Chris Langenberg on 10 years of GRAIN and Against The Grain 2026
I caught up with one of my closest friends recently, a few days before he puts on the biggest show he's ever held - Stereolab, Rolling Blackouts CF, POND, Protomartyr, The Belair Lip Bombs and so many more.
As crazy as that lineup is, it's unsurprising to me because for as long as I've known Chris Langenberg, he has always been dreaming up unbelievable shows for the people of Brisbane, Magandjin, and somehow pulling them off every time.
We've spent a good chunk of the last decade together. On stage, in studios, rehearsal rooms, pulling snakes out from under an organ in Boonah, or on planes, Ubers and hire cars with guitar cases stacked on our laps so high we could barely see over them.
All the while, I've seen just how hard Chris works so we can all go to the best shows we've ever been to.
Whether you know him or not, we're so lucky to have someone like Chris in our city. And if you do know him, then I don't need to tell you any of this because you already know it.
Read on to learn more about Chris and the last 10 years (!) of GRAIN.
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Paint us a picture! It’s February, 2016 and you’ve just launched GRAIN Magazine, what were you doing at the time and what inspired you to start?
I am 18 years old, just starting 2nd year uni - I had been thinking about starting a blog / zine for about a year. By this point I’d drafted about 10 different versions of a website for GRAIN. Not really knowing what I wanted to do with it other that write about music and art that I loved and felt wasn’t getting enough attention.
I was going to shows every week, playing in 4 or 5 bands at the time? and just feeling really excited about the Brisbane music scene.
What artists/bands were you listening to back then?
I was obsessed with everything happening in Brisbane at the time, I loved Babaganouj, Major Leagues, Jeremy Neale, Twin Haus & Yuuca.
There was one band in particular called Big Bad Echo that I fell in love with. I remember seeing them and noticed that not enough people were talking about how good they were, TBH that really pushed me to start GRAIN.
In that same year you held the very first Against The Grain festival! A 3 day festival featuring Twin Haus, Good Morning, Jess Locke, Mckisko, Pool Shop (who make their ATG return this year) and many more. What do you remember about that night?
Looking back, I think I was super under-prepared. But that’s in hindsight - at the time, I was just figuring it out as I went and that’s definitely because I’d never put on a show like that before, I had no reference point.
The biggest ‘moment’ that I remember is when I left the site to have a shower after building the stage and site from scratch all day. On my way back to the festival I got a phone call telling me that the petrol in our fuel generator ran out and the entire festival was dark with no sound. That was a pretty stressful experience but very funny to look back on.
Photos from Against The Grain 2016, 2017, 2018
What were some of your favourite features and photo galleries from that year? And did you ever give anyone $5 for making it into Chastity Belt’s disposable camera photos?
Haha we didn’t give anyone $5. No one claimed it but also to be honest I didn’t actually have $5 to spare haha. That one was such a nice feature though, it’s so cool to look back at the start of GRAIN and see some of the interviews that we featured.
One of the memorable interviews was when Brodie met with Gareth Liddiard and suggested he call the next band “Tropical Fuck Storm”. It didn’t make it into the transcript but I’d still claim it.
In following years ATG evolved into a multi venue festival hosting acts like Chakra Effendi, City Calm Down, First Beige, Gold Class, Good Boy, Horror My Friend, Stella Donnelly, Sunscreen, The Courtneys, The Ocean Party, Tiny Little Houses, Vacations and more. What were some of the biggest lessons learnt in the process?
I think those next two Against The Grain Festivals were a really hard way to learn about business and the importance of contracts. I was definitely too trusting of certain people and the result left GRAIN in the red for a long time. I’m not too proud to admit that I was very inexperienced and still had lots to learn.
That being said, I still look at those lineups and think they were some of the best shows I’ve ever put on or even attended in Brisbane and I am proud that GRAIN managed to survive through really hard times after these festivals.
I’d love to give you this question as an opportunity to shout out all the people who have lent you a hand over the years, who would you like to thank!
There’s so many people that have been involved with GRAIN over the years, whether it be on the online magazine side or with shows. Too many to thank but to everyone who has been a part of the GRAIN community, you know who you are!
I have to shout out Brodie Popple, he was the first partner in GRAIN and helped me produce so many events over the years. Anthony Lawrence who I used to live with and is a dear friend, he’s always helped make GRAIN shows happen from the very early days, James Bartlett who helped make sure SILO events kept running smoothly while I was living and booking the shows from overseas, recently Olive McCagh who is such a great and keen journalist, she has been producing such amazing articles for GRAIN.
Huge shoutouts to my parents for all the years of support and my beautiful wife for supporting me when I come up with crazy concepts that involve lots of time, work and stress.
Also enormous shout outs to the entire Tivoli Group team, Against The Grain would absolutely not be possible without everyone’s trust, skill and support and this festival that we are about to put on for the city is all thanks to them.
What have been your proudest moments with GRAIN?
It’s hard to name to be honest. I spent a lot of time going back through the archives when I rebuilt the website this year, and was looking back at everything GRAIN has accomplished. I think honestly it’s done way more than I ever could have imagined when I started over a decade ago and there’s been so many pinch me moments.
For me personally on the writing side, I had the opportunity to interview Interpol which was a big personal milestone, also some of the other interviews that GRAIN has done with Phoebe Bridgers, Warpaint and Parquet Courts are all pretty crazy.
I think for the events, I’m always most proud when it’s the first time doing something. Like the first time I brought an international artist to Brisbane for their own show with Baxter Dury, the first time I put on a party overseas in the UK, the first SILO and the relaunch of SILO, also putting on parties with Fontaines DC and IDLES… All of those moments were pretty special.
When Against The Grain happened in 2016 - 2018, each of those festivals were really, really special. For me, it was just the culmination of putting so much of myself into a project and seeing it happen. I remember watching City Calm Down at the last one and just crying because I couldn’t believe that the show was happening and that there were so many people enjoying it.
Could you talk us through some of the historic imagery incorporated into the latest Against The Grain artwork?
I went on such a deep dive through the QLD State Library archives to find old images of Woolloongabba. The Clarence Corner is steeped in Brisbane history and the pub on the corner dates all the way back to horses and carriages. There’s also lots of old photos and maps of the area that I saved for references.
This area has never been activated in this sort of way, for a music festival or anything - so it felt like it’s kind of making a stamp in history. For the artwork, I referenced the historical context of the area by using a photograph from 1950 of a crowd outside the Gabba.
Talk us through the layout of this year’s Against The Grain, what can punters expect?
Ok so, we are closing down half of Annerley Road, and fencing a site from The Princess Theatre all the way to the corner (where the traffic lights are) and all the way down Stanley Street.
The festival layout is a bit of a choose your own adventure and there’s so much choice.
There’s going to be art and photography exhibitions in the gallery, street party DJ sets, 2 outdoor stages, bands playing in the pub, bands playing at The Princess Theatre, an Against The Grain wine bar takeover of C’est Bon, food trucks, installations and projections.
It’s been really hard to describe how big this festival is but I think once people see it, they’ll realise how much of a big deal this is for Brisbane.
Time to pick favourites, what acts are you most looking forward to this year?
It’s actually crazy, I am so proud of this entire lineup and want to see everyone.
If I had to pick a few it’d be:
Protomartyr - I saw them in the UK 2 years ago and it was unreal. Their music is just so incredible and their stage presence is so intense, in a good way. I think they’re going to leave everyone shook.
Pool Shop - Jaimee played the first ever GRAIN show and has been one of my favourite songwriters in Brisbane for so long. Pool Shop playing with a full band is such a treat, and something I haven’t seen in many years.
Cola - I’ve been following this band for a few years and I was so excited to hear how keen they were to come to Australia. I think it’s a band that in a few years everyone will look back on and be upset if they miss their set.
Media puzzle - I love media puzzle, they’ve been one of my favourite discoveries of the year so far and I think they’re going to be around for a long time.
Good Boy - One of the best bands from Brisbane (ever). They have been friends of GRAIN for such a long time and I’m honestly so grateful that they said yes to play. It’s going to be a really special show for a lot of people.
Stereolab - I don’t think there’s too much to say about how special it’s going to be to see Stereolab. I have only seen them once before and I still think it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. I am truly, truly honoured that they are a part of the lineup.
You’ve always been Brisbane’s biggest advocate and played a part in making it the best city in the world through all the shows you’ve put on here. If you could bring one Brisbane venue back which would you choose and why?
The Foundry, it was just such an institution for us, it’s where I made most of my ~music~ friends, it’s where I would see bands every week and discover new music, it’s where my band played our first ever show and the first venue we ever sold out. It was just a really special place to me and to a lot of the Brisbane music community.
What does GRAIN have planned for Brisbane in the future?
For live events, I don’t have heaps planned at the moment. I’m really just hoping so much that Against The Grain works and we can do it all over again next year. My dream is for the festival to happen annually and I want to get straight back to work for the next one.
That being said, I’m sure there’ll be more GRAIN shows this year plus we have so many amazing features and interviews popping up all of the time on the website which won’t ever stop!
Final question… Can I have a door spot!?
For you? Absolutely not!!!
I promise everyone tickets are as cheap as they can possibly be for what will be the best day of all time.
(yes ONLY u can have a door spot)
Get your tickets to Against The Grain here.
