LOUD WOMEN Fest Naarm/Melbourne – sunburnt punks, perfect scheduling, and a whole new family – live review and photo galleries

If LOUD WOMEN Fest Gadigal/Sydney felt like a revelation, LOUD WOMEN Fest Naarm/Melbourne felt like coming home to a house you didn’t know you had family at – one full of beautifully familiar punks, radical joy, and the kind of organisation that makes a festival organiser quietly weep with gratitude.

First things first: eternal thanks to Soph from R.U.B, who pulled this entire day together with care, calm competence and zero ego. The lineup was outrageously good, genuinely diverse in every possible way, and – a small miracle – the whole thing ran like absolute clockwork. At points it was ahead of schedule. I am still emotionally processing this.

LOUD WOMEN Fest Naarm/Melbourne was sold out – and then, in a genuinely thoughtful move, big ups to the venue, Bergy Bandroom, for clocking later in the day that some people had headed off home and opening up a small batch of extra tickets online. That meant more folks could come along for the evening, and the room stayed beautifully, perfectly full all day and night. Honestly, how it should be done.

One of the many things that made the fest feel genuinely special was the care woven into the day. Soph had thoughtfully set up a quiet space / low sensory room for anyone who needed time out, which was really appreciated by the neurodivergent among us. It mattered. People used it. It worked.

The venue was also properly accessible, with wheelchair users able to come and enjoy the day with us – not as an afterthought, but as part of the crowd. I absolutely loved this.

Early on, Sisi from Hail Mary Jane summed it all up beautifully, telling the room that everyone should feel free to “unmask” if they wanted to. That one sentence captured the spirit of the whole festival: show up as you are, take what you need, and know you belong here.

Extra huge shout-out too to Brody the soundie, who cheerfully worked absolute miracles all day, single-handedly running both sound and lighting without breaking a sweat (or at least not showing it). Medal. Pay rise. Week off. Top dude.

Hail Mary Jane kicked the whole thing off loud, fast and urgent – exactly what you want at 1pm. Full of charm, wit and a strong sense of community, they set the tone immediately. Singer Sisi had the already-full room in the palm of her hand, making it clear from the first song that this was a shared space and we were all in it together.

Bitter Tits were up next, and by this point they already had a proper Aussie fan club. Having played Sydney and a handful of other “secret” Melbourne shows (also courtesy of Soph), they walked on stage to a room full of friends and devotees. Glorious energy, glorious people — really hope to cross paths again in one continent or another.

Hormones stepped in last minute to fill a vacant slot, brought brilliant queer punk joy and we loved them for it. Zero hesitation, all heart.

Whip! were, frankly, amazeballs – a band with unmistakable going places energy. Tight, confident, and completely convincing. Soph filled in on bass like a legend (the first of three bands she’d be playing with today while also running the whole show without breaking a sweat 💅)

I, Doris then took the stage, joined once again by Soph and Chloe from R.U.B, now officially known as our ‘Daussies’. And if I do say so myself, we went down an absolute storm.

Special mention must go to Porkchop, drummer from Bitter Tits, who had been pre-selected as our cowboy. He gave such an enthusiastic, committed performance that we have now officially retired the cowboy hat and coconuts. They’ve seen dozens of cowboys this year, survived being dragged round the world, and even made it through a particularly rousing session with Attila the Stockbroker at Rebellion Festival – but they were no match for Porkchop. The coconuts finally exploded on the final clip-clop. A fitting, glorious end.

Ghost Mutt were next, with their singer six months pregnant and absolutely rocking out like a legend. Possibly the punkest thing I’ve ever seen. A beautiful, melodic, pop-leaning set that acted as the perfect palate cleanser before diving back into heavier territory.

Whoroboros then dragged us somewhere darker and more ritualistic, locking the room into a collective trance that felt half-gig, half-summoning circle.

And then: Second Idol. Even knowing what was coming, they still floored me. Kate is a force – not just vocally, but spiritually – and the band play like everything is on the line, because for them, it is. Mongrel songs landed hard, and the room was utterly theirs.

Then came Vagina Dry, all the way from New Zealand. I don’t have favourites – I love all my punk babies equally – but if I were allowed to give one top tip from the day… oh my god, I love this band so much. Frontperson El and their outstanding band brought chaos, humour, heart, and total command of the room.

R.U.B ruled the school. No notes. Just absolute class. Soph may have organised the entire festival, but onstage she and the band were all teeth and thunder. A set that felt both celebratory and confrontational – the LOUD WOMEN sweet spot.

Charlie Needs Braces were a total joy. I’ve followed them for a while and already loved the music – but live? Next level. Sequins. All-singing sister duo, all-dancing bird puppets (yes, really). A full one-woman brass section, live-looped with ridiculous cleverness. Sitting with their wonderful mum on the merch table afterwards was the icing on the cake. I adore them. They must come to the UK immediately, please and thank you.

And The Maggie Pills closed the night in properly show-stopping fashion. Dramatic, emotional, and completely unforgettable – the perfect ending to an already perfect day.

This was my first trip to Australia, and honestly — I couldn’t have wished for a better one. After Sydney, Lucy and I took the most ridiculous road trip imaginable: beaches, coves, sea pools, kangaroos, koalas, penguins (??), stopping every five minutes because everything was beautiful. Then Melbourne welcomed us with open arms and excellent coffee.

LOUD WOMEN Fest Naarm was proof of a scene that cares for itself. A reminder that when you centre community, everything else falls into place — even the timetable.

Australia: we love you.
Deeply. Permanently. No takes-backs.

There will be much more LOUD WOMEN action down under next year — Sydney, Melbourne, and beyond. Keep your eyes peeled in the new year.

Until then, all the love in the world to our new friends for life.
Peace, rest, joy – and see you in 2026.