One Sunday about five years ago, a group of longhairs and punks came into the shop. They weren't locals, but they were strangely familiar. They had shirts and patches that were in the realm of what I'd wear. Was this a Bizarro version of my own social circle?

The longhairs and punks in question were from Rockhampton. They had a bands – Cane Toad, ViperSnatch and Burner – and it seemed they had a little micro scene going. We stayed in touch, had Cane Toad play a few shows (great band) and visited some of their local shows.

When we heard the Rockhampton crew had a new band on the go – SYMPTOMS – it was a no-brainer to put them on the next Namba Black Market Day.

BAD HABIT: I watched some YouTube videos recently about Rockhampton being a warzone full of crime. This is obviously baloney, and some sort of grifter click-bait rubbish for idiots. And maybe some lowkey racism to boot. I feel like smaller rural towns (hello Nambour) are really susceptible to this sort of online hysteria. Bigger city punx don’t really have to butt up against this sort of stuff, unlike us frontier town dwellers. How does the unique rural Queensland setting inform Symptoms? 

SYMPTOMS: Yeah, we saw that. Big time baloney but hey, it got a lot of views! Rocky has crime like any other town, but it’s not the warzone they made it out to be. There’s definitely that typical small town mindset that many Rocky locals seem to have, which is usually to blame Indigenous youth for every problem in town. As I’m sure you’re familiar with (living in Nambour and previously Ipswich), places like this can be a breeding ground for racist bullshit, with young black and brown kids being on the receiving end.

Growing up here could be kinda boring at times. There wasn't a lot to do when we were younger, so we spent most of our free time playing music. Symptoms is the culmination of years of boredom, frustration, many failed bands and a desire to try and keep Rocky's dwindling punk/alternative scene alive. The kids want shows in this town!

BH: Pebo Bryson Experience had a song called ‘We don't sell beer to freaks in this pub’. I think it unintentionally sums up the feeling of isolation of growing up “different” in smaller towns in the 80s and 90s. But times have changed. I don’t think there’s the same visceral hostility towards alternative culture these days. Punk has been defined by this sort of tension since the dawn of time (1976). What does it mean for punk when the enemy isn't throwing bottles at you from a car, yelling homophobic slurs? When we have kids and jobs? Somewhere (Facebook) there’s an old punisher reading this thinking punk’s just gone soft now, not like it used to be.

S: First of all – RIP to the king of CQ punk, Bryson Carolan. One of the best that ever did it and a true friend to all of us.

Yeah, things have definitely changed in terms of the public perception of punk. Shaved heads, tattoos and band shirts no longer make you a freak, and there's so much borrowing from punk culture in the mainstream nowadays.

There's definitely some old punisher reading this and pining for the days when punk was “harder”. But the fact that punks these days can have families and jobs and walk down the street without being hassled by meatheads is actually great.

It feels like the modern punk scene is way less gatekeepy and more inclusive and welcoming. You see a lot of young, queer and femme people at shows having a blast. Keeping the scene safe and fun for everyone is always at the forefront of our minds too.

So YES… unfortunately for the arm-folding punisher who went to the School of Hard Knocks reading this (via Facebook)… Punk has gone soft and it’s not like it used to be – it’s safer and funner for everyone.

BH: Look, how about I chill with the regional punk existential crisis questions? Symptoms being rural, I don't want to overwhelm you guys. Tell us about the band. What was the vision? Can we expect a recording? Touring? 

S: Yeah look, we don’t know what existential means (if that even is a real word, Aaron!) but there's a dictionary at the library and we'll look it up.

Symptoms is Riley (Drums), Tas (Bass), Mitch (Guitar) and Trent (Vocals). We've all been friends and in bands together for years. With Symptoms, we just wanted to do something different to our other projects and have fun.

We definitely have plans to write more and get some recording done and, as for touring, it’s for sure on the cards.

The Market Day show will only be our second show as Symptoms – can't wait! 

BH: You guys have been working hard building Rockhampton up to be this nice little spot to come and play/visit. What are some of the triumphs you've had? The mistakes made?

