Latest news with #BoyAndBear
Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Matchbox Twenty star Rob Thomas announces Australian tour: 'One of my favourite places in the world'
Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas has announced he will be heading to Australia and New Zealand later this year for a solo headline tour. The 53-year-old American rocker will be touring his forthcoming solo album All Night Days and paying tribute to the 20th anniversary of his 2005 debut solo album, Something To Be. Thomas will land Down Under in October and kick off with two back-to-back shows in Perth, before heading to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. In New Zealand, he will play shows in Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington. 'Aussie fans have always been incredible to me,' he said. 'I can't wait to come back and share these songs - old and new - on what's going to be a very special run of shows across one of my favourite places in the world.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, This will mark Thomas' first solo tour in Australia in 2019 - although he toured with Matchbox Twenty in 2024. The singer will be supported by an all star line-up of Australian opening acts, including Boy & Bear, Eskimo Joe, Little Quirks and Sara Berki. Tickets went on sale via Ticketek on Thursday, May 29 and appear to be affected by dynamic pricing online. The of General Admission standing tickets starts from $183 and seated tickets range from between $200 to $342. No concerts appear to be entirely sold-out at the time of writing. However, the $1526 'Guitar experience' has sold out in Adelaide. According to a statement from the artist, fans can expect a 'career-spanning set' that will include solo hits like 'Lonely No More' and 'This is How a Heart Breaks', as well as Matchbox Twenty classics such as '3AM' and 'Unwell'. In recent years, Rob has said his infamous 2016 blunder during his Melbourne tour is 'the greatest thing' that's ever happened to him. At the time, Rob joked about drinking through his jet lag until 'I think I'm a black Australian'. 'It changed a huge part of my life, it brought so many new friends into my life, it gave me a new awareness,' he told Confidential. 'It's never too late to start being on the right side of history,' Rob added. In 2016, mid-way through his performance at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena, the singer offered a racially insensitive quip about the way in which he deals with long-haul flights. 'I drink til I think I'm Australian. And then I keep drinking til I think I'm a black Australian (sic),' he said. In footage obtained by TMZ at the time, the audience can be heard groaning and booing in response to Rob's remarks. Several hours after the live show, Rob took to Facebook with a heartfelt apology. 'After the show in Melbourne tonight while backstage with some of my Australian friends, it was brought to my attention that I said something that is racist and insensitive' he wrote. 'Please understand that although it is no excuse, I was completely unaware that in Australia there is a polarising social issue happening right now involving indigenous people and alcohol.' He continued: 'When I was made aware of it, the ground fell out beneath me, and I realised that people may now see me as the exact opposite of who I am. I'm sitting here in my hotel room completely gutted that a joke that I made was much more relevant to the times in Australia than I realised. 'I know that words are just words, but to those I offended, I deeply, DEEPLY apologise! Everyone who knows me is aware that for the past 20 years I have been a fervent supporter of civil rights, so I am incredibly embarrassed by my ignorance. I feel like a fool and apologise to all Australians.' The American rock star boasts legions of fans across the globe. But Rob previously expressed that he is 'uncool' during an interview with Courier Mail. 'There's an inherent coolness in knowing you're not cool,' the singer told the publication. 'When I say I'm not cool, I don't mean that as a knock against me, I mean it against cool people. It's tongue-in-cheek. I'm a f***ing rock star. That's cool!' he added. While he has enjoyed a rather 'cushy' career, he recalled how his father spent his life 'working a job he hated.' 'I get paid to explain to people why they should care about my music... that's a pretty cushy job,' a grateful Rob said.
