Who will be crowned winner of Dept of Rock 2025? Who will have the most fun along the way?! These big questions and many more will be answered when Dept of Rock returns to Smith’s Alternative for the 2025 Public Service Battle of the Bands Competition.
Come cheer on cool public servant rockstars as they ditch their laptops and lanyards for guitars, drumsticks and mics in the ultimate battle for rock supremacy. This year we’ll also be entertained by some very special guest bands and Madam Secretary musings, games and giveaways.
Grab a ticket and join in the fun of this quintessentially Canberra live music event!
Heat 4 Rockstars
Mon Rak Rat
Presenting, for your listening pleasure, Mon Rak Rat – aka Ode to the State!!! Canberra’s loveable, Lao/Thai country music inspired art rock trio. For a third year running these brothers in song return to the Dept of Rock to share tales of love, life and public service.
At the steady centre of the band’s mandala of song is Alex (DPS) laying down a bass fulcrum, followed by Jesse (DFAT) swirling amongst his teetering pile of DIY mechanical drum machine, Thai lute and Lao reed pipes, and spinning out erratically at the edge of sound is Ross (DITRDCSA) with guitar, synth and vocal wailings.
You’ll laugh, you may cry, and you’ll certainly wonder what on earth is going on with that suitcase drum kit!
Strong Low
Rising like a phoenix from the ashes of middle-age, Strong Low emerged in Canberra during the Summer of 2024, drawing deeply on their battlefield experiences fighting against the ever-present threat of suburban obscurity.
Sharing a love of multiple different music genres, heavy riffs and quirky song structures, the awesome foursome of Stan, Cath, David and Arman have perfected their ability to transform at will into one powerful hivemind of musical creativity.
With three different vocalists in the mix, and lyrics spanning topics from the mundane to the ethereal, Strong Low brings ‘end of level boss’ performance energy to create a sound that can only be described as undecided-hybrid!
Mayhem
Formed from two separate bands that have competed in an informal backyard battle of the bands (completely as a joke that went too far), Mayhem brings together musicians of very varying skill levels. Here for good times only, you can expect to laugh and probably cringe at the songs we’ll sing for you. Prepare for MAYHEM!
The Delicate Light
We’re a fairly new band. We’re kind of an indie guitar band with up-tempo songs and a healthy dose of melancholia. We haven’t played any gigs yet so Dept of Rock is the world debut for Delicate Light!
The Shadies
The Shadies is an inclusive, fun loving ukulele band which was set up by environment staff over eight years ago and has followed them through their various machinations and movements in and out of other departments. We can be found playing at lunchtimes in the shade of the trees outside our office in Barton.
The Shadies play anything and everything with our own special interpretation and welcome musicians and wanna-be musicians from across the department, regardless of their position. Previous ministers have even been major fans and have joined us on numerous occasions as well as service staff. We even have a few alumni who keep coming back to sing and strum.
We find happiness through our music and connections to others and enjoy spreading joy through our department by performing at formal and pop events alike, such as the Secretary’s Awards ceremony, World kindness day and Reconciliation week.
Heat 4 Guest Band: The Substrates
The Substrates from the National Film and Sound Archive blew everyone away in 2023 to take home gold in the inaugural Dept of Rock competition at Smiths – and we are beyond stoked they’re reuniting to play as our guest band at Heat 4 of 2025 Battle of the Bands! Bonded together by the very substrates that make magnetic media, get ready for some high energy public service punk rock to close off this year’s exciting heats.
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