ZUKØ- 'TEETH TO THE CURB' EAST COAST TOUR @ The catfish (13/02/2026)
- Tia Babatzikos
- 21 hours ago
- 3 min read
Brisbane based hardcore/metalcore heavy-hitters ZUKØ played a sold-out gig last week at The Catfish in Fitzroy, marking their debut Melbourne headline show as part of their 'Teeth To The Curb' East Coast tour!
With a stacked line-up of local bands like BLOOD OATH and Melting, as well as Perth-based “nu-metalcore” band Pincer+ coming along for the ride, the night was entirely dedicated to hot & sweaty hardcore chaos and mayhem.
Leading the lineup for the night was Melbourne-based band BLOOD OATH (@bloodoathproject), fronted by the gorgeous and ultra-talented Allison Watters. Comprising of Josh Renjen & Rik Ward-Smith on guitars, Ben Frizon on bass and Anthony Las Pal on drums, these guys totally killed it and set the energy up high for the rest of the night!
Even though Blood Oath only formed in June of last year, they have already amassed a super solid fanbase and have a sound and image that is really strong. These guys were heavy as hell, with slower sludgy moments to balance out the brutal breakdowns.
Allison's vocal range, from sugary moments to absolutely fierce growls, really made each track feel unique. The set ended with Allison blowing kisses into the crowd which was cutesy and I loved.
Next up were Melting (@melting.au), another Melbourne-based band bringing absolute destruction. Taking inspiration from the sounds of 90's sludge, hardcore and death, these guys were like a sonic punch to the face. With lead vocalist Xavier prompting the crowd "get violent, just do it, why not?", mosh-pit mayhem ensued.
The venue was intimate and the air-conditioning was absolutely working double-time by this point of the night. Rainbow coloured fairy lights were strung across the ceiling and a disco-ball slowly spun above the mosh-pit carnage that was taking place below. It was definitely one of the sweatiest gigs I've been to in a long while.
For their final track, Allison from Blood Oath took to the stage and performed alongside the band, showcasing the value of community that the hardcore scene really emphasises.
Pincer+ (@pincerplus) absolutely brought the chaotic vibes and mayhem to the night. With a totally raw and provoking sound, this set was full of grinding riffs and melodic moments to contrast the onslaught of breakdowns.
Now, I’ve been to my fair share of gigs in my life (of varying sizes), however I can confidently say that this was the first time I had ever witnessed a backflip competition in the pit. It was whimsical almost, watching people flip around in the pit in order to earn themselves their very own Pincer+ keychain.
It's no surprise at all that these guys have shared stages with total heavyweights like Kublai Khan and Stray From The Path.
Last, but absolutely not least, were the headliners themselves - ZUKØ (@zuko_bne)! Taking the escalating energy and intensity from the last three bands, they absolutely dialled it all up to f*cking 10000. I came out of this set with the sorest and most bruise-riddled shins ever but it was absolutely 100% worth it.
Opening their set with vocalist Jesse Hudson proclaiming the statement that "The world is run by satanic pedoph*les", ZUKØ flurried into a full-fledged assault on the senses. With guttural vocals and insane breakdowns around every corner, the room was not still for a singular moment.
dedicating their new single ‘Teeth to the Curb’ to the ladies in the crowd, ZUKØ opened up a pit just for us, which I made a beeline for and jumped straight into. It was such a sweet moment to be able to connect with some of the other girls who were in the crowd that night and I absolutely loved it!
Overall I had a total blast, and even though I came out of the night dripping sweat and with a slight limp, I definitely would not have wanted it any other way!!
The next stop on ZUKØ's “Teeth To The Curb” East Coast tour will be at The Brightside in Brisbane on Feb 27th. Make sure you're there otherwise you will definitely be feeling the FOMO. To quote a fan review from Carl on bandsintown.com/ : “......FUCK.”
You can get your ticket by clicking the link here!
