For the first time in 15 years, Japanese musical genius TABATA MITSURU (Boredoms / Zeni Geva / Acid Mothers Temple) plays solo in Australia. Having been a founder / contributing member to several seminal Japanese acts, Tabata returns to Australia for the first time in many years and plays ONE SOLO SHOW ONLY - Thursday 16th October at The Old Bar, Fitzroy.
Very Special support set from CAT HOPE
This is not to be missed. Presales $17 / $22 door, if available

Following the release of Wollongong psych rock band, Shakamoto’s well anticipated debut EP ‘The Crabtastrophe’, Shakamoto are now embarking on their first interstate wide tour. 

Shakamoto’s live show is a mesmerising yet confrontational display of raw adolescent energy, alongside vast sonic exploration of mind expanding modern psychedelia, garage and blistering alternative punk, catch Shakamoto and guest Special Guest and Fur Blossom at The Old Bar Fitzroy!

Simona Castricum
Saturday, October 18 — 9pm
The Old Bar, Johnson Street, Fitzroy. Narrm.

Simona Castricum returns to The Old Bar to preview songs from her forthcoming record, joined by Anetta Nevin on drums — a night of springtime synth-rock with special guests to be announced.

Tickets on sale now via Oztix or at theoldbar.com.au
Pre-sale: $15 + bf / Blak Tix: FF / Door: $20

Presented by Press Play, Trans-Brunswick Express, and Dinosaur City Records.

This event takes place on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country of the Kulin Nation. Respects to Elders, past and present. Sovereignty never ceded. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

@simonacastricum @pressplaypresents @dinosaurcityrecords @transbrunswickexpress @theoldbar

Supported by Creative Victoria, 10,000 gigs Fund.

It has to be about 20 years since we’ve all been a room together to play music.
We are so excited to play the Hardcore at the Bird show on Saturday, and seeing it sold out so quickly, we have booked a show that is so INAB coded it hurts.
So, Sunday 19th October at 3pm we will play a free show at @theoldbar with our friends in @bonereaperthrash (feat members of bands we toured relentlessly with).
So mark your calendars, come and drink a beer and let’s get rowdy.
We promise this is the last time… (again)

ASCENDED DEAD  (USA)   Plays Morbid Monday @ The Old Bar Fitzroy
with local Supports Black Jesus - Parasitic Equilibrium

ASCENDED DEAD who hail from San Diego USA and have caused quite a stir in the underground metal scene with their Dark Chaotic layered slabs of Brutality with a Nod to the mighty Australian Disembowelment and Bestial Warlust.

Ascended Dead are nevertheless as ugly as it can be: not by design nor by trying their best to sound that way, but just because that foul stench they ooze from every pore is their true nature. Yes, their founding members and some of their current members have played or are still playing in other bands Morbid Angel and Incantation, but none of this really matters, as their mainman JR stresses that “Everything we’ve attained was built from the ground up, and we’d like to maintain as much of a stand-alone legacy as we can.”

See, a lot of bands these days wish so bad they were part of the same early extreme metal wave that swept the plate clean in the late ’80s, but end up only second-guessing how all their idols thought. But Ascended Dead are a rare case of a band who just go for it and whose DNA is naturally carrying that FTW element – that simple idea of not waiting, an instinct to destroy everything in sight. Necrovore, Insanity, or even Sarcofago are just of some of the acts they’ve been compared to, but it doesn’t really matter

Fresh back from a run around the UK, Brisbane's Lunar Dirt bring their hypnotic electro-kraut space rave back to the Oldie on Friday October 24.
Joined by gig etiquette coaches Hot Tubs Time Machine and high fire danger three-piece Frons.
$12 before. $17 on the door.

Supported by Creative Victoria, 10,000 gigs Fund.

Supported by Creative Victoria, 10,000 gigs Fund.

The Dugout is an international loud-quiet musical trio - based somewhere between Barcelona & Sydney. No, they don't got no social media.

Billy Cart is unstuck in time. The Naarm five-piece tunnel through decades of underground music and emerge with something both familiar and entirely their own. Their sound carries the urgency of DIY punk, the jagged edges of post-punk, and the loose, instinctual energy of a band that refuses to overthink itself.

Come and see them both for free at the Old Bar on Sunday 26th of October, from 3.30pm. Free entry

Powerplant is a London-based synth-punk band, touring Australia for the first time! Formed as a solo project, the group has evolved into a full band, combining a range of influences from punk, electronic music, and hardcore. Their debut album "People in the Sun" took the internet by storm in 2019, captivating the world with eccentric bass lines, fuzzy synthesisers and touching lyrics. It landed on 'Best of...' lists by Pitchfork and Bandcamp, receiving nods from Iggy Pop and Henry Rollins.

Powerplant moves at its own accord, always morphing into something more powerful and mysterious. With each release, Powerplant reinvents itself. This is the last show on their Australia tour, supported by ZIPPER, RED HELL and BAGLICKER!

Supported by Creative Victoria, 10,000 gigs Fund.

Get ready for everyone's favourite fright fest, the annual Hearts and Rockets Halloween party. This year the spooky, kooky bratwave duo Hearts and Rockets are taking over The Old Bar for Halloween, and launching their brand new single Get Bored. They've got a super-secret headliner on board - watch this space - plus sets from folk-punk icons My Guardian Angel and experimental-indie-pop-genius Hyena. Before and between sets, you'll be trick and treated to spooky tracks from Matt McFangridge, host of PBS' rockabilly-trash show Twistin' Fever!

Costumes are encouraged but not compulsory! Merch and spooky-surprise filled gift bags for three best-dressed punters, decorations, plus candy for all.

