GalleryDitch This MagazineMay 23, 2026gallery, live, melbourne, The Bennies, Young Offenders, Ben Gunzburg, The Ghost Inside, Bleed From Within, Day Of Contempt

Slomosa + Khan + Skin Thief @ Max Watts 22-05-2026

GalleryDitch This MagazineMay 23, 2026gallery, live, melbourne, The Bennies, Young Offenders, Ben Gunzburg, The Ghost Inside, Bleed From Within, Day Of Contempt

photos: Ben Gunzburg @benshootspeople

It's Friday night, what better way to spend it than indoors, away from the cold, sweating it out in the heart of Melbourne at Max Watts to catch Slomosa's first ever visit to our shores?

First up are local trio Skin Thief, bringing their instrumental stylistic blend, packed full of atmosphere, groove, and big riffs. A band on my list to catch live for a while, they don't disappoint, and it's always a kick seeing our smaller bands get their time on bigger stages to show us what they're made of. Having to sadly cut their set a little short due to technical issues, the early crowd is surely left keen for their next chance at a Skin Thief sighting.

Up next is Khan, celebrating their 10th year as a band this year and having built up some very nice momentum over the last few years in particular. The increasingly filling venue and cheers as they take the stage highlight this, and we're treated to 40 odd minutes of their trademark psychedelic licks, huge baselines, moody ebbing and flowing, and grunge-tinged crooning that sits perfectly in a Venn Diagram alongside the likes of Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Lane Staley of Alice In Chains. Never mad at that.

The time has finally come for Slomosa to jump over the bar left by our Melbournian double-whammy, and they do just that from the get go. Facing a packed out Max Watts, it's full steam ahead into riff city. Crooning is definitely my word of the night, and lead singer Benjamin Berdou's voice is just as booming and vibrant live as on their recordings. Impressive stuff.

Benjamin brings the banter, pointing out the plethora of Scandinavian band t-shirts he spots in the crowd, making a point to emphasise that they're Norwegian and not Swedish, segueing into a New Zealand/Australia rivalry that he's pretty sure is one-sided on NZ's part.

The band hit all ends of their discography with groove, precision, and huge vibes that engulf the venue. A tight unit through and through, it's a joy to witness.

Some more funny banter ensues later in the set, including a Norwegian expression that translates to "horse dick," dropping a token c-bomb to solidify the connection with us Aussies, and even a fun fact that in northern Norway you're allowed to say that to cops. But they live in the south, so they make sure to behave themselves.

At the end of the night, one can't help but walk away full of joy, love, and a feeling that we'll see Slomosa here again sooner rather than later.