“Is everyone alright? It’s good to be back.”

The answer to that open question from Eddy Current Suppression Ring’s frontman Brendan Huntley is, of course, “yes,” and absolutely. Sixteen years have passed since ECSR worked their homebaked brand of punk rock on Sydney crowds. That damned drought came to an end in spectacular fashion on Friday night, June 12, fittingly as Vivid Sydney 2026 entered its final stages.

ECSR are royalty in Australia’s underground scene, princes of independent, garage rock. Formed back in 2003 in the front room of a vinyl pressing plant in Highett, a suburb of Melbourne, the four-piece built a cult following, one that extends far beyond these shores.  Half a decade later, ECSR had ascended the throne with Primary Colours, their second studio album, which would win the coveted Australian Music Prize for the best Aussie album of the year, regardless of sales or hype, and snagged an AIR Award for best independent hard rock/punk album. For the AIR Awards ceremony in 2008, at Melbourne’s Corner Hotel, they nailed a meaty mini-set for industry guests.

Sightings of ECSR are uncommon. These lads are like rare birds.

Then, a bolt from the blue. ECSR recently dropped a new, fifth studio album, In Light of Recent Events, their follow-up to 2019’s All in Good Time. A heads-up came in 2025 with the release of a three-track EP Shapes And Forms, which was supported last September with a free-show at Federation Square, in the band’s hometown.

Last weekend was Sydney’s turn, with a free, headline show at Tumbalong Park, on Darling Harbour. “Sixteen years,” Huntley said at the top, shaking his head, perhaps recognizing the length of the hiatus as both a blink of an eye, and an entire lifetime. Whatever, it was too long. Huntley hasn’t lost any of his frontman skills. Throughout the set, which included “Cool Ice Cream,” “Colour Television” and “Which Way to Go,” he paced about like a cat, looking for a mouse that got away. We see that introspective skinny dance, the thousand-yard stare. The gloves still fit. Gee, it’s good to have them back.

ECSR was one of the highlights of Tumbalong Nights, which showcased upwards of 40 artists from 12 countries, including Aussie acts Mallrat, Matt Corby and Gretta Ray.

All up, the Sydney-wide festival booked 217 events, and 2,253 sessions across 89 locations across its three weeks. The Vivid LIVE program at the Sydney Opera House featured Mitski’s residency and performances from the likes of Jeff Mills, King Stingray, Mogwai and 2026 Libera Award winners Folk Bitch Trio, all of it shifting almost 40,000 tickets for the strongest box office result since COVID-19 and its second-largest on record, organizers say.

The Carriageworks program, which included performances from Lil’ Kim, Alison Wonderland and others, captured more than 30,000 ticket bookings, generating a 38% gain in revenue compared with the previous year’s event. 

“This year’s Vivid Sydney has been an extraordinary success,” enthuses Vivid Sydney festival director Brett Sheehy, “exceeding our expectations not only terms of sell out shows across the program, but also in the level of enthusiasm, connection, and delight we’ve seen across the city.” Visitors stuck around, too. “What’s been particularly striking this year is the depth of engagement across the program, with visitors exploring more than ever,” adds Sheehy. “On average they attended 4.5 locations and spent around three hours immersed in the festival per visit.”

Eddy Current’s fans came and stayed for their special set, on the penultimate evening of the Sydney-wide live entertainment and arts extravaganza. Many in the crowd would proudly wear the Gen-X badge, beer in hand, wearing sensible, but pretty groovy, jackets on a chilly night. Up front, the younger, wilder fans unleashed their energy the old-fashioned way — by crowd surfing.

It was a blast from the past, much like the band on stage.

“I’d love to see you again someday,” remarked Huntley, after taking the plunge for his own end-of-set surf, as he rode the crowd on his back while belting out “Get Up Morning.” “You’re always good to us, Sydney.”

Vivid Sydney is owned, managed, and produced by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency.

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