The Brisbane leg of Good Things 2025 was shaping up to be hot, heavy, and one for the record books.
As music festivals of all genres continue to pull the pin throughout an ever-challenging live music environment, a pseudo-successor to many heavy-focused festivals has found its home in the now fan-fave that is Good Things Festival.
With another stellar line-up – this one, diversifying more than previous iterations – fans of metal, beatdown, and pop-punk alike stand to be treated to a scorching outing of mammoth proportions. Having seen at least portions of the sets of sixteen bands in one day (7 December), let's cut to the chase, shall we.
This monster day commenced by way of Sydney's own pop-punk group Yours Truly. The three-piece act took to the stage with enthusiasm and gratitude, citing their last appearance at the festival, opening stage 5 several years prior.
By the time they hit their stride with 'High Hopes', frontwoman Mikaila Delgoda had already taken the opportunity to showcase her incredible prowess with soaring melodies, complemented with support from her bandmates. Never missing a beat, the trio worked in tight unison delivering a performance never missing a bit.
Yours Truly - image © KealiJoan Studios
The second artist on my agenda was Ohio 'bimbocore' group Scene Queen. Heading into this performance I had some scepticism after reports of some somewhat dismissive comments made by vocalist Hannah Wilson to Australian fans during their recent outing. However, these were promptly crushed down with an exceptional display living up to the well-deserved hype of this enigmatic act.
While Wilson delivered an enigmatic performance, preaching gay, trans, and human rights periodically throughout her fiercely-femme set, she demonstrates the duality of womanhood, announcing "now that my soapbox is over, we can shake some ass," before opening up the trademarked 'twerklepit'.
With a set list comprising their greatest hits (albeit limited, given their short career to date) including 'Pink Rover', 'Mutual Masterbation', 'Barbie & Ken' and '18+', fans lap up every moment of it, evidently being worth the almost-guaranteed sunburn to come.
Scene Queen - image © KealiJoan Studios
Seeking some much-needed reprieve from the now-sweltering heat, a brief stop-in was made to stage 4 to see an act I need not waste many words on (as I reviewed them on their own headline tour earlier this year) – Windwaker.
These Melbourne metalcore-ers suffered from some lacklustre audio in the notorious hanger of the Brisbane Showgrounds (and were definitely not the last performers to experience this throughout the day). However, they still delivered a high-energy and tight performance.
Windwaker truly are an upcoming powerhouse of the Australian heavy music scene due in part to the talent of frontman Liam Guinane, who I believe is consistently improving show on show; tour on tour.
This talent, while impressive, would not be given room to flourish without the persistent accompaniment offered through fantastic musicality and energy of the remainder of this collective. I urge you to take the opportunity to familiarise yourself before you'll be forced to brave the heat to see these guys on the main stage.
Windwaker - image © KealiJoan Studios
In what is surely a drawcard for those who are already regretting their choice in footwear, not bringing some painkillers, or wondering when drink prices got so damn expensive; it's back to main stage for Florida's pop-punk godfathers, New Found Glory.
I'm sure I'm not alone in saying these guys were a part of the soundtrack to my high school years, often soundtracking pool and beach parties. This nostalgic and surprisingly high-energy set was immediately brought in force to the now crowded arena, with punters beginning to swarm into the stadium.
Leaning into their heritage, the pop-punk-rockers even treated fans to their delightful cover of Sixpence None the Richer's iconic late-'90s hit, 'Kiss Me'. With a new record scheduled for release in the new year, there's hope for a new generation to experience the carefree joy that comes with a fresh New Found Glory record.
New Found Glory - image © KealiJoan Studios
After a brief break for refreshment and respite, the next act on today's schedule is easily one of my most highly anticipated; another godfather of their genre, Sweden's Refused.
To front-load this review, I had zero knowledge of the band's decision to disband after this final international outing (and a final hometown show in Umea on 21 December), making my first live experience of this act that has arguably had a hand in the conception of so many of my favourite artists much more bittersweet.
Refused set the tone before the first note ever entered the airways with a Palestinian flag draped over the bass cabinet, and a backdrop calling out the oppressors of modern society.
As charismatic frontman Dennis Lyxzen bursted onstage accompanied by a filthy bass tone and crunching, driven guitar, his microphone is wrapped in colours similar to the flag draped across their speakers; there is a theme here to the surprise of no avid fan.
Taking several breaks from their exceptionally tight yet almost relaxed set – the sort of professionalism you would expect from a band with a near three-decade history – to preach strong anti-capitalistic messaging, Refused send themselves off with fan favourite tracks including 'Revolution One' and a cheeky little Metallica riff-down to bring a bit more metal to their set to the delight of the horn-adorning fans.
In a moment that will be fondly remembered for years to come by myself and thousands of others, Refused said goodbye to the life of international touring with one final rendition of 'New Noise' with all the energy and aggression that I have dreamed of since my first introduction to them.
Refused - image © KealiJoan Studios
Moving onto a much younger act who embody the same aggression and virality as those before them, London electro-punk-nu-metal rising stars Wargasm have a roaring crowd hanging for the commencement of their set.
Tucked away on stage five, surrounded by the delightful smells of food stalls (too bad this heat suppressed any hunger), these exciting young bloods are high on everyone's hit list as they sufficiently pack out the slightly awkwardly designed space.
After sharing a cute moment back/ side stage, the five piece erupt to the cheers and roar of rapid fans. They are unrelenting in their ferocious renditions of now-viral tracks, having gained quick notoriety amongst their peers; evident through the jam-packed side-stage consisting of at least three of the Australian acts on this tour.
Wargasm bring a dynamism to their unique take on the punk-hyphon genre through vocal sharing between vocalist/ bassist Milkie Way, and vocalist/ guitarist Sam Matlock; adding a juxtaposition between silky smooth and abrasive and confronting. The dynamism and versatility doesn't end there with both of these named members un-adorning their instruments before re-equipping them periodically throughout the set.
Where their sound could become thin through lacking instruments, the heavy lifting is more than effectively covered through their clever use of keyboards, synths, and backing tracks – a very slick move. For a band that has never before ventured onto Australian soil, they have taken like fish to water and I would be exceptionally surprised if they weren't shortly a staple in our scene.
Wargasm - image © KealiJoan Studios
Next cab off the rank is a shock to all lucky festival goers. Hell, it was a shock to the band themselves as they saved the day backfilling Alpha Wolf, who were backfilling Knocked Loose – Thornhill.
After being thrust onto the line-up at the eleventh hour, Thornhill grasped this opportunity to blow away everyone within earshot. Unable to catch the Melbourne boys most recent runs around the country, I was immediately blown away by the professional progress this now-staple to the Australian scene has made in recent years.
Their sound production is huge – absolutely crushing does not do it justice (shoutout Joel Adams – you nailed it, not that we'd expect anything else) with the tones being delivered absolutely crushing the speaker systems through the arena.
We all know that hydration is important in conditions like this, and a moment of reprieve in a grassy, shady spot is worth its weight in gold. Luckily for this reviewer, towards the back of stage five, in close proximity to refreshments lay a small patch of soft green grass to call home for several minutes and still not miss a moment of the festivities.
Image © KealiJoan Studios
Local boys Headwreck tear apart the now-infamous stage five. Similarly to Windwaker, these boys have become a recent staple of my live viewership, so I will keep it brief and succinct.
Twelve months ago these lads were opening club shows around Brisbane, and now they've announced their appearance on the international stage at Download Festival in 2026. Absolutely huge for the Headwreck camp, and entirely deserved for a band that continues to grow, grind, and flourish. I can only imagine where amongst the stars this quartet will land by 2030. Get 'em, fellas.
