First Nations powerhouse label Bad Apples Music will take over the Metro Tunnel's Anzac Station for a free concert as part of RISING festival's closing celebrations.
Track Work – Music From The Underground will transform the yet-to-be-opened Metro Tunnel station into a subterranean performance space for a one-day-only event. The five-hour audio takeover, held in partnership with the Metro Tunnel Creative Program, will feature performances from some of Australia’s most prominent First Nations hip hop artists, including Bad Apples Music founder Briggs.
Visitors will have the rare opportunity to explore the new station while enjoying performances from a stellar lineup of First Nations talent.
Track Work – Music From The Underground
- Sunday 15 June 2025, 11am-4pm
- Metro Tunnel’s Anzac Station, beneath St Kilda Road, Melbourne
- Free event (online registration required)
- Performances from Briggs, BARKAA, Birdz and Jayteehazard
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A unique Metro Tunnel experience
Audiences will descend more than 20 metres below St Kilda Road, where a stage will anchor a rolling lineup of DJs, MCs and headline sets throughout the day. The event offers not only an incredible musical experience but also a first glimpse of one of Melbourne’s most significant new transport infrastructure projects before it opens to the public.
Leading the performances is Yorta Yorta artist Briggs, who has been a defining voice in Australian hip hop since his 2009 debut Homemade Bombs. His career has spanned acclaimed solo albums like The Blacklist and Sheplife, as well as his collaborative project A.B. Original, whose album Reclaim Australia made waves for its bold political commentary. In 2025, Briggs expanded his sonic range with the debut of his hardcore punk project, Big Noter.
Showcasing Indigenous talent
Also performing is BARKAA, a Malyangapa, Barkindji woman known for her electrifying presence and powerful storytelling. Her work tackles themes of intergenerational trauma, resilience and the reclamation of identity, establishing her as one of the most vital voices in contemporary Australian music.
The lineup continues with Butchulla rapper and producer Birdz, who hails from Katherine in the Northern Territory. Known for addressing themes of identity, resistance and Indigenous sovereignty, Birdz has built a respected career through releases like his EP Birdz Eye View and albums Train of Thought and Legacy, the latter featuring collaborations with artists including Fred Leone and Missy Higgins.
Completing the bill is Newcastle-based producer and DJ Jayteehazard, recognised for his genre-blending style that fuses hip hop, electronic and R&B elements. As well as working with artists like Briggs and BARKAA, including as executive producer of BARKAA’s Blak Matriarchy, his solo work has established him as a distinctive voice in Australian music.
Metro Tunnel meets Bad Apples
Beyond the performances, attendees will have the opportunity to join a self-guided walkthrough of Anzac Station’s concourse and platforms. This tour will showcase the architectural ambition of the space and highlight permanent artworks by several artists, including Victorian First Nations artist Maree Clarke.
Clarke’s line-wide artwork Tracks spans all five new Metro Tunnel stations and features large-scale floor mosaics of Australian animal tracks crafted from coloured granite. At Anzac Station specifically, the artwork highlights species found in coastal environments on Bunurong/Boonwurrung Country, including the fur seal and fairy penguin, offering visitors a moment of reflection and connection to Country.
Additional permanent artworks by Raafat Ishak and Fiona Hall will also be viewable throughout the station concourse during the event.
As a closing celebration for RISING festival, which runs from 4-15 June 2025, Track Work represents a uniquely Melbourne cultural experience that brings together music, art and architecture in one of the city’s newest public spaces.
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