Review: Spilt Milk at Claremont Showgrounds
Spilt Milk at Claremont Showgrounds
w/ Kendrick Lamar, Doechii, Schoolboy Q, Dominic Fike, Sara Landry and many more
Sunday, December 7, 2025
It was a beautiful day for a festival on Sunday, as Spilt Milk took over Claremont Showgrounds—a massive sprawling event with a huge range of acts spread out across three stages and some truly massive headliners.
Spilt Milk started in Canberra in 2016, then expanded to Ballarat and the Gold Coast before debuting in Perth in 2023 with Post Malone and Dom Dolla headlining. After the organisers decided not to hold the event in 2024 (replacing it with the pared-back Spilt Milk House Party in Kings Park), some feared, like many other festivals in recent years, it might disappear. But there was no crying over Spilt Milk, as they returned with a big bang when the lineup dropped this year! Locking in not only Kendrick but also Doechii, just as she’s blowing up, was a huge coup for Spilt Milk—two of the biggest acts in hip hop, and the world, right now.
A certified superstar, Kendrick’s ascent continues, coming off one of his biggest years yet—performing at the Super Bowl halftime show, a couple weeks after winning all five Grammys he was nominated for, including Song of the Year for Not Like Us, his knockout blow in his highly publicised feud with Drake that’s become an anthem.
Meanwhile, Doechii had a massive breakout year, taking out the Best Rap Album Grammy for her debut, Alligator Bites Never Heal—only the third time the category has been won by a female artist (after the legendary Lauryn Hill and, for some reason, Cardi B). She’s had many high-profile appearances and impressive live performances, so the buzz and excitement around her set was almost as much as Kendrick’s.
Those two acts alone commanded attention and attendance, but there were many other diverse, of-the-moment acts on the bill that made it an exciting day of musical adventure and discovery. Spilt Milk well and truly declared itself one of the biggest festivals in the country (certainly WA) with this year’s impressive instalment.
Perth bands Late 90s and Spici Water got the honour of kicking off early at around 11am, before the main stage featured a Welcome To Country to formally commence festivities on Whadjuk Noongar boodja.
Triple J Unearthed High winners The Rions brought their melodic, jaunty, indie pop sounds to the main oval Angove Stage, as the crowds continued to file in, before Sunshine Coast boys The Dreggs really got things going. The core duo of Paddy Macrae and Zane Harris have established a solid following, as the crowd flocked to the front to frolic to the sunny singalong sounds of their brand of folky indie rock, complete with banjo, in the tradition of Mumford & Sons. Tracks like We Don’t Talk and Conquer the World from their new album went down well, and they finished triumphantly with Take a Little Time, as confetti cannons fired into the air.
A lot of curious folks made the big walk over to the Basquiat Stage to check out one of the more random acts of the day, Rebecca Black. The stage was essentially a big top, boiler room dance tent set up in the giant car park in front of the famous Royal Show Ferris Wheel, which gave it a bit of a carnival atmosphere.
Most people would know Rebecca Black from her 2011 ‘hit’ Friday—a badly produced saccharine teen-pop single—and its even worse video that went viral for all the wrong reasons. The insufferable autotune earworm shot her to meme joke/parody infamy when she was only 13.
Since then, she has endured global bullying, embraced her past, grown up and reinvented herself as a queer electro, hyperpop club queen and DJ. She even did a Boiler Room set. It’s really quite the career arc, and you gotta respect her for coming out the other end cool, confident and in command. She owned the tent as she sang and danced in a tiny leopard-print outfit and boots, alongside two buff, shirtless, dancing men in tiny white shorts. It was a bizarre, low-key early highlight, and the crowd were there for it.
She played Sugar Water Cyanide and Trust from her new album, Salvation, before sending the crowd wild when she dropped her 2021 hyperpop remix of Friday, produced by Dylan Brady of 100 gecs. What an evolution and strange cultural moment of our times. Black is the new Black!
Sydney’s Club Angel had a hard act to follow, but he did well to attract a crowd with a hard-hitting, well-mixed, proper club set. Daft Punk’s One More Time was mixed with a high-energy house tune, and he also mixed in his own driving, bassy productions.
