Time Flies When You Are Having Fun

This year is absolutely flying by. I was originally going to write this in the lead up to the end of the financial year but in a blink and you’ll miss it moment, its now six weeks later. There is something special about a halfway point. The thing is now more done than incomplete, forecasting the remainder of a thing becomes much easier and seizing the momentum to get you through the second half can make things easier.

In a similar fashion, the halfway point is a point of reflection where if you are unhappy with the first half, you still have time to change things. It is an inflection point in that respect, and a couple of minor changes can have a substantial impact on the position, state or some other quality of an item or period by the time it is done.

I started this year with the simple goal. I wanted to attend at least one live music concert or event every calendar month for the entirety of 2026. This goal came about because in late 2025 I had attended my first proper concert in about 15 years. It was a spur of the moment thing, based on a sudden refusal to let life continue to pass me by and the realisation that big artists may not come back to Australia, so I should seize the opportunity with two hands.

In any event, I attended Lauren Spencer Smith’s The Art of Being a Mess tour which was held on Halloween at the Fortitude Music Hall in the Valley. It was an eye-opening experience and I was hooked. The venue was pretty packed, the crowd was mostly in costume (because it was Halloween presumably) and the whole thing was just such a positive experience.  

Eight months into the year and my goal has been well and truly smashed so far. I have managed to attend 36 concerts so far this year (a full list can be seen at the end) with booked tickets to another 25 (includes a couple of festivals). I haven’t fully run the numbers, but with the 36 concerts this year, I have probably watched in the vicinity of 100-120 band sets. A not insignificant number.

Out of all those concerts, only two have been cancelled (not included in the numbers above). The first being Lea Senior when their flights got delayed, and the second being Daya’s Brisbane Concert, which had no reasoning given even when I reached out directly to Daya, her support Darcie Haven, her promoter and the venue itself.

Ultimately, even though my time being exposed to the live music scene has been brief, I am arrogant enough to think that I’ve attended enough this year to give weight to my observations. So in true mid-year fashion, I figured I would dedicate a blog to my favourite performances of the year to date.

When you view a wide variety of performances, it is difficult to compare them, after all with the different target audiences and performance objectives, even though two events may fit within the broad category of live music, you really aren’t comparing apples with apples.

The first subcategory that I would highlight, is that of sheer performance energy, where the music still plays a vital role, however the purpose is one of entertainment. The three that I would put at the top of this category were Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Mumford and Sons and Audrey Hobert.

All three were superstar shows, where the production was outstanding and was designed to blow your socks off. These performances, as befitting the superstars that they are, were choreographed wonders where in their own ways they enraptured the crowd and wove a story of magic which was over way too soon.

Sophie’s performance had everything you could want, with a mix of covers and originals, fast and slow, high and low, weaving her charismatic presence through the crowd. The costume changes, high intensity dancing ensured that both visual and auditory senses were grabbed in a complete performance. The way she finished off by serenading the crowd from the mezzanine deck at The Tivoli set a ridiculously high benchmark. Sophie showcased precisely why she has had such a long and successful career as a true pop princess.   

Mumford and Sons brought a much more masculine and frenetic energy to the stage. Prior to them appearing, I had been slightly disappointed with the support acts chosen, who whilst incredibly talented, through the choice of song selection and performance types, didn’t manage to full capture and warm up the crowd, which is pretty much the sole job of the opening acts.

Any disappointment, however, was quickly put to bed by a marathon set where Mumford and Sons played all of their classics in a smooth flowing set that was masterfully coordinated through swelling crescendos and their trademark jig-styled music. It was a curated masterpiece in how to grab and hold the attention of a large crowd. If you want to feel all the feels, attend a Mumford and Sons concert where they play Little Lion Man, you won’t be disappointed.

The third in this category, but by no means the least, is Audrey Hobert and whilst I disagree with her business decisions and practices, holy shit, does she have the whole performance thing figured out. Her show was short with no supports and only the one album of originals to really work from. But for a crowd of screaming teenage girls, I doubt any of them left feeling anything other than euphoric. Audrey just gets what her audience wants on a deeper level and does everything she can during the show to give it to them.  

