Frontman Dave Johnston said L.O.W didn’t want to be “just another angry band” – here’s what they’re doing to give back this year. Photo: Arlena Laessaari | awkward.archives.
If you think your headbanging days are behind you, think again.
On 20 December you can jump around in moshpits to your heart’s content at Lalala’s – and it’s all for a good cause.
Wollongong hardcore band L.O.W is hosting their annual Christmas fundraiser, with all profits from this year’s event going to support Community Health for Adolescents in Need (CHAIN).
The Illawarra-based service provides essential care for people aged 12-24 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
L.O.W frontman and punk dad Dave Johnston said the cause was close to his heart.
“We formed this band to promote and inspire young locals to start their own,” he said.
“I was a bit of a weird kid and the punk and hardcore scene nurtured me and gave me somewhere to belong.
“We’re old as hell; our youngest member is 25. Hardcore and punk is more a youth movement than anything else; it needs young people to keep it alive.
“CHAIN is local, they provide a service that doesn’t exist otherwise from crisis accommodation to vouchers for prescription medication, and it’s targeted directly at youth.
“It made sense to us to support them.”
The band started two years ago when Dave and a mate began exchanging song ideas.
Those ideas turned into a recording session, and then a show booking, which left Dave scrambling to find band members.
“It was just me playing everything except drums, so I recruited from our wider friendship group,” he said.
“We’ve got Brad Colley on guitar and backing vocals – he’s a high school teacher and probably the most musically gifted person in the band.
“Tom Walker is a guitarist and a doctor of something, booking agent Luke Flanagan is on bass and Brian Cameron is our drummer, chief responsible adult and sober driver extraordinaire.”
They played their first gig in April 2024 and have since played in pubs, clubs and skate parks across the east coast from Brisbane to Melbourne.
A working-class hardcore band from Dharrawal Country made up of guys who are “old as hell” may not seem like the most charitable group, but Dave said the local community is at the heart of everything L.O.W does.
“So many people want to change the world; what we want to do is effect change on a micro level in our own community,” he said.
“When the band became a thing we had to think about what we were going to stand for.
“We didn’t want to be another hardcore-punk band that was angry for no reason; we wanted to have some purpose.
“We want to drive positive change in our local community, and hope that other people around Australia see that and do the same for their own communities.
“Trying to effect change on a global level can feel ineffective, but this is really fulfilling – and it’s really fun.”
Dave said when the band held their inaugural fundraiser in 2025, to support terminally-ill Illawarra Hotel bartender Liam Bullman, the Wollongong community didn’t hesitate to show support.
This year local residents and businesses have been just as generous, buying tickets, donating raffle prizes, and discounting venue hire.
There will be 12 artists taking to the stage at Lalala’s from 2 pm on Saturday 20 December. The show will run until midnight with a mid-session break to draw raffle tickets.
All ticket sale profits and raffle funds will be donated directly to CHAIN.
“I don’t believe you could do something like this in Sydney,” Dave said.
“It hasn’t been hard work – people are so happy to help and contribute; the immediate response to any request is always, ‘Yep, no worries’.
“We’ve got some sick raffle prizes, generous vouchers from local tattoo artists, skate shops, restaurants, art supplies, beauty services.
“The power of community here is real and tangible. We might be a metro area but it feels like a small town that just sorts things out, especially the music and arts communities.”
Tickets are on sale for $35 through Lalala’s here.
To check out the services on offer from CHAIN, or to access support, follow this link.
