20 September 2025 – The Tivoli, Brisbane – words and pictures by Bec Harbour
Few bands can say that they have the influence and gravity in the punk genre that the Dead Kennedys do. The music they made was politically informed and delivered in a no-holds-barred way that pissed off just about every establishment around them.
They no longer interact with Jello Biafra – their singer so tied to the legend of the Dead Kennedys that you might wonder how they’re even playing live without him. Quite easily, apparently. Reforming in 2001, they’ve powered through a couple of line-up changes, including three different singers. In 2022, drummer DH Peligro passed away, leaving only bassist Klaus Fluoride and guitarist East Bay Ray as original members. With all this in mind, and wondering if I was going to witness a parody of the original, I took myself off to the Tivoli to see them.
Support for the night came from queer doom-punk band Hippo – a sonically interesting choice. Low and sludgy, their sound threw up likenesses to the Melvins and Tad. Singer-bassist Loki played what can only be described as a bass contraption. I have no idea what they played, but what an entertaining group – both visually and musically. Kudos to Hippo for using their merch as advertising, draping the stage with shirts and then launching them into the audience after their set.
Hippo – The Tivoli – photos by Bec Harbour
The Tivoli was getting packed, the merch line winding around the venue. The energy was high, and people were swapping stories of when they’d last seen the band. The Dead Kennedys arrived to a roar from the crowd and launched straight into ‘Forward to Death’, ‘Winnebago Warriors’, and then ‘Police Truck’ – the latter perhaps most familiar to many thanks to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater back in the 90s.
Not much has changed with the band’s dynamics. East Bay Ray stood, corners tucked in, delivering those iconic riffs with precision. Klaus Fluoride looked like someone’s dad just back from a fishing trip – probably still using the same bass he did decades ago. Singer Skip Greer owned the stage, stepping into the pit multiple times and delivering the lyrics with real intensity.
Dead Kennedys – The Tivoli – photos by Bec Harbour
In quick succession came ‘Buzzbomb’, ‘Let’s Lynch the Landlord’, ‘Jock-o-Rama’, and ‘Kill the Poor’. The mosh pit, which had taken over the entire front of house, was both spectacular and terrifying. Fortunately, punk etiquette prevailed – everyone who went down was pulled straight back up.
‘MP3 Get Off the Web’, a reworking of ‘MTV Get Off the Air’ (since MTV doesn’t play music anymore, the original’s a bit irrelevant), came next, followed by ‘Too Drunk to Fuck’ – still one of the band’s most contentious tracks, thanks to the F-bomb alone. Between songs, Greer kept the crowd engaged with off-the-cuff banter and punk preacher energy.
Dead Kennedys – The Tivoli – photos by Bec Harbour
‘Moon Over Marin’ was well received, and then came the inevitable full-crowd shout-along for ‘Nazi Punks Fuck Off’, followed by set closer ‘California Über Alles’. Except, of course, it wasn’t really the closer.
The band returned quickly for an encore of ‘Bleed for Me’ and a cover of ‘Viva Las Vegas’ (they missed a trick not tweaking it to ‘Viva BrisVegas’). Then came that unmistakable intro: ‘Holiday in Cambodia’. The venue exploded. If the pit had been wild before, it reached another level here.
A second encore followed, the band reappearing to deliver ‘Chemical Warfare’ with a cheeky verse of ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ chucked in the middle. After the final notes faded, Greer jumped into the barrier to talk with fans – which, considering the energy spent on the show, was genuinely impressive.
Dead Kennedys – The Tivoli – photos by Bec Harbour
While this isn’t the original line-up, and any chance of a full reunion has been nixed by long-standing public slanging matches, the current incarnation of the Dead Kennedys still puts on one hell of a show.
Dead Kennedys – The Tivoli – photos by Bec Harbour