Another highlight of the day's festivities, Fever 333 are as unrelenting now as the last time I saw them several years ago. This fiery, political, aggressive outfit is carnage embodied led by frontman Jason Butler.
Absolutely launching into 'Only One', not a second is wasted of their set with the lead microphone finding home atop the light bar at the front of the stage. In what is a theme today across many of the acts witnessed, there are strong political messages and calls to action.
Acknowledging the struggles of indigenous, people of colour, gender-diverse, and female, Butler is no stranger to using his platform to instigate reflection, if not revolution. A fitting introduction to 'Made In America', delivered with a rambunctious 'f... you' energy.
While the band collectively are insane in their energy and presence, it would be a modern miracle for anyone to outshine Butler. However. there is definitely a prolonged moment towards the back end of the set where Fever 333's guitarist goes absolutely balls to the walls with some seriously cool guitar flips and spins – sheesh!
Fever 333 - image © KealiJoan Studios
After one of the most energetic sets of any festival I have ever witnessed, the four–piece punk-rock band closes with a personal favourite of mine, 'Burn It Down'. Raw, unforgiving, unifying – that is Fever 333; that is punk-rock.
The tempo shifts as I allow my endorphins to slow (but not dissipate entirely) as the short trek back to the main stages is made to see another huge drawcard of the afternoon – the one, the only, All Time Low.
In what is an unfortunate scheduling conflict, my time with All Time Low is cut shorter than I'd like as another hardcore staple Kublai Khan Tx is scheduled to begin some 15 minutes later.
However, there was more than ample opportunities to relive some of the OG-emo days through songs such as 'Weightless' early in the set and the iconic 'Dear Maria' as the band's finale. When exposed to so many different flavours of personality across various bands, All Time Low shined in their cheeky and authentic inter-band banter between songs, and casual almost-careless and carefree nature.
My love for All Time Low has never been higher, and you know damn-well I'll be at their next headline show; which is only a matter of time given their most recent #1 song has just hit the airwaves.
All Time Low - image © KealiJoan Studios
While I was frothing for a Kublai Khan Tx and Knocked Loose sideshow again, I'll settle for at least getting to see one of these powerhouses perform on this year's line-up.
I've always found it difficult to fully describe what it is about Kublai Khan Tx that sets them apart from their peers of the scene. They're heavy, but every band under the sun is down-tuned to Q on a ten-string guitar these days.
They're raw, but they're nearly reserved in their delivery. Their frontman is a menacing (delightful) delinquent, but hey, that's rock & roll. I think their charm sits in their authentic and aggressive lyrics, delivered with a mongrel that only Matt Honeycutt can achieve.
This absolute unit commands attention and respect from the moment he steps foot onstage; and with the support of some of the thickest riffs and beats, his canvas is prepared for him to create beautifully abrasive art.
I've never claimed to have 'cool' taste in music, and apparently neither have thousands of others as we clambered one stage across to experience another staple of the Warped Tour and MySpace era; Cobra Starship.
Cobra Starship have always been unapologetically themselves, and after a recent reformation post-decade-long hiatus, this has not changed. They have never taken themselves too seriously, and today is no exception; citing that "only in Australia can you have Kublai Khan, Machine Head, and All Time Low on the same tour; and that's f...ing awesome”. And it is!
Call it my 'scene-ility' showing, but having never seen Cobra Starship live before, they have a lot more 'real' instruments than my alcohol-impacted memory remembered. Of course there's some nearly-but-not-quite corny electronics peppered throughout some of the more commercially successful tracks included within their set, but at their core, they really are a pop-punk-rock band.
Image © KealiJoan Studios
From lovely vocal harmonies to impressive guitar solos (including a classic 'behind the head' shred) to silly dive-bombs, there was something for everyone in this set and honestly, I walked away significantly more giddy than I had anticipated.
