There was something wonderfully unceremonious about Mudhoney‘s arrival on stage. No grand entrance, no extended introduction, just four grunge veterans who helped define Seattle’s sound, wandering into view to an immediate chorus of cheers and a heartfelt shout of “I love you Steve!” from somewhere in the crowd.
With no barrier between band and audience, there was an unusual sense of intimacy in the room. Thankfully, this wasn’t the sort of gig likely to descend into chaos. As the security guards outside the Factory Theatre joked earlier, this wasn’t Lorna Shore (spoiler alert – some gave it a red-hot go though!). During the warm-up sets, the crowd looked more interested in dancing than destruction; yes, people were actually dancing. Imagine that!
But first, Primitive Ring
If you’re hearing about Primitive Ring for the first time, know they are a new band, yes, but this is not their first rodeo. Need a vibe reference? Just imagine Zabriskie Point – the 1970 flop turned cult classic filmed in the Mojave Desert, with a cameo from a then-unknown Harrison Ford and a soundtrack featuring The Grateful Dead, Kaleidoscope, Pink Floyd – you get the point! The mood is psychedelic, the hair is aspirational (seriously, Jon Modaff, what’s your curly hair routine!), and the musical effect… sublime.
The band whipped through a 12-strong set, based on material from their 2026 release Primitive Ring, and threw in a cover of Neil Young’s “I’ve Been Waiting for You” for good measure. Already warmed up by all that dancing, the crowd was officially ready to rumble.
And rumble they did!
From the opening songs, singer Mark Arm‘s voice sounded remarkably strong, carrying the band’s fuzzy, garage-rock classics with ease. Every track was met with enthusiastic applause, and by the fourth song it became particularly apparent just how influential Mudhoney has been. Listening to those chugging riffs and loose, swaggering grooves, you could hear echoes of countless bands that followed in their wake.
The now beer-lubricated crowd loosened up as the set progressed. A small but energetic mosh formed near the front, though “mosh” might be overstating things. It was less a wall of bodies and more a collection of enthusiastic pogo-ers bouncing around like Zebedee from The Magic Roundabout, ricocheting off those around them like oversized human pinballs.
Lorna who?
One memorable moment arrived during “You Got It” when an ambitious and perhaps tipsy fan launched into a crowd surf. The problem, of course, was the complete lack of barrier or security guard waiting to catch them at the front. Gravity inevitably won, sending the topless guy tumbling to the floor before nearby fans quickly hoisted him back into the air to a huge cheer. (What did we say about Lorna Shore!)
The set balanced chaos with restraint. ‘Touch Me I’m Sick”, the band’s iconic debut single, prompted the first unexpected stage diver, while “I Will Fight No More Forever” briefly brought the room back down to earth before the band cranked the energy back up again with “Beneath the Valley of the Underdog”. It was a pleasure hearing them draw on that remarkable back catalogue.
Mudhoney was never especially chatty between songs, but they didn’t need to be. They let the music do the talking. Every song drew a warm response (and more ‘I love you, Steve’!), every riff felt earned, and by the time the last tracks arrived, looking around and seeing the adoration on people’s faces, it was clear that people will always turn up for Mudhoney.
Tonight, Sunday 25 October, is Byron Bay’s turn to turn up for Mudhoney and the last night of their Australian tour.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Header image credit: Amy Halpin – you can see more of Amy’s photos of the night HERE.
