Plus dance sessions, surround-sound prog rock immersion and an indie Britpop showcase.

June at Odeon Richmond is stacked with everything from deep-listening piano sets to sweaty disco dancefloors and loud, political rock cinema.

Expect crate-digging soul sessions,  surround sound tributes to legendary records, moody indie throwbacks, intimate sets from local heavyweights and DJ nights built for cutting loose. From cult heroes to underground favourites, late-night grooves to pianists pushing the boundaries of solo performance, it’s a full-tilt month of music that spans genres, scenes and decades.

With a stack of free fun as well as ticketed shows, everyone’s got a solid reason to show up early and stay late. 

Keep up with the latest music news, festivals, interviews and reviews here.

Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line

  • 12 June
  • Tickets here

A year on from its Sydney premiere, The Hardest Line hits the Odeon Richmond with a one-night-only screening in Dolby Digital 5.1. It tracks the rise of Midnight Oil from the surf clubs of the Northern Beaches to their massive final show at the Hordern. Loud, political and a totally essential doco for anyone who cares about music with real meaning. All ticket profits go to Support Act, providing crisis relief for folks in the music industry, and the night features an intro by Shihad’s Tom Larkin. Celebrate the Oils like they deserve.

La Discothèque

Kick off your weekend with a free set of disco, funk and soul from DJ Randy Lipz XXX and DJ Bricolage. Spinning classics from the 60s through to the 80s, it’s the perfect excuse to hit the dancefloor and loosen up your Friday night with a bit of grooving.

Soul Strut

The Sunday soul sessions are on as always, led by your faithful guides DJ Randy Lipz XXX and DJ Bricolage. It’s more than just a strut, it’s hours of disco, funk and soul partying, with dancing, drink specials and an electric atmosphere. Starts at 2pm, be there.

Middle Age Fan Club

  • With The Lit. Allusions, DJ Saul Knight and DJ Penelope Britpop
  • 20 June
  • Tickets here

Middle Age Fanclub are taking you straight back to indie’s glory days, roaring in with the best of the late 80s and 90s. Expect The Smiths, The Cure, Pixies, The Stone Roses and all the legendary Britpop bangers you filled your mixtapes with. Whether you know all the words to every song or just want to relive the vibe of an era, this one’s for you. The Lit. Allusions join the party too, self-declared Britpop bookworms, for a night shuffling between shoegaze, jangle pop and the icons of indie, plus DJs spinning throughout the night. 

Scott Gibson and The Vexatious Litigants 

  • With Beka Baker
  • 21 June
  • Tickets here

Scott Gibson is a towering talent (literally, at 6 foot 6) with songs that refuse to play it safe: raw, honest and unfiltered, with an evocative guttural voice and unmissable stage presence. Here at the Odeon Richmond, he’s joined by some of Naarm’s best musicians as The Vexatious Litigants (featuring Thomas Keating), bringing his songs to life with a fresh energy. Local songstress Beka Baker will kick off an evening of original talent with her own powerful soulful sound.

Surrounded by Sound

  • 27 June
  • Tickets here

All hail the majesty of prog rock! This one-night-only event drops remixed 5.1 surround sound editions of two prog rock classics, King Crimson’s In The Court of the Crimson King and Van der Graaf Generator’s World Record. Rich and immersive sound draws out every note and whisper with magnificent clarity, with every swell and burst of the tracks transformed into heart-shaking volume. Made for audiophiles, prog fans and anyone keen to dive deep, Surrounded by Sound promises an epic night, with a sneaky bonus from the Crimson vault… You’ve listened, but you’ve never listened like this before.

The Rowan Smith Band

  • With Gina Hearden and Billy Baxter and Glenn Bennie
  • 28 June
  • Tickets here

After a killer St Kilda set last November, Rowan Smith is back in Naarm and ready to play his songs up close. The former frontman of Macguffins and Barefoot has released six solo albums since moving to nipaluna/Hobart, including his latest, in the key of kintsugi (vinyl copies will be available on the merch table on the night, for all you fans). Now he’s returned to the neighbourhood where it all began. Joining him are Michael Paxton (Macguffins), Craig Mitchell (Greenhouse) and Gina Hearnden (Blackbirds FC, The Hollowmen). Support acts for the night include alt country covers by Hearnden with The Hollowmen’s Billy Baxter, and Glenn Bennie (Underground Lovers) on the decks all night spinning indie, jangle pop and folk rock. 

Piano 4TE #4

  • 29 June, 3pm – 6pm
  • Tickets here

Piano 4TE is back for round four, bringing together four Naarm-based pianists for a night of solo sets, spontaneous moments and deep musical dives. Curated and hosted by local piano wizard Adam Rudegeair, it’s all about exploring what the piano can do in the hands of very different players.

Who’s on for edition number 4? 

Ryley Duncan is an award-winning jazz and contemporary talent who’s already caught ears on PBS 106.7FM with Herbie Hancock’s composition Sonrisa. Andreana J. Micanova brings a wild mix of jazz and classical, shaped by a lifetime of musical obsession. She’s led Jazzobell Deux since 2010 and is working on her solo record Diaries of the Womb. Jeremy Poole-Johnson blends classical chops with prog-rock flair and jazz instincts. He’s studied at WAAPA and Melbourne Uni, and his work’s been played by outfits as big as the MSO. Damon Smith, usually known for his New Orleans energy and bluesy grooves, is flipping the script. He’s diving into moodier, meditative terrain with pieces from his digital-only instrumental album that’s never been performed live.

After the music, stick around for a chat with all four artists hosted by Rudegeair where you can ask questions, hear stories and nerd out about all things piano.

Spitting Chips

  • 29 June, from 7:30pm
  • Tickets here

Spitting Chips hit Odeon Richmond with very special guests Slack Punks for a winter Sunday show.

The supergroup features original Cosmic Psychos founders Billy Walsh and Peter Jones alongside original AC/DC drummer Mark Evans. Together they’re bringing their blend of cosmic rock and punk energy to Richmond for the first time.

Slack Punks round out the bill as a high-energy melodic punk rock trio from Sydney. The band comprises LA Edwards, Tao Wang and Rick Almango, with Mark Evans also jumping on bass duties for their set.

Keep up to date with Odeon Richmond on IG here.

This article was made in partnership with Odoen Richmond.