Ratmongers At Fuzz Fest
by Jaz Wilkins | March 28th, 2026
All images are from Ratmongers during Fuzz Fest in Brisbane, AUS on 3/28/26.
Byron Bay punk rockers, Ratmongers, recently took over the main stage of FUZZ FEST, a brand new mini festival that took place from 2pm-12am on March 28th, 2026 at Byron Bay’s well-known venue, The Arts Factory. Performing in the hometown of the iconic Byron Bay Bluesfest, the day was packed to the brim with sixteen talented performers, performing an array of genres coming from all corners of the Northern Rivers region.
Ratmongers got their start in 2018, beginning as a musical project amongst classmates and gigging casually around the Byron Shire. The members changed a few times over the years before deciding to take the group seriously, which is when they landed on Briana Foster on vocals, Karlin O’Halloran on guitar, and Liam Groves on drums. Brianna once used to play bass and sing simultaneously, but the band decided to bring Angus “Gus” Gaffey on board to become the dedicated, permanent bass player in mid-2025, turning the trio into a four-piece group ready to dominate the Northern Rivers grunge-punk scene.
Opening their set at 4pm with audience favourite track, Spay and Neuter, the band pulled in attendees from all around the venue who were patiently awaiting the next performance, and live reaction made it clear that Ratmongers may have picked up a few new fans along the way. The combination of Briana’s powerhouse vocals and Karlin’s gritty riffs made the song the perfect choice to open with as the crowd headbanged along with beers in hand, dancing harder as the song progressed. Following up with the closing track of their self-titled EP, Wildfire, the group kept up the momentum perfectly as new faces kept appearing in the crowd, drawn in by the unique rawness that encapsulates their sound.
Ratmongers glided effortlessly between songs, playing a mixture of tracks they’ve released across streaming platforms, from Last Stand to Teeth Meat, while sneaking in a few newer, unreleased songs towards the end. During the set, Karlin’s string snapped in the middle of tuning. For some performers, this would be a cause of panic, but Liam and Gus took things into their own hands and began playing what can only be best described as ‘cheesy elevator music’, and the exact opposite of what they’d been playing previously. This elicited laughter from the audience while also allowing time for Karlin to switch guitars and retune as they effortlessly transitioned back into their grunge sound.
As the final notes rang out through the room, it became clear that Ratmongers’ performance at Fuzz Fest left a lasting impression on attendees. As the crowd dissipated and left the room, whispered chatter was rife, filled with compliments on their sound, some even looking them up on platforms like Spotify, adding multiple songs to their playlists. It became evident that the show was nothing short of a success.
Ratmongers are currently in the process of writing and recording new material, so be sure to check them out on all streaming platforms and social media to keep up to date with the latest releases!
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ratmongers/
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/7onbhHFHunh0UL6tXRMnIk?si=YbAXQULOQ1CIzkXGe4YzPw
