Northern Subs
The Grand Poobah, Hobart
18 July 2026
On a quiet Saturday night in Hobart, The Grand Poobah was one of the only venues that seemed buzzing with people. It’s no surprise as gothic post-metal outfit Northern Subs unveiled Night Creatures tonight – a record eight years in the making. The Hobart five-piece have spent the better part of a decade evolving within Tasmania’s underground scene, and if there was ever a statement of intent, this was it. Grand Poobah front room wasn’t packed with casual observers. It was filled with actual fans of either the main band or the supports.
Before Northern Subs emerged from the shadows, the evening belonged to a brilliantly eclectic collection of artists that reminded everyone just how adventurous Tasmania’s underground scene has become.
Opening act was Mountains of Madness – Hobart local band who delivered a thunderous, immersive set that blurred the lines between post-rock, doom and expansive psychedelic noise. They may have forgotten to write a setlist, but judging by the audience’s reaction, nobody was keeping score. Their performance felt instinctive, songs bleeding into one another as waves of distortion rolled through the room. There was something wonderfully unpolished about it. In an age where every detail is meticulously planned for social media, forgetting the script somehow made the set feel more authentic.
Later, Miles Brown took the stage. Brown is Australia’s pre-eminent theremin player and composer, best known for his work with The Night Terrors. Watching Miles perform is like witnessing someone conduct invisible electricity. His hands barely touched anything, yet eerie melodies floated through the Grand Poobah, somewhere between a human voice, a haunted violin and a captivating sci-fi soundtrack. Brown has spent decades pushing the theremin beyond its novelty status, studying under legendary theremin virtuoso Lydia Kavina and building an international reputation for transforming the instrument into something emotionally rich and genuinely hypnotic. Live, it felt less like a performance and more like séance by synthesiser. I loved it, – especially the spacier tracks. I’ve seen Miles perform several times over the years and it’s alway left a lasting impression on me.
There wasn’t a weak performance all night. Instead, every act felt like another piece of the same story, showcasing the breadth of Hobart’s independent scene rather than competing for attention.
When Northern Subs finally emerged, there was little fanfare. They simply let the music and a fair bit of storytelling speak. Opening with “Doom Katrina” – the band immediately established cinematic scope that defines Night Creatures. “Lipstick Red” followed with a sharper edge. Three vocalists trading lines, songs stretching and contracting, and an atmosphere that constantly shifted.
One of the strengths of Northern Subs seems to be their refusal to be boxed into a single genre. Gothic rock, post-metal, industrial textures and alternative rock all coexist without sounding stitched together. Live, those contrasts become even more dramatic. Quiet passages create genuine tension before dissolving into walls of distortion. Mid-set highlights “Crash-land”, “Demon Flicker”, “Venue”, “Witches” and “Splinter Tip” showcased just how dynamic the new material has become. Rather than chasing hooks, Northern Subs build immersive worlds. Songs unfold patiently, rewarding listeners willing to disappear inside them.
Before closing, “Leather Maker” delivered one of the night’s most affecting performances, balancing menace with surprising emotional weight. “Cradle to Grave” landed like the final act of a psychological thriller before the inevitable encore, “Throttle”, sent the audience back into the Hobart night with ears ringing and adrenaline pumping.
Ahead of the release, Northern Subs described Night Creatures as the culmination of eight years of artistic evolution, drawing on gothic rock, post-metal, industrial music and alternative rock while embracing a collaborative approach built around three lead vocalists and five songwriters. That ambition isn’t marketing copy. It’s audible in every corner of the record and even more convincing on stage.
Album launches often celebrate what has already been achieved. This one felt different. It felt like the beginning of something that the band can definitely build on.
If Night Creatures is Northern Subs stepping out of Tasmania’s underground and into wider view, Saturday night proved they’re more than ready for the light, even if they sound most at home in the dark.
Setlist
- Doom Katrina
- Lipstick Red
- Crash-land
- Demon Flicker
- Venue
- Witches
- Splinter Tip
- Leather Maker
- Cradle to Grave
- Throttle (Encore)
