Bird’s Robe Announces 15th Anniversary “Mikefest II” — Seven Shows Across Two Weekends This December
Bird’s Robe Records has announced a special series of seven shows to celebrate its 15th anniversary, marking a major milestone for one of Australia’s most influential post-rock and progressive music labels.
Taking place over two weekends in December, the anniversary tour will present an impressive range of headline artists, including Australian rock icons COG, Texas-based post-hardcore innovators …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, acclaimed Sydney post-rock ensemble sleepmakeswaves, and cinematic rock luminaries Caspian (Boston).
The Bird’s Robe 15th birthday tour will visit Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne from December 5–7 and December 11–14, featuring a diverse lineup showcasing both long-time favourites and rare reunion performances. Highlights include the first Australian shows in over a decade for both Trail of Dead and Caspian, plus long-awaited reunions from Squat Club (math-prog pioneers) and Grun (ambient rock).
Fan favourites including COG, sleepmakeswaves, Meniscus, SEIMS, Anubis, and Shanghai will deliver their only Australian appearances of 2025. Meanwhile, Closure in Moscow and Toehider return to home stages following a ten-month hiatus.
Affectionately dubbed “Mikefest II,” this tour follows the label’s fifth birthday celebration at Sydney’s Manning Bar in 2015. That event, nicknamed “Mikefest” by artists in tribute to Bird’s Robe founder Mike Solo, has since become a cherished moment in the label’s history.
Beyond the live performances, attendees can expect exclusive merch giveaways, meet-and-greets, complimentary food and drinks for early arrivals, and table tennis tournaments at select venues.
The celebration also coincides with the rollout of the Bird’s Robe documentary series, which premiered its first episode last week. New episodes will continue to be released fortnightly from July through December.
Over the past 15 years, Bird’s Robe has established itself as a cornerstone of Australia’s post-rock and progressive community, representing some of the country’s most acclaimed and adventurous artists. Its roster includes internationally recognised acts such as sleepmakeswaves, We Lost The Sea, Closure in Moscow, Toehider, Meniscus, The Crooked Fiddle Band, Troldhaugen, and Solkyri.
Plans to mark Bird’s Robe’s 10th anniversary in 2020 were cancelled due to COVID-19, prompting a pivot toward documentary production. Despite setbacks and pandemic delays, the label has continued to evolve and expand its artistic output.
To date, Bird’s Robe has promoted more than 1,500 shows, released over 200 records, and achieved five ARIA-nominated albums, along with seven #1 Australian Independent Chart releases and more than 50 million streams across its catalogue.
Statement from Director, Mike Solo:
“Ten years ago, on Saturday 5 December 2015, a bunch of bands playing post-rock, prog, metal and alternative rock got together at Manning Bar in Sydney to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Bird’s Robe Records. It was awesome.
“Since then, we’ve crossed the globe many more times, survived a global pandemic, and come out the other side with even more talent to showcase from our little niche. Please join us to relive the memories, create new ones, and celebrate an epic ride of prog, post-rock, and innovative music with our friends and family.
“If you’ve never had the chance to see some of these bands, we hope bringing them together in one place makes for a worthy day or night of entertainment.”
Fri, 5 December – The Brightside Outdoors + Indoors, Brisbane – TICKETS
feat. COG + Caspian (USA) + Kodiak Empire + hazards of swimming naked + Echotide + Squat Club
Sat, 6 December – Max Watts, Melbourne – TICKETS
feat. Caspian (USA) + Suldusk + Meniscus + Solkyri + Squat Club + Treebeard + LORESPINNER
Sun, 7 December – Manning Bar, Sydney – TICKETS
feat. Caspian (USA) + Closure in Moscow + Toehider + Anubis + Squat Club + Treebeard + Kodiak Empire + Mowgli + clayhands + Hence Confetti + The Orphaned Bee
Thurs, 11 December – The Triffid, Brisbane – TICKETS
feat. …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (USA) + SEIMS + Shanghai + the sea shall not have them
Fri, 12 December – Max Watts, Melbourne – TICKETS
feat. COG + …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (USA) + Mushroom Giant + SEIMS + the sea shall not have them
Sat, 13 December – Max Watts, Melbourne – TICKETS
feat. …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (USA) performing ‘Source Tags & Codes’ + Closure in Moscow + Toehider + Anubis + Kodiak Empire + Echotide + Svntax Error + Myriad Drone
Sun, 14 December – Metro Theatre + Metro Social, Sydney – TICKETS
feat. COG + …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (USA) + Meniscus + Solkyri + SEIMS + Squat Club + Shanghai + Mushroom Giant + Echotide + Myriad Drone + The Crooked Fiddle Band + Svntax Error + Grun + LORESPINNER
For more information: https://www.birdsrobe.com/news/birds-robe-announce-15th-birthday-tour-in-december-2025