Dear Diary: On Location at Dark Mofo (Day Four)

Dark Mofo 2025
Hobart, Tasmania
Diary Entry: Day Four

“We fall, we rise, we bend, we break, we burn, but we survive...” – ‘Seasons’, Gold & Grey, John Baizley, Baroness 2019.

As specified by the American Psychological Association, car accidents are evidently the most common cause of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) in the general population. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a variety of mental health disorder caused by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event like a vehicle accident. On the seventh of June 2025, at the Royal Hobart Regatta Grounds as part of the Dark Mofo festival, thousands of people gathered to witness Brazilian artist Paula Garcia’s disturbing ‘Crash Body’ demonstration.

Garcia and professional stunt drivers purposefully crashed vehicles into each other at 50km/h, which rocked and rattled onlookers to screams of shock, then deafening silence. This soundlessness was soon broken by an eruption of cheers when the stunt driver opened the car door, and waved to the audience signifying his safety. Paula would follow shortly after; understandably the artist was put through a thorough health review before she emerged from the dismantled vehicle.

“…we bend, we break, we burn, but we survive...”

This event was arguably excessive for the spectators, architects and perpetrators to ingest and execute. However, the repercussions that in-all-likelihood are felt, also require attention; reflection is a key step. To the credit of all involved, there has been zero negativity or uproar about the remarkable achievement executed by Paula Garcia and her team.

This is attributable to the support systems in place, but more-so the resilience of humans when encountering difficulties of any kind. When gazing upon the astounding artistic work at Dark Park from this event entitled Crash Body: Aftermath, the devastation engulfs the observer with varying degrees of more-than-likely, distressing emotions. Yet, within this destruction, there is hope, and this has been immaculately captured by Mr. Baizley, guitarist, sole member and vocalist for Georgian progressive stoner metal band outfit Baroness. His 13 words found within the anthem ‘Seasons’: “We fall, we rise, we bend, we break, we burn, but we survive...” Captures this essence flawlessly.

Within Dark Park, there was to be countless more artistic showcases that would disturb and delight the minds of the witnesses daring to undertake this profound journey, and those adventures will be discussed in detail in latter diary entries. For now, appreciate that element of hope installed within, it is how “we survive”.

‍Baroness enthral the Odeon Theatre

“The beautiful thing about live music, is we get to share our art with you. So, THANK YOU!” – John Baizley, Baroness, Odeon Theatre, Hobart, Tasmania, Dark Mofo, 8^th June 2025.

There are very few bands capable of travelling to a remote capital city, on an island off the mainland of Australia well over 12,500 kilometres away, to execute a solitary show that creates an atmosphere where everyone within the venue not only feels like they are a part of the show, they are a major part of the family.

This is what guitarist/vocalist John Baizley, guitarist/vocalist Gina Gleason, bassist Nick Jost, and drummer Sebastian Thomson incredibly implemented with their one-off Australian exhibition at Odeon Theatre as part of Dark Mofo 2025. The alternative stoner prog metal trailblazers Baroness metaphorically erased ‘The Line Between’ themselves and their adoring audience, and in doing so created a work of collective art that was historic.

The four-piece marched onto the stage holding their beers in the air to an eruption of crowd noise. Baroness displayed this gesture not only to signify that their celebration was about to kick-off, but more-so, to thank the Odeon Theatre for hosting this prestigious event, and the assembly for becoming their flesh and blood.

“Fuckin’ Yeah!” An eager punter shouted, breaking the noiselessness as the quartet prepped each instrument and commenced a rousing and intoxicating post-rock introduction for the seven-minute adventure that is ‘Rays on Pinion’. This built into an enthralling hybrid of the resplendent instrumentation of This Will Destroy You assimilated with the classic rock infectiousness of Led Zeppelin. John commanded attention with his muscular melody, that magnified to growling with the illuminating lyrics: “Save your soul, It's bright with holes.
RAYS ON PINION!”

From this bellow onwards, the trajectory of energy would only trend upward; this was to be a performance that opened the skies above and tremored the earth below.