Rum Jungle were playing their melodic, jangly indie guitar tunes in the packed Centenary Pavillion that was used as the Derbyshire Stage. It was the only indoor stage at the festival, but strangely it was the worst sounding, particularly early on. The sound was muddy and not loud enough, which didn’t do Rum Jungle any favours, but people didn’t seem to mind too much, as their big last song, Everything is Easy, had the crowd singing along.
American chanteuse Nessa Barrett has risen to fame in the last few years after becoming famous on TikTok. She proved she could back up the hype with a dynamic live performance on the main stage. Her stunning, doll-like looks and stage presence captivated the crowd as she worked through a polished set of dark, cinematic pop music. It’s heavily produced stuff, but her live band lifted the songs from sounding too generic: a smartly dressed trio in white shirts and ties, with Barrett herself in a witchy black outfit with long flowing sleeves and short shorts.
Straddling the line somewhere between Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish and Halsey, her breathy, affected, sex-kitten vocals and dark lyrical themes could be a bit much at times, but she delivered the first real big show of the day. It was entertaining, epic stadium pop, with dramatic numbers like Dirty Little Secret and Dying on the Inside, while Pornstar closed the set with an explosive electro outro that saw the band take full flight as the video screens strobed in black and white.
Over at the Derbyshire Stage, Sofia Isella was performing one of the most intriguing sets of the day, with a more authentic brand of dark, goth-tinged electro, indie and art rock. Performing alone on stage, dressed in black with a backing track of unsettling sounds, the Californian was a frenetic force in constant motion, long, dark hair flying, gesticulating wildly, with a confronting, intense energy, spitting rapid-fire lyrics in a low spoken-word style, sometimes pulling out a guitar to shred.
Isella is a unique talent and truth speaker blazing her own path, wryly delivering lines like “You’ll praise the virgin, self-absorbent. You think your penis is very important” on her recent single Above The Neck. Before asking us if we have knees, imploring us to get low and then bounce for the intense industrial drone of I Looked the Future in the Eyes, It’s Mine, complete with live violin.
Back at the big top, Genesis Owusu was doing his thing, a late replacement for D4vd, who was removed from the lineup after some disturbing allegations came to light. Now an experienced and polished performer, Owusu took it in his stride, performing alone onstage. He often performs with a band or dancers with more theatrics, but this stripped-back festival show worked in the tent. Looking every bit the rock star, shirtless in a kilt, he was giving Maxim (of The Prodigy) vibes. An intense, energetic performance, enhanced by the big visuals, he got the crowd jumping with Death Cult Zombie and the hit Get Inspired (also sadly known as the KFC song), before finishing on the upbeat Good Times. His music is a rich, wavy blend of indie rock, punk, funk, R&B, hip hop and electronic—a leading light of contemporary Australian music.
Another big drawcard was Sombr, the 20-year-old NYC heartthrob who had the girls weak at the knees with his emotional, dramatic, classic pop stylings. He put on a polished performance, albeit a little beige at times, though his outfit certainly wasn’t—sporting a striking red Valentino ensemble—the tight, lacy top and flared trousers with his mop of hair and slim, androgynous frame were giving real 70s disco vibes mixed with 80s soft rock sensibilities. He’s one smooth operator with a nostalgic aesthetic. Despite having just dropped his debut album, he knows how to work a stage and use his voice, shifting effortlessly into falsetto. Backed by his tight band, he glided through his big hits, with Back To Friends, Undressed and 12 to 12 inciting big singalongs.
Schoolboy Q was on tour with Kendrick, supporting his headline sets over east. His old Black Hippy collective buddy was headlining the main stage, but the veteran rapper Q put on a clinic in the big top, literally schooling the crowd with whiteboard videos. His tight, lyrical rapping style and hard beats are impressive live. He played some material from his latest album, Blue Lips, but it was tracks from his 2014 breakout album, Oxymoron, like Studio and his Kendrick collabs Collard Greens and Blessed, that got big responses.
Things were starting to get busy in the main arena as Dominic Fike took the stage. The multi-talented Floridian whose fame has seen him branch out into acting (featuring in Euphoria) is one of those annoyingly talented, good-looking people, much like Zendaya. A great singer and songwriter, as well as displaying some unexpected guitar heroics. His “sick as fuck” band were solid, allowing him to be the star. He exudes effortless, natural charisma and seems unbound by genre, blending accessible pop, indie rock, funk and R&B, sometimes rapping and sometimes singing.
