With Download Festival announcing its return in early 2019, plus an increasing multitude of smaller festivals popping up all around the place, the summer festival landscape is drastically improving from its troubled era of the mid 2010s. While big festivals such as these have long-copped criticism from local alternative music purists arguing they are diverting much needed attention and support away from the local scene. I feel since it’s undeniable that the local scene in Melbourne is absolutely killing it right now with so many bands blowing up, there is still room for a giant field of drunk punters watching bands from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater soundtracks. Here’s my curated guide of the punk rock bands to check out at these festivals over the summer. Some you’ll already know, some you may not, but all are worth getting sunburnt and dehydrated to.
War On Women – appearing at Download Festival
Hailing from Baltimore MD, War On Women are one of the best punk rock bands going around today. Merging the thrash metal influenced punk rock pioneered by the likes of Propagandhi, with the radical feminist politics and aggression of bands like Bikini Kill, War On Women are a rising force in the punk rock scene. I was fortunate enough to catch their set at Riot Fest 2016 in Chicago and was blown away. Pick up their most recent album Capture The Flag for some of the best punk rock released this year.
High Tension – Appearing at Download Festival
Re-emerging with an updated lineup and a new record, Melbourne’s High Tension have transformed themselves from their beginnings as a noise-rock influenced punk band into the metallic hardcore machine they are today. Touring on the back of newly released Purge, their best album to date, the band will be returning to Download after having already played the inaugral show earlier this year.
The Offspring – Appearing at Good Things Festival
Obviously needing no introduction, the Californian pop-punk icons are returning yet again to Australian shores. Having not released an album since 2012’s Days Go By, the band has decided to play their 1994 breakthrough album Smash in full. The first CD I ever owned, Smash would’ve been my first taste of punk rock as a kid and there’s no doubt in my mind it directed me on the path to where I am now. I still regularly spin the album and it still holds up (except for that stupid ska song on it).
The Aints! – Appearing at Meredith Music Festival
A new Ed Kuepper helmed version of Brisbane punk icons The Saints, The Aints have spent the last year revisiting the band’s iconic first three albums before Kuepper’s initial departure. While the original band continues to perform and record under the control of vocalist Chris Bailey, general fan consensus is that they never quite recaptured the raw energy and intensity of their Kuepper material. With early singles ‘I’m Stranded’ and ‘Know Your Product’ as Australian punk standards, make sure you’re around to see one of Australia’s best guitarists play his best songs while you still can.
