The packed crowd at the Original Kaipara Tavern was treated to a night of three-way contrast. Full-throttle Rock’n’roll from Melbourne’s rising all-girl powerhouse Hot Machine.
Emerging local school band Ingress opened the evening with a bright, earnest set. Their bluesy-tinged vocals stood out, soulful and surprisingly seasoned for such a young group.
Their songs were tight, well-arranged and heartfelt and showed a promising maturity. Solos and harmonies landed convincingly, and the room greeted them with genuine warmth.
For a first slot band, they held their own and set a solid, welcoming tone.
Model, a tightly crafted three-piece delivered jagged, dramatic songs with theatrical tension. Angular guitar, economy of notes, and a sense of drama in performance that made each song feel like a scene.
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- Model
Their dynamics fluctuated between restraint and release, creating unease and excitement in equal measure.
Model’s set felt like design: precise, edgy, and intentionally raw, leaving the audience primed for something heavier and more visceral.
And then Hot Machine. From the moment they hit the stage, it was full volume. Tight, loud, and uncompromising.
Their riffs recalled the bruising, classic hard-rock stomp of AC/DC, with the all-female, no-apologies grit of Girlschool.
The guitars were hard and coarse, the rhythm section locked in like a steam-train, and the vocals soared with a mixture of attitude and swagger.
With songs drawn from their EP Leather and Steel plus newer tracks, Hot Machine bulldozed through a set that demanded head-banging and sing-alongs.
Their energy was generous, bouncing riffs, booming drum-heavy breakdowns, and choruses that turned the small tavern into a crowd-mobbing saloon.
They gave the audience exactly what they came for – loud Rock, heavy riffs, and a night to remember.
The contrast between Ingress’s hopeful innocence, Model’s brooding theatrical edge and Hot Machine’s unapologetic, old-school Rock fury made for a three-course Rock feast.
At the Original Kaipara Tavern, each band found their moment, and the night ended with smiles, sweat and the sense that rock is alive and well, whether played by young locals or fiery Australians on tour.
All photos by Den