21 November 2025 – The Princess Theatre, Brisbane – words and pictures by Tam Schilling
Walking into the Princess Theatre tonight for the Horror Down Under tour with Kim Dracula and Wednesday 13 I knew i wasn’t in for a normal night of rock, I was in for a proper theatrical night of rock and horror combined.
First up we had Wednesday 13, no stranger to these shores and no stranger to myself. As a long time fan of Wednesday and Murderdolls, without missing a tour since 2009 I was still extremely excited to see what Wednesday had in store for us tonight. Kicking off the show dressed in a vampire gown whilst kicking off with a song from the first Wednesday 13 album, “look what the bats dragged in”, what else could you expect from Wednesday? Treating us to old school Wednesday songs to new songs like ‘When the Devil Commands’ from his latest album Mid Death Crisis. From the moment he graced the stage, Wednesday had the crowd eating spiders out of his hand, literally whilst singing ‘Bring your own blood’. It’s no secret that Wednesday loves Australia announcing to the crowd “It’s good to be back here with all you mother fuckers, look at you all. Make some noise for you, you, the fans are the reason we keep coming back to this motherfucking city”.
Wednesday 13 – The Princess Theatre – photos by Tam Schllling
Wednesdays performances are always a good time for fans of horror rock, punk and glam rock as he brings this all. Getting ready for the last song of the night, Wednesday addresses the crows “As much as I love you all, please don’t take this personally, I want bad things to happen to you” whilst rocking into a classic Murderdolls Song ‘I Love to say Fuck’. Wednesday most definitely set the theatrical theme for the night. Please come back to Australia soon, we love you!
Wednesday 13 – The Princess Theatre – photos by Tam Schllling
Next up, we have Kim Dracula, which I personally didn’t know too much about or what really to expect. I had listened to Kim on Spotify leading up to the show and I was still a little confused. Even if his sound isn’t my thing, I have to hand it to him: Kim Dracula knows how to put on a show. The stage looked like a cross between a nightmare carnival and a warped cabaret, and he commanded every inch of it. The costume changes, the dramatic lighting cues, the choreography, the weird little theatrical interludes—you get the feeling that nothing happens by accident.
The constant stylistic shifts are what typically put me off his music. One moment you’re in a heavy, chugging breakdown; the next you’re in a hyperactive EDM drop; the next, a jazzy aside. Personally, I find it disorienting.
Kim Dracula – The Princess Theatre – photos by Tam Schllling
But on stage? The transitions were surprisingly seamless. His band and backing vocalists were razor-sharp, and the production cues hit with precision every time. I may not enjoy the aesthetic, but I can’t pretend it isn’t impressively executed.
Something I did appreciate was the confidence and clarity of vision. Even when I didn’t like the song, I admired how fully he commits to the character he’s created. There’s a sense of world-building to his performance—like you’re watching a piece of theatre that just happens to involve screaming, neon lighting, and abrupt tempo shifts.
As someone who walked in indifferent and left still not converted, here’s my honest take:
Kim Dracula – The Princess Theatre – photos by Tam Schllling
Kim Dracula’s set wasn’t something I’d seek out again for my own enjoyment. The hyper-chaotic style just isn’t compatible with what I like musically.
But I’m also not blind to skill when I see it. And the dude has skill. His performance is polished, deliberate, visually striking, and surprisingly cohesive despite the eclectic sound. For fans of genre mashups, theatricality, and bold, rule-breaking creativity, it’s easy to see why he’s blown up the way he has.
Brisbane was the first night of the tour, so if you love theatrics and horror, I suggest you get along to the rest of the tour as you are in for a good night out!