All of this for $15! Grab presales now so you don't miss out.

Artwork by @kalindymillions

Emerging from the concrete depths of Brisbane/Meanjin, Glycol is a band that thrives on angst and musical disparity. Founded in 2023, this trio consists of Evan, a jazz-trained drummer; Luca, the head-banging bassist; and Carlton, the raw-voiced guitarist. Glycol’s sound is emotionally powerful and reflects diverse influences, standing in stark contrast to polished mainstream music. They host underground shows in unconventional locations—like caves and tunnels—creating an intimate and unrestrained experience. Their fans, known as Glycolians, form a dedicated following, embracing the motto, “Glycolians are volatile by nature, so come be volatile with us,” and consistently drawing crowds in the hundreds

RACH are launching their debut single 'Sleepless' this November. To celebrate they're throwing a FREE afternoon party (playing a gig) at The Old Bar joined by Shot By Jane.

Naarm based RACH blend raw and reflective songwriting with lush, dream-pop instrumentation to gently pull you into the world they’re building. The four-piece is the indie/alternative project of songwriter Rachel Duffy, whose stream of consciousness lyricism offers honest reflections on love, friendship and the in-between moments of life. Their debut single 'Sleepless' is up-beat, restless and filled with tension. It’s a vulnerable moment wrapped in bright and whimsical guitars, capturing the feeling of rising anxiety when it’s time to go to sleep.

Shot By Jane is a fresh force in the Naarm music scene. Blending raw sound with shadowy energy, these four friends conjure swampy, dreamy sounds that hits hard and haunts. Otherworldly and unapologetic, they are here to bring you music that feels like magic.

RACH 'Sleepless' Single Launch
The Old Bar
Saturday 8 November
4pm - 6pm
FREE ENTRY

Tarcutta — Rain In Space Album Launch
Saturday 8 November
The Old Bar, Fitzroy
With special guests Cam Butler and Oceanique
Melbourne instrumental trio Tarcutta launch their new album Rain In Space with a night of immersive, genre-defying sound at The Old Bar. Featuring mesmerizing, cinematic guitar-scapes from the legendary Cam Butler, and the radiant, intertwining harmonies of folk-pop sisters Jess and Maddy (Oceanique), this is a rare lineup not to be missed. 

With a combined age of more than 500 years, Tarcutta’s analogue-only instruments include a Hammond organ built in 1933 played in a way its makers probably never intended. Expect swirling space rock and bastard jazz as the band debut their second full-length record—available on limited edition vinyl on the night.
Limited pre-sale tickets available now. 
 

***FREE ENTRY***

Michael Day, the indie existential, folk/roots artist, known for tongue in cheek lyricism and folk storytelling is excited to announce the release of his latest A/B single, ‘Shadows and Shapes’.

With the first (A side) single ‘Shadows and Shapes’ available on all streaming platforms from August 26th and the second (B side) single ‘Scars’ released on September the 30th 2025, Michael is celebrating both with a launch and tour this October & November! 

Catch him live in Melbourne at The Old Bar, with special guest Kaitlin Keegan.

“Shadows and Shapes” is an existential track that asks the question ‘What’s the point of all this?’. While the song focuses on the struggle through pain and hardship, it implicitly suggests to hold on to the shadows and shapes of truths and hope that will pull you through it all. 

The track leans on Day’s influences such as Josh Pyke, Gregory Alan Isakov and Angus and Julia Stone while still falling into a darker more moody aesthetic. While the elements of Guitar, Bass and Drums drive the track, a soundscape of layered textures, namely banjo, electric guitar, and vocals, holds the track in its universe. Andy Lawson at Debaser Studio is the mastermind behind the production and mix of the track whose majestical talents bring the track to life. While William Bowden (King Willy) adds the extra polish and shine as mastering engineer. 

SamFranks_Art designed and created the artwork for the A/B single reflecting the longing and tone of the piece. 

“Myself and Ti (my wife) were chatting about the healthcare system, when we had a realization that all it can do for us is keep us around a little bit longer. There’s a hard reality which we must all face. Which kept leading me to ponder ‘what is worth doing?’. It seems there’s an intersection where truth, goodness and beauty must all unite but holding onto those things while in the midst of hardship and pain is a struggle. I was going through some sort of depression a few years ago and that’s when this track was born. For me, it encourages me to find the shadow or shape of truth, goodness, and beauty and hold onto it when in the rough times.” 

Since performing on stage with Boy and Bear, Day has a renewed passion for songwriting and performing which he is bringing to a regional and national tour from September through to November 2025. Shadows and Shapes follows in the moody melancholy of Day’s previous releases. 

September 9th marks the release of the ‘Shadows and Shapes’ music video written, produced and created by Josh Black and Kai Thompson at Black Horizons Media. 

Shadows and Shapes is out August 26th and the total A/B single is released on the 30th of September. 

Tour Dates
Thurs Oct 2 - The Prince, Bunbury 
Sun Oct 5 - The River, Margaret River
Fri Oct 10 - Gatsby's Skyline, Manjimup
Sat Oct 11 - Karma Llama Records, Bridgetown
Sun Oct 12 - Nannup Hotel, Nannup
Fri Oct 17 - Lyrics Underground, Perth 
Sat Oct 18 - Six Degrees, Albany 
Sun Oct 19 - Lucky Bay Brewery, Esperance
Sat Nov 1 - Old Midland Courthouse, Midland (All Ages Acoustic Show)
Fri Nov 7 - Wesley Ann, Melbourne 
Sun Nov 9 - Old Bar, Melbourne 
Wed Nov 19 - Can You Keep A Secret, Brisbane 

For more info, music and socials, head to https://www.michaelday.com.au/