After a quiet few laps around the sun, the Crawl came back swinging like it never left – exploding across Newtown, Enmore, and Erskineville with over 25 venues transformed into stages, dancefloors, and barely-contained fire hazards. From your classic sticky-floored haunts to makeshift pop-ups in boozeries and a tattoo studio, the scene was crawling (literally) with live music lovers chasing the next act or the next beer – usually both.

190+ acts. Zero dollars. A full day of chaos, sweat, distortion, and groove – all for free – had punters surging up and down King Street and Enmore Road like a human river made of Doc Martens and bucket hats. By sundown, queues were snaking around corners and the insides of some venues were approaching sauna territory.

I managed to catch a handful of killer sets – a little cheeky Sunday sampler of the madness – before getting swept up in the glorious mess. Hit the galleries below to see the Crawl through my lens.

Massive shoutout to The Music & Booze Co. for orchestrating this beautiful storm.

Royal Ratbags – Union Hotel

Straight outta the NSW Northern Rivers, The Royal Ratbags rolled into the Union Hotel with a bag full of scrappy, cheeky punk. A few technical hiccups couldn’t shake ‘em – they just rolled with it. Unpolished, unbothered, and unapologetically fun.

The Melodrones – Waywards Ballroom

The Waywards Ballroom – shiny and newly reborn – got a proper sonic baptism courtesy of The Melodrones. Dream pop soaked in doo-wop and reverb, delivered in a narcotic haze that had the full house swaying in synchronized bliss. A soft riot in slow motion.

Pocketwatch – Inner West Pride Centre

PocketWatch – three young guns with amps set to riot — took the Inner West Pride Centre by the throat. A flurry of riffs, jumps, and full-tilt rock’n’roll antics turned the hall into a high-voltage funhouse. Youthful chaos done right. Sample the noise here.

The Stallers – MoshPit Bar

Oh no. Oh yes. It’s The Stallers. Rolling into the MoshPit like a pack of caffeinated wolves, they lit the fuse and kicked out their power-laced rock set with serious intent. Ruts were shaken. Necks were loosened. Souls were stirred.

The Sugar Beats – MoshPit Bar

As golden hour hit and sweat ran thicker than the beer, The Sugar Beats brought a swirl of garage punk dipped in honey. Sharp edges with a sweet centre — enough bite to dance, enough sugar to grin. Have a taste here.

DOWNGIRL – Union Hotel

By the time DOWNGIRL hit the Union stage, the line outside was halfway to Newtown Station. Inside? Pure sonic combustion. High-voltage chaos, gut-punching riffs, and a crowd that didn’t know what hit it. Short set. Massive impact. Take their latest release, Manic, for a spin – but seriously, see them live.

Toy Saints – MoshPit Bar

Toy Saints took the MoshPit crowd for a ride with their jagged alt-rock, all charged-up guitars and shimmering noise. Jittery, driving, full of little sonic jolts that got hips twitching and heads nodding. Sample their sound here.

Raising Ravens – MoshPit Bar

The MoshPit was bursting at the seams and Raising Ravens delivered a knockout blow. Brooding, punchy, and darkly melodic – a heady mix of punk, rock, and just a touch of metal to round out my night with power and polish. Crank up The Storm here.