My husband often jokes about my love for what he calls “whisper music.” He refers to that gentle folk music that wraps around you like a blanket, instantly making you feel calm and comforted. Or at least that’s what it does to me. So I’m pretty excited that James Vincent McMorrow is coming out to Australia to celebrate the 15th anniversary of his acclaimed debut album, Early in the Morning.
James promises to play this album in its entirety solo with just a guitar, which sounds like my idea of heaven. He’ll also treat audiences to some new music and choice covers.
“Honestly, when the idea of these shows was pitched to me I wasn’t really into it. I make music in order to push myself forward, the idea of looking backwards at something I made at the very beginning felt a bit odd,” he said. “Then late last year I was in the studio working on some new ideas and I found myself sitting playing songs off Early in the Morning, ones I hadn’t played in over 10 years. I sat in front of the mic and recorded the entire album from memory, just to see how it felt. I’d forgotten how much I loved that record. I had no clue what I was doing when I made it, it wasn’t profound, it was just someone hanging on for dear life and trying to will it into existence. The naivety of it all came flooding back to me, I didn’t realise how much I missed the naivety.”
It remains to be seen whether I can convince my husband to indulge me with a night of “whisper music” … I’ve got a couple of months to work on him. Tickets are on sale now for these shows in June.
‘80s music fans have been well and truly spoiled by recent tours from the likes of OMD, Human League, and Wang Chung. The goodies keep on coming with the recent announcement that Midge Ure will be heading our way later this year.
These shows will celebrate Midge’s illustrious career including his solo material and work with Ultravox, The Rich Kids, and Silk.
“I performed live long before I was ever allowed anywhere near a recording studio and as much as I love spending time writing and recording, live music remains my first love,” Midge said. “ This Catalogue tour will allow me to not only play a wide selection of hits from my past but perform some of the most requested favourites. Revisiting these moments from my musical life is something I am really looking forward to sharing.”
Tickets are on sale now for all the following shows:
American emo rockers Free Throw and Microwave are teaming up for a big Aussie tour to warm up your winter. Both bands will alternate headlining duties as they travel around the country this July and August.
It’s the second time in the country for both bands and their first as headliners. Free Throw were last on our shores supporting Hot Mulligan in 2024. It’s been a little longer since we’ve seen Microwave. They were out here in 2023 playing gigs with Mom Jeans.
The term legend is bandied about a little freely for my tastes, but George Clinton is someone absolutely deserving of the honour. With his bands Parliament and Funkadelic he created the P-Funk movement and influenced generations of musicians. And he’s bringing his music to intimate venues across the East Coast this September.
By the end of the 70s, Parliament and Funkadelic had 39 charting singles including “Flash Light” and “One Nation Under Groove.” In the 1980s, George Clinton went solo and innovated in the fledgling hip hop scene. Today we can hear his distinct sound on the records of heavy hitters like Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, and Snoop Dogg. In other words, he’s a big deal.
“We have a blast every time we come to Australia,” George enthused. “Aussie’s know what it means to have a good time: the national motto should be free your mind and your ass will follow. My band has been funkin’ real hard lately … you don’t wanna miss what we be throwin down. Come on out and get funked up!”
Head to Destroy All Lines to sign up for the April 1 presale ahead of the general sale on April 3.
Canada’s own Leif Vollebekk is one of those special artists who wasn’t on my radar until they made their tour announcement, but I wonder where they’ve been all my life. I’ve been binge listening his music hard since his tour news landed in my inbox. He’s so, so good.
Leif’s tour announcement follows the release of his critically acclaimed album Revelation late last year, so expect to hear plenty of music from that project. That’s his fifth album since he made his debut with Inland in 2010, so he’s certainly got plenty of material to draw from. Which is good news for people new to his music like me hoovering up his soulful indie-folk goodness.
Trust me, you don’t want to discover how amazing he is when these shows are done. Wrap your ears around him and get ready for these dates:
Following two sold out tours in the last two years, Canadian bluegrass quartet The Dead South are heading back to our shores for their biggest tour to date.
“Starting a couple years back, every time we’d post tour dates we’d see dozens of comments asking when we’re coming to Australia and New Zealand. A couple years ago we toured there for the first time and it immediately became one of our favourite places,” The Dead South said. “Let’s make it an annual thing, shall we? We can’t wait to see you all again in November and December! We’re even hitting the South Island this time. See you all soon!”
The Dead South will play the following Australian shows before heading across the ditch. Since tickets sold out last time, make sure you don’t procrastinate because you just might miss out.
When I saw the then newly reunited Southern Sons perform at 2019’s One Electric Day, I begged for a tour. This iconic Aussie act disbanded when I was 14, so I was too young to catch them in their heyday. Their short set at One Electric Day was well … electric … but it left me wanting more. Last night, more than five years after those shows, my patience was rewarded. With a gig in my local area no less!
