Review: Craig Eriksson. Photos: Jason Rosewarne.
It had been almost 2-years since we last saw Australian post-grunge rockers Spiderbait perform a stellar show at the Forum Theatre in Melbourne on their 20th Anniversary of Black Betty. Last night, the band returned to the venue, this time to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of their seminal and multi-platinum album Ivy & The Big Apples. It has been a huge year for Spiderbait, who were recently inducted into the 2026 ARIA Hall of Fame.
Spiderbait released Ivy and the Big Apples in 1996, marking a major breakthrough for the band and becoming their most successful album, selling almost 250,000 copies, with the lead single Buy Me a Pony being voted #1 in Triple J’s prestigious Hottest 100 in the same year. It was the first time an Aussie act had ever cracked that top position. The album’s title was named after a lady named Ivy who lived in the Spiderbait’s hometown of Finley, New South Wales and sold big apples. This was their 3rd studio album and it pushed the boundaries with so many different sounds, styles and influences that made it stand out and become a landmark album for the band. It was a fearless mix of punk, pop and alt rock and was their first time using electronic as well as acoustic sounds alongside their trademark punk-sound and instrumentation.
The first support for the evening were The Gnomes, a 4-piece indie-rock band hailing from Frankston (bayside suburb of Melbourne). I’ve seen this band a few times and these young lads’ beat-driven sound is influenced heavily from British Invasion bands, 60s garage and power pop that harkens back to The Beatles, The Kinks and The Easybeats. The Gnomes make it their own with a fast, fresh, scrappy and modern-punk-like energy. They have carved out a strong presence on the local music scene, attracting young and not so young audiences alike and are an exciting act to experience. Standout songs tonight included Magic Man, Flippin’ Stomp and Don’t Worry. The Gnomes are definitely a band well worth checking out.
Iconic 4-piece Australian grunge-rockers Magic Dirt were in top form too. Frontwoman Adalita on lead vocals and guitar is mesmerising to watch, as she sings and coaxes those brash and powerful chords from her SG guitar. I felt Magic Dirt’s performance built up as they worked through their set which consisted of heavy, gritty, punk-infused rock, roaring guitars, howling feedback and distortion. Adalita talked with adoration about the long-standing friendship and connection that Magic Dirt and Spiderbait have shared over the past 3 decades. They sang several new songs All Messed Up, Ice Age No.7 along with some crowd favourites – Dirty Jeans, Ice, Pace It, She-Riff, Plastic Loveless Letter and Watch Out Boys.
As we waited for Spiderbait the vibe in the bandroom was intense, with everyone pushing their way forward and we were all pressed hard up against each other trying to secure the best possible spot to watch the show. Spiderbait emerged on stage to huge applause and played their Ivy & the Big Apples album in its entirety and in track order.
They opened with CHEST HAIR, with its heavy driving riffs and Kram on lead vocals and skins. The crowd went wild and this led into HOT WATER AND MILK with Janet providing lead vocals and deep bass lines on this fuzz-laden rocker.
Exhilaration built as fans knew what song was coming up next. Kram ripped into the anthemic BUY ME A PONY, belting out this blistering track at breakneck speed on the skins, making the hairs on my arms stand up. The atmosphere created was electric … an absolute banger!
Things tamed down a tad with the sprawling, energetic 6-minute jam of WHEN FUSION RULED THE EARTH which showcased the deft musicianship of Mark ‘Kram’ Maher (drums/vocals), Janet English (bass/vocals) and Damian ‘Whitt’ Whitty (guitar). The explosive power-pop CALYPSO with Janet’s bright and shiny vocals was a ripper and crowd favourite. Kram and Whitt left the stage and Janet performed an acoustic solo on GOIN’ OFF. The hits just kept coming with Kram and Janet switching lead vocals, creating a nice balance to the show.
