'LIFE'S A BEACH', SO WHY NOT SPEND VALENTINES DAY WITH SOME OF HEAVY METALS GREATEST

Forget Valentine’s Day, spend this February 14th with some heavy metal greats at ‘Life’s a Beach’. A day dedicated to great music, great drinks, and even better views from the Riviera Beach Club near St Kilda. It’s the perfect way to spend a Saturday as summer winds down for the year. 

Headliners and event curators, Polaris, will be joined by some excellent guests including We Came As Romans (US), Thy Art Is Murder, Ocean Sleeper, Caskets (UK), Terminal Sleep, Reliqa, and Headwreck. 

It’s a tantalising combination of some of Australia’s greatest newcomers and legends, alongside some international big hitters. It’s an incredible first foray into event curation for Polaris, pulling together some of the best in the Australian and international scene. 

What can you expect?

The day is set to start at 2:30pm, when gates at the Riviera Beach Club open. The Riviera Beach club is a beautiful venue next to the St Kilda Marina, overlooking Hobson’s Bay to really add to the fantasy of attending a gig by the sea. What more could you ask for?

Music starts at 3pm with burgeoning Brisbane electronic hardcore band Headwreck. You’ll want to get in early to catch them if you’re a fan of Pale Dusk or Enter

Shikari. They’re definitely on their way up, with a packed tour schedule ahead of them this year culminating with Download Fest in June, you’ll want to see them in this early slot while you still can. 

From Sydney, Reliqa delivers an experimental progressive metal sound that fans of Spiritbox or System of the Down would love, with playful and interesting sonic choices that will get early event goers grooving.

Melbourne locals Terminal Sleep grace the stage next, with a gear change into a more traditional heavy hardcore sound, ‘a band for bad bitches’ the band states in their Bandcamp.

Caskets, a band from Leeds that Australia has embraced like one of our own, are returning to deliver fresh performances following the

late 2025 release of their third studio album, ‘The Only Heaven You’ll Know’. Another band that will be popular with fans of metalcore who enjoy a twist of classic emo elements. 

Ocean Sleeper takes the day into the evening, starting at 6pm, the Gippsland based band will continue the heavy, expansive metalcore sound, one that’s unafraid of experimentation. Ocean Sleeper, based locally in Gippsland, have truly created waves in international music and the opportunity to support such a close to home star shouldn’t be missed. 

Australian heavy metal legends Thy Art is Murder will bring deathcore to forefront. Their set is sure to be explosive, filled with energy, and give a thriving pit to all the lovers of blackened death metal. Thy Art is Murder is a band known to every extreme heavy metal lover in Australia since their debut album in 2010 and with tours behind them with Slayer, Parkway Drive, and Fear Factory, how could you not want to see these legends in action?

The only people who could follow such an act would of course be American metalcore greats We Came As Romans. Joining the event in the midst of their Australian tour, We Came As Romans are giving attendees 40 minutes of sonic action. Their extensive discography leaves the band with ample choices to play from, yet a track from their most recent 2025 album, ‘ALL IS BEAUTIFUL . . . BECAUSE WE’RE DOOMED’ will be sure to make an appearance. This band who has rubbed shoulders with Bring Me The Horizon, I Prevail, The Used and Sleeping With Sirens will be the band that plays out the sunset on the bay this Valentine’s Day. 

Curators and headliners, Polaris, will play a full hour set at the Riviera Beach Club, and they need no introduction. Polaris are sure to blow the audience out of Hobson’s Bay with their electrifying set. Being nominated for J Awards, albums releasing to be number 1 on the ARIA charts, and touring internationally with massive heavy bands such as Slip Knot and Bring Me The Horizon, the opportunity to see Polaris in such a personal setting is one fans are unlikely to achieve again. 

If you love melodic metalcore, lush post-rock, and everything in between, this Polaris gig is something you’ll adore. It’s been curated for the fans and Polaris have done an incredible job. 

The line-up has a healthy mixture of female vocalists (better than many Australian and international festivals), new local talent, and international heavy hitters. ‘Life’s a Beach’ is one gig you don’t want to miss. But get in early, the line-up’s so good, you won’t want to miss a second. 

If you’re already in town for Laneway and have a taste for the heavier side of music, or you want another excuse to sit by the Bay and enjoy the best Melbourne has to offer, head down to The Riviera Beach Club this February 14th. 

GRAB YOUR TICKET FOR 'LIFE'S A BEACH' HERE.

CHECK OUT SET TIMES BELOW.