Review: Joshua Hobbins
Photography: Nate Rose
Brisbane’s The Tivoli played host to a long-awaited return, with Superheaven kicking off their first Australian tour in a decade alongside Angel Du$t and Sydney crew Secret World. One of the first things that stood out was the crowd. Flannel, loose jeans and Converse everywhere, like stepping back into a 90s alt/grunge show from my high school days.
Secret World opened the night with a blend of melodic hardcore, grunge and garage rock, bringing immediate energy despite early sound issues. Once things settled, the band found their footing quickly, driven by frontman Ryan Pond, who was as passionate as he was engaging. Between songs, he shared stories from their recent US run, including a last-minute call-up from Superheaven to jump onto a sold-out show.
That sense of connection carried through their set, with repeated praise for Aussie hardcore and a genuine push for the largely non-hardcore crowd to support local bands. Tracks like Everywhere Now, It Hurts and Good Faith landed well, and by the end of the set, they’d clearly won over a room that hadn’t all arrived as fans.
Angel Du$t then took things up a level. From the moment they hit the stage, the shift in intensity was obvious. The last time I caught them at Vinnie’s Dive on the Gold Coast, their set felt over almost as quickly as it started, so the longer set this time around gave them room to stretch out, and they made the most of it with a performance that felt loose but completely locked in. The rhythm section of Nick Lewis (drums) and Zechariah Ghostribe (bass) was particularly sharp, driving a huge sound that filled the room.
There was a brief sense that part of the crowd didn’t quite know how to respond early on, caught between hardcore movement and something more groove-driven, but it didn’t last long. Justice Tripp’s presence pulled them in quickly, turning uncertainty into full engagement. Personal highlights Toxic Boombox, Stay and Stepping Stone had the floor moving, with the mix of deeper cuts and newer material keeping things varied without losing momentum. By the end of the set, Angel Du$t had the room fully on their terms, with the early uncertainty long gone.
I can’t remember the last time a crowd chanted that loudly for a band before they’d even hit the stage. As the lights dropped, the noise only built, and by the time Superheaven walked out, the crowd reaction said everything. What followed was an ear-achingly loud, immersive set that leaned fully into their grunge-soaked, shoegaze-tinged sound. The low end sat thick in the mix, with Joe Kane’s bass rumbling underneath layers of fuzz-drenched guitar and Zack Robbins’ pummeling drums.
Taylor Madison and Jake Clarke traded vocal duties throughout the set, their distinctive styles giving the songs a dynamic push that translated perfectly live. The band took a moment to acknowledge the size of the crowd, clearly surprised at how much things had grown since their last visit, and gave a shoutout to Secret World and Angel Du$t, even going as far as saying Angel Du$t should be the biggest band in the world.
From Sponge through to Youngest Daughter and Stare at the Void, the crowd stayed fully locked in, with a steady stream of movement across the floor and a sea of younger faces soaking it all in. There was something striking about watching a new generation connect so strongly with a sound rooted in an earlier era, with much of the set drawn from their debut album Jar and landing just as big as ever.
Closing with an epic 1-2 of In On It and Poor Aileen, Superheaven brought the night to a fitting finish. The entire room was moving, singalongs were loud, and the response never dipped across the hour-long set.
Across all three bands, there was a clear sense of shared respect and connection, not just between the bands, but with the crowd as well. Secret World set the tone, Angel Du$t pushed things further, and Superheaven delivered the payoff, with the crowd right there with them the whole way.
– GALLERY –
