When you stick an Australian rock band on a bill with Airbourne, you expect volume, sweat and riffs thick enough to chew on. With Asomvel sadly forced to pull out due to illness, Avalanche were handed an extended set — and they didn’t waste a single extra second of it.
Avalanche @ O2 Academy, Birmingham
From the opening blast of Blondie, Avalanche made it clear they weren’t just filling time; they were claiming territory. The sound was pure, unfiltered Aussie pub rock: gritty, hook-laden and delivered with the kind of beer-soaked conviction that feels born in sticky-carpet venues and long-haul van rides. If AC/DC and The Wildhearts had a pub brawl and then Lemmy leaned over to offer a lit Marlboro in approval, it would probably sound a lot like this.
There’s a looseness to Avalanche’s performance that never tips into sloppiness — the swagger is controlled, the chaos carefully steered. Bottle Of Sin strutted and spat with sharp-edged confidence, frontman Steven Campbell working the crowd like a seasoned barroom preacher. Meanwhile, On The Bags Again felt like the soundtrack to last orders turning into regrettable decisions, its punchy chorus already sounding built for communal shouting.
The extended set allowed the band to stretch out rather than rush through a greatest-hits sprint. They took advantage of the breathing room, locking into thick, mid-tempo grooves before slamming the accelerator again. The rhythm section thundered with no-nonsense force, basslines rumbling beneath crunching guitars that swapped between bar-room boogie riffs and squealing, classic-rock leads. It was loud without being messy, tight without losing that edge-of-control thrill.
Midway through, Avalanche threw a curveball with a brilliantly rowdy cover of Men At Work classic Down Under. Forget polite nostalgia — this was less backyard barbecue, more back-alley bar fight. The famous flute melody was reimagined through overdriven guitars, the rhythm beefed up to near-hard rock stomp, and the chorus transformed into a mass, beer-sloshing shoutalong. It was a nod to home, sure, but delivered with steel-toe boots firmly on.
Get Back (To Fuckwit City) landed like a sledgehammer — fast, filthy-mouthed and gloriously unsubtle. Armed To The Teeth and Going For Broke kept the throttle jammed to the floor, the band visibly feeding off the growing pit movement at the front. There’s something refreshing about Avalanche’s refusal to overcomplicate things: big riffs, bigger hooks and lyrics that don’t hide their intentions behind metaphor. Lead guitarist Veronica “V” Campbell shreds like a mad (wo)man, jumping off stage and playing to the crowd at the barried, while drummer Bon Lowe hits harder.
Avalanche @ O2 Academy, Birmingham
One of the biggest hooks of the night came with Dad, I Joined A Rock ’N’ Roll Band — part tongue-in-cheek confession, part triumphant declaration. It’s catchy, loud and self-aware in all the right ways, and it drew one of the strongest responses of the set. By the time Down For The Count crashed in, the floor had turned into a sea of nodding heads, raised fists and grinning faces.
Closer Ride Or Die sealed it in emphatic fashion. What could have been a tricky situation — stepping up after another band’s cancellation — instead became a defining moment. Avalanche didn’t just plug a gap; they turned an extended support slot into a headline-worthy statement of intent.
Airbourne may have been the main event, but Avalanche proved that classic Aussie pub rock is still dangerous, still loud and still more than capable of turning a support slot into a full-blown riot.
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