There's a chunk of '90s Australian rock history heading to Brunswick, with Civilians resurrecting Silverchair's Freak Show in full.
Melbourne heavy outfit Civilians have built an entire show around Freak Show, playing Silverchair’s second album from opening track to last with nothing left on the cutting room floor. The full-album format has become a favourite way for bands to mark a record’s milestones, and Civilians are leaning into it hard for this one-off.
The hook is generational. Silverchair were still teenagers when they wrote and tracked Freak Show, the Newcastle band’s second album and the follow-up to their breakout Frogstomp. Civilians reckon they’re now sitting at roughly the same age the trio were back then, and that framing gives the show its angle: the restlessness, frustration and volume baked into the record come from a comparable spot rather than being played for nostalgia alone.
Civilians – Freak Show 30th Anniversary Tribute
- What: Civilians – Freak Show 30th Anniversary Tribute, with Day Dreamers and Motion Blur
- Where: Bergy Bandroom, Brunswick
- When: 3 October, doors 7pm
- Set times: Motion Blur 7.30pm, Day Dreamers 8.20pm, Civilians 9.20pm
- Tickets: $30 presale, $35 on the door
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A front-to-back set follows the album’s own running order rather than a curated pick of favourites, which puts the singles and the deeper cuts on equal footing across the night.
Expect every corner of the record to get a run, from the bigger hitters like Freak and Abuse Me to heavier, murkier moments including Slave, Nobody Came, Cemetery and The Door. Civilians are treating it as their own live animal, keeping the songs intact while pushing them through their own rig at full tilt.
Opening the night are local acts Motion Blur and Day Dreamers, who kick things off from 7.30pm and keep the room moving before the headline set lands at 9.20pm.
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