Review: Joshua Hobbins
Photography: Nate Rose

Crowbar Brisbane played host to something genuinely special last night, as Better Lovers made their long-awaited Australian live debut alongside fellow first timers Split Chain, with local heavyweights Blind Girls and Glitter Strip rounding out a stacked bill. With no barrier, no ego, and no wasted space, the night felt raw, physical, and refreshingly direct.

Glitter Strip opened proceedings with a set that leaned hard into noisy, Converge-adjacent hardcore without overplaying the chaos. The shared vocal duties between frontman Jackson and bassist Axel gave the set a dynamic edge, keeping things fluid rather than front-led. Drummer Al was a standout early, driving the band’s stop-start aggression with precision rather than brute force. It was a sharp, effective way to set the tone without overstaying their welcome.

Blind Girls’ set was defined by sheer low-end weight and a relentless onslaught from vocalist Sharni, whose delivery never let up and gave the performance a confrontational edge. Drummer Ben was excellent throughout, anchoring the set with precision and power, locking everything in even as the songs pushed relentlessly forward. Drawing from blackened hardcore textures, the Gold Coast outfit delivered an intense performance that resonated with the growing audience.

Making their Australian live debut, Split Chain brought a noticeable shift in texture. Pulling from shoegaze-inflected alt-metal and the kind of Deftones/Superheaven vibe that prioritises mood as much as heaviness, their set added breathing room without losing weight. Visibly stoked to be touring Australia, the band played with an earnestness that translated well, their layered guitars and washed-out tones cutting through the mix while still landing with impact.

Given the Every Time I Die and The Dillinger Escape Plan lineage running through Better Lovers, expectations for their first Australian live shows were understandably high. Rather than being weighed down by that history, the band leaned into it, delivering a set that felt urgent, physical and fully present. By the time they took the stage, Crowbar was primed. Entering to a mash-up/mix of classic songs built around love and lover lyrics, the band were met with immediate, raucous applause before launching straight into “A White Horse Covered in Blood” and “Drowning in a Burning World”. From the outset, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a hands-off performance.

Greg Puciato was locked in vocally all night, clearly energised and stoked to be back down under, shifting between feral intensity and sharp control with ease. His connection with the crowd felt genuine, recognising familiar faces, encouraging stage divers throughout the set and taking full advantage of the barrier-free room. Towards the end of the night, he climbed into the rafters before dropping into the waiting arms of the crowd, reminiscent of his antics at The Waterloo many years ago with TDEP.

Guitar duties from Jordan Buckley and Will Putney were as sharp as expected, balancing chaos and structure without either overwhelming the other. Beneath it all, the rhythm section of Steve Micciche on bass and Clayton Holyoak on drums kept everything anchored, tight and full.

Despite a relatively small catalogue so far, the set featured key tracks like “Superman Died Paralyzed”, “Two Alive Amongst the Dead”, “Become So Small”, “Future Myopia”, “Sacrificial Participant” and “God Made Me an Animal”. “Love as an Act of Rebellion” stood out as a clear highlight, landing with both emotional weight and physical force, before the band closed with “30 Under 13” to bring the room to breaking point.

Better Lovers’ Australian debut was everything fans of both ETID and TDEP could have hoped for, and it confirmed that this material is built to be played at full volume in a room like this.

Tour Dates:

Saturday 24 January 2026 – Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle (18+)

Sunday 25 January 2026 – Manning Bar, Sydney (18+)

Wednesday 28 January 2026 – Max Watts, Melbourne (18+)

Thursday 29 January 2026 – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave (18+)

Friday 30 January 2026 – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide (18+)

Tickets from destroyalllines.com