I am propped up in the front bar of The Tote on a brisk Sunday noon in November, feeling dusty and more than a little gingerly, from the twelve-hour party in here the day before. With smudged spectacles adorning my dehydrated skull, I squint into an erratically behaved laptop screen, and foolishly apply hair of the dog, savouring the last drops of Red Steel during a lengthy wait for a Red Eye flight home to Brisbane. Joe Throwe keeps me company by serving up Melbourne’s finest. We relive the action from last night through the footage we recorded with laughter, as the artists diligently prepare the makeshift stage in the doorway, ready to rock for the free Sunday Sesh. Joe states The Bin Stompers and Muddy Rivets will both be to my satisfaction (he was correct of course).
As I watch the bands, I am osmotically absorbing the fabulous sticky aura of The Tote floors up through my war ravaged mosh pit Blundstone boots. This provided both the time and influence to ponder the same question that many loyal patrons who linger within the corner of Johnstone and Wellington Street at any given opportunity ask themselves, “Am I already home?”.
With that thought in mind, I thought it was vital to capture those homely feelings, as well as the essence of what makes Legless Records a constant driving force of creativity, punk DIY spirit, and togetherness from the soul of Rye. I hope I’ve achieved this through the many interviews with artists and loyal friends during (with a couple of call ins) the Legless Records Tote Takeover 2025.
Photo by Danysha Harriott (@danyshaharriott)
Brendan Stringer (Polute, Doe Street, Shiners)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Community, Rock N’ Roll, Friendship.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Favourite song: Doe Street Old Guard (from the Stepping Stones album).
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
A million beers and great riffs.
Tommy Duell (Doe Street)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Community, and you feel welcome, a DIY approach. Every band that Legless signs is not just a good band; they are good people
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Jackson Reid Briggs and the Heaters self-titled album, and the Been Waiting single.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
I’m well behaved. I’m a good boy.
“Only occasionally!” says Brendan Stringer.
Shane Hilton (Caretaker and operator of The Tote and The Last Chance Rock N’ Roll Bar)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Always good music and zero shit! So well curated.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Re-release of C.O.F.F.I.N – Piss-Up, Hedge Burners and… fuck off how can I answer that?!
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
A landmine! Or at The Tote and the Last Chance.
Aaron Mawson (Legless Records CEO, Split System, Doe Street, Hedge Burners, and a thousand other bands)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Friends.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Jackson Reid Briggs – Waiting a Corner.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
With the same friends.
Wolfgang ‘Wolfy’ Buckley (Stiff Richards, Public House)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Mawso has built an empire, “The octopus is out of the bag!”. It started from mates and it has built an institution for great bands. Every album is phenomenal, and we all trust his judgement.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Oh, this is so hard! The first two Split System albums, the repress of the C.O.F.F.I.N – Piss-Up album, and the Cutters albums.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Off other people’s riders!
Freya Tanks (The Antics)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Hard, fast rock n’ roll community.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Cutters – Psychic Injury and Phil and the Tiles – Double Happiness.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Just get pissed at The Tote… or the Pinnacle.
Troy Jezierski (Screaming Target)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Always good local music with variety that surrounds punk and garage sounds. Mawso is “So good with variety without monotony.”
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
So many! The Stepmother – Vacant State single.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Spend as many hours on a motorbike as possible, and afterwards drink as much as you can, that is guaranteed to make your legs throw out from under you!
Lochlan Cavigan (Stiff Richards, Captain Razz)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Family, I just love catching waves with those guys.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Cutters, Splitties, or C.O.F.F.I.N.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Listening to Spice Girls in my shed.
Shauna Boyle (Leatherman, Lothario, Licklash)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
A community of mates that get to do what they like, which is to produce cool art with supportive people, with good attitudes and aspirations. We are all on the same playing field and feel connected through Legless.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Smooch – A Force to be Rockin’ With and The States – Gimme Joy
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Jaeger bombs at The Tote.
Al Hall (Cutters, Lothario)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
(Laughs) Hmmm, an inability to use one’s legs!
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
The Brakes – Big Rock.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
A hacksaw, and a heart full of courage.
JD Laderman & Anabel Brown (Leatherman, Clowns)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Community and support. Mawso has put his life on the line for the music community.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Elvis II – Thank You Very Much
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Here with all the Legless bands at The Tote.
Jackson Reid Briggs (Split System, Metho, Jackson Reid Briggs and the Heaters)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
It’s a very comfortable home for artists, providing a place for them to get started. Mawso takes a chance for artists.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Stiff Richards – Dig.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
At Legless!