This isn’t quite the Southern Sons of old. Phil Buckle never rejoined his bandmates and with Virgil Donati overseas, the uber-talented Pete Drummond has taken over drumming duties. But that core trio of Reggie Bowman, Geoff Cain, and frontman Jack Jones ably steer the ship. Their camaraderie is evident, both with each other and new kid Pete. Even though there’s one less member, the Southern Sons sound has lost nothing. Their sublime harmonies, incredible musicianship, and Jack Jones’ incomparable voice shone through in every number.
As a fan, I relished the opportunity to hear a longer set. While I’ve seen Jack play countless times, it’s always been acoustic. He needed to wait to reunite with his bandmates and be amongst fans to bust out some of my old favourites like “Hold On to the Memory” and “Sometimes”. It’s funny how you can hear songs after so many years and find yourself singing along, even though you haven’t thought about their lyrics for years. Those deeper cuts provided some of my favourite moments, but of course I loved the bigger hits. Being amongst fans who could sing along to smashes like “Lead Me to Water” and “Always and Ever” more confidently than the recent crowd at Avoca Beach Theatre was fabulous. That solo Jack Jones gig was totally stripped back, but in this bigger show Southern Sons used technology to great effect. With screens and audio, we experienced Colin Hay joining the band for “Don’t Tell Me What’s Right” and John Farnham joining Jack for the duet that should have been, “Burn For You.”
I worried that during a full band show, Jack may not have been able to chat as easily with the audience as he did during the Avoca Beach Theatre gig. So I was thrilled to see him take a seat, grab an acoustic guitar, and regale us with some stripped-back songs and stories. He’s such a charismatic storyteller that I hung on his every word, even though I’d heard the tales before.
Jack’s chattiness has always charmed me, but I was less enamoured later in the set when he talked about his surprise that he hasn’t been cancelled, the way he walks that line, before chatting about how “chicks don’t have ding-dongs.” Of course, he’s entitled to voice his beliefs, but the casual transphobia left a sour taste in my mouth. The laughter that erupted from the crowd suggests I was in the minority, but I would have appreciated more music from the early 1990s and less of the era’s opinions. Honestly, it was a bit hard for me to regather my enthusiasm after that and sing along to “Heart in Danger.” I can only imagine how it might have hit any members of the trans community who may have been present.
It’s amazing how just a few sentences can mar a generous set that stretched on well past the promised hour and 45 minutes. Southern Sons didn’t put a foot wrong until they did, and it’s a shame that’s what I’m likely to remember most about this long-anticipated gig.
Southern Sons continue their 35th anniversary tour in Thurrural/Thirroul tonight. Limited tickets are still available for the following shows:
I’m buzzing today with the news that Mayday Parade are celebrating 20 years in the business with an Aussie tour, and they’re bringing The Home Team and one of my favourite acts of all time – Jack’s Mannequin – along for the ride.
Just a couple of weeks ago I was cursing that Jack’s Mannequin were playing shows in Japan while I was cruising around the country, meaning I’d be stuck in the middle of ocean while they were entertaining the masses. Thankfully they’ve been considerate enough to schedule the Eora/Sydney show for the day after I return. Jetlag cannot get in the way of what promises to be a good time!
“Mayday Parade is so excited to return to Australia to headline in celebrating 20 years as a band and our current releases,” the band’s guitarist Alex Garcia said. “Throughout all this time some of our best shows have been in Australia and that’s because our fans there are so incredibly special. We can’t wait to celebrate this band with you guys!”
The Three Cheers for 20 Years tour travels to the major capitals this September. The early bird presale begins this Friday before the general sale on Tuesday February 25, so get on it!
Hailing from Washington, D.C., emo rock duo Origami Angel are making their way to Australia for the first time this April. I must admit, these guys weren’t on my radar, but after spending the afternoon with their music I understand why they’ve clocked up tens of millions of Spotify streams! They’re so good!
Emo rock doesn’t quite describe what they do. It’s definitely scene adjacent, but there’s also a little metalcore, electronic, and even jazz in their music. I appreciate that they do things differently and I have no doubt these shows will be amazing.
Origami Angel are currently headlining shows in Europe and the UK, so they should be in fine form when they arrive on our shores. If there’s any justice these guys will be much bigger when they visit Australia again so don’t miss your chance to see them in tiny local venues this April. Tickets are on sale now for the following shows:
After topping the Australian Album ARIA charts and nabbing a fourth place on the overall ARIA charts, Dear Seattle have announced they’re hitting the road to celebrate their latest album TOY. I’m still listening to this album regularly weeks after its release.
“We’ve been putting in the hard yards to ensure this tour is the absolute best you’ve ever seen [from] DS,” the band said. “We always put in everything, but this time we wanna push the boundaries of what we’ve done in the past and make this album tour the most memorable one yet. We can’t wait to see you there!”
I only wish the shows didn’t come during an already busy May, as I have a sneaky suspicion that these songs will sound ever better in a sweaty pub. They’re also bringing Cleveland punk rockers Heart Attack, Tarntanya/Adelaide pop-punk act TOWNS, and Naarm/Melbourne indie-rock act LUCKY along for the ride. If your schedule isn’t as hectic as mine, make sure you grab some tickets while you can!