The raw, frantic, ball-busting DON’T KILL NIPPER was a ‘howling beast’ and captured the trio’s signature mix of thrashy punk with its blistering double-kick drumming and Kram’s unrestrained, howling intensity. The mosh pit was going off. Kram is a force of nature and the engine room of Spiderbait. His energy and stage presence drive the bands signature, thunderous sound. He is mesmerising to watch as he attacks his drum kit with explosive power, providing the rhythmic foundation of the band’s frantic, genre-bending sound, allowing Whitt and Janet to lock into the groove.
The pulsating instrumental HORSCHACK ARMY conjured a rave party vibe. Kram switched the skins for guitar and Janet jumped behind the drumkit, while Whitt took lead vocals on JOYCE’S HUT , a laidback, atmospheric tune that placed us into some sort of trance. What makes this such a dynamic show is the use of dual lead-vocalists, with Kram indulging mainly in the heavier, fast-paced, hard rock tracks and then Janet performing the sweet, melodic, indie-pop tunes but can also shift to punchy, punk-driven anthems. Add the wonderful jam element and this creates a pendular shift that nicely balances out their show.
JASPER features an upbeat, gritty punk-rock sound with distorted riffs and double-kick drum rhythms. GOOSH followed with Janet’s sweet, lilting vocals and Whitt giving us the driving grunge-pop guitar riffs. It was then back to Kram pounding the skins like his life depended on it on SHOULD HAVE DONE WHAT MUM ALWAYS TOLD ME. This 90’s grunge fun energy continued with HEY and the instrumental HAWAIIAN NIGHTS featuring Whitt’s signature thick, fuzzy, distorted guitar riffs. The closing 13 minute song on the album DRIVING UP THE CEILING showcased the incredible musicianship of the trio with its sprawling shoegaze textures and heavy, wall of sound grunge.
Kram thanked everyone saying “Thank you for supporting us in the past, present and future.”
After a brief break, they returned for a 6-song encore, providing us with some fan favourites, including Janet singing the dreamy BIG FURRY GREEN MONSTER before Kram ripped into an explosive burst of heavy punk on SHAZAM! Following was the melodic OUTTA MY HEAD, on which Janet shone with her sweet but gritty lead vocals and driving bass heavy grooves. The Forum erupted when they played fan favourite OLD MAN SAM, with Kram leading a call-and-response that all us fans eagerly participated in. This feel-good vibe continued with FUCKEN AWESOME, which had the crowd singing “You’re fucken awesome” back at the band and punching their fists in the air. Spiderbait then played an extended version of BLACK BETTY, which was the perfect banger to end what was a truly remarkable rock ‘n’ roll show, and a great celebration of the band’s milestone album.
REMAINING SHOWS:
FRIDAY 24 JULY – The Forum | Melbourne VIC (18+)
w/ Magic Dirt, The Gnomes + Hot Milk Machine *SOLD OUT*
SATURDAY 25 JULY – Hindley Street Music Hall | Adelaide SA (Lic. All Ages)
w/ The Meanies, The Gnomes + Rosie and the Posies
THURSDAY 30 JULY – The Baso | Canberra ACT (18+)
w/ The Meanies, The Gnomes + Box Dye *SOLD OUT*
FRIDAY 31 JULY – Enmore Theatre | Sydney NSW (Lic. All Ages)
w/ Tumbleweed, The Gnomes + Private Wives *SOLD OUT*
SATURDAY 1 AUGUST – King Street | Newcastle NSW (18+)
w/ Tumbleweed, The Gnomes + Butterknife
https://www.frontiertouring.com/spiderbait
SET LIST:
Ivy & The Big Apples
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1. Chest Hair
2. Hot Water and Milk
3. Buy Me A Pony
4. When Fusion Ruled the Earth
5. Calypso
6. Goin’ Off
7. Don’t Kill Nipper
8. Horschack Army
9. Conjunctivitis
10.Joyce’s Hut
11.Jasper
12.Goosh
13.Should Have Done What My Mum Always Told Me To
14.Hey
15.Hawaiian Nights
16.Driving Up the Ceiling
Encore:
17.Big Furry Green Monster
18. Shazam!
19.Outta My Head
20.Old Man Sam
21.Fucken Awesome
22.Black Betty