Looking out at a sea of phones, at one point he asked the crowd to put them away and just enjoy the show. It’s good to see more artists encouraging the idea of being present and in the moment. Many seemed to heed the call, immersing themselves in the music, singing along to some of his biggest tracks like Babydoll, Wurli and Mama’s Boy. The main stage definitely had the best vibe, sound and biggest stage, and Fike moved things up a notch as the sun began to set.
Meanwhile in the Basquiat big top, Skin On Skin was absolutely tearing it up. His unique productions have a hard edge, blending driving techno, house and even elements of UK rap with some live vocals. The Brisbane-raised African-Australian is doing great things as an in-demand artist and is now based overseas. His set was an absolute highlight, and it was a shame to have to leave to catch the start of Doechii.
Though first a quick Derbyshire detour to see recently crowned queen of Australian electronic music, Ninajirachi. It’s been a huge year for Nina Wilson from the Central Coast, with her album I Love My Computer exploding onto the national scene in all its glitchy glory—culminating in her domination of the ARIAs, receiving eight nominations and winning three—Best Solo Artist, Breakthrough Artist, and Best Independent Release. She put on a high-energy show that she’s known for, bounding around behind her equipment, and the small but excited crowd matched her enthusiasm.
It was a tough draw for Nina, overlapping with Doechii, as most of the crowd had moved into the main arena to get settled in for the massive one-two punch of the heavyweight headliners.
Coming on a little later than scheduled, by the time Doechii took the stage, the crowd had worked itself into a fever pitch. They exploded with a roar as the lights went up and she appeared on the stage and big screens. And she did not disappoint.
It’s also been a huge year for Doechii. The ‘Swamp Princess’ from Tampa, Florida, saw her popularity surge following the release of her debut album and her Grammy win, and she’s been on an upward trajectory since. Putting on an amazing solo performance, she showed that the hype is well deserved and came close to upstaging Kendrick.
If it was her own headline show, she would likely have had more frills and dancers, but she didn’t need them. She owned the stage, accompanied only by her flame-haired DJ Miss Milan, aka the Fairy Vibemother, who served as occasional MC and commentator, sparring with Doechii. As anyone who has seen her videos would know, she has a strong artistic flair and theatrical edge to her performances.
Perched on a moving platform in the centre of the extravagant stage set, made to look like marshy, green swamplands, Doechii cut a fine figure, looking like Wonder Woman in her red bikini top, tiny denim shorts, gold corset and boots. With the lights, smoke and fans blowing her long hair back (as opposed to her usual tight braids), she appeared unreal against the backdrop, like some ebony goddess. But her performance was even more incredible. Her rapid-fire flow is elite, and she didn’t miss a beat as she tore through her set despite constantly dancing, twerking and bouncing around the stage, with impressive skills and athleticism—at one point casually dropping into the splits as pyro cannons shot flames on each side of her.
She had the crowd in the palm of her hand and got them fired up with a token “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” chant. Despite the shorter festival set, she fit a lot in, including big singles Nissan Altima, Alter Ego, Catfish and her famous Gotye-sampling track Anxiety. Her style has elements of Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, Nicki Minaj and even Childish Gambino, while putting her own fresh, unique, modern spin on it.
“Where my swamp bitches at?!” she shouted as an introduction to her older track Swamp Bitches with Rico Nasty. And of course, there could be no other way to finish than with her already infamous track Denial Is A River, assisted by Miss Milan on their playful back-and-forth conversation. One of the greatest, most creative tracks in recent years. It is Doechii’s time, and we are blessed to have witnessed her. As the kids would say, ‘Slay, Queen!’
After that mindblowing performance, those who were more into their techno than hip hop headed over to Sara Landry in the big top. The American DJ has risen to the top of the ranks of the new wave of hard techno DJs that are sometimes derided as ‘Instagram techno’ due to the high focus on the visual appearance and style. There was certainly a dark, performative edge to her show, but Landry knows her niche and delivered a relentless, pummelling, ferocious set of tightly mixed, electro-tinged, hard-style with elements of gabba and psy-trance, while explosive lights, lasers and intense visuals provided a ritualistic overtone.
