DEAD AIR #162 / March 9, 2026 by The Departure

Thank you so much Jeff McDonald from REDD KROSS for our conversation about death and music. Redd Kross are playing this Friday 13th in Castlemaine, tickets have almost sold out, get on it! BUY HERE

REDD KROSS (USA) + THE HARD-ONS with special guests MOLER - at the Theatre Royal Castlemaine Vic, Friday, 13 March 2026.

Two titans of power-pop and punk rock reunite this March. LA cult legends REDD KROSS, celebrating 45 years of dayglo hooks, sly wit and sky-high choruses, join forces once again with Aussie icons THE HARD-ONS, fronted by the incomparable (and local) Tim Rogers, for a long-awaited tour across Australia. Expect high-voltage singalongs, fuzz-drenched anthems, and a masterclass in melodic brilliance from two of rock’s most enduring and prolific forces. Plus special guests Naarm/Melb indie power pop band MOLER.

Bar open from 4pm, Kitchen opens from 5pm, doors open 7.30pm.

DEAD AIR #161 / February 25, 2026 by The Departure

A Landscape Artist in Winter. In rural Scotland, Andy Goldsworthy, the sculptor famed for his use of natural materials, contemplates his own decay. - The New Yorker

Funeral Songs by Daniel Mudie Cunningham. Plans are underway for an expanded presentation of Funeral Songs on its 20th anniversary in 2027. Submit your song HERE.

Online Talk: Beyond the Vampire: Transylvania as Matriarchal Origin with Medical Art Psychotherapist & Artist Isabelle Rizo– Tues 24 Feb, 10am AEDT (7pm ET (NYC time) Mon 23 Feb). Info HERE.

NDAN Panel Event - The growing options of water cremation in Australia, with Jeff Boyle (QLD) and Luke Cripps (Tas). Online, Wed 25 Feb 2026, 6.30-8.30pm AEDT. Info HERE.

We invite writers, storytellers and community nationwide to participate in the 2026 Grieve Project. Grieve Issue 13 submissions close Sunday 26 April, 8pm AEST, info HERE.

Castlemaine State Festival presents: Life’s Too Short – our mums are dead with Teamo Henderson & Deidre Gibb, Thompsons Family Funerals. Fri 27 March 8pm, Sat 28 March 2pm, $30/$25. Book HERE.

Internationally renowned witch, bestselling author, and former 90s rockstar Fiona Horne invites you to a special event celebrating her new book Coven – Where Witches Gather and its matching oracle deck. Fri 27 Mar, 5:30-6:30 pm, Bendigo Library. Book HERE.

Dark Market Stall applications now open for the Goldfields Gothic Festival of Dark Ideas in Maldon. Sat 1 Aug, $20 per stall. The more macabre and odd the better! gabrielle@thompsonsfunerals.com.au

Showing Up For Each Other: Community Death Care Workshop - funded by the Wicking Trust. Supported by the Australian Home Funeral Alliance, in conjunction with Social Health Australia and the Death Literacy Institute. Led by myself, Jenny Blake & Nici Wright. Saturday 11 – Sunday 12 April, Castlemaine. EOIs have closed, but you can join the waiting list HERE

TRACKS: Move Like Ghosts – Affordable Repayments / A Dream of Zeus – Savvas / Malady of a secret Design - Kollektiv Raumordnung

DEAD AIR #160 / February 16, 2026 by The Departure

Loved ones left behind after voluntary assisted dying say more support is needed – ABC News

Heat and fires expose ancestral remains in Victoria's north-west – ABC News

The Overturned, a liturgy for what cannot be saved. From Death & Birds, Chloe Hope

Sadly, Norma Hancock has died. Norma bought the Guildford General Store when she was 89, for her community – “She understood that a small country store is never just a shop – it is a meeting place, a heartbeat, a soul.” All are welcome to attend Norma’s funeral service, Wed 18 Feb, 2.30pm, Mt Alexander Funerals, 12 Campbell Street, Castlemaine. Following the service, a gathering at the Guildford General Store Tavern to share stories, food, drinks, and memories.

The Monthly Gathering, a grief space for those permanently childless, not-by-choice. Next gathering Thurs 26 Feb, 7-9pm, Chewton. Facebook link HERE for more info.

BODY WORLDS: The Anatomy of Happiness an exhibition developed by Dr. Gunther von Hagens and Dr. Angelina Whalley. Showcases real human bodies preserved through the plastination process. Opening March 2026, the District Docklands, all ages, from $19 for children, from $33 for adults. Join waiting list for tickets HERE.

The Place for Lost Feelings, created by artist Clare James. A botanical installation for participants to visit and acknowledge feelings of grief or loss, but equally feelings of gratitude or love. Sat 21 - Sun 22 March 2026. Healesville Living and Learning Centre, FREE, limited places book HERE.

Checking in with grief. Small, gentle messages can remind people they’re cared for without adding pressure - @shrinkchicks

TRACKS: Black and White – Bleak Squad / Trick Pony – Civic / 3am - Chimers