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The FUNGUS BRAIN FESTIVAL returns in 2026 to Thornbury’s favourite rock venue – Shotkickers! – on SAT OCT 17.The Fungus Brain Festival is a showcase event celebrating the alluring crossover between the twin pillars of Psych Rock and Post Rock, both of which have developed a hardcore following of passionate devotees over the last decade. Stylistically, the connection is within the ambience – the predilection to open a doorway of otherworldliness, a trip into the ethereal. And like all good trips, there are highlights and climaxes, and these five bands most certainly deliver adrenalin.MUSHROOM GIANT will be lauching their first new track since 2023, entitled “A Perfect Storm” (via Bird’s Robe Records). It’s been a huge couple of years for the band doing shows both in Australia and Europe, touring with the likes of US post-metal legends Russian Circles and sold-out shows with Mono (Japan), Yawning Man (US), Hubris (Switzerland), and playing the legendary Dunk! Festival in Belgium with the likes of God Is An Astronaut, And So I Watch You From Afar, Mono, Caspian, Godflesh, Amenra, and We Lost the Sea. It was during these years that they managed to write and road-test a whole array of new material for what has now become the basis of an upcoming new album.It’ll also be a huge occasion for SVNTAX ERROR as they will be launching their new album “Fires of Home” (also via Bird’s Robe Records). Drawing influences from Mogwai, The Cure, Nick Cave, and The Dirty Three, the Sydney-based band have earned a reputation for thrilling sonic explorations making use of guitar-laden psychedelic grooves and wailing theremins.INTERNATIONAL KARATE are a hugely influential post-rock 4-piece from with their 2003 album “Weapons of Mass Protection” being cited as one of that genre’s best Australian releases. They only reformed last year after more than a decade on ice, and yet they sound as polished as ever delighting fans with the best of their back catalogue as well as brand new recently composed tracks. A new IK album on the horizon?STIGG are a super-tight 3-piece with a twin-lead-vocal approach, outrageously unconventional grooves and riffs with barbed hooks. These guys never fail to deliver a delightfully ear-opening performance. First band of the night, ALL IS VIOLENT, deliver a huge sound ranging from cinematic soundscapes to a crushing post-metal tsunami. Their debut EP “Cartographers of Human Purpose” was well-received garnering comparisons with the likes of Russian Circles, Sleepmakeswaves, and Tangled Thoughts of Leaving.Pre-sale tickets are $22 +booking fee or $30 at the door … if not sold out). Shotkickers is 744 High St, Thornbury. Get their early, support awesome live and original music.