BASSINTHEGRASS 2025: The Amity Affliction excited for Top End return

A unified band, ‘saying yes’ to things they had turned down in the past, and love of golf are the catalysts for one of the country’s biggest acts returning to Darwin.

The Amity Affliction frontman Joel Birch. Picture: Patrick Woods.

One of the nation’s most popular metal acts The Amity Affliction is eager to return to the Top End after a hefty hiatus.

The band, originally from Gympie Qld, is set to be one of the lead acts at the 2025 BASSINTHEGRASS later this month.

Vocalist of the band and avid golfer Joel Birch said he is excited to come back up north having not played in the NT in quite some time.

And following a disruptive start to the year in which the band’s last founding member, co-vocalist and bassist Ahren Stringer was booted from the band, Mr Birch said the group have found a level of unity that’s been missing for some time.

“We haven’t been in so long now,” Mr Birch said.

“We are in a space as a band, the four of us, where we are saying yes to a lot of opportunities we had said no to.

“We’ve wanted to do a lot of things and had plans to do a lot of things but haven’t been able to.

“In a band (TAA) all of us need to agree to something, it’s not possible.

“At the moment we are in a really healthy place and are a band that’s united, in wanting to do our job.”

GTM Groovin The Moo 2018 at Murray. The Amity Affliction.

Most definitely the heaviest number on this year’s set, Birch said the fact he and the band aren’t playing a gig in their niche doesn’t concern him one bit.

The frontman also said fans can expect to hear songs from as far back as 2012 but no further.

“We, more myself, don’t really care who we play alongside honestly,” Mr Birch said.

“I don’t even pay attention to the line-up till I’m at the gig.

“So yeah, it doesn’t bother us that we aren’t playing with heaps of heavy acts. It’s nice sometimes playing with different genres and acts you don’t know.

“I reckon we’ll go through our stuff from 2012 to know, so not any of the really heavy stuff, but that’s a lot of music.”

Mr Birch, who happened to be at the course at the time of his interview with the masthead, said he’s keen to hit the green in his down time.

“I don’t know what the other guys have planned but I’m 100 per cent going to go play some golf.

“I reckon I can just go across the road or I’ll head to the Darwin club, not sure yet, but I’ll bring my clubs.”

Originally published as BASSINTHEGRASS 2025: The Amity Affliction excited for Top End return