Is there a better way to welcome in the holidays than in the depths of a sweaty mosh pit? We didn’t think so.

On December 7th, Sydney’s hardcore community were packed shoulder to shoulder inside Liberty Hall for SPEED’s HC XMAS. For the quintet, the show was a homecoming. Though they’d completed two national tours earlier in the year, a majority of their last twelve months had been spent abroad. They made their Coachella debut, played multiple festivals, and concluded headlining tours across North America and Europe. While we’re happy for the frequent flyer miles they’ve accumulated, we’ve all really wanted to see them return home and scream, “Sydney shit!” 

We were lucky enough to have Brad Kim head to Moore Park to see what he could snap. Brad is a freelance photographer and videographer who specialises in music and lifestyle content. In the past, he has photographed the likes of Changmo, Colde, Paul Blanco, and documented the entire Oceania leg of the DPR Regime Tour. However, this was a different beast. With his camera and linebacker frame, Brad entered the pit, threw dem bows, and captured the entire show. Below is a gallery of Brad’s amazing collection of photos from the night. 

Aside from giving Sydney a much needed dose of hardcore over the silly season, the show held a special significance. The evening helped raise donations and funds for Project Kindness and PARA (Palestine Australia Relief and Action). In just a couple of hours, they’d amassed a sea of food, gifts and toys, plus $10,000 for Palestinian refugees migrating to Australia. In classic SPEED fashion, they gave all the credit to everyone in attendance for being so generous at a time of year when giving goes a long way. This was ‘Sydney shit’ at its best.

Huge thanks to SPEED and Brad Kim for this one. Make sure to continue support for Project Kindness and PARA.