Need a gig buddy? Friends not brutal? Sick of being that weird loner next to the merch stand?
If that statement speaks to you, and you're from Melbourne, then you should meet the crew from Melbourne Metal Mates!
They're a group of fun-loving metalheads who have taken the initiative to invite solo gig goers and those feeling a little left out to join their gang whenever there's throwdowns happening in the city.
After being an active group on socials for the past year - and accumulating a following over over 2,000 - they've decided to give back to the community by putting on their own show on May 4th - free of charge - to give the spotlight to a bunch of local bands and to welcome newcomers to the fold.
We grabbed founder Kat Wartooth for a chat about the conception of MMM, their internal ethos and to shout out their forthcoming gig.
Hey Kat, thanks for the chat. Tell us how MMM was conceived - why was it important to have a group for new metal mates in this day and age?
Melbourne Metal Mates was originally started because I needed a gig buddy for Rotting Christ on a Monday night. Under a month later all the members wanted to meet up because we were having so much fun chatting about music and it grew organically from there.
Melbourne Metal Mates doesn't just provide gig buddies and music sharing, we are a real community.
If you need advice on music related business, equipment or a venue, you can ask the other members. We support and encourage each other’s ventures, creative projects and hobbies. It makes moving through the world a little easier and more fun. From time to time, we do group activities like metal karaoke, comedy shows festivals or pool competitions.
Obviously anyone can meet up and attend gigs with you all - there's no biases or elitism like in other online groups right?
Anyone with a Facebook account, who loves metal and wants to have fun, is welcome. We open our gig chats up to all of our 2,100+ members so everyone can find each other.
One of the reasons I created Melbourne Metal Mates was because I am "poly-jam-ourous," meaning, I like many different genres of metal.
I had seen a lot of elitism in other groups or they were too genre specific to get big enough for this purpose. We were founded on the principal that we don't critique each other's music taste. That has fostered a positive vibe where people can explore music without having to worry about perception.
In fact, we discussed each other's "guilty pleasure" bands at the very first meet up.
You're putting on a free show that not only gives back to the scene but supports the next generation of bands - why the decision to keep the show free?
We are trying to keep all of our events free so that they are more inclusive. A lot of our members are students, artists and musicians themselves. We want to make sure that people who are in the middle of chasing their dream can still come to our events and have fun. Many dedicated volunteers and people who buy our merch make that possible, as all merch profits go back into the community. We will always endeavour to keep our events free or as low cost as possible so everyone can enjoy them. It is one of the foundations of our community.
And tell us about the bands playing!
All our performers are volunteering to help us celebrate the anniversary. We are very fortunate to have talented and generous artists giving us their time. We have deliberately done a mixed genre gig to make sure there is something for everyone.
Hybrid Nightmares are purveyors of the most evil sounding black metal chaos in Melbourne. They recently supported Cradle of Filth, Batushka and probably whatever is lurking in the shadows waiting to devour us all. Come, listen & give your sleep paralysis demon something to be afraid of.
The Incantus were represented at our very first meet up and were the first official Melbourne Metal Mates members gig. The Incantus takes us all away to the unforgiving wilderness with their doom infused melodic death metal & were nominated for Best Heavy Work at the Music Victoria Awards in 2024.
Vault Hill's crazy mosh pits, spanning wall to wall in local venues, have become legendary. The guitarist even survived having a MMM member thrown at him mid set. They bring all the heavy, thrash laced metalcore vibes and have been a massive support for the MMM community since the beginning.
All Monsters Are Human (AMAH) are our newest member band to volunteer and recently won their Battle of the Bands heat at Stay Gold. Best described as progressive nu-metalcore, they will be bringing the heat to open festivities with their blend of old & new school riffs.
A Spotify playlist for the anniversary bands is available here
Looking for new metal mates and lacking the funds to hit the bigger shows?
Why not join in the festivities...
Find Melbourne Metal Mates online via Facebook | Instagram | At the show!
Melbourne Metal Mates 1st Anniversary - Free Show
Sunday 4 May at The Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood
