Review written by Blake Peck with photos by Beau Croxton

CIVIC live at TV EYE by Beau Croxton

CIVIC is fresh off the release of their transformative album Chrome Dipped, where the band expanded their horizons into something different, but equally anthemic. The band has had an eventful year opening for Sex Pistols (with Frank Carter) and their Chrome Dipped tour has been ripping it up in the States. On June 13th, CIVIC played a sold-out show at TV EYE to a crowd that welcomed every second of chaos with open arms, and Occult was there to catch all the glory.

Check out our review of Chrome Dipped here …(spoiler alert— we loved it.)

STARTING ALL THE DOGS OFF

CIVIC didn’t come to TV EYE to play nice. They came to tear it down.

Opening with “Starting All the Dogs Off,” the Melbourne punks charged straight into the chaos. No slow build, no easing in. The song exploded out of the gate, tight and punishing, with just enough swing to pull the packed Ridgewood crowd into motion. Within seconds, bodies were moving and the strong current of movement would only get stronger through the night, as the band progressively exploded more and more.

The momentum never let up. “The Hogg” followed with a stomping rhythm that felt built to incite a circle pit, which the crowd happily obliged. Frontman Jim McCullough stalked the stage like someone with something to prove—not in attitude, but in urgency.

CIVIC live at TV EYE by Beau Croxton

TV Eye is the kind of intimate venue that turns already intense sets into something borderline feral, and CIVIC thrived in it. By “Poison,” the crowd was fully engaged, hurling themselves into one another with the same mix of aggression and abandon the band channels so well. The song’s wiry guitar lines and barked vocals landed with sharp precision— stripped down and raw, but never sloppy. That’s the thing about CIVIC: they might sound unhinged, but they’re locked in.

The band’s newer material blended seamlessly with older favorites. “Trick Pony” leaned into a melodic swagger that gave the set a brief but welcome shift in tone. Then came “Fragrant Rice,” — it was more gritty but groovy and danceable. There was something hypnotic in its repetition, a strange tension between discipline and delirium that gave the room a second wind. It was also the rare song in the set where CIVIC let the rhythm ride a little longer, trusting the groove to do the heavy lifting.

“Just a Fix” and “New Vietnam” kept the middle stretch taut. The former was quick and clinical, the kind of track that makes you appreciate how tight this band really is. No wasted energy. No indulgence. Just fists-up punk at its most efficient. “New Vietnam,” one of their earliest singles, arrived with a sharper edge. The years have only made it more potent, and the crowd’s reaction proved it's still a cornerstone of the band’s identity.

CIVIC live at TV EYE by Beau Croxton

“Radiant Eye” offered a brief but noticeable shift. The song both simmered and exploded as a stand out. There was a significant pulse to it and it gave the set a necessary sense of movement without ever losing steam.

The end of the show came with a trio of Chrome Dipped tracks, and it's clear they are becoming major highlights in the set– “The Fool” and “Chrome Dipped” sounded classic, like they could command an arena crowd. Then came the closer: “Swing of the Noose.” It felt less like an ending and more like a final round. The riff hit like a brick, and McCullough pushed his voice to the edge. Everyone in the room seemed to recognize it was the last chance to lose themselves, and they took it. The pit roared back to life, and for a moment, it was hard to tell where the band ended and the crowd began. Then it all snapped shut. No encore. No delay. Just a clean, hard stop.

CIVIC live at TV EYE by Beau Croxton

CIVIC’s set at TV Eye wasn’t about spectacle or showmanship. It was about presence—loud, immediate, and completely unfiltered. The band doesn’t bother with polish or posturing. They play fast, they play tight, and they expect you to keep up. If you don’t, that’s on you.

This wasn’t a nostalgia trip or a genre exercise. It was a living, breathing, authentic punk show—sweaty, unforgiving, and honest. The real deal. CIVIC didn’t ask the room to participate. They commanded it. And Brooklyn showed up.

Check out the setlist and Gallery by Beau Croxton below!

All photos of CIVIC by Beau Croxton