7 January 2026 – Harvey Road Tavern, Gladstone – words and pictures by Brad Fry
The Harvey Road Tavern doesn’t close in on you, it opens out. Wide floor, long sightlines, high ceiling, space for people to drift, gather and decide how close they want to get. It’s the kind of room where a band isn’t handed dominance by architecture, they have to work for it. Conversations run deep at the back. Beer moves freely. Attention isn’t guaranteed. This isn’t a venue that forces focus, it tests it. When a band locks in here, it’s because they’ve shaped the room to their will and not because the room made it easy.
Opening the night were Good Sniff, who approached the space with a clear understanding of how to work it. Good Sniff are a duo that pack a huge punch, made up of Elias Hodson on bass and Lachie Brown on drums and vocals. The Victorian duo’s sound was direct and assertive, built on volume and texture but guided by restraint rather than chaos. A huge sound for two people, sharpened by easy AFL banter between the band and the punters that kept the room engaged without breaking the momentum. It was an opening that allowed the room to find its rhythm without forcing it. It was a confident and purposeful set that matched perfectly to a venue that rewards patience and presence.
Good Sniff – Harvey Road Tavern – photos by Brad Fry
The amps on stage hummed as the crowd buzzed. On the I Really Like Beer Tour, The Cosmic Psychos did exactly what the room demands. They didn’t arrive through a side door or backstage shortcut, instead walking straight through the main bar to the stage, already part of the night before a note was played. They didn’t rush the crowd or dress the moment up. They let the sound breathe, let the riffs travel, and gradually pulled the room inward until the open space felt unified without ever actually shrinking. What began dispersed and casual tightened into something focused and collective, driven by conviction rather than theatrics.
Cosmic Psychos – Harvey Road Tavern – photos by Brad Fry
From the first chord, it was clear this wasn’t an act leaning on familiarity. The songs landed heavy and immediate, stripped of excess but rich in intent. Macca’s guitar work sat at the core of that weight, blunt, overdriven, and unwavering, prioritising feel and repetition over flash. The riffs were deceptively simple, built to grind, digging deeper with every pass instead of wearing thin. Ross Knight’s vocals felt less like performance and more like statement, delivered straight into the room with a certainty that didn’t ask for permission. The crowd didn’t need coaxing. This wasn’t a band seeking attention, it was a band operating on the assumption it already had it. At one point they joked that they measure distance travelled not in kilometres, but in how many cans you can drink along the way, a throwaway line that felt less like banter and more like ethos.
Cosmic Psychos – Harvey Road Tavern – photos by Brad Fry
BC Michaels on drums brought a level of control that gave the set its relentless forward drive. Known for his work with Dune Rats, Michaels played with precision and force, anchoring the songs without sanding off their rough edges. His timing stayed locked and assertive, pushing the momentum forward while allowing the Psychos’ natural grit to remain front and centre. Rather than taming the sound, his presence sharpened it.
There was something almost confrontational in the night’s refusal to soften itself. No unnecessary banter. No sentimental pauses. The I Really Like Beer Tour isn’t irony or nostalgia, it’s a declaration. The Cosmic Psychos sounded exactly like a band that has spent decades resisting compromise, uninterested in reinvention for comfort’s sake. In a venue like the Harvey Road Tavern, that stance didn’t just fit, it made sense.
Cosmic Psychos – Harvey Road Tavern – photos by Brad Fry
By the time the band wrapped up, the room was spent. At one stage I was standing near a speaker and you could smell an electrical burn, like it was on the edge of blowing, the kind of volume that feels less like sound and more like pressure. The Psychos left the room the way they entered and while certainly not the biggest crowd the tavern has had, all those in attendance had a ball. Sweat clung to the air. Ears rang (not mine though, Loop for the win). Smiles came from endurance as much as enjoyment. This wasn’t a show designed to convert or commemorate. It was a reminder of what live rock music still offers when it’s delivered with intent, volume, and conviction. Exactly what makes the Harvey Road Tavern punters respond in kind and the only way The Cosmic Psychos know how!