Her numerous costume changes, energetic choreography and sheer intensity left the crowd in the palm of her hand. Couple that with her lyrical mastery, where themes of connecting with her target audience through feeling non-conventionally attractive and then succeeding in a girlboss blaze of glory puts Audrey on par with the messiah in terms of showing how through hard work anyone can make it. Considering her involvement with songwriting credits on some of Gracie Abrams’ biggest hits, it really shouldn’t be surprising that she is a popstar in her own right.

The second category is straight up rock ‘n’ roll. My three top picks here include May-a, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers (Teen Jesus for brevity from here) and Binsad.

Lets start with May-a. I saw her perform on the Thursday night before the Easter long weekend and then spent the next couple of months absolutely obsessed with her music. Her music has the drums, the bass, the angry feminist rock feel that just ticks all the boxes, at least for me. May-a comes off as a traditional, unapologetic lesbian rock princess. The anger and angst rolls off her whilst definitively portraying to everyone that she simply does not give a fuck.

Her show was a powerhouse set that made me feel alive. Seriously, go listen to her album Goodbye (If You Call That Gone). There isn’t a song on that album that isn’t an absolute banger, and each of them hits you in a different way, from the cold threats of Last Man On Earth through to the lesbian delight of (I’m here for the) GIRLS to the psychotic fever dreams evoked by Taste My Tongue.

I actually took a break from writing this blog, just so I could fully listen to the album again. A perfect Friday night. Anyway, her show was high energy rock at its finest and I cannot recommend it enough.

Teen Jesus is, in many respects, similar in musical style to May-a, and is quickly becoming (if they aren’t already) a classic of Australian rock ‘n’ roll on the global stage. I’ll admit, I had seen their concert come up in my Instagram feed multiple times but hadn’t really checked out their music until I was at my sister-in-law’s 40^th when I was talking to one of her friends about live music and my goal for the year when he made the comment that Teen Jesus were well worth going to see live based on the numerous times he had seen them perform either as supports for major acts or at festivals.

I’m obviously a trusting guy, so immediately bought tickets to their Brisbane show on 7 May 2026 and did not regret that decision for a single minute. Teen Jesus provide a sound that includes facets of angry feminist rock with a more complete harmonic sound, mainly because they have multiple singers whilst May-a is mostly just May-a.

Teen Jesus has zero difficulties in grabbing the attention of the crowd and then keeping it for the length of the show. I really enjoy their original compositions, with their gritty style and Australian accents really shining through. It’s a credit to their lyrical genius that I still can’t tell whether the lyric in their song Daylight is meant to be It’s like the fucking sun shines out of your eyes or It’s like the fucking sun sines out of your ass. Its telling that the lyric could legitimately be either and still make absolute sense in the context of the song.

In any event, their album Glory will undoubtedly be a rock classic and you can’t really go astray by planning to go to one of their shows.

The third in this category is Binsad. I should make a note to write to the band and see how they came up with the name. Like is it a contraction of I’ve been sad said with a western Sydney bogan accent? Or is there a literal bin out there that’s actually sad, probably cause its trash?

Regardless, their name somehow fits the band and having attended their very first interstate tour stop in Brisbane, the name evokes feelings of happiness, since once you listen to them and their debut album Pearl. Their songs have a rawness to them that’s helped by the clear narratives being invoked and how fucked it can be being young and struggling in today’s society. Their song Paris, in particular tugs at your heartstrings when they plead with the common hoodlum to not syphon their fuel and making the, only in a student’s mind is it reasonable, decision between going to Paris or registering their car.

It is clear that Binsad have talent for days, and the variations within their songs blending styles and genres together shows both their raw skill and versatility. In person, their musical ability shines even brighter than the polished sound you get on the published album.

The third and final category of shows includes the more acoustic sets where its just the artist and their guitar (sometimes a harmonica). The three best of in this category include Lara Buchanan, Georgia Maq and Serendipiti. I have posted at length in other blogs about Serendipiti and to an extent about Georgia Maq. I reiterate all those comments and more, they are stars and no doubt in the famous words of Lara Buchanan they are going to be gold out there.

