Truely a Masterclass 10/10 headlining festival experience — 42 degree heat, a complete fire ban and last minute lineup changes could not stop Good Things 2025 from being the greatest iteration to date.
Crowds flooded the newly acquired Sydney Showground for Good Things 2025 (previously held in Centennial Park) and the verdict is in, this venue is amazing. Despite a few sound issues during New Found Glory’s early set, this is the best the festival has sounded in years. Bright, punchy and loud in the best way possible, the mix for each band was phenomenal.
The sweltering heat had deterred many punters from braving the pit resorting to them watching from the stands inside Engie Stadium for most of the morning, however the die hards were embracing what was out of their control and this years lineup was the reason for that.
Drums have always been my soft spot in a band and with a roster of drummers on this year’s lineup including Danny Carey (Tool), Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Foo Fighters, Devo and Weezer), Butch Vig (Garbage) and Thomas Pridgen (The Mars Volta and Fever333) I was in drum heaven.
If you’d have told me Tool would be the headliner of this year’s festival, I’d have said you’re dreaming. Their songs are lengthy, trippy, technically complex and not accessible to punters who aren’t familiar with the band, or so I thought. I’ve had the fortune of seeing this band a few times over the years and it would be fair to say this was the best they’ve ever sounded. Opening the set with fan favourite Stinkfist, the crowd was heaving. In classic Maynard James Keenan form, the enigmatic frontman made his way to his podium, leather drenched and mohawked carrying his megaphone to accurately deliver his vocals for all the album purists.
Tool are one of those bands where every member is integral to their signature sound. Confusing time signatures and complex rhythms make this band truly a world class headliner. Adam Jones guitar tone is one of a kind and during songs like “Fear Innoculum,” “Pneuma” and “Vicarious” it’s understandable why this band has such a devoted fan base of guitar nerds. It was however during their performance of Jambi that left me blown away. This song has always been one of my favourites from their album 10,000 days and I’d argue it sounds even better live. Danny Carey has such metronomic precision in his drumming, it’s hard to believe you’re not listening to a prerecorded track. I’ve never been a fan of stadium gigs but this would have to be the exception to that. Truly a Masterclass 10/10 headlining festival experience.
The thing I’ve always loved about this festival is how truely eclectic the lineups are. It’s not often you’d see bands like Limp Bizkit performing on the same bill as Devo or The Veronica’s performing alongside Parkway Drive. It’s something that I always thought made previous festivals like Big Day Out or Homebake a day for music lovers of all types. This year was no exception with the inclusion of artists like James Reyne and Garbage sharing a lineup with some of the best in heavy music.
Speaking of the best in heavy music, I saw a lot of great sets throughout the day, but a personal highlight of the day had to be Fever333. Playing the afternoon set on stage 5, frontman Jason Aalon Butler is on another level when it comes to stage presence. I had previously shot his other band Letlive. a few months back so anticipated a similar energy on stage and he did not disappoint. From the opening song “BITE BACK,” he was sliding around the stage and spewing water onto the sea of hungry punters; it was a feast for the senses. Bassist April Kae deserves considerable praise for her performance on the day, hamming it up for every photographer and the audience alike. Her performance was phenomenal and with the addition of Thomas Pridgen, formerly of The Mars Volta, this set proved to be unmissable.
As mentioned earlier, the heat was a concern for punters during the day. But that’s nothing compared to what Virginian juggernauts GWAR had to endure for their afternoon set on stage 3. Walking to stage in their signature Nordic barbarian costumes, one thing was for certain; this would be a difficult set for the band. Despite not having any of the remaining original lineup, GWAR still deliver an unforgettable live show with theatrics that leave the crowd covered in a sea of fake blood from various sacrifices made.
Back on the main stages, local legends Stand Atlantic delivered an amazing set with severely short notice. Replacing Kentucky hardcore legends Knocked Loose who unfortunately had to pull out of the festival, the Sydney pop punk 4 piece covered the set effortlessly despite peak summer heat. Bonnie Fraser, the bands vocalist has never ceased to astound me with her powerhouse vocals. She has an incredible stage presence and delivering those songs under such harsh conditions at the 11th hour should be highly commended, as should her recommendations to the crowd to put on more sunscreen.
I was particularly surprised by All Time Low’s set. A band that I have seen on a festival stage many times, I have never really been drawn to this band as pop punk has never really been for me. That said, their set was flawless; frontman Alex Gaskarth is a powerhouse vocalist and guitarist Jack Barakat is as energetic as ever, weaving back and forth on stage. An excellent addition to the festival for punters to sing along and get a little nostalgic from their former emo years.
Speaking of Nostalgia, alt rock veterans Garbage had made headlines at the Melbourne show, after frontwoman Shirley Manson singled out a punter for bringing a beach ball to throw around. Doubling down on socials to stand by what was said, which included advocating beating the punter up and calling him a “douchebag,” — I was curious how their set would be received in Sydney. To no surprise, the moment they walked to the stage, a sea of beach balls lined the sky as punters leaned into the gag, highlighting how preposterous the rant really was. Thankfully Shirley took it in her stride and laughed it off, delivering an amazing set spanning their 30 something year career. Punters became concerned as a lightning storm hit mid set, causing the band to cut their set short, swapping “Push It” with “Only Happy When It Rains,” which whilst quite fitting, caused concerns for the sets remaining.
Thankfully the storm cleared quite quickly and fan favourites Weezer delivered an unbelievable performance completely uninterrupted. I was pleasantly surprised to see Josh Freese, formerly of Foo Fighters and Devo, behind the kit. He was the perfect addition to band. Weezer have always been a perfect festival band for me. Almost everyone can sing along to the classics and there’s not really any haters. Despite a someone mellowed out stage presence, the band sound incredible live. A few stage moves thrown in, including the synchronised guitar trio standing together center stage mid set and some back and forth crowd singalongs, I’ll always make time to catch Weezer at any festival.
Final verdict, Good Things 2025 has firmly cemented itself as one of my favourite Aussie festivals for another year. Venue 10/10, lineup 11/10. With the 2026 iteration already confirmed, it is for certain I’ll be there front row centre.
GALLERY: Good Things Festival in Sydney, Australia (December 6, 2025)