S: The scene in Rocky has been pretty up and down over the last 20 years or so that we've been involved, but there's always been a handful of bands and people fighting to keep things moving.

We've had a few triumphant moments in the past, one being the scene built around The Cave Bar and O'Dowd's in Rocky. Shows were happening fortnightly, the place was always packed. We had some cool bands come thru like Dirty Charlie, Night Hag, Rolo Tomassi, Sick People, The Decline, Palm (Japan) to name a few.

In the last five or so years, building this connection with Bad Habit and bands around the SEQ region has been a massive triumph for us. It's so mad to have bands keen to come to Rocky and play a show. It's a lot of hard work but we are gunna keep it going.

Mistakes? Maybe putting trust in the wrong people at times. We have a tight circle of good people now, but it took time to recognise the turds in the punchbowl.

BH: Have you had to fight off the allure to move to a more established place?

S: There used to be a pull to move to a bigger city with a bigger scene, but that’s faded over time. The older we get, the more we feel we want to keep building things here in our backyards.

We have been putting on DIY shows for many years now, and yeah… we could be a bit more proactive at times, but we are all wage slaves and nearing our 40s. Just know that if you’re in a punk band and ever wanna come play a show in Rocky, we will do our best to sort you out.

BH: What advice would you give to younger folk trying to build a scene in their small town?

S: Advice for the younger gen who wanna do shit like this – respect the venue and protect your scene. If you find a good venue/space, respect it and look after it. Be conscious of who you have at your shows. Don't allow any bigots, bullies, creeps or fuckwits to embed themselves. Call them out and get rid of them, make sure they know they aren’t welcome back.

Another bit of advice that Bryson gave us all was ‘Think global, act local’. Speaks for itself!

BH: What can Nambour expect from Symptoms at the Market Day?  

S: Market Day punters can expect a short, sharp set of angry, self-loathing, intrusive-thought riddled hc songs. Raw and basic, no fancy stuff but the distinct possibility of onstage vomit.

BH: What’s coming up in Rocky? Any exciting new (or old) bands people should look out for? Thanks for everything!!@!@!@

S: Rocky has a few local shows on the horizon. Our next big one will be in February 2027. Onslaught (Rocky-based bookings run largely by Trent and Riley) are working with the Victoria Tavern to organise all ages shows and bring punk to the kids. It’s early days but hopefully some exciting things to come soon. 

There are some great Rocky bands to check out and keep an eye on. Torquemada are a three-piece rock band who specialise in 10-minute epics about nomadic travellers, gold rush moiders and being stoned into another realm. Think wailing guitar solos, tasty grooves and tastier moustaches. No recorded music out yet – but that should change soon!

Vipersnatch are a sick feminist punk/riotgrrrl/alt trio who are making big waves and touring with some big names (most recently Frenzal Rhomb). Think Babes in Toyland, early Hole and lots of sass. Definitely give them a listen!

Cane Toad are a dirty blend of punk, hardcore and some form of booze-soaked swampy yob rock. They've all been around in various bands for years and have some awesome stuff, well worth checking out.

Another band dear to us is Kill Frank and The Poor People, a project that is hard to put into words and unconcerned with genre conformity. Their album That was it for me is full of sombre ballads about rural working class Australian life. It has a real dream-like, nostalgic feel and can be super depressing but relatable. Their latest release Pauline Manson is more off-the-wall noise/industrial album taking aim at right wing politics in Aus.

Thanks Borgie – see ya at market day!

Catch Symptoms LIVE in concert at Namba Market Day + NCXMAS

Brought to you by Guerilla Bookings and Bad Habit Records

Sunday 20 December 2026

The Old Ambo Station, Nambour

Markets from 8am - Bands from 12 noon

ALL AGES

FEATURING:

SHACKLES

Hail Mary

WHOSE REALITY?

STRESSED

BLOODGIN

MUD

SKIRMISHER

WETWORK

Fantasy

M*U*S*H

BOUND TO SUFFERING

SYMPTOMS

DISREGARD

NO MASTERS NO MERCY

Tix $45 pre-order or $50 on the door