Upchuck - Aus 2026

On a Wednesday night in Melbourne, you could be doing a lot of boring sensible things. Instead, a packed band room at The Tote was my choice.

The place was already buzzing before anything actually happened, people were shoulder to shoulder, drinks sloshing around and everyone keen for the show to begin.

Clamm kicked things off and immediately locked the room in. Their set was sharp and grounded by driving rhythm and a gritty post punk sound that bounced off the Tote’s sticky walls. The crowd flowed in off the street, conversations died out and suddenly everyone was paying attention.

Then Upchuck hit the stage and the vibe flipped from locked in to completely feral. Frontwoman Kaila was a blur, I don’t think she stood still for more than a second. From the first chord, the room simply exploded. No slow build up or easing into it, just straight into a bouncing, chaotic mess of people, bodies flying and the floor turning into a loose whirlpool of limbs. It was sweaty, loud and a little bit unhinged in the best possible way.

Upchuck plays the kind of punk music that doesn’t really allow you to stand politely with a drink in hand. It demands movement. Even the wallflowers hugging the sides looked like they were about two seconds away from getting dragged into the pit.

The Tote thrives on nights like this, no barriers or fuss, just loud bands in a room that’s probably a little too small for the amount of energy inside it. At the end everyone spilled back out onto Johnston Street, ears ringing and shirts stuck to their backs, it felt like the perfect kind of midweek mistake.

Gallery https://musicfestivalsaustralia.com/event-photos/upchuck-aus-2026

Thank you to Upchuck, MG Live, I Oh You and The Tote for having us along.

Review & Photos by Cooper Towne for Music kingdom Australia