Olivia Grbac, 'Shit People At Gigs'

Melbourne's live music scene may be an ideal place to nurture various breeds of local rockdog, but the crappy behaviour it often attracts will be recognised by gig-goers across the world. Olivia Grbac has noticed, and has compiled an illustrated catalogue of her least favourite offenders in the aptly-titled Shit People At Gigs.

Beautifully rendered by risograph fiends Helio Press, this zine is a potted etiquette guide with a hint of revenge fantasy thrown in, and hence the sight of a bigoted heckler being decapitated by a flying guitar has never looked so gorgeous. Reading it as a regular gig attendee will unavoidably provoke twinges of irksome recognition - I mean, what sort of prick haggles at a merch table? - but may also cause occasional pangs of guilt, if the conduct of these characters reflects your own past actions. I would therefore like to apologise publicly to anyone who has ever been in earshot of me tunelessly singing along to their favourite band, or within whiffing distance after an hour pogoing in a Yarra City sweatbox.

While some of the transgressions chronicled in SPAG are arguably minor irritations, there are also those that indicate larger issues of misogyny and entitlement that still permeate the local scene in 2016. Why are there bros that think it's fine to take their shirts off and barge into everybody? What sort of thug threatens to kick a band's amps in if they don't play all the songs he wants to hear? And is a scrap of setlist really worth getting into fisticuffs over? Punters, avoid these indiscretions and we may edge ever closer to full-on rocktopia.