As I staggered out of Coorparoo Hall I couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness but also a sense of anticipation.
That describes the state of the scene right now. With the demise of the record labels that once hired community halls for all ages gigs, bands have been forced to either get lucky due to their nepotism connections with those 'organisations' that put on those gigs that feel more like a corporate teambuilding exercise than a place to let it all the pain and misery of everyday life through the raw power of the pit, or try and hold their own shit.
What the event that some bands put on on May 15th—aptly called 'May Metal Mayhem' demonstrated was that seven years on from its initial founding by the legendary Kaleb Collings, The Scene is still alive and kicking. It wasn't a big scale production with the YMCA public funds like that of Deadtrigger Records, nor did it have that "everyone knows everyone and there's a lot of people in here that we're calling everyone" vibe of the Project Punk days or Gormless Records stuff. It just felt like the much-needed return to form we've all been looking for.
I could already sense the vibe in the air before I even got there. I'd long retired my punk jacket from the days where I was first starting out in the scene. I dug it back out and ditched the promotional pin and performance I would put on to platform my magazine whenever I went to gigs. I knew this shit was real, and the outfit I used to wear whenever I went to gigs—back when they were all at community halls—fit the fucking vibe. Because I didn't view myself as some magazine writer anymore. I'd just gotten sick of it and decided to go back to basics. The point of the gig was just to go let it out after a week of dealing with bullshit.
I got out the house even though I was mentally, physically and very emotionally exhausted. The whole point was just to see bands, because that's what it's all about.
Mandala
More rock and roll than expected for a metal bill
I believe the first was Mandala. That's how you know it's legit, when you don't know half the bands playing, while the other half are bands that you know are tried and tested. They put on a good rock and roll sounding set. I wasn't expecting it to sound that rock and roll. Considering it was a metal gig, I expected some thrash/death metal/hardcore stuff to come blasting it. But yeah, it was good. Got the crowd warmed up as the hall just started to fully fill in.
One of their amps literally burnt out on them during their set. Must've meant they rocked hard, too hard. You can sense the anxiety between songs and when they messed up some bits but that didn't matter because the vibes were on point. No real moshpit action yet; honestly because that's what happens when you happen to have a lot of people arrive late.
Ember
When the wall of death actually started
Ember's set was when shit got real. Now, I was really looking forward to seeing them live seeing as they've gained a good amount of traction in the scene as of late. It's good to see new faces for once and not the same old same old. They played a set with a good amount of covers. The vocals were pretty low in the mix, though it was the dual attack of guitars that really just get the job done. This was when a proper wall of death, circle pit, push pit, hardcore dances, you name it, started happening. Great stuff.
Axis
Technical and mid-tempo, a buildup with nowhere to land
I believe the third band was called Axis. They had a more technical metal sound. More mid-tempo though, which was kinda weird, because you'd have this buildup of energy only to be met by something that just isn't moshing material. Maybe that's by design, I dunno. It was all good though as the crowd seemed to be enjoying it. Suits the bill.
Rupture
The band who hired the hall, playing a long set on their own dime
The last band were the band which organised the entire event, Rupture, and they played a very long set out of necessity; they hired the hall for too long. The crowd had honestly kinda dimmed down by this point; a bunch had left. They shot through a mix of originals and covers that were true to the originals but with the confidence of an experienced live band who aren't afraid to show their swagger and really project their power. The crowd went wild though it was more like a mini-moshpit due to the crowd shrinkage. It was still a proper pit though if you're used to those organisation-held gigs it may take some getting used to.
Part of this was also due to how a good portion of the crowd were parents/other middle aged and over family members of the large amount of band members. They had a camera propped up at the back as well as some lightning gear and whatnot hanging about. So yeah, some of the crowd weren't exactly out and about.
Yeah, it was a good gig. I'd say it was the first proper gig with that community hall aura in a good while, where it was by the bands themselves and didn't feel like some corporate event to platform 'the industry' because the industry's dead and anyone who says otherwise is waffling on to make themselves feel self-righteous. The music was on point and that's all that matters.
The event lived up to its name. I wanna see more gigs like that happen. With that every week/second week frequency and that authentic vibe like the heyday of Project Punk back in 2021-2024. Like that of Gormless Records back in 2025. It feels good to be back.
Rupture nailed it. Best gig in a long time. First gig in a long time to really make you give it your all for each band, as if it was the last gig you'd ever see. You became one with the music, at least for a moment, your worries just got the volume turned way down if you just let it take you. A sound a million miles away from fakery and a step away from your heart.
And yeah, even when you have assignments on top of assignments getting on your ass, and some cunts are really being a bunch of cunts, just like it always did, the sound puts the swagger back into your step, the rush into your blood, rising high to majestically and magically soothe the wounds inside.
From the archive. Gig review · 15 May 2026, Issue 15 · phone notes carried verbatim.