Gina wondrously writhed in ecstasy with her extraordinary presence. If Ms. Gleason was not exchanging riffs with Baizley, singing, or melting-faces with a guitar solo, she was dislocating her neck in headbanging euphoria. Understandably this charismatic movement translated to the audience with momentous infectiousness, the liveliness within the theatre could not be contained. ‘The Birthing’ was an exploration that Doomriders wish they co-wrote with Baroness; percussionist Sebastian Thomson was delightfully devastating with his hard-hitting vivacity that seemed to alter the heartbeat of everyone present. It must be said, the guitar playing duel between Gina and JB was one of celestial status.

‍‘Isak’ instigated a crowd clap-along that followed the drum-rim taps of Mr. Thompson and was electrified by Gina’s instruction – the spiritedness of this interaction was gloriously remarkable with how effortless the music moved through everyone. Baizley was shaking his hips in the groove while facing and feeding off the deep tones of bassist Nick Jost. The stoner sludge punk ferocity was astoundingly boundless and the composition concluded with John yelling in merriment at the congregation.

It was at this juncture that Seb arose from his drum stool (an act he would do frequently) and tore up the band’s setlist. This was met with comprehensible applause and positivity from the spectators – but there is more to the story…

The quartet’s strategy for this standout event was one of memorable grandeur, as John advised the onlookers: “Our plan was to play songs from every album in the chronological order of how we released them. Of course, when we printed out the setlist, it was completely wrong. So be patient with us, because we are yelling the setlist out to each other.”

Could this showcase be anymore fantastically unique?

Sonic waves pummelled the walls, floors, and bodies within the building from the pulsations of ‘The Sweetest Curse’; ‘Steel That Slaps The Eye’ began with the slow heating and movement of our planet’s tectonic plates creating a magma via rock’n’roll convection, that became too combustible and burst forth as a volcanic STONEr prog rock phenomenon.

“HOW ARE YOU DOING TONIGHT HOBART?” JB bellowed in exhilaration.

Spoiler alert: The answer is very transparent.

Mr. Baizley spoke of his last solo visit some 13 years ago where he performed at the Brisbane Hotel and the bar manager doused everyone with LSD, which he modestly surmised as: “quite fun” with his gleaming smile. ‘Swollen And Halo’ suitably followed with its weird guitar tones and bearish brilliance; ‘A Horse Called Golgotha’ was inherently that LSD trip in sensational soundtrack form. One of the many crowning moments came in the form of ‘Take My Bones Away’, the single is a luscious leviathan of prog stoner rock perfection that the Eagles Of Death Metal will eternally wish they wrote. ‘‘FUCK YEAH!’’ John howled in enthrallment – “The more energy you give us; we give you more back”.

Guess what happened next?

‍‘March To The Sea’ - Baroness gave the energy back, exponentially. The bond between band and crowd was coiled, twisted and fastened and not one person wanted to be released from its tight embrace.
‘Green Theme’ offered a sense of soulful alleviation with its post-rock instruMETAL passages, this acted as an immaculate precursor to ‘If I Have To Wake Up (Would You Stop The Rain?)’ - a journey that fuses Radiohead, earlier Pain Of Salvation and even Dethklok (referring to mostly, the epic guitar solo).

Complex? Assuredly, but there is only one Baroness.

‍‘Chlorine & Wine’ elevated all of these elements with a death ballad story-telling vibe, and ‘Shock Me’ live was undeniably, a mystification of heavy rock magnificence. Don’t believe this scribe? It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2017 for MANY reasons.

There is only one Baroness.

‍The Beatles and The Pineapple Thief being thwarted by a fuzz-metal cyclone captured how ‘Tourniquet’ was orchestrated this evening, and the closer ‘Last Word’ was the poetic finish and beyond thrilling.

"The beautiful thing about live music, is we get to share our art with you. So, THANK YOU!”

‍Baroness maybe thankful, but your Australian family will forever be, infinitely grateful.

Will we ever see the end of this Dark Mofo? Time will tell...

Words by Will Oakeshott @teenwolfwill

Photo Gallery by Benji Alldridge @benjaminalldridge. Please credit Wall of Sound and Benji Alldridge if you repost photos.