Chris Masuak's Dog Soldier
+ Mick Medew and The Ursula 4
+ The Spivs
Vinnies Dive, Southport, Queensland
Sunday, 18 October 2026
Words: Angela Evol
There are gigs you enjoy, gigs you remember, and then there are those rare occasions when you find yourself in the middle of something pretty special. Sunday afternoon at Vinnies Dive was firmly in the latter category.
Chris Masuak was back on Australian soil for a ruin of 10 shows, bringing Dog Soldier to the Gold Coast on “The Shiny Side Tour.” For those of us who grew up listening to Radio Birdman, The Hitmen and Screaming Tribesmen, this was one we'd been looking forward to for a long time.
After last year's Australian tour was cancelled following Chris's emergency eye surgery, having him back onstage, guitar in hand, was reason enough to celebrate.
And celebrate we did.
The crowd started filtering through the doors early, and there was already a sense of anticipation in the room. Plenty of familiar Gold Coast faces, a few we hadn't seen before, and a shared appreciation for the music that had brought everyone together.
Among the crowd was Gold Coast mayoral candidate Danielle Dunsmore, who had dropped in to enjoy an afternoon of live music. Always good to see people from all walks of life getting behind the local music scene.
The Spivs opened proceedings at 3.45 pm with their usual energetic approach to the job. The new song Voodoo Doll was a highlight for me. The crowd was getting into it early, which is always a good sign for an afternoon of live music.
(Full disclosure: I have a family connection to The Spivs, so I'll keep their review brief and leave it to others to judge their performance.)
Mick Medew and bassist Lois Andrews.
Next up were Mick Medew & The Ursula 4, who took the stage at 4.30 pm and wasted no time getting down to business.
Opening with "Love Is Calling", they delivered a lively, great-sounding set that reminded everyone why they're so well loved around these parts.
One of the highlights for me was their new number, "Crankin' It Up." It's a cracker of a song and sounded terrific live. Always good to hear new material from the band, especially when it's as catchy as this. I'm looking forward to hearing more of it.
Punk Grandma Ursula.
Mick Medew and The Ursula 4's heartbeat, Stuart McLauighlin.
Mick and the band were clearly enjoying themselves, and the affection from the audience was returned in spades.
I've seen Mick Medew & The Ursula 4 plenty of times, and they never disappoint. They were also an ideal lead-in to what was coming later in the afternoon.
As it turned out, we hadn't seen the last of Mick on the Vinnies stage.
By 5.30 pm, anticipation had well and truly built for the main event.
Chris Klondike Masuak.
Chris Masuak, accompanied by Phil Hall on bass and Stuart Wilson on drums, took the stage as Dog Soldier, a trio of accomplished musicians with plenty of history between them.
Opening with Radio Birdman's "Burn My Eye", followed by "Hand of Law", the band came out firing.
What a sound.
Chris is an extraordinary guitarist. He's one of those players whose style you recognise immediately, with a distinctive attack and an ability to make a guitar sound both ferocious and completely under control. Watching him play from close range is something else entirely.
Hall and Wilson provided a formidable rhythm section, and there was a natural chemistry between the three that comes from musicians who know exactly what they're doing. No unnecessary fuss, just three blokes making a tremendous amount of noise in all the right ways.
The set drew from across Chris's extensive musical history, taking in Radio Birdman, The Hitmen, and his more recent work with Dog Soldier.
Hearing songs like "I-94", "I Don't Mind" and "Do the Pop" in a room full of people who know and love this music was a joy. There was plenty of singing along, although 'singing' might be a generous description of some of the enthusiastic yelling coming from the crowd.
For me, "I-94" was a particular highlight. It's always been a personal favourite. So much so that I've even got a set of personalised number plates to prove it! Hearing it performed live by one of the musicians responsible for that sound never gets old.
But this wasn't simply an exercise in revisiting the past.
I particularly enjoyed "The Kiss Off" from the Dog Soldier material. It's a reminder that Chris isn't out there just trading on his back catalogue. He's still creating music that's worth paying attention to.
Stuart Wilson also stepped up to the microphone for "Square It Up", a song from his band The Crisps, adding another dimension to the set.
From my position near the front of the stage, the sound was excellent, with the guitar cutting through nicely without losing the weight of the bass and drums.
Then came another of the afternoon's special moments.
Mick Medew returned to the stage to join Chris and Dog Soldier for a run of Screaming Tribesmen songs, bringing together two musicians whose shared history goes back decades.
Two Screaming tribesmen reunited.
The four-song section included "You Better Run", "Move a Little Closer", "2 Blind Mice" and "Date With A Vampyre". For anyone with an appreciation of the Screaming Tribesmen, this was a genuine treat.
There's something wonderful about seeing musicians reconnect with songs that mean so much to the people in front of them. These weren't simply old numbers being dragged out for nostalgia's sake. They were being played with real energy, and the crowd loved every minute.
Having Mick and Chris sharing the stage again was one of those moments you feel lucky to have witnessed, particularly in a venue as intimate as Vinnies.
And we still weren't finished.
The encore brought more Radio Birdman, including "Murder City Nights", and by this point the crowd was absolutely in its element.
Then came :New Race".
If there was ever a song guaranteed to send a room full of Radio Birdman devotees into a frenzy, this was it.
But what happened next took things to another level.
At the band's invitation, audience members began climbing onto the stage to join the band, and before long what seemed like half the room was up there, singing, shouting and throwing themselves into the moment.
"Yeah Hup!"
It was absolute mayhem, in the best possible way.
The distinction between band and audience pretty much disappeared. People who had spent years listening to these songs were suddenly standing alongside the musicians, belting out one of Australian rock's most recognisable anthems.
It was spontaneous, joyous and completely unforgettable.
You couldn't have scripted a better ending.
Sunday was every bit as good as the previous night's show at The Cave Inn in Brisbane, with another outstanding performance from Chris and Dog Soldier. The real difference was that extraordinary finale, when half the audience ended up onstage for "New Race". Two of the best gigs I've seen all year, back to back. Can't ask for much more than that!
Chris Masuak remains a formidable guitarist and performer, and Dog Soldier are a cracking live band in their own right.
A big nod to the team at Vinnies Dive, sound engineer Bailey and manager Craig Barman (ED: Aw shuicks) for bringing this one to the Gold Coast.
As for that finale, I suspect everyone who found themselves onstage for "New Race" will be talking about it for quite some time.
Magnificent. There's really no other word for it.
Chris Masuak's Dog Soldier play the last two shows of their Australian tour with The Dunhill Blues at Link & Pin in Woy Woy on Friday, October 23 and with Fuck The Neighbours and The Stallers at Marrickville Bowling Club in Sydney on Saturday Oc tober 24. Tickets for goth shows at oztix.com.au
