4. Tshitaki, Strike Outs, Eat City at Lou Lou Room Wynnum
Thsitaki are one mind-blowing entity in every sense. They kindly agreed to jump on the Bello/QLD/Lismore leg of the Indie Sounds tour and left all in their path speechless at every show. An incisive beast of a band that is pure, sweaty electricity from go to woe. A true tsunami for your ears. Locals Eat City jumped on the Wynnum leg of the tour, and their throttling, guttural punk rock is just pure ear-bleed! And melting all in their way, The Strike-Outs delivered their usual hammer-head, two-way aural insanity. Always as solid as all fuck! An unleashed beast of sound that pummels and then some.

5. Owen Guns, Leftards, The Sugar Beats, The Dark Clouds, OCAEN, Strike Outs, Shakamoto, Little Girl Likes Her Brain, Loose Surface @ The Vault, Port Kembla
The home town launch for the album, with no less than nine bands on the bill. The Vault is an awesome venue and supportive of indie music. Loose Surface opened up with their sweaty brand of engaging indie rock, ahead of the enthralling glam of Little Girl Likes Her Brain and psyched young guns Shakamoto. The Strik- Outs delivered an as always perfect blazing set, before Ocaen give us killer riff after riff with their energetic power punch. The Dark Clouds always blow it out of the water and tonight was no exception. True rock Gods! On the eve of the release of their own killer debut album, The Sugar Beats pull off a wicked set riddled with pop nuggets and a swag of indie energy. In a world of unique musical beasts, The Leftards hold their own on the sliding scale of insanity. What’s not to love! And then there’s The Owen Guns. More of a perverted musical circus than a band…a beautifully ugly spectacle on every occasion. No fucks given and always riveting. The perfect end to an awesome day. Go the Gong.

6. The Warts
Uralla’s finest eccentric, trancey mood merchants. Anywhere they play, they always nail it. They jumped on the Indie Sounds tour for Port and Lismore and pulled off killer sets at both gigs. Sonically unique. Always riveting. Always enthralling. Go Warts!

7. I Hate People
They never say no to a show, and they are always so fucken great live. Punk the way it’s meant to be, and the loveliest of guys. One insanely awesome punk entity, as they proved at the Hamilton Station leg of the Indie Sounds tour, with a brilliant, drilling set that blew all our minds. Next level brilliance. Honourable mentions for that same gig go to Ocaen with yet another electric set that was just sheer energy plus…Outer Control’s solid fun-packed skater punk…and Crowbar Scars’ lovely gnarled, tight as the proverbial, punk rock.

8. Signing Dedway, The Sugar Beats, Outer Control, & Forklift Assassins to the Vi-Nil label in 2025.
Four great bands with kickarse releases. Along with releasing the likes of Owen Guns, Leftards, Sweaty Bettys, Strike Outs, Ocaen, Sugar Beats, Radio Rejects, Loose Surface, Little Girl Likes Her Brain, Hugs, Shakamoto, Rarwrus Tongue and Misso on the latest Indie Sounds compilation, (plus the new Hard Ons EP), it’s been a pretty good year for these ears!

9. Radio Rejects, Loose Surface, Strike Outs, OCAEN at The Marlin Ulladulla
A massive electrical storm and a slow Sunday did little to quash the pure energy and passion of each and every band on this Ulladulla occasion. One of those special gigs that should have had a couple of hundred in the audience. OCAEN have a truck load of killer tunes and punch them out with an energy that’s nothing short of riveting. Loose Surface always bring the goods and theirs is a sweaty, fun-packed ride throwing brown-eyes out the window the whole trip. The Strike Outs are one of the hardest working bands in the country and their two-way powerhouse is in a league of its own. Radio Rejects are one of those bands that I am always excited to catch live. Perfectly popped punk that wraps its arms around you and belts you affably against the wall each and every time. Probably one of the most under-rated bands around.

10. Brilliant 2025 album releases from The Smith St Band, Nunchukka Superfly, Dave Favours & The Roadside Ashes, East Coast Low, Melvic Centre, Golden Gaytimes, Owen Guns, No Reason, Drugs In Sport, and Knievel.

Find Vi-Nil Records here.