By William Flockton
Will Perkins, lead vocalist for the Australian, punk rock band Radium Dolls. Globe Hall, Denver, Co., Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Radio 1190/ Criss Buzzalino)
The concert hid in a small Denver suburb, where there were one story houses with abandoned children’s toys in dirt-patch gardens and a single restaurant that could be clearly made out: Globe Hall Live Music and BBQ.
Inside was a miniscule restaurant and bar serving brisket tacos and foamy beer—no apparent room for live music at all. Behind the door on the back wall was a room bigger than the restaurant itself, with a small stage and three giant amps right in front of it.
Punk rock fans packed into the room and pushed up as close as they could to the stage as the music was beating inside their chest with their heart.
On the night of September 11, Australian punk rock band Radium Dolls performed at Globe Hall in Denver, Colorado.
Opening for Radium Dolls was local Denver band, Stovetop Gemini. Vocalist Michael “Mick” Pittman’s singing acted almost as an instrument itself, where individual words were musical notes packed with emotion.
Stovetop Gemini’s vocalist, Michael “Mick” Pittman, raises his first toward the crowd as guitarist Alexander Hammes plays behind him. Globe Hall, Denver, Co., Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Radio 1190/ Criss Buzzalino)
The opening band came on with a powerful stage presence to prepare the crowd for the main act. With Pittman and bassist Gavin Varner pressing their backs into each other, trying to knock the other over.
Stovetop Gemini riled the crowd for Radium Dolls with a song titled after “a French origin made bed covering, I think,” as stated by Pittman.
“Duvet! Duvet! Duvet!” shouted the audience.
The rush of energy from the call and response song was much needed to prepare for the long intermission in the dark.
Radium Dolls vocalist Will Perkins came onto the stage with thin, blocky sunglasses and two blue cans of Cityscapes Mexican-style Lauger in one hand.
“What is up, Denver?” said Will Perkins.
He cracked a can open before the band opened with their song, “I Think Your Boyfriend Likes Me Too.”
Guitarist Tom Perkins, with a large smile, struck against the strings of an unusual guitar with long string ends coming off the top. Meanwhile, his brother, Will Perkins leaned sideways and posed with his arms behind his back as if embarrassingly confessing his love.
“Oh, lover boy/Do you want a fight or a kiss?” He sang as the audience repeated back the chorus.
Radium Dolls guitarist, Tom Perkins, runs his pick against the guitar. Globe Hall, Denver, Co., Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Radio 1190/ Criss Buzzalino)
Their next song, “Radio,” was a stark contrast to the previous. The melody resembled something akin to that from the start of Linkin Park’s “Numb.” It came to unravel into something more unique with the sound mimicking the syllables in the lyrics.
“One good eye/One that’s bad/Which one are you looking at,” repeated Will Perkins in unison with the audience.
The chorus had a hypnotic quality to it, as the words seemed to sway in the mouth when singing it.
“Radio” provided an early look into the band’s strength of making catchy, memorable chorus. Throughout their songs, the chorus was easily grabbed onto by the audience, encouraging a great deal of audience participation in the music.
Radium Dolls returned to a sound more similar to their first song with “Scorching Heat,” which the band introduced with an anecdote about the weather in Texas.
“It’s hot here in America,” said Will Perkins. “I mean, we’re from Australia and people think it’s hot there, but Jesus.”
The light design for the song tied into the vocalist’s story with colors of white and blue.
“Well it’s a lovely day/To be sitting in the scorching heat,” sang Will Perkins, as he wrapped the microphone cord around his neck to wear it like a scarf.
Vocalist Will Perkins wraps a microphone cord around his neck as bassist, Ewan Day, strums his bass guitar. Globe Hall, Denver, Co., Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Radio 1190/ Criss Buzzalino)
Afterwards, the band continued to provide a range of music with “Rat Song (For a Film)” in which bassist Ewan Day played harmonica with a song that had a similar somberness to the Eagles’ “Hotel California.”
Vocalist Will Perkins steps off the stage to stand on amp speakers placed right below it, and stands right above the audience. Globe Hall, Denver, Co., Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Radio 1190/ Criss Buzzalino)
Later into the performance, Radium Dolls performed “Moving” from their recent album “Wound Up.” Will Perkins describe the song as being about amical with your ex.
“When it all turns to shit, you don’t have to be a dickhead about it,” he said.
The song opens with the image of a man’s ex-girlfriend helping him move into his new home, and she catches his face choked up as they move their old mattress up the stairs. It evokes themes of mutual pain.
Radium Doll’s last song was “Treat” which was a contrast to the song before it “Tractor Parts,” another song about relationships and their end.
“And it’s a treat/It really is a treat,” sang Will Perkins. “To have you sitting right next to me.”
Instead of the end of a relationship, “Treat” seems to describe a relationship at its nervous beginnings. The insistence that it is such a surprise “to see you tonight” makes the meeting between the speaker and their subject intentional, or at least, something the speaker was hoping to happen, but was too embarrassing to admit.
Guitarist Tom Perkins, bassist Ewan Day and drummer Lachlan Driver play together. Globe Hall, Denver, Co., Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. Driver replaced Radium Dolls official drummer, Bryce Equinox, on the band’s four-state U.S. tour. (Radio 1190/ Criss Buzzalino)
As the band exited the stage, the audience shouted: “ONE MORE ONE MORE ONE MORE.”
It wasn’t long before the band came out to play one final song for the audience.
“It’s called favorite and you guys are my new favorites,” said Will Perkins. “One of my favorite crowds ever done.”
Radium Girl’s “Favorite” began with guitar and bass with the guitar section broken up in two distinct pieces, almost making out the word ‘favorite’ in the music.
It was a perfect note to end the night. The song was light and smooth but filled the audience’s craving for more from the band, and it made a great goodbye.
Before he left, Will Perkins threw out a kiss to the audience, and you could hear the audience chant, “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” even long after the band left the stage ,and the lights came on.
Vocalist Will Perkins points at the crowd while his brother, guitarist Tom Perkins, fiddles with a guitar pedal. Globe Hall, Denver, Co., Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Radio 1190/ Criss Buzzalino)