I haven’t written about Lara Buchanan on this blog previously, and that is a mistake that I am keen to rectify. Lara has absolutely hit her strides this year and is making it big as we speak, with upcoming (and high anticipated) appearances, at Bigsound 2026 and the Canberra edition of Spilt Milk.

I, however, first came across her when her fresh single Gold was released and started popping up on my Spotify playlists. I really see the song as a spiritual juxtaposition to Matchbox Twenty’s Bright Lights where instead of telling the loved one that if they don’t like the bright lights of the city, they can turn around and their will always be a place for them. If anything, Gold, is the opposite but from that same position of love where the parents understand just how sparse the opportunities are in a small country town and that Lara’s future is bigger and brighter than what the town could ever provide.

And, you know what, the parents had it right. Lara was made to perform for crowds across the globe and she will get there if her performances from her Gold tour is any indication. She brought a commanding stage presence and showed the vast potential that she has in spades. There were also glimpses of artistic narrative intertwining her music and performance, through the gradual revealing of handprints which I interpreted as being from people either holding her back or attempting to claim their piece of her. It really evoked a sense of raw authenticity and added another layer to her performance.

Well, there you have it, the nine most influential performances I’ve attended so far this year. This year has been pretty good to me so far and I am looking forward to seeing what the second half has in store.

Band	Venue	Date
Wheatus	Crowbar, Fortitude Valley	15/01/2026
Birds of Tokyo	Racehorse Hotel, Booval	6/02/2026
Sophie Ellis-Bextor	The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley	10/02/2026
Jade LeMac	The Brightside, Fortitude Valley	11/02/2026
Linkin Park	Quodo Bank Arena, Sydney	14/03/2026
Sydney Rose	The Factory Theatre, Marrickville	15/03/2026
Meg Mac	The Powerhouse Theatre, New Farm	20/03/2026
May-a	Princess Theatre, Woolloongabba	2/04/2026
Mumford and Sons	Brisbane Entertainment Centre	28/04/2026
Vanessa Amorosi	The Triffid, New Farm	1/05/2026
Bowling for Soup	The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley	2/05/2026
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers	Princess Theatre, Woolloongabba	7/05/2026
Binsad	Junk Bar, Newstead	8/05/2026
Lara Buchanan	38 Berwick St, Fortitutde Valley	9/05/2026
Ruby Fields	Princess Theatre, Woolloongabba	9/05/2026
Charley	Crowbar, Fortitude Valley	15/05/2026
Audrey Hobert	Fortitude Music Hall, Fortitude Valley	16/05/2026
Maggie Lindemann	The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley	17/05/2026
Aleksiah	The Triffid, New Farm	21/05/2026
Georgia Maq	Crowbar, Fortitude Valley	22/05/2026
Maple Glider	Junk Bar, Newstead	23/05/2026
Rowena Wise	Junk Bar, Newstead	29/05/2026
Alison Wonderland	The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley	4/06/2026
Purity Ring	The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley	10/06/2026
New Crush Vol. 1	The Brightside, Fortitude Valley	11/06/2026
Lucky	Junk Bar, Newstead	12/06/2026
Serendipiti	Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley	13/06/2026
New Crush Vol. 2	The Brightside, Fortitude Valley	18/06/2026
Phoebe Go	Junk Bar, Newstead	19/06/2026
Asha Jefferies	Season 3, Woolloongabba	25/06/2026
Catherine Britt	The Royal Hotel, Nundah	3/07/2026
Spiderbait*	The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley	5/07/2026
Max Jackson	The Bribie Island Hotel, Bribie Island	11/07/2026
Holly Hebe	38 Berwick St, Fortitutde Valley	25/07/2026
Rogue Traders	Kings Beach Tavern, Kings Beach	25/07/2026
Serendipiti	Princess Theatre, Woolloongabba	31/07/2026