Darcy James Nigro (Doe St, DJ Centipede and the Earthworms)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
A t‑shirt.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Stiff Richards – Dig.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Listen to anything on Legless while drinking tallies of Coopers Sparkling Red.
Marci Aiello (Elvis II)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Community.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Smooch – A Force to be Rockin’ With & Leatherman – Turn You On (as we watch them play).
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Getting too stoned.
Billiam (Billiam and the Split Bills)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Hell yeah guitar music!
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Whatever Mawso brings out is going to be amazing.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Have a panic attack before the Uber arrives. Get bent. Do drag. Be kind.
Lewis Hodson (CIVIC)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Good grassroots label, doing it for the cause.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Split System – Volume I and Volume II.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Play in a band. Half the night the drinks are free. Head elsewhere, like The Tote.
Steve Kelly (Smooch, Elvis II, Mesa Cosa)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Great community with a circle of friends and great Australian music.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Loose Lips.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Hang out with Mawso.
Jarrod Goon (Leatherman, Clowns)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
It means a lot to me being from Frankston — it’s a real connection for me. That, and putting the best bands in Australia on his label.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
The C.O.F.F.I.N self‑titled.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
AT THE FUCKING TOTE!
Jake “Dingo” Doyle (Drunk Mums)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Mawson, and his energy as a beautiful soul and human being.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Split System – Volume II.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
AT THE TOTE OBVIOUSLY, FUCK YEAH!
Rob Muinos (Stepmother)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Of all the bullshit that major record labels push onto artists, Legless has none of that. It’s one guy who is passionate about music, and he makes us feel at home.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Split System – Volume I and Volume II.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Bandcamp!
Hannah Mawson (The Miffs)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Family.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Stiff Richards – Dig.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Tequila at The Tote.
Jacob McCann (Photographer)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Twisted Tea and tasty tunes.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Split System – Volume I.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Twisted Tea at The Tote.
Grahame Clise (Stepmother)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
What Mawso does is non‑pretentious — it creates community without being cliquey.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Cutters – Psychic Injury. That album is what brought me to Legless Records.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Nangs and NOS! It’s heaven and hell — my fave high!
Joe Throwe (Uncle Geezer)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Great tunes and even greater community. All class rockin’!
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Elvis II – Thank You Very Much. Such a banger album, and crazy good live.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Ahhh… 10 beers and 2 Xanax, legless for sure!
Eamon Sandwith (The Chats, The Unknowns, Egomaniacs)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Great independent label that releases music people should be hearing.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
The Street Sweeper – Don’t Wait 7”.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Over a few beers with mates.
Benny Portnoy (C.O.F.F.I.N, Polute, Sexy on Site)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Mawson.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Mawson’s.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Mawson.
Shelvo (OnlyBands)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Certainty. Every artist and album is a guaranteed killer.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Speed Week – Hey Hey It’s Speed Week. I listened to that every day for about a year.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
-
- VIC – The Tote
- QLD – PFR Lounge
- Sydney – Crowbar
- Adelaide – The Cranker
Alex Cameron (Bad//Dreems)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Legless has been a shining beacon in the miasma of the contemporary music industry. For anyone to even survive as an independent label these days is a Herculean effort. To do this and establish the catalogue and veneration Legless has is a testament to Mawson’s approach. It’s clear he is truly passionate about the music he releases, while having the DIY work ethic to get this music heard without sullying himself with the more unsavoury corners of the grubby game.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
Split System – Volume I.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
Binge eating.
Josh Hardy (The Chats, The Unknowns, Loose Lips)
1. What does Legless Records mean to you?
Inclusivity and wholesomeness.
2. What is your favourite Legless Records album?
The States – Gimme Joy.
3. What is the best way to get Legless?
At The Tote with yourself.
Note: Apologies if all the associated band totals are incomplete, and to those faces I was unable to put a pen and notepad under, come grab me next time.
The Legless Tote Takeover 2025 was a punk Disneyland, and I want a lifetime season pass! Come to it next time as well as Singing Bird Studios’ Flipping the Bird Festival at Frankston on 28 Feb 2026, for some more finger licking tasty zingers, with a like-minded community. Oooh I can smell another article deep frying!
Thanks to Jacob McCann (@blokeyoucantrust) and Danysha Harriott (@danyshaharriott) for all the shots in this article! They’ve actually created Legless zine that you can snag at the Legless Records Bandcamp very soon so keep a look out for that.