ABC News
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Missy Higgins, The Living End, Boy & Bear head up Wanderer 2025 line-up
Good things come to those who wait, and you've been waiting for a boutique arts and music festival experience situated among a tree-lined, beach-adjacent paradise, then biannual event Wanderer Festival is here with the goods. Taking place on the picturesque Pambula Beach on the New South Wales South Coast on Yuin land, Wanderer returns the first weekend of October with a finely curated bill of Australian and international acts. The incomparable Missy Higgins needs little introduction and is the star of the Saturday night programme. The Hall of Fame inductee and Double J Artist of the Year joins Wanderer off the back of a sold out tour celebrating both her inspirational blockbuster debut The Sound of White and chart-topping spiritual sequel The Second Act . Expect sing-alongs, euphoria and — let's face it — tears. Homegrown indie-folk legends Boy & Bear are festival staples, and if you've never experienced their soothing harmonies and innovative pop angles in the flesh? You're in for a treat. The ever electrifying The Living End will have you moving Sunday night. Fresh from releasing 'Alfie', a new single reconnecting with their rockabilly roots, you'll be treated to a setlist of new treats alongside blistering classics Fronted by the iconic Adalita, Magic Dirt still play with the same energy and presence they always did. They'll make a great pairing with Hockey Dad – Windang rock royalty whose mix of grunge, surf rock and punky pop makes them a must-see live act. Jetting their way to the Sapphire Coast will be L.A. quartet Saint Motel. For more than a decade they've been crafting silky, theatrical pop that the grandest of '70s acts would approve of — the perfect cocktail-sipping soundtrack. Also on the international front: soulful Nigerian-born, London-shaped singer-songwriter Jacob Banks, America's self-styled 'First Lady of Outlaw Country', Nikki Lane, and if you're looking for a boogie, then there's young Netherlands producer Lavern and French electronic maestro Petit Biscuit. Also joining the party is vocal powerhouses Emma Donovan and Grace Cummings. Both released some of the best albums of last year and are rarely less than brilliant on stage. Why not indulge in the stunning vocal harmonies of Folk Bitch Trio, or how about a DJ set from bloghouse heroes Cut Copy? Or heading to the Wanderhaus stage for back-to-back sets from turntable masters? You've also got roots sensations Pierce Brothers, Dublin duo DUG, self-built indie rockers The VANNS, and Double J's very own Henry Wagons playing Johnny Cash's esteemed American Recordings. If all that wasn't tempting enough, know that there's even more acts to be added to the bill. And if the 2023 edition is anything to go by, the calibre will remain high. Debuting in 2022 from Falls Festival founder and The Lost Lands impresario Simon Daly, Wanderer festival is a family-friendly affair that offers a full arts program and activities for all ages, for when you need a breather from the live music. It all goes down in Pambula Beach near the Sapphire Coast, situated halfway between Sydney and Melbourne, or a three-hour drive from Canberra. It's worth the trip for the pristine location, alone. Plus, you'll have to wait until 2027 to get the Wanderer experience again. Here's the line-up so far for Wanderer Festival 2025, proudly co-presented by Double J Saturday: Missy Higgins, Saint Motel (USA), Hockey Dad, Magic Dirt, Lavern (NL), Pierce Brothers, Grace Cummings, Folk Bitch Trio, Johnny Cash Recordings w Henry Wagons, O And The Mo (NZ), Jack Botts, The Tullamarines, Dust, Groove Society, Jimi The Kween, Bec Sandridge, Prodikal — 1, Sixten b2b Benjamin, Sunday Lemonade, Bega Sound Collective Sunday: The Living End, Boy & Bear, Jacob Banks (UK), Petit Biscuit (FR), Nikki Lane (USA), Cut Copy (DJ Set), The Vanns, Dug (IRL), Emma Donovan, Sylvie (USA), The Bures Band, Groove Society, Jimi The Kween, Bega Sound Collective, Lotte Gallagher, Mika James, Radium Dolls, Val Moogz, Lillian Mcveity Plus, Wanderhaus acts Chicka b2b Rangz, Darcy M. & Carlo T., Jai Cole b2b Kurtis Markwort, Just Andrew, Swell Records DJs, Usual Suspects DJs Wanderer Festival happens at Pamula Beach on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 October. Tickets are on sale now. Ticketing info, including an opportunity to win VIP upgrades, can be found at the Wanderer Festival website.