But for many it was all about Kendrick Lamar, and he once again proved that he is on another level and still one of the biggest acts in the world right now. A slightly more stripped-back stage show compared to some previous arena tours. Though he brought with him an incredible troupe of dancers. The guys and the girls were both sensational with their simplistic but incredibly tight choreography.
The songs were interspersed with a running video segment of Kendrick being interviewed or interrogated. You only saw Kendrick, never exactly who is asking the provocative and increasingly antagonistic questions about his intent and motives with his music and lyrics. There are layers and depth to everything he does. As a Pulitzer Prize winner, he’s a true artist and poet.
Maybe it was standard touring platitudes, but when Kendrick said it was good to be back in Perth, one of his favourite places in the world, and that he could feel the energy, you kinda believed him. There was a real vibe, and after all, he’s a West Coast guy himself. He’s always made the effort to come to WA, and we always show him love, even as far back as 2012 when he played a now legendary, intimate, sold-out show at the Astor, with just him and a DJ.
It was a whirlwind set, featuring his greatest tracks from his many albums, with a focus on his latest, GNX. At an hour and fifteen minutes, it wasn’t as long as his headline shows over east, but he didn’t miss too much, playing abridged and remixed versions of some tracks.
He took the stage in a cloud of smoke and light to the dramatic intro of Wacced Out Murals. Once the beat dropped, it was on. Live, he is always so impressive, his unique flow so smooth, hitting each line with precision and clarity, no matter how fast and verbose.
The minimal analogue electro sounds of Squabble Up saw the dancers hit the stage before the stabbing synth string sample announced TV Off (which would be reprised later in the set).
One meta video skit introducing Euphoria featured him opening a fortune cookie that contained his infamous quote aimed at Drake, “Don’t tell no lies ’bout me, and I don’t tell no truths ’bout you.”
A highlight of GNX is the excellent epic storytelling of Reincarnated, featuring some of Kendrick’s finest metaphorical lyricism, and live it changed up the tempo and packed even more emotional impact.
From there, the hits just kept coming. HUMBLE sounded as huge as ever before he said he was “gonna go old school” and took us back to 2012 and his breakthrough album good kid, m.A.A.d city, including Backseat Freestyle, m.A.A.d city and his classic Swimming Pools (Drank). The atmospheric Beach House-sampling Money Trees was a highlight and remains one of Kendrick’s most creative, enduring works, ya bish.
The joyous Alright got everyone jumping, while one of his most tender tracks, LOVE, provided a nice respite. Of course he finished with the one everyone was waiting for—the Drake fatality blow, the devastatingly brilliant Not Like Us that saw the crowd erupt for one last dance as fireworks went off. When it came to that line, the crowd sang, “Tryna strike a chord, and it’s probably A minorrrrrr!” so loud that Drake mighta been able to hear it in Toronto.
An appropriately epic finale. Just an absolute masterclass from Kendrick, who has firmly established himself as one of the all-time greatest rappers. With the way festivals in Perth have been lately, this was a monumental show, with proper big summer festival vibes, reminiscent of the Big Day Outs of old.
Overall it was a great festival and mostly well run, but unfortunately it ended on a downer, as the post-gig bliss bubble was popped by absolutely shambolic crowd control on the way out. No one seemed to know where to go; exits were closed off, and people couldn’t get to the Showgrounds Train Station. Crowds were moving in all directions, jammed in a bottleneck for half an hour before being forced out the back entrance, where there was no signage, no staff assistance and no trains. Just total mayhem and confusion, with many wandering the streets hours later at midnight on a Sunday.
There’s no excuse for not being better organised with an event this size, and it ruined the end of an otherwise great day. But still, massive respect to Spilt Milk for bringing such a huge lineup to Perth. Hopefully they iron the bugs out and keep the high standard set by this year’s festival, and it continues to thrive as one of the biggest and best festivals in the country.
ALFRED GORMAN
Photos by Billy Zammit, Jesse Gleeson, Jordan Munns, Mackenzie Sweetnam, Stu Mckay and Samuel Mead