As we progress into the pointy end of the evening, the final Australian act on my hit-list is once again, one stage over. This time – contributing to an incredibly impressive Victorian representation – it's Make Them Suffer delivering their insanely punchy and punishing sound.
After an interesting and engaging introduction of an old-timey and disjointed, nearly corrupted visual of black and white cartoon characters, Make Them Suffer absolutely explode into a gut-wrenching rendition of 'Ghost Of You'. Another example of the wonders of a festival set construction, front-loading absolutely pearlers into the early stages of the performance.
With crushing guitars, tight synchopation, soaring and dramatic clean vocals overlaid over one of the best heavy voices in the current scene, it's evident punters are in for a treat in this early-evening masterclass of some of the best to do it in modern metalcore.
Taking advantage of the setting sun with what must be a huge investment in a giant LED screen behind the stage, Make Them Suffer are the first band I've witnessed today with the opportunity to let their production shine and support a world-class performance. Dynamic visuals often overlaid with heavy-hitting lyrics adds an element of immersion that I will continue to enjoy and appreciate.
Oh, did I mention that the one, the only Will Ramos (Lorna Shore) was invited to join the band during their second last song of the evening – 'Erase Me'? No, well, not only were we blessed to the demonic shriekings of the vocal GOAT of the 2020s, but also some beautiful serenading clean singing.
Palaye Royale - image © KealiJoan Studios
As both fatigue and poor weather set in, some difficult decisions were to be made as the evening began to come to an end. Having seen Lorna Shore earlier in the year on their own tour and with little desire to be so up-close and personal with thousands of other stinky and sticky punters for TOOL's set, the talented Palaye Royal is where the majority of my last hour of the evening was spent.
While it may have been exhaustion and dehydration driving the ship at this hour, this change of pace after some back-to-back intensity was just what the doctor ordered. When you combine that scene change with some exceptional musicianship in a more relaxed environment, life really does start looking up.
However, FOMO caught up with me and after several songs my restless legs drove me to at least stop by the main stage for a short burst of TOOL, and the hanger currently housing Lorna Shore.
There is an undeniable reason that Lorna Shore have taken over the world. Sure, there's virality in the goblin-screams of Ramos, but when combined with the insanity that is the accompanying musicianship of Austin Archer and Adam De Micco, these guys deserve their success.
While Lorna Shore have production that sets them apart from other heavy acts, they were shadowed in comparison to that of TOOL on a main stage. Again, there is no shade in this statement and while I love strobes and demonic red lighting as much as the next, bouncing from one headliner to the other I see how much of an impact a playpen to let visual storytelling run wild can have on the experience.
TOOL - image © KealiJoan Studios
They say TOOL fans are something else, and I now wholeheartedly believe that. I've seen this stadium packed before, but I don't think even Limp Bizkit pulled a crowd like this when they performed here.
Maynard is a machine; the visuals are out of this world; and the production is absolutely on another level. For this reviewer, as a very casual TOOL fan at best, I would never be able to do justice to this genre-defining act, which I'm sure would piss off some of the diehards.
So I won't. Their set looked like everything I would expect a TOOL set to look like, and if that's your cup of tea, then I hope you drank up and savoured every last drop.
While the day may have inevitably come to an end, as the droves of fans slowly started to exit the venue there was – at least for me – a sense of concern that 'maybe this will be the last time'.
Call me a nihilist or too close to the scene and overthinking it, but as we continue to see festival after festival fall to its knees, regardless of its tenure, historic success, or cultural importance, I worry for the shape and future of the live music and entertainment industry.
What happens when insurances, staff costs, council permits, and inflation drives ticket prices to the point of unsustainability for the average punter struggling to make ends meet? They stop attending and the live music dies.
As we head deeper into an AI-slop reliant world, where the common attention span is less than a single reel or TikTok, I hope creativity and passion is acknowledged and remunerated accordingly, so that we can remain in a society that truly values humanity, creation, and opportunity to congregate under one sky and feel true freedom every once in awhile.
